Manti Matthew

I feel sorry for people who don't have a broseph like I do...well....2 bros like I do...but this blog in particular goes out to the one and only Manti Matthew Su'a.  If you already haven't read my sister's  (Jamie Su'a) blog http://www.correspondencefromj.blogspot.com/ then let me break it down (in my own way)....
25.  He couldn't say his "R's" until we was 12?  11? 
24.  He stuttered....correction: stutters  (which makes him human....otherwise we would question the mere actuality of his mortality)
23.  He has a kind heart.  The purest heart I've ever known.
22.  When we very first moved into the house which we currently reside (eventhough the yard is smaller than the previous houses we've occupied) Mikey and Manti found little ways to make it an adventure and makes things fun...they're just like that...it's what they do.  I.e. they would string yarn from their windows (not more then 5 ft from each other) and pass notes to each other thru the windows....they would hide notes under the loose tiles on their window sills.
21.  When Manti is caught off guard and is in a heated situation he is VERY quick on his feet....not good...but quick.  When we were little we all shared a room, when it was bedtime rather than go to sleep (which is what was instructed to us) we would "come alive!"  We would "spy" on people....in our house....one night Manti got caught.  Without skipping a beat his excuse/defense for NOT being in bed was "but but but but mom....I needed to tell you something REALLY important.....I....I....I....I love you" it's one of those you-had-to-be-there-moments....but it was a classic moment...one that none of us will ever forget.
20.  He is majoring in Biology, or Genetics, or Chemistry or something like that...one of those things that's hard to spell let alone major in....all I have to say is...glad it's not me.
19.  Manti is pretty much ALWAYS in a good mood...which you would think might get a little sickening but it is the complete opposite....I love it...I love that whenever Jamie or I are in a bad mood, if he is around we all of a sudden are happy.  Not a lot of people have that effect on others...Manti, does.
18.  He is a great athlete...rugby, football, basketball..and even swimming....who knew?
17.  His "I-know-this-is-so-stupid-but-I-can't-help-but-laugh" laugh....I WISH I had a video of this particular style of laughing....it is priceless.
16.  Every time I saw a scary movie (which I no longer do) I could NOT sleep at night b/c of the fear I left the movie theater with...so I would make Manti sleep on my floor...sometimes for several nights at a time....and he did it....and he NEVER complained.  Thanks Man.
15.  When he was younger Manti and Mikey had a paper route.....our lives revolved around that paper route....our van caught on fire while delivering "papes" (as mom called them...still does)....social events were postponed b/c of the 4:30pm deadline that the papes had to be out....the stupid orange bags we had to put them in if it was raining....and the  nasty ink from the papes that literally stained our carpet...booooo.
14.  The fact that EVERY animal on this earth loves him...and not me.
13.  He's a really good snowboarder....or so I've heard.
12.  His sense of humor is top of the line. 
11.  Little known fact: He can hit the high notes in "Phantom of the Opera"
10.  The fact that whenever he comes home he ALWAYS ALWAYS leaves with a souvenir from MY room!
9.  He loves EVERYONE....how the heck does he do it?
8.  He will let me choose whatever movie I want to see...even if it's "Twilight" and never gives me guff....
7.  He has the "finest" on a budget (Manti, don't act like you DON'T know what I'm talking about...car..phone...clothes....I could go on but I'm sure you don't want ALLLLL your business on my blog)
6.  He is completely level headed....he got that from mom
5.  His attempt to speak Samoan.  "They're talking about being in class.  Huh?  They said vasega...and that means class!  Dad!  Manti is eavesdropping on your conversation!  Yeah...I heard you say you were in class...VAsega!  No....we were talking about PEsega."  He was SO sure of himself.....I just love that about him.
4.  His innate appreciation for hip-hop music...who would've thunk?
3.  In 9th grade he ran for 9th grade President and the way he won was thru his speech which consisted of your basic "rally speech"  of "Ducks fly together"......rallying the 9th class in a harmonious chant of "quack....quack.....QUACK...QUACk..QUACK QUACK...you get the jist...
2.  Girls have gone out of their way to make me their friend SPECIFICALLY to get to Manti...lame-oh!  I always saw right thru it....they never got to Manti.
1.  Eventhough he is a super star (in my eyes...and Jamie's....and Mom's) he is the most humble person I know.  It's true.....I admire and love him so much, I seriously lucked out when they were handing out brothers.  Thank you divine forces for placing us in the same familial (is that even a word) dynamic.  I love you Man, happy birthday from the bottom of my heart (sung to the tune of Feliz Navidad).  You da you da best. 

Spreading joy and cheer

Naturally I waited til the last minute to do my xmas shopping...it's the only way to go right?  Crowded parking lots, crowded stores, crying children, messy stores, the dreadful Christmas music re-makes (i.e.Taylor Swifts re-make of "Last Christmas") along with atrocious "holiday" elevator music playing in the store, the germs you are inhaling as people cough/sneeze/hack as they walk by you, but my absolute favorite.....xmas shopping EVIL!  I knew I wasn't going to get around to xmas shopping until the last minute so, I prepared myself...mentally....emotionally...etc.  I was filled with Christmas cheer as I pulled into a parking lot and was cut off twice, brake checked, sneered at while I patiently waited for the multitudes of pedestrians who felt so inclined to take their sweet time jaunting across the parking lot to their horrendously parked cars (no doubt in their minds THEY are the exception to the rule..."I can park like this....even if I take up 2 stalls...it's ok if I do it") all the while singing along with Karen Carpenter, maintaining my composure and holiday cheer.  It was an even more joyous sight once I got INTO the store...oh what fun it is to nearly trip over children/toddlers/car seats in the middle of a walkway/door/isle only to be given crustys once you realize it was YOUR fault to let other people's children run around unattended....the joy doesn't stop there...the season just wouldn't be complete with out hearing mothers so lovingly reprimanding their children as if in the comfort of their own home, Ah!  The resonance is priceless, the level of volume in their voice is undeniably an ice breaker for the strangers around them...the vexation and stratus of comfort it must give will def be the gift that keeps on giving.  And the checkout lines, who could forget the checkout lines, their grandure, their complete delight.  I thoroughly enjoy witnessing temper tantrums thrown by several of the patrons who, once they've reached the cashier realize, they can't get their own way (in one way or another..i.e. the pricing is wrong, the item they've searched for is unavailable...they can't get exactly what they need at that very given moment)...how they want it, when they want it....oh the frenzy they work up, and the words that come out of their mouths most definitely encourage dreams of sugar plum fairies, and candy land wishes.  The hussle and bussle of the season is so affable, and charming.  No wonder we all look forward to this time of year....everyone is at their utter best.  The gift of giving has become something we all anticipate with a hint of electricity in our hearts.  It's obviously NOT a routine we've gotten into...it's something we all do out of the goodness of our hearts, never because we are obligated to purchase a gift for the one person whose name we drew out of a hat (in order to eliminate the idea of gift giving to everyone you love) no, no, it is out of complete adoration for the season, and what it represents.  Lucky for us the word "Christmas" still means something.  It means that we get one more day off of work, we get to pig out and not feel guilty afterwards, we get to throw away pretty paper that we should recycle (go green), we have to/get to see all sides of our extended family, making appointments as to when it's convenient for US to swing by your house just so we can open the presents you got for us.  It's still a day that we remember ourselves and what we got....whether or not we got that flat screen tv we wrote to Santa for 3 times....it's about competing with our neighbors as to...who has the most festive light display, never mind that our utility bill could put us in the poor house we MUST be the talk of the neighborhood.  No wonder Christmas is our favorite time of year.  *big sigh of satisfaction* Oh, Christmas what would we do without you? 
***Disclaimer***
This Christmas has been the most humbling Christmas of my lifetime.  The true meaning is priceless to me.  All sarcasm aside.  A Savior was born.  A Savior to turn to when your year doesn't go as you anticipated or planned.  A Savior who will comfort us when we stand in need.  A protector, a guide, a confidant, a person who hears our prayers. A Savior whom we would all be lost without.  I know this.  Merry Christmas everyone. 

Stronger than yesterday (not a Britney cover)

I got off work a lil' early and instead of coming home and going STRAIGHT to the gym as planned, I'm eating random (somewhat healthy) food from the cupboards and fridge, and I'm watching Oprah.  Let me explain.  I consider myself VERY pop-culture savvy...in fact, whenever my family or my co-workers have a question about what's going on in the "the biz" they immediately resort to me as their main source of information (naturally). Oprah is a major pop-culture icon...I felt the need to "catch up."  As I'm sitting here watching Oprah interview Whitney Houston (my 2nd favorite singer....**see below for a list of my favorite singers...in order)...I can't help but want to stick my finger THROUGH my eyeball and swirl it around in my brain rather than watch this.  I'm so annoyed by this interview.  Stop!  Make it stop! Ok...just turned it off...*said in a whiney voice* "oh woe is me I did drugs, I have so much money...but just b/c I have money doesn't mean I have problems"....uh...thanks Whitney.  What about those of us who DON'T have millions of dollars?  We still have problems...and they're probably worse than your self-inflicted drug addiction.  Guys...I just don't care that she has problems.  Does anybody else care about Whitney's problems?  Oh don't get me wrong...I feel empathy for her (b/c that's what we're supposed to do right?) but she has millions of hundos....she can work it out.  Now, if she wanted to throw some benji's MY way...we would have a different story on our hands...as it is...I'm wrapped up in my own blogging world right now.
So....talk about the worst year ever....whoever said life wasn't easy had it right on the money.  But guess what?  I'm still standing! I know we all have stuff to go thru, but this year has been the hardest year of my life.  I'm so glad I have an amazing family...with equally amazing parents.  My sister was just what the Dr. ordered. I have to say how much my family means to me.  And, maybe that is one of the reasons I've gone thru all I've gone thru...who knows.  This blog is not to let you in on how bad things have been...it's to show you that I/you can do anything...get through anything that is placed on your plate.  Don't get discouraged...get even!  Get even with the unfortunate events that have happened in your life.  Get out there....do it TO it.  Conquer your trials...or they might conquer you.  Maybe this blog is a little out of character for me, but I felt inclined to post it....I hope SOMEONE (even if it's just one person) will benefit from it...you're not alone...
 So, any of you who have had an equally bad year or who have just had some rough patches here and there....and you're still in good spirits, still healthy, still standing....THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!  I don't know why we go through what we go through (when I figure it out I'll post something on it) but I know that no matter what it is...we can do it....if the Lord brought you to it...he will bring you through it (I say that ALL the time in my head).  So...to "Murphy's Law, Karma, Satan, my luck" I have TWO words for you...........................................................See you.....later.  Hmph guess that's three words. 
Here are some helpful "how-to's" if you're having a hard time:
There are 2 ways to get thru life...laughing or crying...I prefer laughing, crying gives me a headache.-Marjorie Hinckley
Exercise-Pam Su'a (that's her answer for EVERYTHING)
Punch the wall -common sense
Take a drive-McKenna Magalogo
Go for a walk-Noelle Mauri
Knit-Becci Combs
Make your own ornaments for your xmas tree, or develop your own fantastic table setting layout-Britney Bell Thompson
Eat!  EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT!-Jenilyn...and my sister Jamie
Soak in a nice warm bath-Shanna Campbell
Do something for someone else...aka Service-Bar Dee Campbell
Give money to Jenilyn- Vatau Su'a
Watch a rugby game-Ashely Filimoeatu
Go to a Zumba class-Morena
Take some pictures-Stephanie Meyers (New last name..sorry steph forgot)
Make some mochi-Amanda Cushing
Hope some of these will help if you're going through a hard time...or really rough trials!
**Favorite Singers**
1. Mariah Carey (HER not her image)
2. Whitney Houston
3 Christina Aguilera
4. Chrisette Michelle
5. The girl from Glee (obviously she's one of my favorites...I know her name and everything)
FAV MALE SINGERS
1. Stevie Wonder
2. Brian McKnight
3. John Legend
4. Raheem DeVaughn
5. Luther Vandross
*Big sigh of relief* I feel so much better after this posting!  Thanks for listening folks....remember: You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.