So, I have a pretty cool brother. Johnathon is just awesome. He got his mission call in June. He's been called to the Houston Texas South mission for two years, starting September 2nd. I'm so proud of my brother!
Johnathon is a great example to me. Sure, he's a tease, an instigator, and can be a pain in the butt. However, he's one of the greatest examples I have in my life! And here's why:
He's temple worthy. Johnathon has his current temple recommend. He's recieved his endowments. And he loves the temple.
He reads his scriptures, daily.
He loves the Lord.
He knows how to have fun.
He knows when to be quiet (most the time....) :)
He is generous and can share....especially when I come home from work at 7 am....he gets up and lets me use his bed. :)
He helped create one of my earliest memories.....falling off a toy car and cutting my head open, requiring 7 stitches, all on Thanksgiving Day....good times, good times....
BRAKE LIGHTS!!! (need I really say more? If you've been around when a Cobabe kid has been learning how to drive, you will understand...)
Johnathon works at Mallard Landing with me, and he is SO patient with the residents. I'm learning not to ever ask him how work was. Because he always says it was good...and when I come into work, others tell me how busy it was.
Yep. I have a pretty cool brother. I hope that when I have kids one day, that my kids have such a great example to look up to!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
ONLY THE BEST DAY EVER INVENTED!
So, if you know anything about my family, you will know that the Fourth of July is a big deal. It's not merely the amazing fireworks show at the end of the day, but the entire day. Ever since I can remember, I have memories of the gigantic celebration we have to celebrate the birth of America.
I can remember in years past the bike parades at the Hokanson's, whether it be around the block in Vancouver, or up the driveway and racing to see who can get to the top and back first. The bike parade is always amazing. And each year we grow more and more extravagent. The best part is just seeing how each of the kids decorates their bike. Some kids are very meticulous in their decorations.
Take Claira for example. She knows exactly how she wants her bike to be decorated and with which colors, streamers, balloons, and whatever else she can get her hands onto. It's quite the scene. She has her color scheme (anything purple...seriously. Anything purple, or close enough to be in the "purple family" or related to Disney princesses). Eventually, all the kids are ready for the parade.
Everyone lines up at the start line. Most years we have a marching band, that starts the entire show. Then the kids GO! And, boy, do they go! They race as fast as they can to get the farthest and chuck the most candy at the adults on the sidelines....and the candy that hits the sidelines is returned to the children...for the most part....:)
The BBQ is the next event of the day. Everyone brings food to contribute to the feast. The one staple that I remember being at every Fourth of July I can remember is my Dad's potato salad. It's really yummy. I like to help my dad make the potato salad. It makes me feel VERY important. But, it's tradition to have my dad's potato salad there. And, then we have all the normal junk food that is in no way really all that good for you, but tastes so yummy. We have hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, tons of salads, chips, dips, beans, and a plethora of desserts. (I love it when I can stick my big words in....makes me feel smart...just being able to use my "big" vocabulary....:) )
After eating (seriously, it's an event all in itself. It in there with the bike parade and the fireworks show. If you've ever been to a day like this, you would know...), the setup for the big night starts. This is my dad's spotlight. He puts together all the mortor tubes and sets up table to put on the best show EVER. This year, Dad started to pass down the tradition to the next generation. It was so cool to watch Matthew and Johnathon take charge of the fireworks show.
As it starts to get dark, we play with sparklers. Ever since Harry Potter was published, we use the sparklers as wands and have duels. And of course, it's not the 4th of July without using a sparkler to spell out your name. I've discovered that it's really fun to write my name with sparklers, because of the loops that I can do. I like it when the smoke looks like a bunch of loop-di-loops.
After the sparklers are all done, we pull out the parachutes. It's so much fun to see the kids chase all the parachute men around the yard. The run back and forth around the grass, looking at the sky, trying to get just beneath the parachute to catch it. You have this giant pack of kids running around together, all trying to catch the same tissue paper and string parachute.
Then the big show starts. The pyros start to tie fuses together to be able to set off more mortors and fireworks at once. It's all part of the amazingness that is part of the holiday. It's a contest between the different years to see how many different fireworks can go off all at once.
We then sit back and enjoy the show. It's really funny to see Johnathon and Matthew narrowly miss getting their heads blown off. Not that they are really going to get hurt, they just have some close calls. But it's all part of the fun.
I think the best part of this holiday is the togetherness that I feel with everyone that is present. At first, it was strictly a family holiday. But, over the years, our family has grown. It's gone from the Cobabes/Hokansons/Brinkmans/Tarsis to anyone that we invite. We have TONS of people around. And it adds to the joy of the day. Its more fun every year.
On the way home from the Hokansons (aka family compound), I was telling my dad how much I love the 4th of July. I decided that when I get married (eventually....very VERY far in the future...) if there's a dispute in who's house we are going to for Christmas, I would give up going home for Christmas one year..........AS LONG as we were going to come to my family for July 4th.
I can remember in years past the bike parades at the Hokanson's, whether it be around the block in Vancouver, or up the driveway and racing to see who can get to the top and back first. The bike parade is always amazing. And each year we grow more and more extravagent. The best part is just seeing how each of the kids decorates their bike. Some kids are very meticulous in their decorations.
Take Claira for example. She knows exactly how she wants her bike to be decorated and with which colors, streamers, balloons, and whatever else she can get her hands onto. It's quite the scene. She has her color scheme (anything purple...seriously. Anything purple, or close enough to be in the "purple family" or related to Disney princesses). Eventually, all the kids are ready for the parade.
Everyone lines up at the start line. Most years we have a marching band, that starts the entire show. Then the kids GO! And, boy, do they go! They race as fast as they can to get the farthest and chuck the most candy at the adults on the sidelines....and the candy that hits the sidelines is returned to the children...for the most part....:)
The BBQ is the next event of the day. Everyone brings food to contribute to the feast. The one staple that I remember being at every Fourth of July I can remember is my Dad's potato salad. It's really yummy. I like to help my dad make the potato salad. It makes me feel VERY important. But, it's tradition to have my dad's potato salad there. And, then we have all the normal junk food that is in no way really all that good for you, but tastes so yummy. We have hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, tons of salads, chips, dips, beans, and a plethora of desserts. (I love it when I can stick my big words in....makes me feel smart...just being able to use my "big" vocabulary....:) )
After eating (seriously, it's an event all in itself. It in there with the bike parade and the fireworks show. If you've ever been to a day like this, you would know...), the setup for the big night starts. This is my dad's spotlight. He puts together all the mortor tubes and sets up table to put on the best show EVER. This year, Dad started to pass down the tradition to the next generation. It was so cool to watch Matthew and Johnathon take charge of the fireworks show.
As it starts to get dark, we play with sparklers. Ever since Harry Potter was published, we use the sparklers as wands and have duels. And of course, it's not the 4th of July without using a sparkler to spell out your name. I've discovered that it's really fun to write my name with sparklers, because of the loops that I can do. I like it when the smoke looks like a bunch of loop-di-loops.
After the sparklers are all done, we pull out the parachutes. It's so much fun to see the kids chase all the parachute men around the yard. The run back and forth around the grass, looking at the sky, trying to get just beneath the parachute to catch it. You have this giant pack of kids running around together, all trying to catch the same tissue paper and string parachute.
Then the big show starts. The pyros start to tie fuses together to be able to set off more mortors and fireworks at once. It's all part of the amazingness that is part of the holiday. It's a contest between the different years to see how many different fireworks can go off all at once.
We then sit back and enjoy the show. It's really funny to see Johnathon and Matthew narrowly miss getting their heads blown off. Not that they are really going to get hurt, they just have some close calls. But it's all part of the fun.
I think the best part of this holiday is the togetherness that I feel with everyone that is present. At first, it was strictly a family holiday. But, over the years, our family has grown. It's gone from the Cobabes/Hokansons/Brinkmans/Tarsis to anyone that we invite. We have TONS of people around. And it adds to the joy of the day. Its more fun every year.
On the way home from the Hokansons (aka family compound), I was telling my dad how much I love the 4th of July. I decided that when I get married (eventually....very VERY far in the future...) if there's a dispute in who's house we are going to for Christmas, I would give up going home for Christmas one year..........AS LONG as we were going to come to my family for July 4th.
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