We all have that one family that feels so close to our own, we sometimes wonder if we're actually related. I was six-years-old when I met my second family. My best friend and I had met in our first grade class and pretty soon our parents became super close, as did our younger brothers. Before we knew it, we were going out to dinner every week together, going on vacations together, and spending every waking moment together.

These are the people that I can walk into their house like it's my own. I have absolutely no problem just hanging out with my best friend's parents when she's not home; that's actually a normal occurrence. And I have absolutely NO problem eating their food. Whether they like it or not...

Now, we may not be related by blood, but there is no doubt in my mind that we were all meant to find each other. We were meant to be stuck with each other forever. My second set of siblings and my second set of parents, I love you like family, because you are.

It is so refreshing to know that I have a second family that I can go to for anything, that I have another home that I am always welcome in, and that I will always have in my life.

Sometimes I feel like I don't express how I really feel about you all. I feel like there are times that I can take your love for granted. I want you all to know how much you seriously mean to me. I am forever grateful that my family forced their friendship upon yours (or was it the other way around...?). Regardless, I am so happy that we are stuck with each other forever.

So here is to even more vacations that never quite turn out as "relaxing" as we intended, to even more game nights with just the nine of us laughing so hard that we cry, and to even more memories being made as we get older.

Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for being my second family.