Before I get too far into this post, let me go ahead and give a little heads up. This is my family. I love my family. I am biased. 

Now that that is out of the way, let me tell you about these special people. A couple week ago my family and I went on a big weekend trip (yes, all 12 of us), which we had never really done before, at least to this extreme. It was my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, and we decided to celebrate the right way! It was labor day weekend, and we all caravanned up to Branson, Missouri, which is only about three hours from where we live. We went to the Dixie Stampede, the Sights and Sounds Theatre where Moses was currently playing and, of course, made a few stops at the mall. 

On Sunday, we made reservations at the College of Ozarks dining room, the Keeter Center. On Sundays, the restaurant is buffet style, and lets just say we all feel a lot bigger in the pictures than we look.  

My aunt talked to me several weeks prior to the trip about getting some new family pictures, and, even knowing me, I don't thinks she realized for what she had just signed the family up. After eating we had a full-on, planned color scheme photoshoot. We even had compiled a book of pictures, memories and quotes from the past 50 plus years, and gave it to my grandparents torturously right in the middle of the photoshoot. It was wonderful. 

On this weekend I not only learned that I get way to carried away with photoshoots and lose all sense of time, I also realized that family should always be a top priority because they are who made you who you are. I love these 12 people with all my heart and wouldn't trade a single one of them for anything. I have so many memories with them from camping to Christmas and from shopping to fishing and making cakes. Family truly is a place to call home, even when you're all together in another state. 

"We may not have it all together, but together we have it all."

One of the features I had the honor of writing for 501 LIFE Magazine this summer featured someone very near and dear to me, and now that the article is published, I am going to take this opportunity to say some of the personal things I love about Abby that I did not get the chance to express in the article. 

Although I am the oldest cousin on my mom's side of the family, I cannot even remember the time when my three other cohorts weren't born yet. In addition to my sister Rachel and other cousin Haley, one of these cohorts was Abby. 

Growing up the four of us always did things together. Whether we were camping on Petit Jean Mountain, sitting at the kids table at all family gatherings or hosting our regular Cool Cousins Club Meeting (of which Abby was voted the President), we always found fun in each other. 

As we got older we all found our separate hobbies, but we still remained close. I now get to use my hobbies to promote Abby and her hobbies. If that isn't a complete, satisfying full-circle experience I don't know what is!