Tradition

While I'm not a big fan of Fiddler on the Roof I do like the song "Tradition."  I'm not just a fan of the song, I really love traditions.  Family Traditions.  Growing up we had lots of traditions.  Now, with my own kids we haven't seem to created very many.  I want to establish those familiar routines that make life special...memorable...comfortable. 

Most of my traditions center around two things...holidays and food. 

• Valentine's Day: Breakfast with red juice, peanut butter Russell Stover's hearts, egg casserole, and cinnamon rolls. Mom believes it's a day to tell people you love them, not just a romantic holiday. It's also my Grandma's birthday so it was always a special day when my mom was growing up.
• Christmas Eve:  The church's candlelight service followed by our family's gift exchange.  Dad reads the Bible and prays, then we have snacks and open gifts.  Grandma Goentzel was always a part of the festivities.  
• Thanksgiving:  I have dubbed this the "five day festival of food."  We're good Mennonites and we love to eat.  Thanksgiving is spent with my dad's siblings and their families.  Four siblings and their spouses have produced 14 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren.  Needless to say, it's a BIG group.  It's not uncommon to feed 40 people a turkey dinner and at least a few other meals.  It's not a Goentzel Thanksgiving without a card game (bidding) that lasts into the wee hours of the night.  

There's always a birthday kiss for Debbie from Uncle Bob...toothless of course!

Just a few of us with a newly added Thanksgiving activity, bowling!

The word for the weekend is COUSINS!

Something I remember we did when my Grandpa and Grandma Wall came from Oregon to visit us in Kansas was playing Skip-Bo. My Mom just bought the game and we've been playing it with Charles.  I hope he remembers playing it with his Grandpa & Grandma.

We do have some traditions.  We eat pizza with Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt Christy on Friday nights.  We also have Sunday dinner (lunch for those of you that think I'm talking about supper) at Grandma & Grandpa's house after church, it's a standing invitation.  Aunt Christy joins us as do my cousins Travis & Jenna.  The menu is whatever the meat was on sale at Dillon's during the week!  Usually roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and cantaloupe are on the menu.  There's almost always dessert too!

I want to establish some with our little family.  I've tried going out for donuts on birthdays, Sunday night Wii game night.  I need to ask Russell about some of his family's traditions.  And, what about you?  What are your traditions?