Ariel Winter, who plays the brainy middle child in the hit ABC comedy series Modern Family, took to Instagram to let her family know how much she loves and appreciates them. The 15-year-old actress has been living with her older sister, Shanelle Gray, her two nieces and her brother-in-law for the past year and a half.

Winter wrote the following heartfelt message to her family:

“It’s been about a year and a half and at the same time, been the best year and a half of my life. I love them more than I could ever describe and they’ve shown me more love than I ever thought was possible. They’ve each given me something incredible to carry with me for the rest of my life. They’ve taught me how to love unconditionally, how to give, how to forgive, how to find strength, how to comfort others, how to love myself, and how to be a young woman.”

“My sister is my best friend and one day I can only pray to have a family like the one she has created,” she admitted. “I hope to be even half of the incredible person she is. She’s done so many amazing things with her life and I will always look up to my big sister. I can’t thank them enough and hopefully one day I can do something to show them how grateful I am.”

Winter also put together a collage of photos:

Winter’s sister became her guardian after the actress was removed from her mother’s home over allegations of emotional abuse. Chrystal Workman, Winter’s mother, has tried to regain custody of her daughter to no avail. Ariel’s real family life is certainly nothing compared to her ideal television family, the Dunphy’s. It’s been a long and hard road over where the actress belongs and who should watch over her, but at least for the moment, she seems perfectly happy with her current living situation.

Image via Twitter