1/2 of the dynamic duo that saved my life. Jesse is so pure, kind, and full of love and optimisim. Jesse is full of questions and so curious about the way the world works. You will definitely here an occasional "Why?" with every conversation. Jesse is the embodiment of the kind of person I hope to be and I thank God for him every day. Jesse, thank you for forming me into the man I am today and thank you for being my brother. I love you! - Mark

Little Madie! I have seen this beautiful little girl grow into such an amazing woman. She has so many unique talents and corny jokes at her finger tips. She loves to do art, anything JROTC and just making people laugh with her goofiness. She continues to amaze me each and every day. I can't thank God enough for blessing me with being her big sister. -Love, Rissa!

1/2 of the dynamic duo that saved my life. Alexander is pure happiness bottled in the brightest room. Alex was the first person younger than me that I truly looked up to. Despite the differences he has from the world, Alex smiles brightly through it all. He may never be able to showcase his true emotions or hold a conversation, but his smile and sincerity in his eyes hold more love than anyone can imagine. Alexander, your emotions and joy are the reason I am still standing. You may never know what you did for me, but I am so grateful you were born to be my brother. I love you! - Mark

I have always considered Amber to be more than just my aunt. At times I have often called her my third mom, and it fits the bill perfectly. Whether I was falling off the couch, dislocationg my finger, or just needing someone to stand up for me like a parent, Amber was that person and role model for me. God knew I needed more than just my mom and my grandma, and he gave me my aunt Amber. Amber, thank you for always being the person that inspired me to be the man I am. From shoes to hats to watches to conversations about life, you gave me everything I needed to succeed. You will always be more than my aunt. I love you! - Mark

What more can be said about Brandon than being the best possible friend a guy could ask for. Brandon has been there for me for over 10 years and would turn 30 minutes into 10 just to have my back. From dueling to video games to basketball, our similarities never cease to amaze me. You truly are like a brother to me and my brothers. I appreciate you always making the effort to make trips to visit me and my family. Whether it be 3 hour drives to Houston, or 1 hour drives back from Uvalde, you have always made room for us. You are already an uncle to Luka, but I cannot wait to share our stories with your future nephews or nieces. ESPECIALLY if Marissa and I have a daughter. BAD BOYS INTERROGATION FOR SURE. No matter where life takes us, I will always be here and make time for you bro. You have done so much for my life that there is literally no way to make it up to you, than by being the best possible friend right back to you. Thank you for being there for me and for being a part of our day, love you man! - Mark

Natalie Pauline is one of the most caring souls. She is also a greys anatomy, harry potter loving secretly curly haired girl! She has known me forever (about 17 years) and knows everything about me. She has experienced so much life with me and is always there! We have had endless laughs and laughs where we can't even breathe. They are mostly over the most silliest things. She such an amazing person and will be a grey's anatomy binger for life with me. She is so unique and so strong. I know she is going to be the best mother! -Love Rissa

April Ann! My little apple. Thank you for always being there for me, ever since I was a little girl running around in pampers. We are so similar in so many ways and just understand one another with the blink of an eye or look. You along with Lori and Mom have taught me to continue to "look up", because the sight is so beautiful no matter what. April is the kind of person to dance to whatever song with and she will show off the best move the world has to offer. She knows how to get down. She loves music and is always jamming out to all sorts of genres. It is always an adventure with this girl! I love you beyond words! - Love Rissa

Lori Ann, my tia! There are not enough words to say how selfless Lori is. She always puts others before herself. She is so amazing and has the best personality. She is the perfect person to go to a concert with and to give endless advice. She is always there for me, especially waking up to a nightmare in the middle of the night and she would know the best way to comfort me. I most importantly loved being able to grow up together! - Love, Rissa

Steven and I have been friends for about 15 years now. We have seen each live through our Jeff Hardy phase, had countless sleepovers, and grew up like true brothers. He even shares a birthday with my brother Alex! Through thick and thin, Steven and I continue to strengthen our bond and be there for each, even if we do not speak regularly. I miss our Naruto Storm fights, GTA nights, and endless snacking in mom's kitchen. Thank you for being apart of our day man! Love you! - Mark

I have known Jamie since Kinder, our moms were actually friends in high school when they were both pregnant at the same time. So I like to say that we have been friends since the womb. Jamie has been with me every step of the way growing up. She has seen me run like a crazy person away from her big dogs to creating dances for our parents to see to doing concerts in her grandpas living room. We always found a way to have fun. It's so amazing to see how far Jamie has come with opening her new business soon! I'm so proud of all the accomplishments she continues to strive for. She is a hard worker and with the best head on her shoulders. She is my life long friend! -Love Rissa

Sean Devine is one of the coolest names and also one of the snazziest people on this beautiful planet. From his super smooth dance moves, to his wonderous ability to hold the room at the tips of his piano hands, Sean creates a sense of welcoming and a genuine friendliness. Sean was my all time bus buddy in band and a friend worth a life time of memories. I still remember jamming out to I need A Girl by Trey Songz after UIL and coming up with the most fun, but random conversations. Thank you for being such a kind soul and continously being one I can count on for absolutely anything. It has been truly inspiring to see you grow in your music and watch my brother listen to you and want to be just as good as you are. Thank you for being apart of our big day my guy! Love you man! - Mark

Rina! I'm so blessed to be her big sister. I may not have seen her grow up since she was a little girl, but I have had the privilege to be apart of her more recent years. I love seeing her blossom and try different things and be so fearless. She inspire me to take risks and to just go for something. Rina is the type of person that never gives up and puts her all into everything she does. She is one a kind and pulls off outfits that no one else would dare try! -Love, Rissa

TJ!!!!! We have truly built our bond over the years. From friends in band to rommates in college, you have truly made an impact I can never forget. You wrote me one of the most meaningful letters that I still have and treasure to this day. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to get to know me and my taste in music. You introduced me to my favorite artist of all time! You have never been to busy for any of us in our time of need and you have truly been a blessing to my life. I do not believe I would have opened up my tastes in anything if you were not apart of it. Thank you for being a part of our big day! Love you man! -Mark

Des is such a kind soul! I've known Deseree since 7th grade. She was new and I knew in the moment we started talking that we would be forever friends. I love the way that we can pick up where we left off when we haven't seen each other in a while. Deseree is always looking out for others and striving to do her best. She is always willing to go the extra mile and she achieves greatness. I'm so proud of her! -Love Rissa

Andrew and I have been friends for about 10 years! Man time flies! I remember first meeting you and having no idea that the love of my life was your sister. We bonded over basketball, band, and video games. I remember playing Naruto Ninja Storm over the summer. We did not sleep a single minute, so I know that Guadelupe Lumber shift was rough! I am so grateful to have known you before I confessed my feelings Marissa. It truly makes our relationship more meaningful as we become actual brothers. Thank you for supporting our relationship and being one of the kindest dudes I've ever known! Love you man! - Mark

Kalista (Ron) is a harry potter and foster the people fanatic! She loves going on hikes and hanging out with her fur animals. I have known Kalista since we were in 5th grade. I have seen her from playing basketball to reading books (she will always do this) to being such an amazing woman. She is super brave and never gives up. She is one of my new sisters. Thank you for making my brother so happy. I couldn't think of anyone else to be his wife! I loved being able to go on adventures with you and talk about the most randomest things. -Love Rissa

David, a future filmmaker in the making. A California native who used to live a blonded life. My dude, we grew close in such a short amount of time. Like TJ, you opened my mind to different perspectives. You did so by challenging me to view sides in ways I hadn't thought of before. I truly treasure our sometimes heated, yet respectful conversations as I truly believe they have helped us both grow in so many ways! I miss our hangouts man, from playing basketball to talking trash in Super Smash Bros. Thank you for taking the time to be apart of our big day! Love you man, can't wait to see you grow and put us all in movies some day! - Mark

Ashley is a fighter! She is so strong and if she wants something, she will go and get it. She created this sense of motherly bond when we were teaching together. She was the person I would go to for advice in life and in my previous career. She was always welcoming conversation and always made me feel loved and welcome. Even though we don't teach together anymore, I know our friendship is one strong bond! -Love Rissa