HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENT

Born: September 4, 1978

October 4, 1978, one monthDecember 1978, three months oldFall 1979, one year old
October 1980, two years oldDecember 1981, three years old>October 1982, four years oldSeptember 1983, five years oldNovember 1984, six years oldMarch 1986, seven years old (Shane is five years old)Fall 1986, eight years oldOctober 1987, nine years old Fall 1988, ten years oldFall 1989, Eleven yearsFall 1990, Twelve yearsOctober 1991, Thirteen years
Fall 1992, Fourteen yearsFall 1993, Fifteen years(Shane is 13 years)Fall 1994, Sixteen yearsFall 1995, Seventeen years1996, Eighteen years (click over pic once to read article)1997, Nineteen years (Jessica, 16 years)October 1998, Twenty years
October 1999, Twenty one years December 2000, Twenty two years 2001, Twenty three years (Jessica, 21 years)May 11, 2002, Twenty four years December 2003, Twenty five years (Shane, 23 years; Jessica, 22 years)2004, Twenty six years (Shane is 24 years; Jessica is 23 years)2005, Twenty seven years (actually early 2006)July 2006, Twenty eight years2007, Twenty nine years (Jessica is 26 years)September 4, 2008, Thirty Years

September 4, 2009 - Happy Birthday Son! - 31 YEARS OLD!

Brent,

Dad and I wish you a very happy birthday. There really aren't words that can express how much we love you, adore you, admire you, and think you are perfect in every way. You have always lived your life in a Godly way. Always..except maybe the time you turned the salt shaker upside down at Mazzio Pizza so that when the waitress picked it up all the salt would come out. But...I bet you didn't do that again. I drove you (you were in junior high) to Mazzio Pizza and marched you in to the back kitchen to apologize to the waitress. To be honest, that is the only time I can remember where you misbehaved. Oh, except maybe the time this lady called me at midnight to tell me you were driving by her house honking your horn. You were with Chris S. at the time.

Dr. Park, my colleague, at the time told me back then that if that was all I had to complain about my kids...that I should be ashamed. Of course, I was complaining to him at the time about your hairdo. Each year I never knew if your hair would be sticking straight up (the spike!) or some other weird way. I finally got used to it.

Remember the time you and Levi decided to drive to Florida. You took my car. When you came home there was a pot-bellied pig in my car! Then, there's the time you went to a Razorback basketball game and when you came home there was a dent in my car. But...of course it wasn't your fault. You didn't know how it got there. That was okay. It matched the dent Shane put on the other side.

How about the time you, Beau, Duke and Levi flew to San Francisco and drove an 18-wheeler back home. You all decided to take a tour of the Grand Canyon in an 18-wheeler.

Oh, remember the pop up you and Levi bought and painted bright red? I do. You left it on the side of the road when it had a flat.

You did give me a scare when you decided to go off by yourself in Beijing. You took a taxi and poof...you were gone. Nana was too busy shopping to be worried. But, you found your way back to the motel.

Dr. Park was right. I should have been ashamed complaining about all that "way back when."

You've had a good life. In college I always encouraged you not to have an 8:00 a.m. class because you could sleep more than anyone I knew. Plus, I knew you couldn't make a class that early. However, you surprised me. You had absolutely no problem leaving at 3:00 a.m. to go hunting and then get back for a 10:00 a.m. class. And, you were driving to Oklahoma in that old rickety gray truck.

Speaking of that gray truck...oh heavens. One day I'm at work and you called me and asked if we could switch vehicles. I'm your mom, of course we can. My parking place at work was, and still is, one of the most expensive places to park. As soon as you gave me the keys to your truck you said "Oh Mom (I know I'm in trouble when I hear Oh Mom) to start it you have to raise the hood and hit the battery." I wanted to cry. I said "Brent, please don't do that to me. I can't have people seeing me raise the hood and hitting the battery." I went back to my office and prayed and prayed. Prayers answered. It started just fine.

But, the story is not over. I needed to go by the bank so I go to the drive through window. As I was rolling (yes, rolling..remember when we had to do that?) the window down it just fell down in the door. The bank teller just looked at me and smiled. I would probably do that for you today but it wasn't fun then and wouldn't be fun now.But, you paid cash for that truck so I shouldn't complain.

Watching you be a husband and father is my reward in life. You adore your family and you work so hard to provide for them. You have always put your wife and children first and I love that about you.

You are an awesome faithful servant. I think Dad and I could listen to you preach and never get tired of it. We love you so much, Brent, and I hope you do get to take some time off for your birthday.

Enjoy the cake. Wear the birthday party hat. Play with the party favors. Just enjoy life like you always do.

Love,

Mom and Dad

SLIDE SHOW OF PICTURES OF BRENT'S LIFE. YOU CAN CLICK ONCE OVER A PICTURE TO MAKE IT LARGER. YOU'LL MISS ALL THE PICTURES BEFORE THE ONE YOU CLICK ON BUT YOU CAN CLICK ON "VIEW ALL" ON THE PICASA WEB PAGE.