Family is made up of the people who love and support you through everything. Having a big extended family is one of the best blessings. When life gets crazy, you know someone is always there for you. Whether it be your aunt or uncle, grandmother or grandfather, or one of your 17 cousins, there's always someone who will have your back. I consider myself lucky to come from a big family, and here's 14 signs you might come from a big family like mine:
1. Family events seem to happen every weekend
Whether a football game is on or everyone just wants to hang by the pool, it seems like the whole family gets together at least once a week. From campfires on Saturday nights, to family dinners on Sunday evenings, there's always an excuse to have something going on.
2. Every little gathering feels like a celebration
My family tends to celebrate everything, or at least it feels that way when so many people get together at once. No matter what the occasion, there's always good food, lots of fun, and of course, desserts!
3. It's easy to loose track of how old everyone is
Days, weeks, months, and years all seem to pass by in an instant. As the time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to remember exactly how old each family member is turning this year, or what grade in school each younger cousin is in.
4. Babysitting experience
In my family, I am the oldest of all of the grandchildren. Even though there were a lot of downsides to being the oldest, extra babysitting cash was never a problem. Having too many younger cousins to even keep count of led to some great child care experiences.
5. Family vacations with everyone are rare but worth it
The chances of everyone being able to clear their hectic schedules at the same time are not likely. In the rare occurrence that this is possible, these vacations are the best kind. Being able to experience a new and beautiful place with so many loved ones creates amazing memories that we'll all never forget.
6. The inside jokes that no one else is ever going to understand
And that's perfectly okay because the memories your family makes together, and the laughs you share together are unique from one family to the next. Just like how no one besides my family will understand why I think "dessert menu" is funny.
7. Never ending amounts of hand-me-downs
Even though I personally never received too many hand-me-downs while I was growing up, I certainly gave plenty. After growing out of clothes I once loved but simply couldn't wear anymore, I'd pile up bags and hand them out to younger family members. I always felt like it was Christmas and I was delivering presents every time I brought around a new bag of hand-me-downs.
8. Celebrating each holiday more than once
If you're from a big family you know you can't just have one holiday party, or one Thanksgiving meal. Each holiday is celebrated before the holiday, on the actual day, and then sometimes after. I've always found this to be a great thing because that always meant more parties, more food and more presents.
9. "The kids table"
I have never been to a family event where we were all able to sit around one table to eat. Sometimes two tables is even cutting it close for my family. We've always had the adults and older generations at the bigger table and the kids would eat at a few smaller tables in the corner or in the next room.
10. Introducing someone to the family is intimidating
Big families tend to be very welcoming, they'll always make a spot for anyone new, but its still intimidating for new members to enter such a tight group.
11. Not every family member can make it to every family event
It is an EXTREMELY rare occurrence that big families can all get together at once. In fact, it is really hard for me to think of the last family event that every single family member was present for. Some family members live out of state, some have work, some have school, and some simply have busy lives. When big families finally all come together at once, it is something to be thankful for.
12. Photo ops!
There seems to be someone always going around taking pictures. At almost every event, my family takes SO many pictures. A picture of the siblings, the in-laws, the "out-laws", the boy cousins, the girl cousins, one with Grammie, etc. Whether they catch you off guard or make you smile for a selfie, they're always capturing great memories.
13. Saying good-bye is a process
Always plan ahead and start saying your good-byes to each family member at least 10 minutes before you actually want to leave. With so many people to hug and kiss good-bye, it can take longer than you may think just to get out the door!
14. Endless amounts of love and support
The best part about coming from a big extended family is all the love you receive. Remembering that all these people love you for who you are is really special. No matter what happens, your family will always be there and will love and support you through it all.
