Traditions

I don't know why I started thinking about traditions. But I did. I started thinking about the things we do at holidays, birthday's, special occasions, random days, and traditions that I'd like to start. I think it's important to have traditions. It helps carry down a legacy to your kids. It gives everyone involved good memories, fun times and typically a lot of love and laughter are shared....at least that's always my goal.


This may not be a tradition, but I do it when we cook spaghetti. It might be considered just plain silly and I'm ok with that. Some traditions are suppose to be silly. I don't even know where I learned about this or where I read it, but every since that day we have done it. Do you know there's a funny way to check to see if spaghetti is ready? A really funny way. And the kids love it everytime.

See her hand behind her head...she has (what we hope) is cooked spaghetti....and yes she is about to throw it...

She threw it at the cabinet above her. If it sticks it's ready. If it does not stick, it needs more time to boil. Funny, right? Now, there have been times when we threw it and it was not ready but it stuck anyways...I never said this was full proof. But it does work 99% of the time. And if we catch a time when it doesn't work that just means we get to throw it again!!!!

 

Birthdays. I love birthdays. I love to celebrate the people who are in my life with the day they were born. Make them feel special and loved like they make me feel. My husband says I go WAY overboard on birthdays, but I think it's once a year and so who cares! ;-)

 

 

Every year on each of my kids' birthday I decorate their door like this. I have a ton of pictures of their doors throughout the years, but not on this computer. I love doing this even with my boys who are almost 17 and 13. I don't care how old they get, if they're in this house I will decorate their room door. When they move out, I may even go to their house and do this.
I love seeing their faces when they open up their door to a curtain of crepe paper, balloons, and the same birthday banner that I have used for each of them for YEARS.

Speaking of doors...I started this tradition this year on Valentine's Day. I wrote things I love or admire about each of my kids and taped their "special" hearts to their door.

 

This is Ethan's door. Our oldest. His hearts stayed on his door for months. I loved that. Some of his hearts say: Dimples. Leader. Out going. Good heart. Strong faith.

 

 

 

This is Kaitlyn's door. She's 3. Hers are on the lower part of the door so she could really see them. Her hearts say: Baby girl. beautiful. Love bug. Friendly. Girly.

 

 

This is Braylin's door. He just turned 13. His hearts say: Beautiful eyes. Good friend. Athletic. Shy. Loyal.

 

Adam and I have NEVER gone out for Valentine's Day. We say everyday around here is V-day. We don't need to celebrate it just one day a year. So, instead every year we take off from school. I make goodie bags for the kids. We play cheesy games. I bake a heart cake or cupcakes and we have a special Valentine's Day themed family dinner. It's always a hit with the kids. I'm sure that's b/c they get a free day from school. Whatever the reason, it's a favorite tradition of mine.

 

Holidays: Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. It has my favorite things: faith, food, family & football. A tradition that I got from my mom- I cannot remember ONE Thanksgiving that my mom didn't cook or one that we weren't at home. Thanksgiving dinner is ALWAYS at my house and I ALWAYS cook. Now, there have been times in the 17 years of our marriage that this tradition has been broken. Ask Adam. I'm miserable! I know. I know. It's a day for thankfulness, I should be happy and full of thanksgiving. But I just hate it when we go somewhere else and I don't get to cook. Plus, my menu is a tradition. It's ALWAYS the menu and I never change it. I love being in the kitchen and preparing my menu for my family. Some of the recipes ONLY get made on Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving even more this year b/c we have MORE family coming to our dinner!!! I love when my house is FULL of people. My table this year:

 

Again, my actual picture of my Thanksgiving table is on a different computer. I got this picture from Martha Stewart as an idea for this year's table.

 

Halloween- 2nd favorite holiday. A new tradition started last year for us: The Halloween Party. Everyone had to dress up. We had great food and played games. It was a blast. It'll happen every year now.

 

 

Donna was a hippie. Lesia was Queen bee. I was Red Riding Hood. I can't find the picture of the guys!!! Adam was the Big Bad Wolf. Darin was also a hippie. Wonder what we'll be this year?

 

 

The kids were: Braylin a jester. Jordan a cowgirl (she's hugging Brae.) Ethan was Elmo. Danielle and Caleb were a redneck couple. Preston was a knight.

 

Kaitlyn was Princess Belle.

 

Christmas: We have a lot of Christmas traditions. One is an advent box. I do not have a picture of this and can't believe it!!! I love our Advent box. I will get one soon. Here's one very similar.

 

 

 

I do something a little different. I put a little candy in each day. But I also put in a piece of paper with maybe a joke, an extra special gift like $5 Starbucks, a verse, a freebie like no chores. One year I put in no school for the day, movie night, stay up until midnight. One time I asked for the child to pray for their family. I change it up so my kids never know what to expect. I also rotate who goes first each year. This year Kaitlyn gets to go first, then Braylin, then Ethan. So each kid gets to open every 3rd door.

Another tradition: The gingerbread house. We've been making one every year for about 7 years.... since we moved to GA.

 

 

A new tradition this year: Elf on the Shelf

 

 

Excited about this one!!!

 

Another tradition: We always decorate together & Braylin always puts a fire on for us.

 

 

 

Christmas music is a must in this house. I have it on very lightly in the background while we do school. I love Christmas music. Don't you?

 

 

 

 

We have a Jesse tree that we decorate daily as we read about the Advent story. I can't find pictures of our Advent tree. I'll post one this year.

 

Christmas Eve: This tradition started last year for us but I hope to continue with it for many, many years. We go to Olive Garden. We go with a group of close friends and have a ball.

 

 

 

 

New Years...of course we have a PARTY!!!!

 

 

This picture says it all. I'm sworn to secretsy on what they're laughing at.

On New Years Eve we always drink Sparkling Apple Cider from wine glasses. We eat fabulous fatty food. I have never eaten black eyed peas on New Years Day. Have you??

 

 And our cake from last year's NYE party....

 

 

Walkfishory....a very special meaning. :-)

 

 



 A tradition I want to start this year will be for Thanksgiving. I want to make a thanksgivng tree. Each day in Nov. up until T-Day we write down somehting we're thankful for and hang it on our tree.

 

These are our traditions. These are the things & days that I hope my kids look back on with fond memories. I hope they carry down some of these traditions. I pray these days surround them with love, joy and comforts of home like they do me.

 

 

Until next time,

Reb