The Dream Teams

“Are they all yours?”, “Do they all belong to you?” These are a few very typical questions my mom and dad would get just about anytime they took their 6 kids to a public place. When those questions were asked, my parents would both grin from cheek to cheek, look at all of us kids and then respond with an enthusiastic “Yes, they are all ours!” Those 5 other individuals that I get to call my siblings and best friends have also been my teammates for the past 18 years of my life. Jessica, Melanie, Daniel, Andrew and Peter have all given me so many me so many wonderful memories to cherish. What wonderful adventures we have had! From playing with Lincoln Logs on the stairs, to our homeschool adventures, all the way to making life-sized teepees and homemade swings out in the backyard, we have been blessed with some of the most unique opportunities as a team of siblings. That team has most definitely helped me grow into the gal I am today. Little did I know, while I was living the dream with my 3 brothers and 2 sisters, the good Lord above had a plan to put another team of  wonderful individuals in my life. 

At the 88th Indiana FFA State Convention, 6 other people officially became apart of a new adventure in in my life: Claire, Emily, Owen, Wyatt, Cole and Grant.  After moving in and working with this group of people, they have not only become my teammates, but also some of my best friends. The past few weeks, I have transitioned from the family team that I have grown up with, to a new State Officer team that I get to grow with. This transition may not have been the smoothest, but by golly has it changed my life and I’ve loved every minute of it. I am beyond grateful and overwhelmed with joy to get be apart of a team in multiple areas of my life. There is a sense of joy and pride you feel when you talk with others about your team. Whether that team is made up of your siblings, co-workers or fellow State Officers, you can’t help but smile from cheek to cheek when talking about them. I imagine that may be the way my parents felt when people asked questions about their 6 kids. Now when I am out with my 6 teammates and people I know ask me, “Are they all your teammates?”, I will be the one smiling from cheek to cheek saying, “Yes, they sure are!”

Yours truly,

Natalie Taylor