Families are crazy, weird, and ultimately the best people in your life. Having a big family makes life even more enjoyable and interesting. Thank you all for making my life delightful and filled with amazing memories. Whether you grow up being one of 12 siblings like my father, or having a huge extended Italian family like my mom, you will get a kick out of this list. So here’s to the people with big wonderful families; I hope you can relate.

1. You can have 48 conversations going at a time, but you can still understand what everyone is saying.

2. Built-in friends!

3. Yes, they are my friends, but they’re also my cousins. I promise I’m not lying.

4. Having to explain how they are my cousins because people still don’t understand.

5. There is always a babysitter available.

6. You know you can never have enough food at family functions.

7. But even then, you might have to run to the store in the middle of the party to get more food for everyone.

8. Anywhere you go in the country, you have a family member to stay with. Which definitely comes in handy.

9. There is always something new happening. (i.e. baby being born, anniversary, buying a puppy, marriage, etc.)

10. Tons of weddings!!

11. Weddings that are mostly filled with family members dancing and singing to “We are Family” at the top of their lungs—that would be my family. But for the Italian side, we prefer “The Tarantella.”

12. Family reunions are actually a lot of fun.

13. A ‘tug of war’ rope can break because of the large amount of people pulling on it. (Yes, that really did happen.)

14. You learn to share everything.

15. And you know that sharing is important, even though you might not want to.

16. You can’t wait to go shopping in your older cousin’s closet to get some “new” trendy clothes.

17. Holidays consist of packed rooms and limited seating.

18. You are never too old to sit at the kids’ table.

19. You actually prefer to sit at the kids’ table.

20. The first time you bring someone home to meet the family at a gathering, it takes at least 20 minutes just to introduce everyone.

21. Even then, your guest is still confused and might need a cheat sheet to remember everyone’s name and the relation to you.

22. Your calendar is filled with everyone’s birthdays, anniversaries, cookouts, or other family outings.

23.You always have some sort of plan for the holidays.

24. Bigger is better. Always.

25. The more the merrier is a consistent phrase in your vocabulary.

26. You get used to having large amounts of people in small rooms.

27. Hosting a ton of people is a piece of cake for you.

28. Facebook connects us by shrinking the miles between everyone.

29. You know that no matter where you go or what you do in life, your family will be your biggest supporters and will always be there for you.

I learned all of these things from having a huge family. We are all extremely blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. Even though everyone might not get along all the time or might bicker and argue, we are a family; a big, loving family that always has each other backs no matter what.