The Excitement of Urgent Care Centers and Drug Test Pee-ing

Drug Testing

Who would have thought that this would be such a funny experience?

For a new job, I needed to go to the nearby urgent care and have a drug test. I knew it was coming, so on my way to Scottsdale, I guzzled a lot of liquid. I wanted to make sure I could just go into the place, pee in a cup, and leave.

Sooooo…..

That’s not what happened.

I got to the urgent care, and signed in, and waited.

And, waited……

….and waited some more.

I was texting Aunt Denise, and I finally told her that I just wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold it! It was starting to get to the point that I thought I might explode.

I was just about to go talk to the receptionist (after I had been sitting around for about 30 minutes…and I don’t know why, because it was only me and these two guys that were in the lobby, and they both came AFTER me….seriously) and let her know that there was no way I could hold my bladder any more

WHEN

The nurse came out and called MY NAME!

YAY!

I could PEE!

She took me back to the bathroom area, and locked up my purse and belongings (which, is a story in itself…my purse, my gigantic, glorious, red purse, didn’t fit. So, she had me SQUISH it into the cupboard!).

Then, she had me sign some papers, and explained that the flusher for the toilet was on the outside of the bathroom. I listen and nod my head.

But, I’m thinking, Okay lady, I’m ready to pee. Let me into that stinking bathroom and pee in this stupid cup so we can both get on with our lives.

I finally get into the bathroom, and I’m so excited to pee.

Let me explain to you the looks of this bathroom.

It was a square, and the walls were white. There was ugly tile on the floor. And the entire room was empty, except for a single toilet in one corner.

Welcome to prison.
This toilet is NASTY.
The seat part that comes down only covers half of the toilet. It's only HALF A TOILET SEAT! And on the toilet bowl, there is someone else's pee.
EWWWWWW!
It was so gross. 
And the inside of the toilet is covered in blue junk. I was so grossed out.
I look for toilet seat covers, and find nothing. 
EWWWW. Nothing to protect myself from the nastiness of the toilet. 
So, I situate myself on the toilet, and try to get the cup....down there...and the seat is in the way. 
So, I have to lift the seat up and sit down...kind of...I'm squatting so that I don't touch the nastiness of the toilet bowl. 

So, I have my pee cup (and the lady told me to fill it to the 50 mL line…that’s a heck of a lot of pee!)

I’m actually kind of excited to pee, because I’m ready, and I know that I can get it to the 50 mL line.

I sit on the toilet, and I’m totally ready!

And!

Nothing.

I got nothing!

I was just sitting in the waiting room, bouncing in my chair because I had to pee so BAD!

But, I got nothing!!!!!!

WHAT?! REALLY?! AHHHHH!

Please, please, PLEASE! Let me pee.

So, here I am, in this room, it’s empty, I’m on the toilet, and there’s no water to drink, no sink to turn on to make me pee…nothing!

I am so desperate, because by now I’ve been in the bathroom for about 5 minutes with nothing happening.

So, I start praying.

Please, Heavenly Father, just let me pee. I just need to pee. PLEASE!

And what happens?

I poop.

And, I’m sitting there, and I’m just wanting to pee.

FINALLY, after about 10 more minutes of sitting there, the pee finally comes.

And I fill that stinking cup to the 120 mL line. I FILLED the cup. To 120 mL!

But the nurse lady told me they only needed 50 mL.

So, I dump some of the pee out of the cup.

And my fear is that I pour too much out, and I would have to get myself to pee, again.

Luckily, I pour out just enough (and I stopped at the 55 mL lines).

So, I compose myself, walk out the door, and hold that precious cup. The nurse looks at me and barks at me to put the cup on the counter and to wash my hands.

Like I wouldn’t wash my hands? Uh, I have germs on my hand. And anyone that knows me, knows that I carry hand sanitizer EVERY WHERE. So, duh, I’ll wash my hands.

Then she takes that cup of pee, pours a little bit into two different vials, and takes a syringe sample, and then pours the 45 remaining milliliters in the toilet, with all my nasty waste, comes out of the room, and flushes the toilet.

I looked at her, exasperated.

I went through all that trouble, so you can use just 10 mLs?!?

Really? That’s ridiculous!

She said I could go home, and I grabbed my purse, and left.

The End.

Out of the Mouth of (Co)Babes

Oh my heck. This has been one of the hardest weeks of my life, and it is only WEDNESDAY! I'm getting to the point in student teaching where everything is wrapping up. It is to the point, where I am just ready to be done, and I don't really feel like doing much of anything. So, I know that means I need to push myself that much harder. And I do. 
Monday was a hard day, and I think it was just because it was MONDAY. I had to get irritated with some of my classes because they didn't want to listen and just wanted to talk. I've never had to get irritated with my classes like that. It was difficult for me to actually get angry. But afterwards, I was so proud of myself for actually doing it. 
Tuesday wasn't much of a difference. My students still felt like they were in weekend mode. It SOOOO showed. But, we got down to business and got our work done. 
Today was going to be an easy day. We were going to have 30 minutes of instruction for each class, and then work on an assignment together. It worked well for 1st and 2nd hour. However, Aunt Denise called during 2nd hour to let me know that Uncle Jim died this morning. 
Oh.
My.
Heck.
That's really all that was going through my mind. I immediately turned on auto pilot. I went back into my classroom and everything was just background noise. I just went into teacher mode, and did what I was supposed to. I got my lesson stuff together, answered a few student questions, and then dropped the lesson on my co-op teacher's desk. I told him my uncle just died and I needed to go home. He pretty much kicked me out of the room. He said he'd take care of everything. After checking out with my principal, I went home. My mom called me to make sure I'd heard the news. 
I don't even remember getting home. Except, I remember talking to Matthew and my Dad on the phone. But, I do know that the drive that normally takes 20-25 minutes only took 15.  I walked into the house and dropped my stuff in the entry way. Just dropped it. I didn't even care to put it on my bed upstairs. Everything just didn't matter. 
Aunt Denise and I talked to family members and Uncle Joseph came home. I got on my computer and was so glad that Lisa was on Skype. It was so good to talk to her today. 
Denise and I picked Victoria up from school and made a trip to the store before I rushed off to a school district meeting. I just sat in the meeting wishing I was home. I know I should have been paying more attention, but I really just wanted to get home and crawl under the covers.
As I was driving home, I called Claira. There is just something about Claira that always makes my day better. I told her to just tell me about her day because I hadn't had a good couple of days. She said her day was bad, but after about 10 seconds, she was telling me all the funny things she's been doing. It was so good to hear her laugh! I don't think she realizes how much I miss her when I'm gone. That little girl is too cute for her own good. 







Claira asked me a very grown up question at the end of our conversation. She asked me, "Jenn, why is everyone sad today?"


I explained to her that Uncle Jim, Grandma Linda's brother, died this morning while she was at school. And that we all love him very much and will miss him.
Claira sat quietly on the phone for a moment and then said, "Jenn! Let's be happy! He's an angel now! He's with Heavenly Father, and he's happy!"
I just smiled, and the tears that had been trying to come out all day finally started to fall.
Claira continued, "Jenn, stop crying! Uncle Jim is our Santa Claus, now!!!"

I just had to laugh. Why is it that all the best things come from little kids? Claira is the only one who can really make me smile on the worst days. And as I thought about it, Uncle Jim would make a perfect Santa Claus. It's true. 


I kept driving after talking to my dad (this time actually going the speed limit. It took me a good 30 minutes to get home this time.). I had the radio off, and was just thanking my Heavenly Father for my wonderful family. In this day of sorrow, we have all rallied together, getting everything done, all of us talking, and just being a family. In this time where most people freak out about the unknown, our family has become even closer in the great distances we have between us. 
This is because we know, we KNOW, the truth. WE KNOW that someday, we will see Uncle Jim again. We will be reunited as a family, and we don't have to worry about separation in the eternities. We will always be together. What a blessing this is!


As I got off the surface road to merge onto the freeway, I just started to SOB. It finally hit me that Uncle Jim was gone. And I miss him so much. I just kept praying to my Heavenly Father, and as I did, I swear I heard Uncle Jim say,


"Oh, honey girl. I love you."










Thank you, Uncle Jim. I love you.

What the CRAP???

Teaching is hard! There is so much more to being a teacher than classroom management and lesson plans and grading.
The politics of a school...gosh.
It's not enough to just be a good teacher. I feel like an entirely different person the moment I enter my school.


I am no longer me.
I am Miss Cobabe: Social Studies Teacher.


I am expected to know so much, and I am so impressed with myself when the rights answers seem to fall out of my mouth. Where the heck did I get so smart?! 


My students like to tell me every day that they love me. What a little confidence booster that is each hour! 


However, it seems like I should have had to work harder for this. But its not hard to have your students love you. And its not hard to love all your students. 


I LOVE MY STUDENTS! They are just so easy to love, because they love me and my subject. They want to do their best. 

Life is heating up!

I have moved to Arizona. 
Yes, you read that right. Arizona. That place on the map of the United States, way in the bottom left corner. The one that every morning on national news that has temperatures way higher than should be possible. But, alas, I have learned that these temperatures are no exaggeration to keep people away from this beautiful desert oasis.


I won't lie. I was very nervous about the move to Mesa. It's hot. It's stinkin' hot. And, it means I have to be a real grown up!


I never thought that I would ever move to Arizona. Of all the kids in my family, my brother Johnathon would be the one that would chose to move to Arizona. However, I know the Lord has a special plan for me, that right now, includes me living in this place. However, by putting my trust in the Lord, I knew that this was where I am supposed to be. 

I am starting student teaching in the Mesa Unified School District at a junior high. I'm teaching 7th grade US history. 


Is this my dream position? No, but I'm like all student teachers straight out of college. I don't know what I really want. I know that I love history, and I love to teach, and I love to teach history. I know that I want to pass my love of history to my students. 
I know that this semester is going to be hard. 


But, I know that with help from the Lord, nothing is impossible. 


I am going to make the most of this experience. I am going to be like a sponge and soak up all the information I can. 


I know that the Lord loves me, and I know that He has a plan for me. And this is where it's all beginning. 

Miss Monkey....

My youngest sister, Claira, is about 15 years younger than me. I LOVE having a sister so young! It's so fun at all the holidays, and she gets SO excited each time I come home from wherever I am...especially when I come home from I-dee-ho.
Well, Claira is the monkey of the family, and I call her Miss Monkey, or Claira-Monkey....or something along those lines....
She always says the funniest things. I never thought that a young child could be SO HILARIOUS! Today's conversation at dinner was the best.
Claira's class at school just did a unit on rockets. Part of the homework was to make a rocket between 13 and 23 inches tall, and have at least three different colors on it. So, Claira and Dad made a rocket out of wood and Corian scraps, and then Kimberly, Claira, and I painted it yesterday.
At dinner tonight, Claira was telling us that hers was the best in class. Then, she said that Samuel, her friend, also had a pretty cool one. As did Wyatt. And James.
I asked her if these boys were her friends. She said,
"Samuel is my boyfriend. And Wyatt's the other boy I'm in love with. Oh, and I love James, too. James and Samuel are twins and they ride on my bus."
SHE WAS TOTALLY SERIOUS!
My SEVEN year old sister is a PLAYER!
Then she said that she had KISSED THEM!
I choked on my rice.
Why is my baby sister kissing boys?!?!?!?!?!
SHE'S SEVEN!
SEVEN!
For Heaven's sakes......seven!
Well, she's not even 7 yet, she's still 6 until Saturday!
Anywho.
I asked if she was kissin' on the lips.
Claira made a gross face, like she had swallowed something nasty.
"No, Jenn, I kiss them on their backpack!"
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Wherever she can get them, I guess, right?

My Life SHOULD Be a Hollywood Comedy....SERIOUSLY!

So, I've decided that my life needs to be turned into a movie...a comedy to be exact. Because, I find my life to be VERY entertaining! Here are a few clips of the possible scenes of

Jen Kabob: the Movie!

One time, a while ago (approximately April 10, 2010, about 1 hour after college graduation, and I am frantically cleaning my apartment so I can move out....well, maybe not so frantically, because I was sad to go, but frantically all the same, because my clean check was coming ever closer, and I didn't want to be charged $800 for not dusting the closet) I was cleaning the cubby space above my closet in my bedroom at Aspen Village. Now, me being the lovely 5 foot 5 that I am couldn't reach the top, let alone the shelf inside the closet. So, I did what every normal person would do.
I got a chair.
I stood on that blue plastic chair (like the ones you find in your high school classroom), and I STILL COULDN'T REACH!
So, I took the next logical step. Literally.
I stepped on top of the dresser inside the closet.
I was standing precariously close to the edge of the dresser top, and leaning slightly back, so I could manuever my arm around and onto the top of the closet to clean out the cubby hole.
Now, why was I cleaning that cubby hole? It wasn't on the list of things to clean, but I still felt like I had to clean it. Maybe it was because I didn't want to take that load of hangers out to the car...Maybe it was because I didn't want to vacuum....Maybe it was the lack of sleep during finals week/graduation (averaged 2.5 hours of sleep a night! :) Aren't you proud?)....Maybe (and this is the reason) it was a combination of all of the above.
Nevertheless, I was cleaning, and as you guessed, the dresser fell over.
I was grasping to the top of the closet for dear life as the dresser topples and the chair is smashed by the dresser. My mom drops the 50+ hangers (no joke. I had like 50 of them, all matching, and because of that, Mom wanted to keep them.) she was carrying out to the car, and runs in to see if I'm okay.
I was.
I was just hanging onto the closet, my feet dangling in the air, and only one slipper on.
Now, ask me:
What song was playing on your laptop?

Another One Bites The Dust

Yup. Seriously. Ironic, eh?

I got down, and I was just fine. But, instead of cleaning up the dresser and chair (both of whom also escaped unharmed), I ran over a couple apartments, because I HAD to share the story with Hannah Baker.
Response from Hannah: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I forgot to tell her about the song, but I think if I had included it at that moment, she would have needed to change her pants.
Moral of the story? Don't clean the top of your closets, especially if the above mentioned song is playing and you have a wimpy dresser in your closet.

One last story?
Alright. I'll enlighten you.
And just to let you know, my mom might kill me for sharing this story in cyberspace, but it just about made me pee my pants.

My little sister, Claira, couldn't find her teddy bear, Lily. And it was bedtime.
Bad combination, right?
Of course. All little kids need their teddy bear to be able to sleep a full night's sleep and keep the boogy man away. (except for me, obviously. I slept with a stuffed koala that I named Koaly. Original, eh? I had a bunny, it was a Netherland Dwarf. I named it Netherland. And most all my fish have been Mr. Fishy. Anyway...)
So, Mom and Claira search for HOURS (in reality, it was like 20 minutes, but to Claira, it seemed like an eternity), for Lily. Mom asks, "Can you just go to bed and we'll find Lily in the morning?"
Bad question.
"NO!!!!!!!!!!! I can't sleep without Lily!"
Which is quite interesting, since Claira has only had the dumb lovely pink and white bear for a couple years. She's just about 7! What about those 5 years she never had Lily? Claira wasn't scared of the dark before Lily...I would know. She would come down into the basement to my room and throw her cup across the room, yelling, "JENN! JUICE!!!!" at around 2 am. Every day.
Back to the story:
Claira is hitting the hysterical point of her search. Mom is looking in the family room, and Claira was upstairs about to have a mental breakdown.
Then, Mom sees Claira with that blasted teddy bear walking around downstairs.
"Claira, where'd you find Lily?"
Claira's answer was classic. It will be remembered and preserved for all of posterity:
"She was hiding in my closet. She scare the hell out of me!"

Oh my, Mom tried so hard not to laugh. She sent Claira to her room and then laughed SO hard! It was one of those moments that you know you have to get mad at her, but it was just too dang precious to be too mad. Now, if Claira was 16, I'm sure that language would result in her mouth being rinsed out with soap.
But, for some reason, Claira is the cute one in the family, and also the youngest. Quite a combination. The world will need to watch out when Claira hits 16......

Bittersweet Blabberings

I'm taking a break between finals, procrastinated projects, packing, and goodbyes.
I AM IN MY FINAL DAYS AT BYU-IDAHO!

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!?

Oh, that's right. I spent the last four years of my life battling wind, snow, ice, and professors to get through my classes, and they (meaning the professors) actually passed me! Huh.....It's absolutely crazy to think that I'm completely done with school.

This is a bittersweet feeling.

One the one hand, I'm ecstatic to be done and move on to the next phase of my life:

..............otherwise known as:
STUDENT TEACHING............................

But at the same time, its so hard to leave my friends, this lovely podunk town I love, and all the memories.

I know that life is full of hellos and goodbyes.
Eveyone you meet is put in your life for a reason. These people are meant to teach us something and bless our lives.
I've really come to understand that in the past year.
No matter how tough it is to say goodbye, its going to be okay.

So,
GOODBYE

Brigham Young University-Idaho
Windy/Icy/Snowy/Never-can-make-up-its-mind Rexburg
Difficult and rewarding classes
Ghetto Aspen Village
BYU-Idaho 15th Ward
my amazing roommates
Potatoland
Eastern Idaho
and everything else associated with Rexburg/BYU-Idaho

I will miss you! But, I've decided to move onto bigger and better things!

Rexburg, don't feel so bad, you'll always hold a special place in my heart.....

Love, Jenn

I ♥ Conference!

I love, absolutely LOVE!, General Conference! It makes me so happy, and I love the spiritual upliftment that I receive. Especially in these past few sessions.
The encouragement we receive from the Brethren and other speakers calms my soul from the things I have been worrying about. I know that everything is going to be just fine. I know that my Savior loves me. I know that my Savior died for me, and He Lives. I KNOW that He lives. I have received confirmation of this fact. The hymn, I Know That My Redeemer Lives, is my testimony:
I know that my Redeemer lives
What comfort this sweet sentence gives
He lives, He lives who once was dead,
He lives, my Ever-living Head.
He lives to grant me rich supply
He lives to guide me with His eye
He lives to comfort me when faint
He lives to hear my soul's complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears
He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart
He lives all blessings to impart.
He lives to bless me with his love
He lives to plead for me above
He lives my hungry soul to feed
He lives to help in time of need.
He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend
He lives and loves me to the end.
He lives, and while He lives I'll sing!
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King!
He lives and grants me daily breath
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives, my mansion to prepare
He lives to bring me safely there.
He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same!
O sweet, the joy this sentence gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same!
O sweet, the joy this sentence gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!

How perfect that General Conference lands on Easter Sunday this year! I am enjoying the apostolic testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel and of the Savior, even Jesus Christ. I add my testimony of Jesus Christ and the Atonement to the others that have been expressed in the last two days.

He Lives! I know He does. He loves me. He loves you. He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then died on the cross for our sins. He is the very reason that the plan of happiness works.

Enjoy the rest of this Easter Sunday, and the rest of this wonderful General Conference!

O My Father

I have just come to find this hymn to be one of my favorites. The words mean more to me than I had ever noticed. (LDS Hymnal #292) Read these words carefully:

"O My Father, thou that dwellest

In the high and glorious place,

When shall I regain thy presence

And again behold thy face?

In thy holy habitation,

Did my spirit once reside?

In my first primeval childhood

Was I nurtured by thy side?

For a wise and glorious purpose

Thou hast place me here on earth

And withheld the recollection

Of my former friends and birth;

Yet oftimes a secret something

Whispered, "You're a stranger here,"

And I felt that I had wandered

From a more exhalted sphere.

I had learned to call thee Father,

Thru thy Spirit from on high,

But, until the key of knowledge

Was restored, I knew not why.

In the heav'ns are parents single?

No the thought makes reason stare!

Truth is reason; truth eternal

Tells me a mother there!

When I leave this frail existence,

When I lay this mortal by,

Father, Mother, may I meet you

In your royal courts on high?

Then, at length when I've completed

All you sent me forth to do,

With you mutual approbation

Let me come and dwell with you.

I love this hymn. It speaks to my spirit, and it comforts me in the hardest times of life. I especially love the arrangement by Sally Deford. Check it out: http://defordmusic.com/comethoufountomyfather.htm
It's also the same musical arrangement she uses for Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, another great hymn.

AHHHHHH! Can You Believe It?

So...............
It's my last semester in Rexburg. Can you believe it? Because I sure can't. It's crazy! I'm really excited, but at the same time, I'm really nervous.
This is it.
After this semester, I need to be a real grown-up.
A grown-up.
Man, I'm getting old.
I've recently (last night) finished my student teaching application. By March sometime, I'll know what school district I'm going to be student teaching in for the Fall semester 2010. This is CRAZY! I'm going to be a TEACHER!
I think I need to go to bed, because the sleep deprivation of college is catching up with me....and I have some lesson plans that still need to be done before class tomorrow. But, alas. I'm on my blog, writing to who knows who.
And Kassi just turned the music on. That's sounds awfully lovely. I love music.
Oh my. I'm just rambling on now. But that's okay. This is a perfect example for a case study on sleep deprived college students. Great ADD tendencies. (which, really is not a good thing. When you are trying to concentrate on your homework or a test, you cannot afford to get distracted on other topics...such as music, dating, boys, other school work, roommates, ward activities, callings)
Oh, that reminds me! I have two new callings this semester that I'm really quite excited about. The first one is Relief Society pianist. I love being the pianist. In past semesters, I have found that being the pianist really bored me and was tedious. But I've come to love being the pianist. As the pianist I am the one that helps in bringing the Spirit of the Lord to the meeting. I get to help with that! How cool is that?!
My second calling is Family Home Evening Coordinator. I'm incharge of a lot of stuff, and I'm not quite sure exactly what, but from what I know, I know that I am supposed to be in this calling. I know there is something that I'm am supposed to learn this semester, and there is going to be things that I can teach others through this calling. I'm VERY excited to start serving the Lord in these new capacities. And honestly, I'm really glad I'm not the Relief Society president. As much as that would be a humbling experience, I'm not sure how equipped I am to handle that much responsibility.
So, anyway. Three weeks into the semester....10 more to go! Wish me luck! Grant me peace of mind! Pray that I get some sleep!

New Starts

I'm coming to realize that life is full of changes. Both good, and bad. And, the bad is not always necessarily bad. It's just different. Which is what a change is. It's something that is new, something that has changed, something that makes life more interesting.
Johnathon is now in Houston Texas, ready to start spreading the Living Word to those that are blessed to live where he will teach. Johnathon is going to be an amazing missionary, and I wish that I could just follow him around and listen to him. He is growing so much. He's such an awesome person!
I'm starting my final year at Brigham Young University-Idaho. I'm so close to the end, that I can taste it. It tastes good, by the way. It's like strawberries. mmmmm...I like strawberries....which means that I will like, and most likely, love, life after graduation. I must confess that I'm really looking forward to teaching. I am in an education practicum class currently, and I love getting in front of the class and bestowing my vast knowledge to the youngsters that sit in my class for those precious 45 minutes. I love writing lesson plans, and figuring out the best way to help my students to learn. I can't wait to be in my own classroom, and decide how to run my own classroom, to make mistakes, and to learn and grow.
The weird thing about getting older and getting closer to graduation-most of my friends from former years are graduated....I have lots of friends that are graduated and have moved on to better things. BYU-I, good. Post-grad life, better.
I'm really looking forward to the future of new starts that I will be able to have. I'm excited about the opportunities that await me. I'm anxious to see what lies ahead. What does lie ahead? I'm sure I have this path that is full of twists and turns. I love how my life seems to go. I start to get comfortable with how my life is going, and something is thrown in to make me change what I'm doing.
However, I've come to realize that these road blocks and speed bumps that I come in contact with are not to make me stumble. At first I stumble, but the important thing is to get back up, and to keep going. It's to help me to learn, so that I can avoid them, and learn how to get over the trial. The trials that I face are to help me to learn and grow. And the more that I learn and grow, the better I become, until I am the best.
So.....I'm excited for the new starts that have come into my life. My family has had to figure out how to live with less people in the house (which, secretly, I think they love. Because, come on....only 3 kids? It must be SUPER quiet!). We are all going to have our challenges for the next few years. But, it's going to be good, because we will be learning new things like Johnathon is. We're going to grow as a family. And in the next few years, we're going to encounter many new starts and changes in our lives. Our family will never be the same.
BUT-
It will be better.

My Brother is Pretty Dang Cool!

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!

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.

Ford vs. Honda

Today is one of those days that I realized how blessed I truly am. I think that I always knew that the Lord looked out for me, protected me, and helped me in all that I do. However, today was a day that this happened to stick out more than any other.


Today, I was in a car accident.


First of all, no one was hurt. I think the worst part is the replay that keeps running through my mind. Other than that, I'm okay. However, when I keep thinking back to the first moments-those moments when I knew I wasn't going to stop in time, the moment of the impact, and those seconds directly after-I keep finding blessings and humor in the situation.


So, this afternoon, I was on my way to work. I was heading south on Parkway in Battle Ground, because it was the quickest way with the least amount of stoplights. I was heading through the stoplight at the intersection of Parkway and Main. The light was green, so I didn't think about slowing down the car from its cruising speed of 25 or 30 mpr. As I crossed the crosswalk entering the intersection, another car-heading north-turned left, directly infront of me.

Immediately, I tried to stop. But, even after doing all that I could, I knew I was going to hit the Ford Explorer. I think I braced myself for the impact. All I remember thinking was, "I'm going to hit her."


The next couple of seconds seemed to speed by and last forever at the same time. I sat in my car, freaking out. I couldn't believe that this had happened! My first thought was, "Dang! I'm going to be late for work!" My next thought was, "How's my car?" Then, I thought, "Crap. I need to call Mom and Dad." In the next second, I realized my car had come to a complete stop in two seconds. I looked around, and saw the Ford Explorer driving down Main Street. My instant reaction was a glare at that truck. How dare that driver make me hit her, and then drive off. I then realized the truck was just pulling into the parking lot.


I looked around the intersection. It had come to a complete standstill. Everyone was looking at me, and I was looking at them. I realized my car had turned back on (can it really turn off and then back on from that impact? I'm not sure. I vaguely remember the music stopping in the moment of impact, and then the clock flashing off, and then back on). I took another look around the intersection. I could see bits of the front of my car scattered around the intersection. I looked over at the Ford Explorer, and saw part of my fender imbeded in the Explorer's wheel well. Honestly, I kind of laughed, but I'm not sure why.


I put my car in reverse, and backed up slowly in the intersection to be able to get onto Main Street, and followed the Explorer to the old library parking lot.

This all had to have happened in just under a minute. I could already hear the sirens of the approaching emergency response teams. I was so grateful that someone else had called 911. Truly, it wasn't on the top of the list of people I needed to call. First I called my dad, forgetting he was on a business trip in Oregon. Then I called work, letting them know I was going to be late. I then called my grandparents, and my grandpa, the wonderful man he is, talked me through, calmed me down, let me know what I needed to do, and came down to help me.


I then got out of my car, and a fireman was there instantly, making sure I was okay. I told him I felt fine, but wasn't quite sure. I started to take out my insurance and licensing information. I went to the driver of the Explorer, and told her my side of the story. She had the audacity to accuse me of being at fault. HELLO! You didn't have a green arrow. You had a green yield light, meaning, YOU WAIT UNTIL THE COAST IS CLEAR TO TURN! I then just turned my back on the other driver and returned to my car. I talked to my grandpa on the phone (He told me not to worry, it wasn't my fault.) and then phoned my mom, who said she was already on her way. I talked to the cop. He was so nice. I think he took some pity on me. The other driver had passengers there to comfort her, and her husband (that's who I think it was) was on the scene within a minute or so. I was standing next to my car, by myself, in my scrubs, crying, weeping, (I must have looked insane, just standing there, holding my information and sobbing, my eyes blotchy and red, and my nose running. And, I just kept looking at my poor car.) The officer took my information, and told me I'd be just fine.


Just then, my mom pulled in, and gave me the big hug that I needed. She told me I was going to be okay, and that the important thing was that I was okay. She also told me how amazing it was that I had my first fender bender about 5 years after getting my license.

I then stood there and watched the street sweeper come to the scene. I watched as the intersection was closed for a couple minutes as the street sweeper sucked up the last little bits of my car. I laughed (inwardly right now. I'd giggle about this throughout the rest of the night. I mean, come on. I thought that I'd just be working tonight, not standing in my ugly scrubs watching a street sweeper drive around the intersection sucking up bits of my car.).


At this point, Grandpa showed up. I got a big hug, and he said he was glad that I was alright. By now, its been about 20 minutes? The firefighters were gone, but the police remained. The Explorer's grandkids (they were sitting in the back seat. When the little girl saw me crying, she exclaimed, "It'll be alright! I'm sorry my grandma hit your car!" ) I saw some realative of the Explorer yank out part of my fender from the wheel well. He carried around for some time, and then gave it to me as a "souvenier." Yeah. Some prize, treasure, that I get to have forever. I think I'm going to get rid of it as soon as I can. Actually, maybe I'll keep it. I dunno. But, again I laughed. Why? Because my dinky little car my be yucky looking now, but it managed to show that Explorer who's boss (okay, not really. The Explorer is still the boss. But, my little car can dream, right? It got bruised and broken today, but it made sure that Explorer doesn't forget today....)


Well, all in all, everything has turned out just fine. After close to an hour, I was able to go home. Now the daunting task of getting the car home. Grandpa drove my car home, and I drove his. Mom followed. The drive home was intense. I gave EXTRA space between me and the cars around me. I went exactly the speed limit. I freaked out when a car merged into my lane, a good 15 feet in front of me. "What's wrong with you!?! Don't you know that I hit someone today? I really don't want to do that again! Please let me know when you are stopping!"
Luckily, I made it home. I'm safe. The Lord has blessed me SO much. My car is going to be okay. I'm okay. I work at a great place where my shift was covered so I didn't need to come in to work. My family is amazing, and super supportive. My friends are amazing worry warts (which is why I didn't tell them until about 2 hours after the fact). The emergency personnel were so attentive and quick to respond. They really did save the day.


I look back at today and am able to recognize all these amazing blessings that I have. I'm so glad that I can look back on today, and laugh. Because, really, I'm okay. I'm just fine. I just can't say the same for my car. :(

My poor car!!!!

Seriously. This is all the damage to the Explorer. That's it....

PS. The Explorer tried to tell me that I was at fault for the accident. But, Grandpa thinks he saw the driver get a citation. Um.....te **cough** hehe **cough**
PPS. The Explorer said her insurance is going to pay for it. I just about did a happy dance when she told me this!

Service Oriented People

Today has been an interesting day. At four AM, I got a call from one of my coworkers, Michelle, and she said that Kassie, our student lead, hadn't shown up to unlock the building. I gave Michelle Kassie's phone number, and went back to sleep. Fast forward to 8:45 AM, and I get a call from Kassie. She had just woken up, and freaking out because she had slept through work. She was on her way to the Ricks building to see if our coworkers were able to get into the building. The building was unlocked, but nothing had been cleaned, because they didn't have keys to the classrooms.
I jumped out of bed, and headed straight to work. Kassie wanted to clean the entire building just the two of us. If that had happened, we would probably still be there. However, I had a prompting to call some members from our ward to see if they would be willing to come help us get the building clean for church tomorrow. I ran the idea by Kassie, but she didn't want to call anyone.
However, I felt that we needed to. So, I pretended to be talking to my mom on the phone while I sent out a mass text to a bunch of people in my ward. The responses came in instantly. There were tons of people that were willing to help us come clean the building. It was amazing to see all these people willing to come help clean a building on a Saturday morning. Looking back, I realize that this text probably woke most of these people up. And, they were still willing to come help us.
I am so thankful for all the people that were willing to come help, and especially those that did. It made my life so much easier! The people in my ward are amazing. I really feel sometimes that I live in Zion.

Weird Dreams

I need to stop staying up so late and eating sugary foods. I've been trying to be really good, and eat healthy food. But, for some reason, the weekends are the hardest for me to keep to this.
My roommate's birthday was earlier this week (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARYANN!) and I threw her a surprise party. So, Saturday was pretty much shot, as I had cake. And not a homemade cake. One of those cakes from Broulim's with more sugar in it than should be legal.
And on Friday, I went out with my FHE brother to the BYU-Idaho Symphony Orchestra. And afterwards, we went back to their apartment, and had ice cream cake.
And during the day on Saturday, I went to Idaho Falls with some friends and went out to Olive Garden for dinner.
Oh, and Saturday night, my friends and I made a 11 pm run to Wendy's for Frosty's.
So, as you can see, I need to work on my control on the weekends. THANKFULLY, not every weekend is like this. Just every once in a while, like once a month.....
Anyway. When I have weekends like this, coupled with very little sleep, I start to have weird dreams.
So, last night, I had a dream that my friend Kaiti got a haircut. And, she was so proud of it. She thought she looked amazing. However, she didn't. But, I wasn't going to be the one who told her. She walked into her apartment to show all of us, and everyone gasped. NO ONE THOUGHT IT LOOKED GOOD.
The cut and style was just awful. It was really short in the back (think of buzz cut length in the back) and it gradually got longer to the front. The hair framing her face was very long. Longer than her hair currently is. Poor Kaiti.
However, everyone was thinking the same thing that I was. There was no way we could tell Kaiti about her awful haircut. So, we all lied. We all told her that it looked amazing.
Needless to say, I told Kaiti today never to get her hair cut like this. She happily obliged.
So, I've decided that I'm going to be careful on the weekends. More sleep, and less sugar!

The Future of Education

Today it hit me.
I AM THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION!
I am the one that will be teaching all these youngsters their history and teaching them to say, "Guten Tag! Ich heiße ______(insert name here)"
What kind of parent is going to entrust me with their child's brain? I could be teaching a whole lot of trash, and they wouldn't be the wiser. Really, when you think about it, teachers have a lot of control over what goes on in the world. If it weren't for teachers, everyone would be a whole lot dumber.
Fortunately, I love teaching! I get so excited to go out and teach young people. I sit in class and figure out how I would teach my students the concepts that my professors are teaching me. My dream is to teach a World History class. My students would learn about all different types of culture throughout the world. The assignment for the semester is to learn about a country that you would love to go visit. And part of the assignment would be to become a pen pal with another student from that country. I think that learning about someone else's culture through them is the most amazing concept.
And fortunately for all those parents out there, I won't be filling their kid's brains with fluff. The concepts that are learned in history are applicable to every day problems. I plan to make history exciting!
I recently watched Dead Poet's Society. This is one of the most amazing movies, EVER! There is one line in that movie that will stick with me always. Professor John Keating says:
"I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself."
This is the entire purpose to education. Students aren't supposed to just come to class everyday and learn what the teacher has prepared for them. Education is to teach students to think for themselves. It is to get them curious about the world around them, and help them to figure out how to think for themselves. What kind of world would we live in if we didn't have thinkers. If no one ever thought about things, and just went on with life, what a sad world we would live in.

What I Need

I've been thinking a lot lately. And, not just on my schoolwork, or even the future. I've been thinking a lot about my family and friends that have passed on. Now, this entry isn't meant to be a downer. But, I've thought a lot about how I've had to deal with death, and the lessons I've learned. I've learned that when something happens that is hard, it's best not to try to deal with the problem on your own. I've learned that I need to trust in the Lord, with my entire being.
Death in the American culture is a taboo topic. But, in many other cultures around the world, the culture celebrates the dead. I've come to realize that death is not something to be afraid of. It's something that is revered around the world.
The best way for me to deal with death is by remembering the ones I love, listening to good music, and writing down all my feelings. I've been looking back at my journals from the past couple of years, and looking at all the things I've learned. I've seen how much I've grown. I used to just write about the person, and how they died. I wrote about my memories and the happy times, and how they affected me.
Now, I've started to write about my experiences and how knowing these people have helped me to grow even more. I've learned a lot from Patti. She's the best example I have on this topic. She's taken the hardest experience any person can have, and turned it into a learning experience. She's grown closer to Heavenly Father. And, isn't that what trials are about? We are to grow from our experiences.

Today, I realized this as I was sitting outside my Modern Europe History class, waiting for the previous class to leave. I was listening to a song on my iPod, called What I Need. It's from a CD my grandma gave me for Christmas, the Ten Virgins. Here's the words to the Song:

My lamp was the first that he made

Thoughtfully sculpted in pale, yellow clay.

Strengthened by fire and refined

Shaped and prepared to endure over time.

Through heartache and joy, by day and by night

It reminds me of treasures I’ve read by its light.

It’s more than a gift that he gave long ago

This lamp holds the light that brings peace to my soul.

A flame that is constant through change

Still burning bright as the day it was made.

Its warmth reassures that he listens to me

And he lovingly, so tenderly speaks what I need.

It’s guided me all of my days

And led me through valleys of sorrow I’ve faced.

Bringing me comfort and strength

Giving me courage to trust him in faith

It’s more than a gift that he gave long ago

This lamp holds the light that brings peace to my soul.

A flame that is constant through change

Still burning as bright as the day it was made.

Its warmth reassures that he listens to me

And he lovingly, so tenderly speaks

The words of the shopkeeper live in my heart

Whispering truth that shines bright in the dark

A flame that is constant through change

Still burning as bright as the day it was made.

Its warmth reassures that he listens to me

And he lovingly, so tenderly speaks what I need.

Always tenderly speaks what I need.