Giving Thanks; The Little Van-Tully's

One of the most important emotions to me is thankfulness and realizing how lucky I am to be so fortunate, so I have decided that once a month I will be writing about something or someone I am thankful for. This month is dedicated to my family.

To me, "family" has never been just the people you’re related to. It’s so much more than that. I truly believe God brings certain people into your life for a reason, and I’m so blessed that the people he chose for me are still by my side. At some point, we combined all of our last names into one: The Little Van-Tully’s. The Little is represented by Clay and Autumn (Ainsley and Siena's mom and step-dad). The Van (Treeck) is represented by Ainsley and Siena who kept their dad's last name, and lastly the Tullys (my family).

These people aren’t all my blood, but I consider them my family. They’ve seen me at every point in my life starting on this one crazy day in music class when I was 10 months old. Ainsley Van Treeck and both of her parents (Autumn and Dan) had just moved to Austin from California and knew no one, and my mom only knew her work friends with no kids. They were both in desperate need of friends, so once they met at our baby music class called "Mommy and me; Armstrong school of Music" they were inseparable. I am 6 months older than Ainsley, and in baby time that’s a lot. I could already crawl and yell, and Ainsley was a quiet little blob that was just learning how to sit up straight. I was also a very loud and wild spirt and Ainsley was just... not. Somehow, our moms convinced us to love each other. And I mean LOVE each other. We've never left each others' sides. Our families are so close, that when it was time to have another kid, our moms did it together. That resulted in Siena and Margot. Every major milestone in our lives, we did together. We've gone through everything you can possibly imagine; marriage, divorce, birth, death, wins, losses, fights, and happiness. We've been through it all.

Ainsley and I were with each other almost every day until we started school. Once we started preschool, I remember constantly begging my mom to let me go to school with her. It was weird not being constantly with her, but honestly, it was for the best. Being separated made us grow closer. But it's not just Ainsley that I am close with, it's Siena and Margot too. When I say I'd do anything for my little sisters, I mean anything. I've always had this weird mama-bear energy towards them, that I can't really explain. I don't know if it's because I'm the oldest, or I grew up faster than they did. I've just always wanted to protect them.

I have been so blessed that we have decided to spend quarantine together in our house in Crested Butte, Colorado (aka my second home). No one else, just our two families. It feels like the old days, before school, where we spent every second together; a good nostalgia. Once everything in the world has somewhat calmed down and life has to resume, I don't know how I'm going to handle it. Not having big dinners every night all together, no painting watercolor cards, building puzzles, playing videogames, watching movies, and even though I usually dread it, Ainsley and I's daily run. It's become this routine, and I don't want it to ever end.

Now that I've given you a vague idea of what my family means to me, I am writing about one thing I am thankful for about each person:

Mom- You taught me to be more aware of the world around me. Ever since I was young, you engraved in my mind that the world isn't the kindest to everyone, and you always have to give back. You always refreshed me that the world I live in isn't necessarily the same elsewhere. You taught me to truly be grateful for my life, and use the fact that I am so blessed to my advantage and to help others. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Dad- You taught me to have thicker skin. You tell me when I am wrong, and how things are, which is not always sweet and sugary. It keeps me balanced and educated. You've taught me that though I'd love to believe it, I am not always right, and sometimes I don't know what I'm talking about. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Margot- You keep me out of trouble. You've always been my lookout for anything and everything, and have never been afraid to tell me if something or someone wasn't good for me. And I hate to say it, but you're always right. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Ainsley- You're my best friend. We do life together. I can't imagine anyone else sitting with me for two hours on a tube in the middle of a freezing lake, or running down a mountain every morning. I love how easy it is to just talk about life and being wild teenagers who do stupid things every day. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Siena- My little bean. I love that our relationship is teaching each other constantly back and forth. We have so many of the same interests and goals, and it's nice to talk to someone about that constantly. I love editing videos and baking with you every day. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Autumn- You're my twin flame. My birthday twin. My Scorpio sister. Weirdly to say, but we truly have the same mind. We understand things at the same level and have the same views on most things. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Clay- You keep me laughing constantly. Whether it's during our puzzle sessions or watching the moms do karaoke, you constantly keep the gallery laughing. And for that, I am forever grateful.

This family will forever be my number one priority, and I am so blessed that God blessed me to have them by my side to walk with me. And for that, I am forever grateful.