1. We're huge.
Yeah, not like Duggar size, but there are plenty of us. I love that we practically fill restaurants, that my parents are building a dorm into their new house to fit all the grandkids, and that Christmas feels like a constant storm of jokes, giggles, meltdowns, games, arguments, squeals, and some good conversations. It can be quite a barrage on the senses, but you know, I just really can't think of who I would get rid of.
2. We're different.
I think some big families feel something like clans of clones. There's nothing wrong with cohesion, and it probably makes those hand-me-downs a lot easier, but I'll take some variety in my siblings. We come in all shapes and sizes, and our personalities are as different as our outsides. Even if it means we don't always agree, things usually stay interesting. My theory is that Mom and Dad are so very different they couldn't help but have the whole spectrum of children.
3. We'll go out of the way for people, and especially each other.
Maybe it was always having random people living in our house, or watching my dad invite people over for dinner when he barely knew them. Maybe it's the fact that you must learn to share with so many people in the house. Or maybe it's just a general Midwest thing. Regardless, we'll do a lot of each other. My sisters and I always complain that we help out the older siblings (kids, painting houses, moving, etc.) far more than they will ever help us, but really I don't think we mind. (ok, honestly, I'm probably much more on the receiving end than the giving end... my sisters have helped me move way more than they should have and my brothers have gotten me out of many pickles throughout child and adulthood... especially automotive pickles). My favorite thing is that we had/have this weird thing with food where we save leftovers for the people who like them best (especially for dad), and we ask every single person at the table if they want more of a dish before we finish it). Which leads me into the next point.
4. We connect over food.
In our house, the kitchen was the center of it all, literally and figuratively. The only time we all hung out in the living room was probably Christmas (or when someone started watching a random movie and everyone else filtered in, including dad, who asked a bunch of annoying questions and then promptly fell asleep). With a Mom who's a dynamite cooker and a Dad who's always coming up with new things, I guess it makes sense. Anytime we get together, I would say around 70% of it is spent preparing and eating food. And no matter how much Heather tries to run away from it, I would say we're all farm kids at heart.
5. We're hardcore teasers.
When I was about 12, this was probably the thing I would have said I liked least about our family. But that's when I was mostly on the receiving end. Once I could dish it out on my younger sisters... (; You really can't get away with anything in my family. If you do something foolish, someone always notices, and someone will say something about it. I've also found in my adult life that I get along well with people who are also teasers. Mom and Dad used to get on us all the time for being mean to each other. But I think we had this weird understanding where punching someone and calling them stupid was actually a statement of love.
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