Our Yearly Traditions

Happy Wednesday All!!

Has everybody recovered from their Thanksgiving?  I had a fun filled Thanksgiving break with lots of delicious food, family and fun.  We visit my in-laws and my parents for Thanksgiving and then drove up to New York to spend the weekend with my dad.  We had a great time! The weather was perfect on Saturday for am early morning run for me through the old neighborhood and a day trip in Prospect Park with the kiddies, hubby and dad.  In refection of the weekend, I think that every Thanksgiving we will make it a tradition to drive up to New York to visit my dad for the weekend of Thanksgiving. The kids really enjoyed it and so did my dad.

Well it’s Wednesday and that means Wednesday Word with my pal Deb at Deb Runs.

Today’s word is : Tradition

-The transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.

Thinking about Wednesday’s Word, I realized that I never thought of tradition as something that got passed down from generation to generation but more as something that you do yearly or around the same time every year.

I also realized that as a child my family didn’t really do anything as a tradition….well not that I remember.  A running joke in my family is that I have blocked out much of my childhood and don’t often remember many things from my childhood.

As I have grown up and become a wife and mother, I can say that I have tried pretty hard to create traditions for our family that the family will enjoy, remember and look forward to.

Our family traditions:

Holiday:

New Year’s Eve:

-for the past couple of years, my sister has had a game night at her house for New Year’s Eve.  This is for close friends and family.  It has been a fun tradition full of laughs and crazy competition-lol! We ring in the New Year with Champagne and cake.

New Year’s Day:

-It’s my birthday!  Last year was the first year of what will be a new tradition of running the MCRRC New Year’s 5k. Perfect birthday gift to myself J! I am greeted with breakfast in bed (after I crawl back into it..haha) and gifts from the hubby and kids.  I usually have a birthday celebration with friends and family later in the day as well.

USFTL Nationals for football:

-For the past 13 years, our team has traveled to Orlando to participate in USFTL’s National Championship. We have won 3 National Titles.

I think next year, we will take the kiddies and begin a tradition to visit Disney-I think they will be a good age (8 and 6).

Valentine’s Day:

-The kiddies make Valentine’s gifts for the immediate family. Last year they made hand print heart frames.

AE Birthday:

-It’s my son’s birthday on the 9^th of April.  The day starts with a balloon filled room, his choice of breakfast, b-day party at school and a b-day party for family in the evening. For the past 7 years, he has picked Chuck E Cheese. It is amazing how much fun he can have there with his sister.  We will see how long that lasts for J.

Mother’s Day:

-I get breakfast in bed along with gifts from the hubby and kiddies. We then head over to my mom’s where my sister creates a lovely brunch for my mom and I. It is such a sweet gesture.

Hubby’s Birthday:

-It’s my hubby’s birthday on the 21st of May.  We celebrate with breakfast as a family at home and take him out to dinner.  I try to invite his close friends and family.

Easter:

-Easter egg hunts and dinner at my parent’s house.

Fallen Warriors Football Tournament:

-For the past 3 years, our team has traveled to Atlanta to participate in the Fallen Warriors Tournament.  We have won 2 times and came in 2nd.

It’s a family affair. Me, my sister and the hubby.

First Day of School:

-Yup, I am one of those moms’s with the 1^st day of school pictures…cheezy but the memories will last a life time!!!

Father’s Day:

-It’s breakfast in bed and then we are usually off to football.  Most Father’s Day it is playoffs for us and so we as a team try really hard to help hubby (he is our coach) have a good father’s day and win our games.  For the past few years….we have given him a good Father’s Day J.

-Girls Trip:

So not so much a family tradition but for the past 5 or so years, my girlfriends and I get together for a trip. We tend to travel to where there is a beach near by.  So far we have traveled to : Belize, Miami, St. Martin and this year we are going to Costa Rica!

Last Day of School:

-If you get pictures on the first day, you have to get pictures ion the last too-right?  It is always so neat to see how much they have grown in a school year.

MJ Birthday:

-It’s my daughter’s birthday on the 21^st of October.  The day starts with a balloon filled room, her choice of breakfast, b-day party at school and a b-day party for family in the evening. For the past 5 years, she also has picked Chuck E Cheese.

Halloween:

-Since having children, I have become a little more of a Halloween celebrator.  My sister is the all out Halloween celebrator! We meet at my parent’s house for the kids to hand out candy and to go trick or treating.

Thanksgiving:

-I always run a Thanksgiving Day race. This year I ran the YMCA Turkey Chase in Bethesda.  Depending on the weather, next year the whole family will go as there is a turkey dash, a  2 miles and the 10k.

-We always watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The kiddies love the floats and the singing and dancing.

-I make Challah bread stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner

Enter a caption

-I think I want to start a ‘What we are Thankful for’ tradition art activity with the family

-We head to the in-laws and my parents to enjoy a meal together.  I really wish my in-laws would come up to my parent’s house. It would make the day a bit less stressful.

1^st week in December:

-The kiddies write their letter’s to Santa Claus

2^nd or 3^rd week of December:

­-Jingle Bell Run for me.  I love dressing up for this run. I have ordered my costume for this year’s Jingle Bell Jog 8k.

 

-We attend the local Christmas Tree lighting

Christmas Eve

-Cookie Baking for Santa

-Last year was the first year that we all dressed up as elves. It was cute (well I thought so and the kiddies loved it!)

-Late night gift wrapping. I wrap the hubby supervises-lol!

Christmas

­-Gift opening

-meals at the in-laws and my parent’s with more gift opening.

-I thing I want to start a night time tradition for the hubby and I where we open each others gifts together. We will see how that goes.

 

Well there you have it….our yearly traditions. I am not sure which traditions will get past down to the next generation but I will continue to do what I can to ensure that the kiddies have traditions to look forward to each year.

 

Do you have traditions in your childhood that you upheld or passed on? What are some of your holiday traditions?

---

I would love to stay connected:

Follow me on:
–Twitter
–Instagram
–Facebook

---