Saturday, July 28, 2007

July 28, 2007 "Family Traditions"

Today my daughter and her mother-in-law and myself went to a party. We had a great time just riding over and spending some time together. I don't usually attend these things but the person giving was a long known friend who I cherish very much and one of the few people I would do this for. It was kind of a Tupperware/pampered chef kind of party but they were selling something more unique. It was ways to create traditions in your family. They had some really cute stuff and some new ideas but what I took away from the party was how important it is to have family traditions and although there is always room for improvement we have developed some pretty good ones in our family. I also realized that I do need to create some special traditions for my granddaughters that are different than what I have done for my children. We went around the room and everyone shared a family tradition that has made an impact on their life. I thought I would share a few from our family.

Every year since our children were babies we have had a special tree decoration party. It usually is the first weekend in Dec. We get the tree and John usually already has it in the stand and the lights around it . We always served the same things but they have been revised now since we eat a little healthier now. Crackers and cheese that you squirt on the cracker, fancy cookies from Publix, apple chips and we always do a toast with eggnog. Everyone has their "Special ornament" to put on the tree and many times we end the night playing board games.

One more is our yearly treks to North Carolina. Being a northern girl from Pennsylvania I very much have missed the seasons, especially fall. So since our daughter was about 3 we pretty much without fail vacationed in North Caroline every fall. When my son came along his first trip was at 7 months. Both Debbie and Johnny still look at N.C. as being a favorite vacation place in the fall and this year we are all going up together once again.



I would love to hear about your favorite family tradition...........



5 comments:

MLM said...

Hmm, good question. There are some tradition memories that I cherish that we don't do anymore and haven't since my brothers and I were children. I guess we're supposed to be creating traditions for our *own* families now.

But one that has stayed somewhat intact, after evolving over the years, is Christmas Eve. My parents take my family and my brother's family (one brother is with his in-laws instead) out to dinner at Ruths' Chris Steakhouse. After a YUMMY dinner, we all go back to my parents' house and take pictures of grumbling protestors whose pants no longer fit as nicely since that aforementioned yummy dinner we all ate too much of. :o)

Then we gather around the tree and open some gifts, since we know the next day will be really hectic with grandkids afoot--especially for my mom who works her hiney off preparing a 10-course meal and lots of appetizers and desserts and is usually too exhausted or too busy to really get to watch all the fun, SO we do it the night before! At least some of it.

Used to be, the siblings would exhange our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve and then give our gifts to our parents. Lastly, we each could choose ONE gift from our parents to open that night. That part has changed since my brother always begged to open "just one more" until all had inevitably been opened. Alas.

Early the next morning, we wake to the smell of sourcream mini muffins (cooked once a year for Christmas Day) and the promise of a hand-made stocking stuffed with goodies. My mom made the stockings when we were little and we still use them--and she still makes the muffins too!!

Okay, now I'm ready for Christmas!

Beverly Walters Whaley said...

Family Traditions? Ok......Since christmas tradition thunder was stolen by MLM I will monopoize on my second favorite tradition! SMILE

Halloween. When I was little halloween was not celebrated. I remember going to school and everyone saying what they dressed up as for trick or treat and I was usually Ruth or Mary at the "Jesus loves you party"......so I usually didn't say.

We begin October first by decorating our front porch with all our sppoookky halloween stuff...nothing ugly just spiders and stuff....but we have fun. Lowery Park has BooZoo every year and since the girls were little we celebrate the fall by taking the girls, and each one has a friend to BooZoo. It is a night filled with childfun spppoookkks! It is at night and the girls look forward to it each year.

As I sat and reflected on Kathy's thots today.....my mind wondered and I have created many traditions within my little Whaley home that the girls, someday will look back on their life and remember the fun and hopefully will bring joy to their children someday!

Kathy, you are the kind of mother and Nana that Bonnie was! YOU KEEP it up girl! You are the best and I love ya lots! You should be proud!

CoachK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CoachK said...

mlm: how fun it all sounds. Unless you are "mom" fixing the 10 course meal! (:

CoachK said...

nprfloridagirl: You HAVE created many wonderful traditions for your girls....and you still have many years to keep the old ones going and get some new ones started. You are your mother's daughter!