This document is a collection of memories from Erin Melching about her large extended family. It discusses fond memories of family vacations spent at her Uncle's lake house in South Carolina where the 17 family members bond on the lake. It also talks about positive relationships and memories Erin has with her sister Leah and their involvement in theater together, her funny younger brother, her loving grandparents who are a constant support, her close cousins Sydney and Ava and godson Will, and her parents who she has an open relationship with despite some rough patches. The document ends discussing Erin's puppy Lucy who has been a part of the family for 5 years and is always there for Erin.

1. Family Memories
Erin Melching

2. Dedication
• One of the most important aspects of my life
is family. We have been through our highs and
lows together, but no matter what, we have
stuck it out! I have specific memories with
each of you, and whenever I go back and look
through photos, these memories run through
my head. I comprised this book in hopes that
my family will be able to relive these
memories over and over again!

3. FAMILY
Every member of my family
recognizes the importance of
spending time together! We each
have our own crazy lives to keep up
with, but some how we manage to
make time every summer for a
vacation. A lot of times it is hard for
17 family members to agree on just
about anything, but amazingly we
all love to travel south. Sometimes
we go to the beach, but our
favorite place to go is to my Uncle’s
lake house in South Carolina. The
house is huge! Which is good
because there are 17 of us! My
uncle also owns a boat and 2 jet
skis. We spend all day, every day of
vacation on the lake. It really is one
of the best ways to bond as a
family, and to relax!

4. Sister
I’ll be the first to admit that I am often the last
person to show any form of positive emotion
towards my sister, but the truth is, I could not be
any more proud of my sister, Leah. Leah’s eight
grade year, she decided to follow in her big sisters
footsteps and get involved with her school drama
program. She developed a great passion for the
theater, and took that passion with her to high
school. Theater was by far the greatest experience
of my 4 years in high school, so seeing how much
Leah loves it makes me the happiest big sister in
the world. I have loved watching her perform a
wide variety of roles over the years, from Molly the
Orphan from Annie to Alice in Alice in Wonderland.
I don’t think Leah has fully realized how much of a
talented actor she is, and I can’t wait to watch her
continue to grow in her talent and see where it
takes her!

5. BROTHER
Every time my brother and I are together, we have such a fun time!
My brother may only be twelve years old, but he is one of the funniest
people I know! He can change any situation entertaining. Whether he
is wearing a “That’s What She Said” hat not even knowing what that
phrase means, or rolling around on a giant hamster ball, he always
knows how to have a fun time! That’s why I love Andrew!

6. GRANDMA &
GRANDPA
I don’t even know how to express
how much I love my Grandparents,
Carole and Jim! They have been a
nonstop support system to me every
since the day I was born! They show
me unconditional love no matter
what I do, and support me in all my
endeavors! They always give the
best advice and know just the right
thing to say. There are way to many
memories I have to list, but every
memory is just as important as the
next. I love my Grandma and
Grandpa more than I can ever put
into words!

7. GIRL COUSINS
I love my cousins Sydney and Ava so much. Sydney is
only thirteen, but she is already one of the most mature
young women I know. She is so intelligent and is so
much fun to be around. Its so crazy how easily I can
relate to her, but I can honestly say she is one of my best
friends! Recently, Sydney has made me feel so honored
recently because she asked me to be her Confirmation
sponsor. This role is very important to me and will only
make our relationship closer.
Ava is the most divalicious little girls I know. She is only
four years old but is already absolutely crazy. I love
being home for the summer because I get the honor
and privilege of spending a few days a week with her
and her brother. I love this time we have together
because during the school year I miss her and her
brother like crazy!

8. BOY COUSINS
My little cousin, Will, is another major part of my
life. Unlike all my other cousins, Will and I share a
very special bond. I’ll never forget, on the day of my
8th grade graduation, my Aunt Kelly and Uncle Steve
asked if I would want to be Will’s Godson. Of course I
answered with a giant YES! Just like his sister, Sydney,
Will is also very mature for his age. I love every
minute we get to spend together!
My other little cousin is, Jack. Jack is the older
brother to Ava. He is one of the most imaginative
children I know. He is always building with legos,
drawing, or doing some other creative project! I will
never forget, and look forward to the summers I will
get to spend with Jack and Ava.

9. PARENTS
My parents, Shannon and Mark mean
more to me than I will ever be able to
express on my own! We definitely have had
our rough patches, but we always are able
to reconcile our differences. I love how
open of a relationship I have with my
parents! I know no matter what happens
we will always have a super close
relationship. I know they will always
support me and I will support them in
wherever life takes us! Just like with my
grandparents, I have twenty years worth of
memories with my parents, and there is
not nearly enough time or space to write
them all down. But they are all so very
important to me!

10. PUPPY!
In a book dedicated to the important people in
my life, of course I have to include my puppy!
Lucy has been a part of our family for five years
now, and has had such a positive impact on all
our lives! I never knew how much I would love
having a dog until Lucy came into my life! She is
the one person in my life who never gets upset
with me, well expect for when I leave her for the
school year, but she quickly gets over that
grudge the first weekend I come home to visit! I
talk to Lucy about everything going on in my life,
and she is the best snuggle buddy I have ever
had!