My earliest memories all revolve around my family. I am one of six kids and share a special bond with each of my siblings. Growing up, our house was always very busy. From sports, to school and social lives, there was always a constant buzz of activity going on at our household. I loved the busyness, the loudness and constant companionship. That is one of the things I miss most now that we are all older. It's difficult to spend time together with our different school and work schedules. I took that for granted when I was younger.

The thing about big families is that they are messy. With six kids comes plenty of drama. But it is in those "messy" times that I really appreciate having a big family. We are all able to come together and show our true, unconditional love for one another. My parents, five siblings and I share an unbreakable bond that nobody else understands except the eight of us. We have gotten each other through tough times and seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

I have seven people I get to share my exciting news with, seven people who support me no matter what I do and seven people that show me how lucky I am each and every day. I truly would not be the person I am today without my family. They are my cheerleaders and biggest supporters. Even when I am seven hours away from home at school, I know they are only a phone call away.

Growing up is a funny thing. It makes you realize the important things in life. When I was younger, I had no idea I would need to lean on my family so often. Looking back, if I knew what I know now, I would have cherished all our time together as a family. I know we are still a family, but the "growing up together" part of our lives is over. I would have really lived in the moment and appreciated every family vacation, Sunday church outing and birthday celebration. I did not realize how fast the time goes by, and as I get older, I sometimes miss the simplicity of childhood. But I have nothing but great memories with seven of my favorite people. The love I have for them is overwhelming and cannot be put into words. Thank you for loving me and supporting me always.