My mom is huge on family. Since we live away from hers, we managed to make a lot of really close family friends. A lot of them have known my brother and me for almost our entire lives. I'm so grateful to have grown up with some amazing people. Not only did my mom have her best friends, but their kids were my friends growing up. Here are some of the things I've noticed about having them around.

As the cliche goes: friends are the family we choose.

1. You're so grateful for your second mom(s).

They picked you up from school, took you to dance practice, and always invited you over to their house. They always care about how your day was and treat you as one of their own. My friends' moms that are like my own are such a blessing.

2. You have a huge support system.

When you've gone through tough times, you had so many people to support you. Aside from your own family, you had your friend and her mom or your mom's best friend who was always making sure you were OK.

3. You receive constant reminders of your awkward phases.

They've known you through it all. They are the worst about bringing up brace-face and the boy haircuts. They experienced it all first-hand and definitely have the pictures to prove it.

4. You had endless sleepovers.

Your parents were OK with your best friends sleeping over because they have known them and their families since the kids were born. It was so natural for them to sleep over after your parents' dinner parties or a holiday.

5. You know everyone in each other's lives.

You know their grandparents, their best friends, the boyfriends that come and go, but you're one of the constants.

6. You were always mistaken for biological family.

"Aw, you have beautiful kids." "Wow, what pretty sisters!" When you go out in public, you've probably been mistaken as a member of a different family. My mom used to always bring my best friends to dinners with us. She's best friends with their mom, so we were around each other a lot. Waiters always confused us for siblings.

7. You spent every holiday together.

This is especially true if you don't have family in town. Even if you do, bring your grandma and grandpa too because we've probably all met already. Everyone was included for Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, and birthdays. All of our parents were best friends, so naturally all of us kids were too. The adults are hanging out, so the kids can get up to trouble somewhere else.

8. You share all the big milestones.

This is one of the best things about growing up with family friends. You get to be there for moments like losing teeth or starting high school. We stick together and celebrate each other in all of the big moments. This year, I got to celebrate my friend's 21st birthday by throwing her a party. I also got to see her get her first car on her 16th birthday years ago. She's been to all of my birthday parties since my 4th.

It's a great thing to be able to have such a big family, no matter if there is a biological relation. You love them like your own and wouldn't trade them for the world.