4 Reasons Why Family Is a Blessing

Hey guys, its Kate!

The Holidays have been sooooooooo busy! Some family came, others went away, and lots of great times were had! I recently learned how to make caramel rolls and am looking forward to attempting them on my own once I obtain a bread machine!

Oh, and if you're wondering what I'm doing posting at 11 pm, its defINITELY nOT  because I slept in until 10 am this morning, I can tell you that. (Did you like my display of sarcasm through text? I mean seriously!) I'm the early-to-bed-early-to-wake kind of person. I just feel more productive that way.

As I was laying in bed a few minutes ago, I was inspired to write this post.

Noah, Kate, and Julia having a grand old time (2004)

1. Family Members are Built-in Best Friends
 Assuming you have Family your age....
Cousins and siblings can be built-in best friends if they're at least close to your age.
Cousin Emma and I have been besties from day 1- actually, before that.
We've been best friends since I was in the womb!
One day we had a three hour long phone call and decided "Hey! We should do this more often. Seriously." so we set Thursday as our Bible Study/Chat time and eventually we started calling each other whenever anything remotely exciting happened. We've gone for weeks at a time calling each other every day.

Julia, Kate, Bailey, and Emma pampering themselves (2007)

2. Family NEVER Judges
Unless its really wacky...
Your family (extended or otherwise) will be with you through thick and thin because- like it or not- you're related and in a best case scenario, you'll be forced to see a whole lot of each other.
Your family sees you at your best:

Bailey and Julia, Very Confused (2004)

• Birthdays
• Weddings
• Family Gatherings
• Vacations
• Performances
• Parties
• Church
• Pictures on Facebook

But they also see you at your worst:

• Bad Hair Days
• Embarrassing Parents
• Singing at the Top of Your Lungs
• Dancing
• Bad Breath
• When You Wake Up
• Re-watching High School Musical for the 100th Time
• Crying Because You're So Mad/Hormonal/Hangry/Heartbroken/Tired
• Acne/Braces/Greasy Hair/Chunky 12-year-old You
• Other Embarrassing Phases.

But they never judge you- okay, sometimes they do.

Emma and Carter, Being Cute (2004)

3. Family Stretches Your Limits
Have you ever gone on a high ropes course? Or a zip line? Or on a really scary roller coaster? Or jumped off of a 15-foot cliff into water?

Lily, Looking Adorable (2014)

Several people in my family have- including me- and, I'll be honest, it wasn't my idea. Family challenges you to do things you've never done before. You usually do it because you want to be tough, but you're usually so scared that you almost pee your pants when the time comes to do it. My dad had to bribe me with ice cream to get me to go on Splash Mountain in Disney World the first time, and I has so much fun I almost forgot about the ice cream! Almost.
Family also stretches you in other ways- they make you see how many hours- or days- you can
survive in Disney World without hitting a wall or wanting to go back to the hotel early.
They make you see how many hours in a row you can spend with your family before you fall asleep on the couch.
They test your patience.
They test how many days you can survive without a shower.
They test the size of your bladder.
They bring you to your breaking point, but when it comes down to it, there's no one you'd rather spend time with than them.

Julia, Lily, Sophie, and Will, Making Cookies! (2014)

4. Your Family Loves You
No strings attached.

Sophie and Lily as Anna and Elsa (2014)