Hit Me Baby One More Time

Today features the final member of the immediate family of friends. If you have been keeping up with my blog lately, you will have had a few different clues as to who the baby of the family is...she has just started dating this foreign guy from 2C, she is the "heart" of the family, and...she is Asian/Pacific Islander. It is our little sister, Jolleen! Ms. Quimba has this innate way of relating to people. Jolleen can walk down the street, see someone, and suddenly develop a heart for them. I don't think that I've ever met someone so full of blessings. Often times in church, we hear about this metaphor of being "over-flowing". I sometimes wonder if Jojo will ever run out of encouragement. When you see her, you are greeted with one of two faces--a big smile and a little giggle, or what I affectionately call her Filipino face (which is when she scrunches up her lips and turns her eyebrows down). Regardless, she is always full of emotion. Jojo is the baby of our family for many reasons. For instance, Jolleen always has to go to bed early (because of her job), she is sometimes unconsciously ignored when she makes comments, and she lives with Mom still. Plus she's mom's favorite, so clearly she is the baby.



Joey is an elementary school teacher, so she has many art supplies and is more crafty than she gives herself credit for. Just two Christmases ago, I got Jojo a Magnadoodle, and perhaps I'm biased, but I think it was an amazing gift! Growing up in this family (with a bunch of talkers) Jolleen has learned to be a great listener. If you have any concerns or stresses, our little sister is the remedy. I'm sure our tiny, little sister would be a huge blessing in anyone's life. Unfortunately, Uncle Marc is headin' to L.A. to try and make it as a musician, I'm moving for a job, Auntie Moof is traveling again, Dad has left mom and is pursuing other dreams, so we will be missing out on our blessing-refueling sibling. But good news for all of you--Joey will have more to go around. So look her up...and be encouraged.

Gibler's got nothin' on Zandaddy!

In our great family of friends, we have discovered that every family needs a neighbor boy. There's Rudy's chubby friend, Peter on the Cosby Show; Urkel need I say more; and Roger from Sister, Sister. Without a doubt, we all need a neighbor boy. Unfortunately, they are often portrayed as the annoying nuissance. Zandaddy is not this person in our lives. He was dubbed the "neighbor boy" because he didn't live with anyone from the family. But Austin is far from annoying. Zander approaches life from an angle of excitement and eagerness. It was quite a surprise when Kristen started dating the neighbor boy. Granted, I have like Austin for quite some time, so I didn't feel the need to be too protective of my little sister Kristen. Plus, she's a handful on her own. Kristen sometimes has a tendency to get bored quickly...and this is a perfect fit because Austin is one of the most talented people I've ever known. He's the type of guy that can try and anything once and be a pro at it. Kristen and Austin have this in common, which makes them a great fit. The neighbor boy has a natural ability to sense the mood of things. And if its too heavy, Austin can always be the comic relief. Zandaddy is incredibly sincere and thoughtful. He has always been more than understanding--and seeks out ways to think of other people and show it. His insight is also pretty impecable. It almost makes you feel like he's spying on you, because he seems to always know what's going on. Even when our little sister (she will be revealed tomorrow) started dating this foreign guy (from the land of 2C) Austin knew before Kristen. The neighbor boy may have aqua pony tendencies and cold ankles, but he is well informed, and thoughful beyond compare. We all just kind of ignore the ankles (similar to DJ ignoring Kimmi's stinky feet) and deal, because we wouldn't trade Zandaddy.

O-L-S-E-N...what does that spell?

The Twins! Today's post is dedicated to the family's twins. Kyle Rooks and Kristen Brewer may not be biologically related, but they sure act like they are. They don't act just like brother and sister, but they act like twins. Their interactions with each other are hilarious.


Kyle is so easy going.



Kristen is the twin that looks for adventure and isn't satisfied until she finds it.



Between the two of them, mischief is always at hand. Kristen is the idea girl; and Kyle is the persuasive one. They claim many of the same traits. For instance, they both claim to be the "bringer together of friends". Which I just realized isn't even a word..."bringer". Ha. They also both get a litte offended when you suggest that their idea(s) aren't good ones. And usually, they are good ideas...just not plausible ones. I'll never forget the time when the twins were just kids...and it was their birthday (and by birthday I mean, it was Kristen's birthday). There was a beautiful cake that mom made for Kristen, naturally...and we're all singing "Happy Birthday" as mom walks the cake to the table. Kristen is anxiously waiting. Right before she blows out the candles, she takes a deep breath (not to be out-done)...Kyle beats her to the task at hand and extinguishes the candles before Kristen can exhale. What a brother. The slight uproar that followed characterizes their relationship so well. These two are the two people that bring joy into our lives. Kyle and Kristen liven things up in the family. Sometimes, things can get to be a little too serious, but with the twins, there's always something to keep us on our toes. The twins represent the vigor of the family. Mom is the hands, Dad is the brains, little sister (who will rename nameless at this time) is the heart, and the Twins are the eyes. They're the creative ones of the family. The see and do without conviction. If Daniel and Ruth were twins...we'd have a great match. Kyle and Kristen might be a little upset that I posted just once for the two of them as opposed to two seperate posts, but c'mon now, they're twins, they should be used to it by now.

In a Van, Down by the River

How many of you remember that infamous, comedy sketch from SNL with the tag line, "...in a van down by the river"? Granted, Chris Farley is nothing like today's family member. Unlike Farley's character in this particular sketch, uncle Marc (Herring) is an optimist. He has taken this tagline, that was supposed to increase fear in the hearts of delinquent children, and transformed it into a lifelong dream. Uncle Marc (that guy from Covenant) truly does want to live in a van down by the river...preferably a VW bus. This in an odd way represents Marc to a "T". He is so uncoventional. Granted, his sisters growing up were Auntie Moof and Mom (Sarah Walker)...so its no surprise he marches to a beat of a different drum.
No matter how abnormal Marc is he excels in areas that need abnormality to be special. For instance, Marc remembers statistics from when he was in third grade; he has an incredible nack for remembering numbers. This comes in handy when you need to remember phone numbers, statistics, etc. He also listens extremely well. Which is why I get along with my uncle so well, he listens to me jabber on and on...I get my communication fervor from mom. I'm not sure why, but Uncle Marc is still single. He seems like such great marriage material, but I suppose since his music is such a high priority, it must make things pretty tough. His music is so close to his heart; it expresses him in a dimension that his words don't ever say. Aside from everything, Marc is a very loyal friend as well...just like dad. When I went away for college, I stayed with Uncle Marc. He really is not your typical bachelor. He always keeps a clean house, cooks regularly, and maintains a tip-top lifestyle, except for his shower habits of course. If you don't know my Uncle Marc, you need to. His humor is beyond abnormal...and that's what makes him so funny. His uniqueness makes him a person that you need to have in your life...otherwise, you're just missing out.

Root Juice, Sequence, and Almonds

I know that it has been a few days since I last posted, but the Olympics have been consuming most of my time. Today, I am posting about the infamous Moof. This is our affectionate name for our aunt, Stephanie Rooks. She is fantastic. Granted, Stephanie is our aunt because she's the girl that lives her life to the beat of a different drum. Auntie Moof (short for Mufasa) has many quirks that maker her who she is. Some of these things are: the constant insatiable desire to consume almonds, her bottle of root juice (a natural sweetner) that she constantly carries in her purse...speaking of purses, she also has a sequenced purse that leaves behind beads and sequence everywhere she goes. One of the things that I appreciate about Aunt Stephanie is her desire to be used. She lives a true servant's life. I am guessing that only true television fanatics will remember this, but on Home Improvement, Jill's sister comes to visit a few different episodes. Jill's sister travels the world, brings back crazy artifacts for the kids and Tim and is an adventure seeker. Moof is a dose of this concept, with a heavy ingredient of humanitarianism. In Acts, we see that we are called to go into all the world telling them about the Good News of God. This sums up Stephanie. She has this desire, and lives it out daily. Soon, our aunt will be leaving us again to go to Korea and serve. It'll be a sad day; our family is disbanning. Perhaps, Moof will bring us back tea, chopsticks, and other crazy things from her un-ending travels.

Who's Your Daddy?

Today is dedicated to DAD. Calvin (Vinny) Nicholas Arthur Mann. The voice of reason can generally be attributed to the father figure. However, in times of stress, at least in my family, the dad is the first to jump to conclusions. Vinny on the other hand is our father figure in our family of friends because of what he does in his maneurisms and anectdotes. Vinny is never short on information. We can all be sitting around talking about work or something...then Vinny chimes in with statistics from CNN or something he read in the NY Times. It is frequently mind boggling. Vinny has a specific stanse that includes a coffee mug as well. There's just something about his actions that make him "dad-like". I would venture to say that many of the girls in the family also would agree that Vinny is extremely protective. He's a guy that defends his friends, and in this case, family to the furthest extent. He is amazingly committed to his friends/family. You'll have a hard time finding a guy that is more loyal than Vinny. Our friend Cara called Vinny to have her come pick her up when her car broke down. Vinny is that type of dad. The one that bails you out. He's the dad that is on your side...and you know it. He's not the Danny Tanner dad that just lectures you with "dad talks", nor is he Tim Taylor who just doesn't get it. He's more like Tony Danza from "Who's the Boss" or the dad's from "My Two Dads". He's the good friend, dad-type. He's always got your back. Unfortunately, Vinny will soon be in Scotland. Hopefully we won't need bailed out from jail, or break down on the side of the road...farewell Vinny. Can't wait to see dad in a kilt.

A Tribute to the Family

I think that no matter what situation you're in; it is completely natural to create a family-type unit. From birth, most of us experience some sort of family atmosphere, and become accustomed to it. When you leave that traditional home, you surround yourself with a similar unit and take on roles whether you mean to or not. Post college, some of us have realized that we have all began to form this sort of family. We are known as the "Leftovers" because many of us didn't hang out while in college, but since we're out of college, live in the area, and have mutual friends--we are now "family". In honor of this family unit, I have decided to dedicate one person to each day, that way you can get to know them as well.


Today, I have decided to start with our mom. Because I am truly a mama's boy (I love my mom)...I thought it only appropriate to start with the mother figure in our new family unit. Sarah Walker. She is such a fantastic person. She is the type of person that bakes cookies for guests...or picks you up from work/school...and when you tell a sketchy joke, you look to see her reaction (you know, see how much you can get away with). Haha. Sarah is a woman that lives a life you can't help but respect. She has such charisma and is directed by an empathetic pull. When you're little, typically, you want to go to your mom for compassion and understanding. Many dads struggle with this concept a little. Which is exactly why Sarah is our mom. She deserves a day off...is there such thing as "Fake Mother's Day"? We should have one in her honor. She works her tail off. Hats off Sarah...we look up to you in more ways than you'll ever know.

The Hand-y Man

I have come to realize, that I have quite a few friends with two door cars. I know that this seems like a rather strange realization to have, but let me tell you why I have noticed. Between Stephanie, Kristen, Marc, Cortney, Keiks, etc., this little happening occurs quite often. What happening? The unexpected, hand-on-hand contact. How many of you know what I mean? One of two things happen...

A: You're the guy in the back...you wait to be let out from the back. The person in the front seat goes to let you out...but you are just a little too hastey and reach for the lever as well. Then what happens? Hand-on-hand. Or,
B: You're the person in the front. You hesitate for a second, and the over-zealous back-seater grabs the lever. Then you're just the guy standing outside trying to inter-digitate with you friend...aka: the hand-on-hand.

We have all learned from Zach Morris, that one bucket of popcorn is key on a date. Much more opportunity for the static hand-to-hand contact. This is desired on a date. But with you pal, buddy, bro...not so much. It is indeed one of those small happenings that no one in particular attributes much thought to. Should you grab with fervor? Or wait and shuffle your reach to see who actually grabs it? What is the correct ettiquette?