Famblee

My family is really important to me, and they are also awesome. We do a lot of things together, and we have loads of fun. There are so many traditions that we have and fun activities that we do. I love each and every one of my siblings as well as my parents.

Dad: My dad is awesome. He's a professor, and it feels like he knows everything sometimes, which is awesome. I'm always asking him questions and he just knows the answer to them. Like why the weather does what it does, and why certain conflicts arise throughout the world. My dad and I are very similar in our personalities. We enjoy the same things and we talk the same way. My dad and I LOVE to analyze sports games. We can turn a Florida game on and just sit there and talk about the game, the coaching, the plays that are happening/should be happening. We don't shut up. I think it annoys the rest of my family, but it's awesome. This past Saturday, I wasn't able to watch the Florida basketball game, so I called my dad and he gave me the play by play.

Mom: My mom is one of the most amazing people I know. She is always so busy and trying to keep all of us kids happy. She's beautiful and brilliant. She came here to BYU knowing hardly any English, and not only survived, but did well. She knows how to help each and every one of us when we need it, and is so in tune with the Spirit that she discerns things that are bothering us before we even really know what's wrong. She's really patient and organized. She's a great teacher and a great listener. When my mom and I get going, we can talk for hours and hours. I hope that one day, I can be as fantastic as she is!

Me: I'm the oldest of my crazy family, and while it's hard sometimes, I love it! My maternal instincts are probably off the charts for someone who's never actually had their own child. The only kid I don't remember being born is the brother that is two years younger than me. I hope that I'm a good big sister to the rest of my siblings! I love watching sports with my family (especially when it's Florida and/or football), and even now that I'm away from home, I call them when there's a game going on (probably to the annoyance of my roommate). Nicknames: Sister/Sis, Moni

Benjamin: Benjamin is two years younger than me, and he's pretty cool. He and I are pretty close, and we talk a lot when we can. He also likes watching sports (namely football and basketball), although he's a lot more quiet about it than my dad and I are. We used to wrestle and stuff all the time, back before he was so much bigger than me. Now he's HUGE. He's like 6'3" or something now. And he's two years younger than me! Why is my life so unfair? Anyway, he doesn't like to talk a lot to people he doesn't know, but once you get to know him, man, he's hilarious! I literally just got off the phone with him, and we laughed so much. He can also memorize just about anything in no time flat. And he plays guitar, which is super cool. Nickname: Benj (my dad's name is also Benjamin, but everyone calls him Ben. So we just add the "j" to Benj's name so it's different)

Jacob: Jacob is a lot like me in the reading department...sometimes. We like a lot of the same books (although he refuses to read Harry Potter. Who knows why!) and we like the same TV shows. Whenever we talk, we talk about books, movies, or TV shows. Or I'm helping him with school work. Except not anymore, because I go to college now. Jacob likes sports, but not to the extent that Benj and I do. Also, he's now taller than me??? That's insane. This is not ok. Now I have to sit in the squished seat in the front! Nickname: Jakey/Jake (I'm the only one who calls him by these names.)

James: James is the start of the "younger kids". The way my family works is that there are three "older kids" and four "younger kids". The younger kids don't get the same privileges as us older kids do. Mostly it has to do with bedtime. Us older kids don't go to bed as early as the younger kids do. James is super fast and loves to play soccer. He's on the same team as Adam (don't worry, I'll get there), and their team is really good for a YMCA team. James is usually their leading scorer, although it depends on the season (they play both fall and spring) Nickname: James-y

Adam: Although Adam is two years younger than James, he plays with James' age group when it comes to soccer because it's easier than having to go to two soccer practices and two soccer games. Our life is crazy enough as it is, and we didn't need that kind of added craziness. Adam is also really good at soccer. He's one of the best players on his team, even though he's younger. Adam also had to have an ingrown toenail removed, and he told me all the disgusting details about it (he's a boy, what can you expect?). Adam and James are always together, and they're the closest in age. People often get them confused with each other (including us). Nickname: Jadam. This came because whenever we're calling for him to come downstairs, we  always say "Ja-Adam!" because we get confused with James. Oh well. Such is life.

**Brief intermission. First off, I'm not just a sister who's bragging about my brothers and their soccer team. Both of my brothers have had hat-tricks (3 points in a game) multiple times. The only team they lost to last fall was to a city-league. Since they've been on this team the past three-four years, they've lost only a handful of times.
**Side note: Count the boys. Then the girls. See how many boys there are so far? This is what I grew up with. And it's AWESOME. I love my brothers.

Emily: No, not my roommate. My sister. Yes, I finally have a sister, waaay down the line. She's a tough one, let me tell you. When you've got four older brothers, you have to be! She knows how to get what she wants. She's an avid reader, which is awesome. There is also no doubt that she's a girl. She doesn't really watch sports with the rest of us, although she cheers for Florida when they're on. She's also the first one out of all of us to have a broken a bone. Yeah, that's right. The girly-girl of the family fractured her bone just below her knee when she was three. Go figure. She calls me sister, and I call her Em sometimes. Or sweetie.

Andrew: Andrew is such an angel! He would have to be in order to be at the tail end of this group! He's just adorable. In every way. I really can't describe it much past that. He's also the definite baby of the family. In fact, that was his nickname for a long time. "Baby" or "Babe". And he'd totally respond to it. Until he started telling us that he was no longer a baby anymore. Now he doesn't have a nickname. Andrew likes playing soccer outside with my other brothers, and apparently he's a "pro" goalie for his young age. We'll see how that pans out in the years to come.

And that's my family! Aren't we a fun bunch? I love you guys!