Happy 21st Birthday Joshy

The first words out of my little nieces mouth as she pressed her face to the glass to see her new baby cousin was, "Mommy, look at the baby monkey!" My sister tried to shush her as all the relatives gathered around to see, Joshua Michael Herrera.

Joshy was a chubby little butterball with a thick head of hair, which looked very different than all of the other newborn baby's. He was almost 9lbs. and could lift his head up to see all of the people looking at him. My first thought was, "Hey, I got ripped off...I wanted a newborn and I got a six month old", LOL!

He was a little spoiled and whenever his little neighbor friends would come over to play with him, he would run to whatever toy or bike they were on and say, "MINE, MINE, MINE!" Grabbing and pulling it away from them or pushing them off his bike. We had to work on this problem...but eventually he learned to share.

He excelled in everything he did. He was always faster than anyone on the field. During a very important baseball game one year, they put him out in center field and told him, "Help the other outfielder's catch the ball, I don't want anything to drop, got it?" Well he understood and when a fly ball went out to left field, Josh raced over, and jumped in front of the kid catching the ball. To the coaches delight and my horror as I sat by the kids parents. He did the same thing with the right fielder...he was so fast that he could catch every ball in the outfield before anyone else had a chance to get it, and thought he was just doing what the coaches told him to.

His first year in high school he broke the record for freshman football rushing yards in a single season. Followed by an amazing track year. His first 4x400 meter relay, he was the anchor. When he received the baton, we were so far behind the other schools...the other racers were already half way around the track. With his lightening speed and sheer determination, he caught the racers down the final stretch neck and neck with one boy...he pushed passsed him to cross the finish line in 1st, sending the coaches and crowd into an uproar of cheers. This display earned him an immediate spot on the Varsity team as a Freshman! He continued to dominate making it to the State CIF Championships as a Sophmore.




Record Holding Relay Team
Joshy has always been an individual...never caring what anyone thinks of him. His style is his own and his smile lights up a room. He has always had tons of friends and girlfriends. When he was 7, I had a neighbor girl come over, who was 14 and babysit my boys. When I got home, one of the boys told me the babysitter kissed Josh. Well, of course being a very protective mom, I marched right over and talked to her mom! This type of behavior from girls still continues..unfortunately I think he wouldn't like me talking to their moms anymore!LOL.

He has been such a joy to see grow and develop, through struggles and triumphs, as he becomes the man he is supposed to be. I'm so grateful for you Joshy...I LOVE YOU. Happy 21st Birthday!

Joshy & Me before his Senior Prom

Anthony & Joshy


Freshman Homecoming Dance

Prom Date (She won Prom Queen)~He knows how to pick em'...LOL~

Josh & Friend Jake


Joshy's First Car

Trip to Virginia City, NV (Josh wasn't happy about having to dress up!)

Birthday Surfboard

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSHY, WE LOVE YOU!