Family Traditions
My family has survived planning and hosting yet another birthday bash – this time for a two year old. We really had a great time at the party, though! This whole process got me thinking about family traditions. We are a relatively young family, and we’re still developing our family traditions. I can’t help but think of one of the many talks that I have heard at Mom-to-Mom, a local ministry for mothers, about this very topic. Jo-Anne, the administrator, has spoken about how families form traditions and create memories along the way. I hope that the traditions that my family establishes now will make a life time of memories! There are a few family traditions that we have established that are worth mentioning.
Fall is our favorite season, and every fall my family goes to Stowe, VT to see the foliage. My husband and I actually started this tradition when we got married as we went there for our honeymoon weekend. We just love visiting this quaint town and taking some time to enjoy God’s creation. The cooler weather is great for hiking and biking. We love the slower pace of the area, too. We also take our family apple and pumpkin picking in the fall. We have a particular farm we visit every year that has animals and great picking. It is also centrally located so that many other families can join us. I love how the kids see the reality of where their food comes from. I love watching them try to find the best fruit and how they love climbing high up with Daddy. My father and nephew also join us on the adventure. The kids eat apples in the wagon and we scurry to finish filling the bags. My dad loves the apple pie there, too! We spend time baking and freezing our apples, too.
Then there are Christmas traditions that we are trying to build. I must say that we have not perfected the Christmas season like we have the fall season! We do pick out our Christmas tree at the same place every year. I never had a live tree growing up, so I really want this for my own family. We also take our extended families to church with us for Christmas performances and on Christmas Eve. We have tried several scenarios for Christmas day, and when it works out perfectly, I’ll let you know! One tradition that I am trying to keep is to read the Christmas story together every year. I have the complete story printed out in a little booklet so no one has to leaf through the Bible to find the scriptures. I think that this act speaks volumes about what Christmas is actually about, the birth of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
That brings me to the birthday traditions that are so important to me and the whole reason for this particular post. Birthdays are a celebration of life, and I really want my family to feel like we are living life to its fullest. For every birthday I bake a cake related to the theme of the party. I am not a trained pastry chef. I have never taken a cake decorating class. I use a box mix for the cake, but the decorating is the part that I spend time on. I think that the cake is the most memorable part of the party for kids. I want my children to remember that Mommy made the cakes that they wanted. It is an expression of my love. I also want the children to be surrounded by their closest family and friends. A birthday only comes once a year, and I want each child to feel like a star on that day! We try to do everything possible to make that happen. The parties are carefully planned with the components that each child wants included. I try to get extended family involved in the party in some way, too. My dear husband also takes millions of photos to commenmorate the day. This particular party had a garden theme. My dad and I made homemade games to fit the theme: butterfly bowling, pin-the-petal on the flower, catch the bubble, paint a butterfly magnet, & garden hopscotch. Kids filled their own goody bags with bugs, flower rings, and/or ladybug stickers after playing each game. I made a flower shaped cake out of cupcakes, and the kids decorated their cupcakes. The day was fun for us and the kids. I know that we made some very special memories at that party and in preparation for the party.
Family traditions are special since they provide activities that involved the entire family. Everyone looks forward to (or dreads, I suppose!) those special traditions. Traditions also define your family, so when your children look back on their growing up years, they will remember those times the most – even if they don’t continue those same traditions. Make a few memories this year!
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