Traditions {old | new | forgotten | found}

The passage of time and the holidays reminded me of so many traditions with my family growing up, and with Cody’s family.

This is a gift giving tradition and one of my faves. Every Christmas, at my Mom and Bob’s - our presents from them would be wrapped in a black trash bag or a brown paper bag topped with the most sequined, sparkly, glittery, bedazzled bow I had ever seen.  The kind of bows that while you are untying them, leave some extra “sparkle” on your hands/face/floor.
I think one of the reasons, this is one of my favorite Christmas traditions is because it’s so easy to replicate – I’m pretty sure mom knew I would always have one of those things in my kitchen and could continue the tradition effortlessly.  Mom was always practical… but she always liked her bling and sparkle too.

A tradition that was started at Dick and Kaye’s house was the 12 Days of Christmas sing-along. A sing-along is a scary thought considering that I’m tone deaf but make up for it in HUGE volume. Each of Kaye’s dessert plates have a day of Christmas on it, and we go around the table and each sing our “part”. And of course the person that gets the 1^st day of Christmas gets to sing their line twelve times. I recall Grandma Helen (who had a beautiful voice) singing “5 Golden Rings” in her beautiful voice. 

Thanksgiving Day Zumba 2012

This Thanksgiving at Pam and Buck’s house – all of us ate a wonderful meal, with desserts, multiple courses, a wonderful selection of ham or turkey, Grandma Nanny-nanny’s pea salad. Then all of us (including the boys) put on our workout clothes and headed to Zumba. Pam convinced me to go to Zumba  – and it’s been a fun way for me to get AND STAY in shape. When Baylee has some extra time, she loves to come too – but it made me happy seeing Buck, Cody and Chance Zumba  - and knowing they did it because they knew it would make us girls happy.

My dad has been accused of spoiling my sister and I, it usually comes from my husband after he calls me a Princess because of some small request I have for him.  Dad has a huge family, and I loved it when all of his brothers and sisters and my cousins would squeeze into Grandma Jennie’s small and sweet home. Me and all my cousins would play a version of football in the front yard, while my uncles would watch the football game, and my aunts would help Grandma Jenny clean up the kitchen after the meal.  Now that we are older, dad gets us all together at his house – and he loves having all of us and I have to admit – he DOES spend a lot of time doting over Karen and I when we go over there. But – that’s tradition right? It shouldn’t ever change. J