Paige and I stayed home from church today because she has
been sick. She decided to spend the morning
watching old family videos. I was fun to
hear and see some highlights of our life over the past twelve years. It got me thinking about all of our family traditions
and when they started. I thought I would
type up a list of them for my journal…
Family
Traditions
New Years:
Established 2012
FHE Goal Setting
Night
The kids each select a personal goal and a family goal. We write them up on a little poster and
display them in a prominent place where everyone can see them and review them
often through out the year.
Valentines Day:
Established 2009
Valentines Dinner
As a family we plan a Valentines Dinner that consists of red
and pink foods, heart shapes, and fun place settings.
St. Patrick’s Day:
Established 2011
Leprechaun Visitor
While the kids are sleeping a silly Leprechaun comes to
visit and leaves a mess. He often colors
the milk green and leaves lucky charms.
There is a trail of shoes that leads to a treasure.
Easter:
Established 2007
Easter Eve
We color eggs as a family.
We have a FHE lesson on the Easter Story and the importance of the
atonement.
Established 2003
Easter Morning
The kids leave out their Easter eggs for the Easter Bunny to
fill and in the morning they open their eggs and we have cinnamon rolls for
breakfast. Before we leave for church we
talk a family picture.
Established 2005
Easter Egg Hunt
We have an Easter Egg Hunt every year with family. Everyone has his or her own color egg to hunt
for. Then the kids hide their died eggs
and make up their own hunts.
June 16:
Established 2001
Date Night
We take turns planning a date night to celebrate our
anniversary. Sometimes we go away for a
quick trip.
4th of July:
Established 2002
Forth of July Meal
and Fireworks
BBQ Dinner with family, usually always ribs. We always have some sort of firework
celebration.
Kids Birthdays:
Established 2010
Boondocks with Dad
The kids go to Boondocks with Dad and celebrate their
special day mini golfing, bowling, playing laser tag, and riding bumper boats
and cars.
Established 2003
Birthday Cake
The kids pick out their own birthday cake and we have a
family party (sometimes a birthday party with friends) centered on that theme.
Halloween:
Established 2001
Pumpkin
Carving/Painting
We pick out our pumpkins (some times from our garden) then
for FHE we carve or paint them before Halloween night.
Established 2012
Halloween Dinner
We have pizza for dinner and witches brew (a drink served
with dry ice) before we go out trick or treating.
Thanksgiving:
Established 2012
Thankful Jar
We have slips of paper for everyone to write something they
are thankful for every day from November 1st to Thanksgiving Day. The slips of paper go onto our thankful jar. Then after breakfast or Thanksgiving dinner we
take turns reading our thankful notes.
Established 2013
Thanksgiving
Pineapple
We serve a pineapple with our thanksgiving dinner as a
symbol of respect and gratitude for the guests at our table. When Trevor and I visited Virginia in 2012 we
learned it was a tradition in 1800’s to serve pineapple to distinguished guests
and that the pineapple was always present in a Thanksgiving Feast.
Established 2004
Decorating for
Christmas
Every year we get out the Christmas decorations the Friday
after Thanksgiving and decorate. We
usually decorate the Christmas Tree on the following Monday night for FHE.
Christmas:
Established 2004
Christmas Movie
Each year we make a Christmas movie for our family. It is our version of a Christmas card that
has our year in review. The kids enjoy
helping to create this production by helping me select photos, music, and
edit. We watch our movie together as a
family on Christmas Eve.
Established 2005
Christmas Books
Early on we read a Christmas book on Christmas Eve. After our collection grew we started reading
a Christmas book every night from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve. We take turns picking the story and reading.
Established 2010
Filling the Manger
Every year starting the first Sunday night in December we
draw names for our “Secret Person” then all week we do small acts of kindness
for them. When we complete an act of kindness for our “Secret Person” or
another person we put a straw in a little wooden manger. Our goal is to fill the manger with straw for
a soft bed for the Savior on Christmas Eve.
When we redraw names each Sunday night we try to guess who had our name
that week.
Established 2009
Lights on Temple
Square
Every year since we moved to Utah we go to Temple Square and
see the Christmas lights. The past two
years we have taken the tracks down.
Established 2005
Secret Santa
Each year we find a family or an organization that we can
purchase gifts for. We take our kids
shopping to help select gifts for their special person. Sometimes we wrap the gifts up and leave them
on their doorstep and sometimes we deliver them to an organization or our
ward.
Established 2001
Sibling Gift Exchange
We draw names and exchange Christmas gifts with that sibling
on Christmas Eve.
Established 2007
Christmas FHE
Through out the month of December we have different FHE
lessons that help teach our children about the importance of Christmas. We do crafts and make Christmas ornaments and
other fun activities that help us celebrate the season and keep Christ at the
center. On Christmas Eve we share the
Christmas store, this has been done differently each year, but the power of the
message always has the same effect in preparing us for a new year of love and
dedication to our Savior.
Established 2005
Christmas Moring
Breakfast
Buttons and Bowknots
Fun! So glad to see you back on the blog! I have been checking in every month or so to see if you've posted anything. I hope you'll post more! I enjoy hearing how you're doing :)
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