Traditions

Gwen 2007I love traditions. I grew up in a family that carried many traditions and I love taking those traditions and adapting them to my own little family, plus adding some of our very own. I love holiday traditions, and yearly traditions, and weekly traditions, even nightly traditions. One tradition that I love came up spontaneously, and is one that I look forward to each year. When we first moved to Washington, Gabs was only 6 months old. We were on our way home from church, going a way we had never gone before. That's when we found my favorite beach neighboring community I talk about all the time...where we saw Elvis! It was a beautiful August afternoon and I insisted that we stopped to take pictures. I decided that we would go back to that same spot each August to take pictures. But more than that, I would take the same special picture each year with Joe and Gabriella, and soon to be Gwen and any other children that came along while we were here. And each new place we live, that same special picture would be taken in a new paradise we find close to home. So Sunday was our lucky picture day and it was this summers typical weather, but we avoided rain and I got Gabriella's third special picture with her daddy, and Gwen's first. I can't wait to have a whole collection of these photos...Joe better buff up for the coming years!

Gabriella 2007

2006
2005
Here are a few of our favorite traditions that we've created or taken from our childhood that we hope to pass down to our children and grandchildren...seriously, just a few of many, many, many traditions that take place in our home.

-Always have a huge Christmas breakfast after opening presents, including omelets and cinnamon rolls.

-Making cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve for our huge Christmas breakfast.

-Joe signing the same song, and me saying the same exact special bed time thing, word for word, each night to the girls...word for word.

-Eating at Betos when we drive through Provo to Joe's family, no matter what time it is.

-Having pumpkin pie for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving.

-Dinner and a blanket. This started when Joe would be on call at the hospital for over 24 hours. I decided that Gabs and I needed something special to do in the evenings he wasn't home for dinner, so we would have a picnic dinner in the middle of our floor. She loves it.

-Eating popcorn, drinking hot chocolate and watching a movie on rainy days after school. We would weigh 500 lbs up here if we did that every rainy day, so instead if it's rainy on Friday, it's a movie day.

-Gabriella or Gwen's day of fun. After driving an infant from St. Louis to Arizona, then to Utah, then to Washington, I adopted a day dedicated to my kids. I fell so bad for keeping them in the car so long, that after each road trip we go one, the girls get one whole day dedicated to fun, no chores on my part, no rules for them, just straight, uninterrupted, good old fun, however they want it. This should definately happen way more often than after road trips, but would it be that special if it did? ;)

-Eating Chili on Halloween night, then scattering the trick-or-treating candy on the front porch for the good witch to turn it into a new toy.

-Giving Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve to wear Christmas morning.

-Baking cookies or some treat on Sunday evening as a family to have ready for Family Home Evening on Monday.

-Christmas tree slumber party. Growing up my mom and sisters and I would spend the night around the Christmas tree after watching It's a Very Brady Christmas...the girls and I will start with something like a Dora Christmas Party and work our way to the Brady Bunch.

-The Birthday Tree. I was kinda concerned about having a baby during the Christmas season(Dec. 8) so I did a lot of reading and idea searching to come up with something to make Gabs birthday special and different from all the other holiday stuff going on. So we came up with the birthday tree. It's a 3' christmas tree, decorated with hot pink, red, orange, electric blue, lime green glitter christmas balls. Under the tree are gift boxes in the same colors with little gifts (like suckers, plastic rings, and lip gloss) for her to open each day a week before her birthday. Then the true birthday present comes under her tree the day of her birthday. It is truly one of my favorite traditions, and I think all our kiddos will enjoy the birthday tree regardless of when their birthday is.

There's just a few, but I would love to hear some more tradition ideas, so share your favorites. It's all about making lasting memories for our kids right?