We are buddies!

I am so grateful for my siblings!

We all really do have a special relationship.

It's amazing because we can get after each other and then 5 minutes later forgive each other and be back to laughing and having fun together.

Our parents really emphasized the importance of us, as siblings, being friends with each other. If we couldn't play nice with each other, we didn't get to play with friends. Our mom always told us that "Friends will come and go, but family is forever."

Granted, some of us at various times had closer relationships, or not so close, at one point or another. I remember Aaron and Kirsten were really close because they were the last two at home when the rest of us were gone and married. I acted like Daniel's mom when he was in high school and I was newly married—sometimes this was not a good thing and, I think, we actually fell away from each other for a long while. Me and Jessie were the first two kids so we, naturally, played together all the time and I enjoyed bossing my little sister around... What can I say, I was the oldest, I was just very motherly, I guess.

But one relationship that we all remember is Daniel and Jessie because they are the ones that came up with their own theme song, "We are buddies!" Which was always sung with arms around each other, heads squished together, big, cheesy smiles and a strong voice with emphasis on "BUDDIES!"

We all loved it and it has just become a family theme song whenever we feel close to one another or have done something together. We sing it in the same manner as it's always been sung.

I usually don't record these times of singing goofy buddy songs together, but this time I couldn't resist:

Buddies from Rachael on Vimeo.

Awe!