11th blog

1/8/2014 After spending Christmas break with my mom in San Diego I took a train back to Anaheim and my cousin Loni picked me up at the Amtrak train station. It is always good to see my cousin Rebekah and little Taulanga as well. Rebekah went to the same high school that I am currently attending which is Savanna. She played basketball and was coached by Coach Whalen, my football coach. She played volleyball and other sports as well. She went to college for two years on a scholarship for her to play volleyball at Cal State Dominguez Hills that paid for everything. But then she met Loni when he played football for USC and fell in love with him and gave up her scholarship to marry him. Rebekah is a good wife and mother to her husband and son and I know that she is also a good cook. she always cooks healthy meals for Loni during his football season. Here is a picture of Loni and Rebekah on their wedding day  at the L.A. LDS Mormon Temple  with my cousins Sione Tufui, Koloa, Kamorah, and baby Keturah. Loni ( Hebron) gets most of his inspiration from his wife. Rebekah is truly an amazing wife to him and also a great motivator and eternal companion. Loni thinks of how important his family is to him and uses that as part of his motivational drive during practice or during a game when he may play.

10th blog

1/1/2014 Happy New Year's! One of my New Year's resolutions for my academics is to do my story and complete my blogs more efficiently. It was an exciting game on Sunday Dec 29 as the Steelers beat Cleveland. Their final score of wins and losses was 8 and 8. Now it was up to how well the other teams did, especially the main competition was the Chargers, who played after the Steelers on Sunday. If the Chargers lost, then the Steelers would go to the playoffs. If the Chargers won, then they would have the higher bargain or wins and go to the playoffs. The Chargers played into overtime and barely won. This is good for my hometown San Diego. It was an upset and the Steelers were super close to make it to the playoffs. Loni looks at this experience as motivation and looking forward to next season, and hoping for a better one with more playing time. Luckily for Loni, he now has a break and he can spend time with the family. So he and Rebekah and Taulanga are arriving tomorrow to my Uncle Phil's house in which I live at. Loni will be able to answer all my questions on the story and help me with his insights. I am happy to give up my room to them and move into the family room for the remainder of their stay. My cousin Keturah who is four years old made the paper in Pittsburgh during her visit with Loni and Rebekah. She was in the snow for the first time. Here is the picture in the paper.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/2014/01/01/Winter-making-its-presence-felt.html

9th blog

12/25/2013  Merry Christmas! I woke up to an amazing sight under my Christmas tree. I was not excited to open gifts but I was happy to see the excitement on my mother's face as she was about to open the gift I got her, a jewelry box. We enjoyed going to my grandparent's home for dinner. This day I was excited to hear my Uncle Phil and Uncle Russell's families arrived in Pittsburgh to visit Hebron (Loni) and his family and to see the Steelers play their last important game of the season. If the Steelers win they still have a chance to go to the NFL play offs. Everyone knows that Loni's job on the team is a back up defensive tackle and nose guard and that he might not play. His chances of playing are slim if the starters don't get hurt or have problems. Loni does his job by being ready to go. He has played in all games this season except for four and he did well.  Loni's wife  my cousin Rebekah cooked a meal for all of them. Loni and Rebekah enjoyed everyone visiting them so far way. Loni said, "It was so fun. Awesome!" Here is a picture taken of the visit. Loni and Rebekah are in the middle in the back. My Uncle Phil and Aunt Vicki who I live with in Anaheim are in the back on the right next to Sione Tufui who is home from Air Force Academy. I often wear my Air Force Academy jacket to school because I like wearing things that represent something special to me.

8th blog

  12/18/2013 I am still where I was last week on my story but I can't wait until this Friday because it is the start of Christmas break. This Christmas break  I will try to spend  time on my story. I hope I can finally get a lot of work done. I will visit and spend time with my mom this Christmas break and celebrate Christmas with her. I am going to see my mom in San Diego along with my brother and sister & grandparents. While I see them my Aunt and Uncle and cousins will be visiting Hebron and his family and meet up with my Uncle Russell and his family to see the Steelers last game on December 29th. I could have probably went to Pittsburgh with my Aunt and Uncle but I decided to go see my mom, brother, and sister because it was more important to me and I haven't really had much time to spend with them. I know that Hebron's son Taulanga will become a great man some day because of his father's influence. There was a really nice article on Hebron showing his hard work ethics which he attained and now applies working on his family farm on the island of Tonga.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Taking-the-long-way/b829ea62-161e-4873-a633-d7312df8e009

7th blog

On my Thanksgiving break I took a break from my blogs so I can do my research for my story. I haven't really started much on my story yet but I have enough information to do my story now. I will be spending a lot of time on my story when my school has Christmas break. I have not done much on my project at all but I have enough information to do my story so basically all I need to do is the work. I am thankful that Christmas break is two weeks because then I have more time to work on my story rather than having just a week off. I am excited to work on my story this Christmas break. I am tired of talking about doing my story and not actually doing it. Almost half of the school year is over so I have to start working if I want to succeed and finish this project. My cousins team hasn't been doing so well this season I hope they will have better luck their next game.

6th Blog

 In my English class my teacher Mr. Lee told us to present a presentation on our projects so far and I am preparing it this weekend and also and more information to my story. My grandma helped me gather information about my cousin and I also interviewed my cousin with thirteen questions. I am now starting to finally get a hold of my project. I cant wait to share my insight of my cousin and   hope everyone will enjoy it. I know that everyone one has their own views or insights on people.  I decided since Hebron is my cousin that I would create the story on him of how he made it to NFL football and since he's my cousin I can ask him for information when ever I want  so it is easier for me to write the story than if I did not know him. I chose to write a story on my cousin because he is a good role model of hard work and his example is helping me strive to do my best in everything that I do. If I were to think of a phrase every time I think of him that phrase would be " Hard work beats talent when talent is not working hard.

5th blog

Hebron Fangupo is a man I show respect to as a cousin. Although he is my cousin by law I feel as if we are brothers. He and I would work out at the gym sometimes and even play some basketball and man let me tell you that when he drives with the basketball to the hoop he seems to be unstoppable and immovable just like a Rhino running through a herd of sheep. Hebron is a man that lives up to his values and cherishes his family and beliefs as a Mormon at the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. He is a perfect example to me or in other words role model. I truly respect him for his faith in serving for our church on a 2 year mission in the Philippines where he left college football to learn the language and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. To me Hebron is someone that can be truly called a man. I myself will hope to carry some of his traits when I grow up I mean my father is not in my life so I teach my self habits I should attain and I choose who to look up to and I can say that he is one of those for me.