Tuesday, April 11, 2023
An updated timeline....
My Dearest Thommy Pie,
I wrote a timeline about the beginning of our relationship for your birthday 11 years ago. ALOT has happened since then, it's time to update the timeline :)
We left off celebrating your 29th birthday in Paris.
Next, we moved to Seattle together. You bought your first practice. You've bought three more since then.
You surprised me with a trip to Napa where you proposed to me. I said YES!
We were married in Vegas by Elvis, and then had a wedding in Cabo surrounded by family.
We had six years of wedded bliss before we welcomed our baby girl to this world.
We bought a house, had an intense remodel where we both pushed ourselves to do more physical work then we knew we were capable of.
May 5th 2019, Liv was born and our lives have never been the same. I have loved watching you be a father. You are absolutely amazing with Liv. You are the person that lights up her world. You make her feel loved and safe. You make her laugh until she can hardly breathe. You are literally the BEST dad in the world!
We found out we are pregnant with a second baby girl due in October. I can't wait to see you as a father to two girls. I can't wait to see what this next baby is like. One thing I know - she will love you more than anything.
We're heading out in a couple of days to celebrate your 40th at Pebble Beach. You are my absolute favorite person in the world, I honestly love you more everyday. You are the kindest, most thoughtful and loving person. You make me laugh everyday, you make me feel loved everyday. I love our life together and can't wait to have more adventures with you.
I love you more everyday. Happy Birthday!
Love, Cait
Monday, April 10, 2023
Next Sunday, beer is on the boys.
Dr. Thom;
The Sunday morning golf league salutes you and wish you a very happy birthday. However your birthday caused a lot of consternation and controversy in the group, as we discussed appropriate birthday presents for the golfer who has everything. At first we were going to get you a dozen mulligans but someone pointed out you never use mulligans and that would be a waste of money. Then we thought about getting you a foot wedge but then again with your game that would be superfluous. Finally more rational thought prevailed an we unanimously agreed on beer.
Next Sunday, beer is on the boys.
Happy Birthday!
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Happy 40th Birthday!
Happy birthday Thom!
We tried to arrange a national championship Creighton win for you but they flaked on us so this note will have to do. In all seriousness, Thom, your friendship has meant a lot to us over the years. From our days at Creighton hanging in the dorms playing NCAA football to the best man in our wedding to the religious guidance you provide our daughter as her godfather, we are so grateful for the friendship and laughs you have provided over the years. Look at you: A west coast dentist, married to an AMAZING woman, one of the cutest kiddos in the world, a man with friends in every zip code, took a photo with Dana IN Oregon. You deserve all of this and so much more!
We look forward to seeing what you accomplish in the next decade of your life! Hopefully we can sneak in a few trips along the way. Thanks for your friendship over the last 20 years!
Happy 40th Birthday!
Love,
Phil and Angie
Happy Birthday Thom.
I remember meeting you as the cool kids who lived on/in a house boat, with a keen sense of taste (food and wine), and an ability to throw and make a killer party. Much has changed since then. But change is good. You have much to be thankful for - a beautiful wife, a gorgeous daughter, a great business, and a fantastic life. Your kindness and willingness to put yourself out has always struck me. Someone I could call in a bind but have rarely needed to - except for when that chicken wing decided to take out my front tooth. I kind of like my engagement picture being toothless ;-). Looking forward to staying within your orbit and having fun together as families.
Lots of love - Paul and Annie
Happiest birthday Thom!! I have so many fun stories with you and Cait, but one that I am most grateful for is when you ‘took one for the team’ to catch my garter band at me and Jon’s wedding. I think I could hear actual crickets chirping when they made the announcement for all the single men to gather round. 
that tradition needs to be abolished!
Love, Mady
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Thom,
When we met on the dock I had no idea I just met a best friend. It was great to have you as my neighbor. We bonded over getting kicked out of Sandra's concert, late night wine dinners, taking the Markeson yacht over to Westward, NBA basketball, setting off a small arsenal of fireworks on July 4 trips to Vashon, visiting Port Townsend, a New Orleans trip, camping on Lake Kachess, SeaFair boat days, holiday parties and so many other great memories.
What a time we had. Spending time with you I got to see the generous, thoughtful, talented and fun person that you are. It has been wonderful seeing the life that you and Cait have built in Seattle since we met. And it has been a joy to watch you raise Liv and to get to know the rest of your extended family. So, congrats on 40. I'm very proud to count you as a friend and I can't wait to see what your next chapter brings.
Stephen
Dock Drama, Chapter I: A Tale of Thom
Thom entered our lives completely unannounced one night soon after we had bought our houseboat.
Our lives have never been the same.
There was a knock at the door. Weird. It’s like 9 p.m. on a weeknight. Who does that.
We cracked the door to find a well-dressed couple on our porch.
He was fancy boy. Hat. Scarf. Snug slacks. Shoes. Confident. Dandy. Debonaire.
She was sassy, brassy, and blonde. Handbag. Shoes. Dress. She had style—and she knew it. And she knew that you knew she knew it, too.
Together, they were a dock power couple to be reckoned with, living a life of glamour and opulence beyond our wildest imaginations.
In time, we would learn that he was a dentist. Yanking molars for cash. She was a designer to the stars. Fancy cars. Fancy houses. Fancy wine. Crudités.
They were Utahns, we would learn in due time, from the land of tall mountains and jello salads. But they’d fallen in love and gotten out, escaped to the bright lights and soggy bottoms of Seattle. They were Utahns on the run, headed for bigger horizons, and there’s one thing that everyone knows about Utahns on the run: Nobody parties harder.
Tonight, standing on our porch, these two Utahns were toasted from a night on the town.
We welcomed them into our house, and after some pleasantries Thom broke the silence.
“We were wondering who was going to buy this house. We checked it out when it was listed but it’s so weird and small and all chopped up into little rooms like an old lady had lived here for 50 years.”
Katie and I took a moment to process the info dump.
Thom, whom we’d just met 30 seconds earlier, smiling before us, in our new home, had just told us our houseboat was a turd.
That, in a nutshell, is all you need to know about Thom. Fiercely honest and ferociously friendly at the same time. Generous. A lover of people and interaction. Friendly to all. A smiler. A laugher. A golfer and predictor of sports.
Thom speaks straight from his heart, unfiltered, the words spilling from his mouth without having first bypassed through his brain.
It’s a quality that we and, we would guess, all of Thom’s friends adore.
We became immediate friends. Wino Wednesdays. Meats. Meat sweats and hangovers. Dock Drama. The Rainbow Unicorn Incident.
We thought we were only buying a houseboat. Little did we know that we were getting something even more precious, even more priceless. A good friend. Two good friends, and in time three. And all of your friends’ friends, because you are a collector of people who like to have fun.
Happy birthday Thom. We love you. Your best days may be in the past, but you’ve done well.
Paul Tolme and Katie Benson
It is an absolute honor and pleasure to have been friends with Thom for what has become a longer amount of time than we can believe! Over the course of our friendship, we have had the opportunity to get to know Thom both personally and professionally, and it has been an absolute joy to witness his unwavering positivity and influence. He not only inspires us to work hard, but also to be kind to others, cherish our family, and to take time to be grateful for the blessings in our life.
Thom and I have been fortunate to share many of the same interests such as basketball, golf, wine, high quality meat, and light beer - and of course, more golf! In the margins of moments we get to hang out, I've noticed nothing but exceptional character from Thom. He exudes kindness to everyone he meets, is inclusive, warm, easy-going, and takes his responsibilities seriously.
Throughout my life, I have had the privilege of knowing many wonderful people, but I hold Thom in the highest esteem. Ashlyn and I are incredibly proud to call him our friend, and we look forward to many more years of friendship. Here's to wishing Thom a very Happy 40th Birthday!
Love,
Ben and Ashlyn Pawlak
Thom is quite possibly the kindest and warmest man,
A gentle person with fair skin, positively no tan.He greets you with a wide smile and a bottle of wine,
In the kitchen he’ll prepare five courses in which to dine.
Truly, you must sit at his table and feast,
On fine cheeses, olives and savory roast beast.
Fill your stomach to the brim with little remorse,
And perhaps Thom will invite you onto the golf course.
His talents on the green are widely accepted,
Far below par as we all know and expected.
The accolades of this man could go on forever,
But unlike Thom, this author is hardly as clever.
So I’ll wrap up this commentary, and neatly summarize,
Thom is a marvelous human, to no one’s surprise.
Happy birthday friend!
Best,
Matty P
I can't believe you are 40!
Thom,
I can't believe you are 40! My goodness how time flies. I will always picture you as a skinny little kid who refused to eat anything other than McDonald's chicken nuggets. I will never forget the day we found a shriveled up little mouse in the grass, and we made you cry because we told you that one day you would suffer the same fate because you did not eat. But you managed to survive! And thrive even. I want to let you know that you are an amazing friend. You have been there for me in the best and worst of times and I cannot tell you have much it means to me. You are a great dad, husband, and dentist (let's just clarify that is not a real doctor, but you can keep calling yourself that). I hope you have the most amazing birthday and here's to the next 40 years!!
Love,
Austin
Happy 40th Birthday to my amazing nephew, Thom. I’ve chased you from Atlanta, GA to the Brookfield Zoo to Great America in Gurnee, IL. I made you “beans” and got you your first “tattoo” when you visited me. You put my life in incredible danger by urging me to ride a roller coaster with you and Pete, while you laughed at me when I started to scream before we started moving. I am so proud of the man you have become. You are a wonderful son to my sister, loving and considerate husband and father, terrific brother and a kind and caring nephew to me. I love you and wish you many more years of happiness.
Love, Aunt Sara
Happy birthday Thom!! I remember 40 years ago today… Just kidding. I am so glad you and Cait got married. By far your best life decision! Now we are friends! I love how you make Cait laugh, and how you always have great “insights” on the BEHS Marco Polo group. You’re one of the easiest people to talk to, and it’s always a cheery time when you’re around. Clint and I are always excited when we get Thom and Cait time, and hope to many more Washington adventures in the future. I hope you get a big birthday kiss from
Cait, and perfect behavior from Liv today! Just what you deserve when turning the BIG 4-0! Happy birthday!Michelle Williams
Happy big 40 Thom (Thh-awm)
You are as unique as the spelling of your name.
My girls helped me come up with this acrostic poemT- Tiger Woods prodigy
H- Husband extraordinaire, with the tattoo to prove it.
O- Outstanding dad, dentist, and delicious food maker (or so we’ve heard, would love to try it for ourselves)
M- Madrigal that makes Cait’s heart sing. As you know she has always had a thing for madrigals
You’ve got the best laugh and always make all of us BEHS gals feel like we are at the top of our comedic game.
Hope you have the happiest birthday! Plan a trip down south sometime!
We love you!
The Skippers
Brent. Jen. Reagan. Syd. MJ. Kit. Lucy
Happy Birthday Thom!!
Happy Birthday Thom!!
Crazy to think that it's been almost seven years since Katie told me to get out of the house and go meet up with you, Caitlin, and as an added bonus, your mom! Brunch, followed by watching the Solstice Bike Parade until in true Seattle fashion it started to rain and we had to escape to someone's house, was the perfect welcome to the Pacific Northwest. Little did I know that coming out to meet you that day would lay the foundation for almost every close friendship we now have in Seattle. Many of my early Seattle memories stem from your kindness to include me in everything from 4th of July celebrations and housewarmings, to the greatly anticipated Markeson houseboat BBQs and Halloween parties (where everyone knew they wouldn't go home hungry).
We always have a blast with you, from games and dinner conversation, to Duck Dodge nights on the lake. Even your replies to our random panicked late night dental related texts are filled with patience and a smile!
Cheers to the next decade, again filled with summer days at wineries and evening dinners comparing notes on the world, just this time with added trips to the playground and art shows filled with masterpieces from school. And, as always... we should really get something on the calendar.
Love, Paul and Lauren
Monday, April 3, 2023
As you celebrate another beautiful year of love , achievement and happiness, I hope you always have wonderful memories to look back on!
Happy Birthday Dearest Thom!
Cheers to more fun, more memories, and more cake! And more importantly, cheers to another trip around the sun with more wine ! 
Love, Azin
"Now you are a grown up"
Thom started life as a picky eater. For his first birthday, I put a yummy slice of frosted birthday cake on his highchair tray. Had I but a live tarantula in front of him, he couldn’t have been more appalled. Cringing away from the offending dessert, he started to cry. Time passed and his culinary tastes expanded. He eventually started cooking his limited selection of food…French toast, bacon and the semi-daily batch of chocolate chip cookies. By the time he went to college his diet was pretty expansive, bordering on gourmet. And then he started honing his skills as a grill master. He became quite the chef.
After completing his schooling and getting his first dental position in Charlotte, his sisters and I decided it was time to give him a major stand mixer for his birthday. I believe he was pretty happy with this gift because he told me “Now I’m a grown up.”
Well, time has sped by. Thom has gotten married, built a successful dental practice and business, bought a home, and become a doting father. I think it’s my turn to say to Thom, “Now you are a grown up.” I am so proud of the husband, father, bother, son, responsible citizen and all around good person Thom has become. I love you, my wonderful son.
Love, Mom
Congrats to joining the club of the "Over the Hill" gang
Happy 40th birthday Thom! Congrats to joining the club of the "Over the Hill" gang, can’t wait to get there myself 
. The good news is that 40 is just a number, the even better new is you're old enough to have a midlife crisis, the bad news is your hangovers might be worse and you can’t stay awake past 9pm!
But in all seriousness, I am so grateful to have met you. You're always hilarious and always awesome, and I hope that your birthday is filled with just as much laughter and wine and cake!
Happy 40th, here's to another year of living life to the fullest! Love Katie Lee
Happy Happy 40th Birthday Thom!!
I remember when you were a little boy and a time specifically when you were allowed to take a trip to stay with us for the first time without your parents. As we sent you back home after a wild week with your California cousins, your parents were shocked and stunned with your new do of purple hair!!!
Love you so much, have a great day
Aunt Cathy
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