I consider my cousins to be one of my greatest blessings. From the moment we first met, we were destined to be best friends. At the time, we had no clue how much time we would spend together, how many laughs we would share, or how close we would become. Nobody told us about the family vacations we would go on together or all of the sleepovers we would have. But the unexpected memories that my crazy cousins and I have made throughout the years makes me realize how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life.

I always look forward to the nights that we are all guaranteed to be together: family dinners. Whether it's a summer cookout that ends with making S'mores around the fire or just something as simple as ordering pizza, these nights always make for a good time. Not that dinners with my parents and siblings aren't fun, but when you throw cousins into the mix it automatically adds a little bit of crazy to the night. The time spent after dinner is great too, because you all get to hang out and enjoy each other's company.

I'm not one of those people who dreads holiday parties because of how awkward they are going to be. Having cousins automatically gives you multiple people who will make the night fun. If it's making desserts for Christmas parties or playing the annual cousin football game on Thanksgiving, your cousins make it impossible for these family gatherings to be anything but fun. Awkward isn't even in your vocabulary when you are at these parties with your cousins.

Try as we might, we still can't seem to figure out how to successfully take a picture. Getting everyone to be in attendance for the picture is hard enough. But on the rare occasion that everyone can be in the same place at the same time, it is far too difficult to get everyone to cooperate and smile for the picture. Someone's eyes will be closed in one picture, someone will be talking in the next; it seems that there is only ever one person who is actually looking at the camera and smiling. Hundreds of photo ops later and I'm pretty sure we still don't have a picture of all of us actually smiling. We many not have the perfect picture, but we have hundreds of memories and laughs captured that will always remind us of our special bond.

You know those days when you have errands to run but you don't want to do them alone? Cousins are the perfect people to bring along for the mini adventure. Who could pass up on the opportunity to drive around with your cousins listening to music and having a good time. If you need to pick up groceries for your mom or you just want to spend the day at the mall you can always rely on your cousins to be ready ten minutes later for you to pick them up.

But the greatest thing about having cousins is that you are given best friends that you were never expecting, but you know will last a lifetime. Your cousins have been with you through it all; you've grown up alongside them. You've been to countless First Communions, watched them get ready for high school dances, they've been to your graduation party, and you can't wait for them to visit you in college. Now that you're all growing up and moving in your own directions, there is one thing I know to be true. Not matter how much time passes without seeing your cousins, the second that you reunite it will be as if no time has passed.

Life has shown me that people will come and people will go, but your cousins aren't going anywhere. They are lifelong friends you can always rely on. So as you're all growing up, keep this in mind: "Treasure your cousins. They were your first friends and they will love you forever."

Love and miss you guys, I can't wait to see you soon.