Birthday Traditions

Birthday season in our family begins in July with Dave’s birthday on the 22^nd and ends on September 24^th with Jacob’s birthday. Kristi and Hope are the odd balls out with an October and December birthday. That’s O.K. though because Hope is the Birthday Queen and turns the whole month of October into her birthday month, and Mom is the odd ball in our family, so it only makes sense that her birthday doesn’t fit in.  In between Dave and Jacob is me (July 29^th), Bruce (August 13^th), Charlie (August 14^th), and Kaitlyn (August 29^th). We are now in the middle of Birthday Season, which got me thinking about some of the fun birthday traditions my family has. Then my thoughts drifted to family traditions in general…

Family traditions are something that is a very important part of my life. To me family traditions are a way to remember the past while making new memories with the people you love the most.  As parents, Bruce and Kristi did a wonderful job of building traditions that I will carry with me, and hopefully pass on to the next generation. For me, being a mother is about loving unconditionally and teaching my child (hopefully children in the future) the values that will carry him through life wherever it might take him. Family traditions and spending time together are one of those values that I hold near and dear to my heart. I also love making new family traditions with my own family, something new that Charlie will want to pass on to his children.

Here are just a few of our family traditions:

-          Going out for BBQ on Bruce’s Birthday (the last 3 years this has taken place the night before Charlie’s birthday party)

-          Birthday Long Johns (one of my favorites)- everyone wakes up to a long john with a candle in bed on their birthday morning

-          Birthday dinners – the birthday girl/boy makes a birthday dinner request and Bruce always delivers. This year mine was fish tacos – it was AMAZING! Kaitlyn usually has “Thanksgiving dinner” for her birthday dinner!

-          The mom of the house waking the kids up every morning by singing our “Good Morning” song. I am pretty sure my mom made this song up, and once it gets in your head it doesn’t go away. Dave even wakes Charlie up with the “Good Morning” song too!

-          Christmas Eve is my immediate family (Bruce, Kristi, Hope, Nick, Kaitlyn, Jacob, Dave, Charlie, and me) eating hors devours and opening presents

I am so blessed to have my family. It makes my heart happy that Charlie has so many people that love him and I look forward to making so many more memories and family traditions.