What I have Learned Part 4

There tends to be a lot of pressure put on grades. In high school, we had to have the best grades ever in order to get into college and now that we are in college there is a lot of pressure to get good grades to impress potential employers and graduate school advisors. I admit it, I am one of those people who worries about getting good grades. Are we so stressed out about a grade that we miss the information that we could be learning? Since my major is Marriage and Family, how can we relate this concept to the family?
Simple, instead of being so focused on having well-behaved children and an immaculate house, focus on what you can learn by letting your kids be kids. What do you think you could learn by focusing on teaching principles and self-mastery rather than behavior? The Family: A Proclamation to the World teaches us that "Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities" (Para, 7).  I have learned that many different examples of bad behavior can be fixed by simply loving and respecting your child. The greatest way to teach is to lead by example. 
All I have ever wanted to be is a mother and I am more than excited to see what I learn from the amazing experience that being a mother is.  I have learned so much in the last year and I am looking forward to what the year brings and to marrying the man of my dreams. 

What I have Learned Part 3

There are many things that I have learned outside of the classroom. Living with roommates who start out as complete strangers is not an easy act. We all come different places and different backgrounds. Add in the ups and downs that are the emotional rollercoaster of being a girl, to being in an apartment with five other girls can be unbearable. I have learned a lot about patience and selflessness.
I have been trying to relate everything that I experience to the family. So, how can I relate student living to a family?  The experience of living with five other girls is very similar to family life. We have to communicate and have respect for each other. We have to set and live by boundaries. Since The Family: A Proclamation to the World was first read in 1995 we have read and lived by its guidelines. One of those guidelines is "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Para. 7).  When we live our lives by the teachings of Christ, we will be able to have harmony in our homes and yes, even in the six person apartment that we share with five other girls. Eventhough my roommate drive me absolutley crazy sometimes, I still strive to love them and to be patient. They have their struggles too, and I am positive that I am not the easiest person to live with. I honestly feel that living with roommates the last two years has definatly helped prepare me for marriage. I have learned a lot from the crazy girls that I have shared a home with for 14 weeks every semester. 

What I have Learned Part 2

Over the course of this semester, I have been working on memorizing The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Although I have not been successful in memorizing all of it, I have learned a lot from reading it over and over again. There are many phrases that have stuck out to me. One of them is "Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other..." (Para. 6). As I am set to get married in a few weeks, this means a lot. I am becoming a wife. What does this mean? Well, according to the proclamation, it means that I have the responsibility to love and care for the amazing man that I am about to marry. In the last post, I stated that love is a choice. So is marriage. I am choosing to marry my best friend, therefore I am choosing to accept the responsibility to love and care for him. The way to fulfill this responsibility it different for everyone and every couple because we are all different, and that is okay. I wasn't sure what "solemn" meant, so I looked it up. It means, based on the context in which it is used, "characterized by deep sincerity" This means that we are not supposed to just love them and care for them, but to do so with meaning and intent. Not because it is our responsibility, but because we have the desire to see our spouse happy and healthy. Gordon B. Hinkley once said that the key to a happy and eternal marriage is to desire the happiness of your spouse. (Teaching of the Presidents of the Chruch: Gordon B. Hinckley)

I am so very grateful for the knowledge that I have gained over the course of this year. When I look back and compare where I was, with where I am, I am amazed at how much I didn't know. 

What I have Learned Part 1

This year has been a major period of growth for me. This year I changed my major and it changed my life. I entered my first year of college as an English major with the goal of becoming a children's librarian. I left that same year with the desire to change. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew that I did not want to stay where I was. I had begun to consider a general degree in University Studies until someone suggested that I do more. My new path came to me as I was sitting at the close of the most amazing summer camp. A little girl came up to me, put her arms around me and changed everything. From that moment on, I knew that the only thing that I wanted in this world was to be a mom. To have a family of my own to love and raise.  So I did my research and discovered that the degree for me was Marriage and Family with an emphasis in Home and Family. The most common thing to with this degree is to go into marriage and family counsleing. I do not want to do this. I have created a graduation plan that will help me become a wife and then a mom. These last two semesters of focused, degree oriented classes have filled me with so much knowledge.
By far the most important thing that I have learned this year is that love is a choice. Many people believe that you simply fall in love and therefore fall out of love when the excitement is over. I thought this until I started classes. Love is a verb. This means that there needs to be some action taken and effort put in. Yes, the sparks should fly, but it is up to you whether or not a fire starts and continues to burn.

What do you Believe?

The world that we live in today is filled with so much hate and destruction, that it has become a war zone. Only the battles that we fight are not fought on the traditional front line. Instead, our front line is our everyday lives. Every single day that we live, we fight for the things that we believe in, that we live by, and what define us as human. What does it mean to be human? Some say that it means that we make mistakes and are not perfect, although this is true, it is not what I believe being human means. Earlier this week I went to my local drive-in theater to watch the new Wonder Woman movie. Although I slept through part of it, I did catch the end. The last 10-20 minutes taught me a very powerful lesson. I learned that being human means to love without fail and without reason. As the final battle is coming to its end, a quote is shared that goes along the lines of "it does not matter what they deserve, it's about what you believe. And I believe in love. Only love will truly save the world." The world is only going to get worse unless we replace hate with love. Once we start to love those who are rude to us or do us wrong, the world will start to become a better place.
I BELIVE IN LOVE
From my experience with the world today, most people don't understand that there is more to love than just the frilly, romantic kind. We can love everyone around us and not be in love with them. One of the first commandments that was given by Jesus Christ was to "love one another" I feel that this great commandment has been lost from the teachings of today.
I never expected to have a life lesson be given to me by a superhero movie, but I feel this is why this movie received such high ratings. It was something that had never been done before and taught a lesson that had once been lost.
I have tried several times to teach those that care about that they can be kind and loving to those that are rude to them. I hope that with this movie, this lesson will be spread and understood more fully.
This song plays during the closing credits of Wonder Woman. I feel that it perfectly sums up the lesson that I found in this movie. It is my hope that we can start to spread love instead of hate.

Why Marriage?

In the world that we live in today, the rates for marriage have decreased and the rates for cohabitation have increased. As I am preparing to get married, I have had many thoughts and questions as to why I am getting married. I am young, still in college, and work part time folding clothes. Most people would suggest that I finish school and get settled into a career before tying the knot. Why am going to tie myself to a man and let him take care of me? Well, I believe that marriage and not just cohabitation is essential to having a high level of satisfaction. It has been proven time after time, that those who marry are more likely to have a higher level of satisfaction versus those who cohabitate. The main reason why I have decided to marry is that I can't have the things that I want in life without a faithful and committed partner by my side. I can't be a stay at home mom without a dedicated husband who is willing to work hard for us. I can't be a loving and supportive wife without being married. I recently wrote a paper on the effects of cohabitation, and in my research, I discovered that those who cohabit before marriage are far more likely to divorce later on than those who marry before living together. This is ironic because the main reason why couples cohabit is to avoid divorce. I am very excited to get married and start my life with the man I love.

To my Mother

I have talked previously about mothers and the sacrifices that they make for each of their kids. With Mother's day fast approaching I would like to talk about my own mother. She is amazing. I admire her strength, determination, and willpower. After everything that has occurred in her life, she is still going strong. Not once has she wavered or even thought of giving up. She is my role model and the greatest example of what it takes to choose the happy life that I have ever seen.
I do not have the words to describe what she means to me. I also do not have the capability to express the gratification and appreciation that she deserves. She gave up her education and herself to take care of my brothers. sisters, and me. I will never be able to repay her for what she has given me.
I have spent many ours thinking about what to get this amazing woman for Mother's day. I came to the conclusion that there is nothing in the material world that will adequately express my gratitude for her. Even now that I am grown and living on my own, she continues to take care of me. She is always telling me not worry because "your momma will take care of it." I do not know what I would do if I was living in a world where she did not exist.

So, to my mother,
               Thank you for all that you do for me even though I am old enough to take care myself. Thank you for teaching me what it means to sacrifice for your children. Thank you for striving to make sure we were all happy and healthy. I know I did not make things easy for you and I am sure that there were moments where you wanted to throw in the towel, but you never did. You stood by me during my toughest trials and you suffered with me through them. Since the day that I was born, I have never been alone. You taught me how to love, learn, and grow. You taught me how to fight and how to choose to be happy. you taught me how to live the life that I was given and how to love it. So mom, as we continue to plan and prepare for my upcoming wedding, remember that I will always be your little girl, and I will always need my mom. I love you, mom!!

This Little Rose Plant

At the beginning of the year, my wonderful fiance bought me a miniature rose plant. We went to the greenhouse on our college campus and I picked it out. When he handed it to me he said " This plant is a symbol of our love, don't let it die" No pressure right? I don't have a green thumb! Over the last several months, it has been a challenge to take care of this plant. At first, it was easy. It bloomed and was really pretty, but then it went dormant and stopped growing. I had to think of new ways to bring this plant to life again. As the weather started to change from a harsh cold winter to a nice sunny spring and I was watering and caring for this little plant, things were looking up. My little plant had started to grow. Then, I moved. My little plant did not like moving. When I got into my new apartment this little plant was looking pretty sad. I thought that some time outside would do it some good. I was wrong. The day that I decided to set this plant outside, it hailed and then snowed, and then hailed some more. Needless to say, spending time outside did not do this plant some good or so I thought. My little plant turned yellow and some of the leaves have fallen off. I brought it inside and have it sitting under the window in my room. It has started to perk up and even has a little rose bud! I didn't kill it by putting it outside! Putting it outside in the harsh weather probably made it a little stronger.
When I really think about it, this little rose bush is very similar to my relationship. When you first start a relationship things are great and going smoothly, your learning everything that you can and love is blooming. Then you come to a stand still and things aren't as magical as they once were, your relationship has stopped growing. What do you do? Keep going of course! Take care of your relationship do everything that you can. There are going to be set backs. Someone says or does something that the other doesn't like or agree with or feelings get hurt. I have learned that even though there are going to be moments when you get hailed and snowed on, you keep trying. As you work through the harsh weather of life, you will learn how to make it through and to how to come out stronger. These are the moments that will allow you to bloom. I have come to love my little rose plant and I have come to love my fiance even more.

Blended Familes

As someone who has experience with blending families, I can tell you that it sucks. It is hard, inconvenient, and in my case, unwelcome. The transition from being two individual families to one big family is painful. However, just because my experience with blending a family was not pleasant, doesn't mean that all experiences will be unpleasant. There are moments when this union of families can be beautiful and bring peace and well deserved happiness to the two parties. It can help the children involved to learn how to build meaningful relationships and that family is not always who you are related to by blood. I learned this lesson while experiencing the heart breaking moments when my family decided to blend with another, That experience changed me forever. I will never forget the brothers that I gained and the parts of me that I lost. Successful blended families are unique and contain a certain kind of magic that can only be found within the bonds of two families that came together. Human beings are interesting and peculiar. Each of us act and live in individual lives that are so individual that it seems nearly impossible to blend two of them together. Blending families that have already set their lives and created a comfortable way to live is even more challenging then entwining two lives together. The fact that two families can come together to create new life is simply describable. We live in a world that needs to be more considerate to all of the many different types of family life and living.

Parenting

I have absolutely no idea what it is like to be a parent. You would think that after countless hours of babysitting would give me an idea, but the more I think about becoming a parent, the more I realize that I have no idea on how to be one. I've sat through many lectures and class sessions that have described the different parenting styles, the dos and do not's, and just about anything else that could be taught in a classroom. I do not believe that effective and proper parenting can be taught in a classroom. I believe that it is one of the aspects of life that have to be experienced in order to be understood. I am looking forward to this part of my life. I am terrified, anxious, and excited all at the same time. I am looking forward to feeling and understanding what it means to feel and show true love. The love that I feel for my fiance, although amazing and life changing, does not compare to that of the love a mother has for her child.
We will live in a world where women are looked down upon for not creating careers. All I want to do is stay home and build long lasting relationships and teach my children the important values of life. All I want is to be a mom.

Fathers

I did not have the privilege of growing up with a father in my home. I did have father figures and the knowledge of what a father should be like. There have been several studies that have shown those who grow up without a father in the home tend to be more likely to participate in drug, premarital sex, and crime.
I may not know what it is like to have a father who is active in my life, but I am lucky enough to have a fiance who wants nothing more than to be involved in the lives of our future children. This brings me great joy. My greatest desire in life is to be a mom with a good man by my side being a good dad. There is magic in a family that can not be found anywhere else in this world. I truly believe that this magic comes from the father who is active in his family duties and spending quality time with his children. My family lacked this special feeling and it is my theory that it is because our father was not involved. Not having our father caused our roles to significantly change. My mother took on the role of sole provider and each of us kids had responsibilities that children don't normally have.
I was lucky to have friends with good dads and with cousins who married fantastic guys who have become amazing dads that I have been able to spend time with. This one, in particular, has become so involved in my life that my fiance talked to him before popping the question.
All the talk lately has been about how important stay at home moms are but we have ignored the importance and results of having an involved father. This day and age is filled with all different kinds of distractions. My wonderful fiance told me once that he never wants to be too tired or busy to play with his future kids. He doesn't want to be the kind of dad that comes home from work and goes straight to the TV or video games. My life would be drastically different if my father had been the way my fiance wishes to be.
Involved parents can change the world by teaching their kids what it means to create memories and appreciate the lessons that are taught in the home. There is only so much that can be taught at school or church. The most important lessons that we can teach our kids are taught in the home.

Communitcation

I am not surprised to have had four out six of my classes discuss communication this week. From these discussions, I have come to the conclusion that we all struggle with communicating in one way or another. I personally have moments where what I think I have just said is not actually what I said. There are other moments where I do not understand what it is that I am feeling or trying to convey. The misunderstanding on my part makes it entirely difficult for others to understand me and what I am trying to say. Often times the reason why couples struggle with communictaion is because they don't feel secure in themselves or their relationship. There is some sense of fear that our spouse will not respod to what we are trying to say in a way that is understnding and kind. I have noticed that in the world we live in today we listen to reply and not to understand.
 What are some ways you strengthen your communication skills? What advice do you have for a recently engaged or married couple?

Stress and Crisis in the Home

As a young college student, I am not a stranger to the effects of stress. Many of my experiences with stress began long before I have even begun thinking about college life. The most stressful moments of my life occurred within the solid walls of my childhood home. As a child, I did not understand that these crucial events were not only stressful for me, but for my entire family. Each and every one of us struggled through the situation, and every single one of us learned something after the stress was relieved.
There are some stressful events in life that are far worse than others. Cancer, death, divorce, disappointment, natural disasters are all just a few of any number of things that can occur in a home. Every family will experience a difficult and stressful crisis of some sort. Some families will only have minor events other will have several major stressful events occur.  The key is to work through these stressful times together.
It doesn't matter what the situation is, a strong and healthy family with a solid foundation and support system can conquer any challenge and stressful event that occurs.
In my own personal life and family, I have experienced many stressful events. We, sadly, were not as strong as these events, and our family was severely damaged. The relationships that could have been strengthened during these times were torn apart as roles changed.
My dad was removed from the picture altogether and my mom took on the role as an absent provider. My sister stepped up and took on the role as a parent and the rest of us fell in line. We quickly learned where we each stood and how we were expected to behave.
As I reflect and look back at how my life has been shaped, I don't want anything to change. I am the person that I am today because of the outlook that I had during these hard times. The hard times will end, it will get better and hopefully, we will see them as learning experiences that can bring us together rather than tear us apart.
When disaster strikes, lean on each other for support. Look to friends and family that can help. Become closer, work together, and love deeper. Remember, the situation will not last forever and it all depends on how you look at it.

Let's Talk About Sex

In the LDS community sex is not something that is talked about. It is hushed and taboo to talk about. The one time that it is talked about is only to tell the youth not to participate until after they are lawfully married to Mr. Right. As I have grown up in this community I have discovered that this way to address the subject causes more problems than helping. When a person is told not to do something they instantly want to do what they were just told not to. A common problem with this method teaching is that as young women get married they don't know what to expect on their wedding night. Young men get curious and look to other sources for learning about sex. This can lead to a pornography issue and the wrong image of what sex is.
Sex is beautiful thing that can bring two people together emotionally and physically. It is a magical and divine way to bring innocent children into the world. I personally feel that if the LDS community were aware of the resources available to them, and were open and taught about sex in a way that not only expressed its divine origins but also the importance of waiting to participate until after you are lawfully married and emotionally committed to a another person.
I grew up not knowing what sex was. It wasn't until I came to college, met new people, and took a class about the family that I began to understand that sex is a beautiful and divine thing. Sex is not bad and it should not be kept so secret. We need to be teaching the young men and women the proper definition of what sex is and how divine and sacred it is.
Here is the link to the LDS resources available to help parents teach their children about sex and intimacy at different levels of development. https://www.lds.org/manual/a-parents-guide?lang=eng I have hope that this message was helpful and that these resources will help us understand that sex is not bad and that it is beautiful and divine.

Transitions

Life is full of moments that require you to transition from one point to another. The most recent one that I experienced was form a high school student living at home, to a college student living on my own. This was a huge transition for me . I suddenly had all these bills I had to pay, I had to learn how to set up appointments on my own and learn how to cook a healthy meal for under $5. Not to mention how to budget, pay taxes, fix my car, and so many other things that my generation calls "adulting." I have managed to make it through this transition as a fully functioning and responsible adult. I learned and I grew.
I am however not done. I am starting to transition into another phase of my life and I am terrified. I am preparing to get married. From what I have gathered, married life is far different from living as a single person. my friends and family have been a great help by giving me advice on how to live with and take care of another person. I no longer have myself to worry about. Although I am terrified, I know that I am capable of transitioning into married life. I have a wonderful circle of influence filled with people I love and who love me.
Transitioning can be scary but, in my experience, they bring more life, light, and knowledge to our lives.  I am excited to start this new phase of my life with my best friend.

     There are so many different pressures int he world today that tell a person how he/she can be attractive. What does it mean to be attractive? How does a person become attractive? What is attractive to you?
     To me personally, I think people are attractive when they are well mannered, decent human beings. Some people have a "type" I do not. I am not one who will judge a person based on what they look like. I have learned that if you want to marry someone who has all the attributes on your list, then you need to have all the attributes on your list. Being attractive doesn't mean that you have the perfect body or the perfect hair and make up. There are people out there who have all the beauty in the outside but they can tend to be rude, judgmental, and proud.  I'm not saying every beautiful person is like this. There are genuine people out there who are very beautiful. Having manners though, will make you ten times more attractive.
    Attrition is however, a big thing in the romance world. You are going to want to be attracted to the person you are physically and romantically involved with. Even if you are not attracted to a person at first does not mean that you will never be attracted them. As you get to know about someone, the way you see them changes. They become more and more attractive with every moment you spend getting to each other. Beauty is only skin deep and in the eye of the beholder.

When asked about cultures, most people will think about other countries, religions, or races. However, what they don't understand is that each family has their own culture, their own way of life. My family's culture was rather different compared to that of the normal LDS family. We didn't have to parents leading and guiding us.We had one faithful mother doing what she could. Each of us five kids played a different role compared to the other kids we knew. I did all the cooking and cleaning, my brother was our regular handyman, and our sister was the authoritative figure. We each stepped into these roles because they needed to be filled. Our wonderful mother put all of her time and efforts into making sure our physical needs were met.

Finding Acceptance For Those Who Are Different

 In light of the events that have occurred recently in the world, I feel that as a human race, it would be beneficial for us to all be more accepting and respectful of those who lead their lives differently than ours. There are so many people out there who struggle with not being accepted, respected, and loved by those they encounter because they are different. I have personally felt this way in my life because I did not live the same kind of life my peers did. I didn't have both parents in the home. I didn't play sports or go to parties. Instead, I stayed home and bonded with my brothers and sisters. I learned how to cook and clean and become an independent person. Even now, as I am feeling the effects of my childhood, I am aware that I am different than others, but I am okay with it. Now that I know who I am, that I am not ever going to be like everyone else, and where I want to go, I can love and get to know others. Accepting and understanding who you are is the beginning to accepting and understanding those around us.

It is not uncommon in the world that we live in today for people to shy away from what they are not familiar with or to even act hostile or aggressive to something that it different. I was lucky enough to experience the joys of discovering many different lifestyles and ways of living. I learned many things form attending a summer camp filled with kids with cancer. I learned that cancer doesn't discriminate. There were so many different types of people and lifestyles that came together for one purpose. It is beautiful. The biggest question that I have now, is "Why can't we all just get along?" The world is filled with all kinds of different people living in different ways. If we were to simply get the idea that there is only one way to do things out of our heads, we could learn and experience so much. So what if your neighbor is a single mom with five crazy kids or if your co-worker is from another country and likes to have loud family gatherings. Take a moment to get to know and accept them, help them, and love them. I am not saying that you have to start living the way they do, but, instead, don't be judgmental towards them. I have found that as I have chosen to love everyone regardless of race, religion, or sexual preference, I have come to learn new things about myself and the magic that comes from loving another without judgment. As Christ has said, "love your neighbor as I have loved you" (John 15:12). It doesn't matter whether you are religious person or not, you can be a decent human being and love all those you meet. You never know what others are going through, so be kind and love everyone always, including yourself. 

Mothers and Sacrifice

 As long as I can remember, all that I have wanted to do is be a mom. Even though I am not a mother yet, I am starting to realize what it means to be a mom. I have learned that it takes a great deal of sacrifice not just of your time, but of yourself, your energy, pretty much everything that you can imagine. I have a pretty awesome example of what it means to be a mom. My mom had it rough. From what I can imagine, it is not easy raising five young kids by yourself. I am sure that things become even more difficult when you throw in terminal illnesses, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. My mother sacrificed her time spent at home so that the five of us kids could have what we needed.
This way of life and upbringing is not ideal. It is probably the reason why each of us is the way that we are. We all lack some social skills, but we know how to make Ramen Noodles taste amazing. We may not have strong bonds outside of our family, but we know, without fail, who we can call upon in times of trouble and desperate need. The bonds that we formed during these hard times, will stay with us forever. Each family has their own dynamic and culture. Mine was not the ideal, but I learned so much from it. I learned who I can rely on, who I want to be, and what kind of future that I am willing to work for and what I am passionate about.
Regardless of the circumstances you grow up in or are currently living in, you are the only one that can determine your happiness. Only you can choose how you are going to act in this life. There are both good and bad sides to every situation. It all depends on how you look at it and what you are open to learning from it.

I have always found it interesting how different families interact with one another. Each family has a set of unspoken rules that they always follow. Whether they are unofficially assigned seats at the dinner table or in the car or how each member is to act and follow on family public outings. My family had its own set of rules just as yours did. In my family, we knew that you kept up with our oldest sister in the grocery store or you got left behind. We knew that it was never okay to fight over who was left in charge when mom went out for few hours because it was always either myself or our oldest sister. We learned that if you wanted something in life, you had to work for it.

An even more interesting thing to observe is when these unspoken rules are disrupted. Things can tend to fly out of control.There were several moments in our family life that disrupted what we knew and caused us to change and to reevaluate what our unspoken rules were. It was during these moments that we grew as a family system and sibling subsystems became stronger and closer. Change is not a bad thing, Scary, uncomfortable, and strange, but never bad. Change allows us to learn and to grow, to develop talents and discover new parts of who we are. It is how we choose to respond that determines what we learn. I am not a product of what happens to or around me but rather how I act and respond to these events that determine the kind of person I am going to come out on the other side as.

I thought would be useful to provide some more information and insights about the family. Here is a list of other blogs that are similar to this one. 

Andrea Ashley Muse

http://alittlebitaboutfamily.blogspot.com

Hannah Westerlind

http://hraefamilyrelations.blogspot.com

Lauryn Larkin

http://laurynannettemcclain.blogspot.com

Kelli-Marie McNair

http://mcnairfamilyties.weebly.com

Kenzie Calderwood

http://kenziekate3.wixsite.com/mysite

Kaylee Crossley

http://kayleerene.blogspot.com

Madison Reed

http://www.myyoungwildandmarriedlife.com

Shelbie Merrill

http://shelbiefamilyrelations.blogspot.com 

Abbigayle Shaffer

http://fightingforfamily18.blogspot.com

Joshua Lapeyrouse

http://everything-and-anything-plus-more.blogspot.com

Amy Jacques

https://theneedtoknowthings-family.blogspot.com

Emily Nichols

http://emilymarriageandfamily.weebly.com

Natalie Jolley

http://ajolleylife.weebly.com

Bonnie Ferguson

http://bonniefamilyrelations.weebly.com

Caia Wheeler

http://waywheeler.wordpress.com

Amberlea Kay

http://amberleakay.blogspot.com

Leticia Calderon-Rios

http://lotsoflittlethings17.blogspot.com

Morgan Ogden

http://morgansfamilycoursereflections.blogspot.com

Karly Buchanan

http://familyrelationsbykarlyb.blogspot.com

Kelsey Trent

https://lipglossplusflipflops.wordpress.com

Melanie Chantry

http://myfamilyrelationsjournal.blogspot.com

Alyssa Wiley

http://the-ramblings-of-a-young-mind.blogspot.com

Megan Garner

http://www.garnstar.blogspot.com

Alayna Hudson

http://thoughtsaboutfamily.blogspot.com

Kayla Guy

http://kaylaguy4.weebly.com/blog 

Ryan Landes

http://ryanfamilyrelations.blogspot.com

Mariah Honda

http://eternalroads.weebly.com

Amy Jacques

http://theneedtoknowthings-family.blogspot.com

Sarah Knight

http://skfamilyrelations.weebly.com

Christopher Holden

http://relationsfamily.blogspot.com

Hannah Boots

http://familyrelationsb.weebly.com

Bailee Freeman

http://relationsfamily.weebly.com

What is a Family?

There are many different ways to define "family", this is the dictionary definition

fam·i·ly

ˈfam(ə)lē/

noun

1. 1.

   a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.

   • 
     

     
     
   • 
     

     
     
   • 
     
2. 2.

   all the descendants of a common ancestor.

   
   

   
   

I define family differently. Family is not always those who you share a bloodline with or those who you shared a living space with. Family is those who you trust, love and respect. Family is those who stick by you and support your life choices and difficulties. Your family is who you want by your side when you are making big decisions and those who want to share the small joys with. I have members in my family that I do not share a bloodline with and there are people that I do share a bloodline with that I do not consider family. Those that I do not share a bloodline with are a part of my family because they have seen me at my worst times and have supported me and loved me as I worked to overcome life's challenges. I truly believe that family is who you live with, laugh with and love. There are going to be moments in life where you feel completely alone. It is those people who stand by you as you tackle the challenges in life who are your family. 

Family is My Future

    There are many things that occur in life that can either make or break your future. Most of the events that occur are brought to pass because of the choices that you make everyday, My name is Nicole and I choose to determine what kind of future I have. I want a family of my own to be the main event of my future. As you could guess, I am an advocate for the family.

     In the world that we live in today, there are so many different dynamics and types of families. I am not going to tell you which one is right or wrong. What I am going to tell you is that finding and understanding which dynamic works for you is what is important. This is my family. We are not an example of the traditional family. Our family includes a step- parent and half-siblings. We are goofy, crazy and sometimes a little strange, but we love each other. This little blended family works, and that is what matters.