Mark and I both come from strong families with lots of fun and meaningful traditions. One of my favorite parts about getting married and starting our life together has been blending and picking which traditions we want to continue.
Some of my favorite family traditions…
18th Birthday Meal
When one of the kids in our family turns 18, a big group of us go out to celebrate at the hour he or she was born, no matter how early or late the time may be. My Mom, sisters, cousins, Aunt and Grandma all went out to Steak ‘N’ Shake around 3:30 am (time I was born) for my 18th birthday. It was so much fun, and that day was one of the few times I can remember waking up with an extremely full stomach. I’m usually so ready for breakfast!
Wisconsin Trip
Every year, Mark’s extended family heads up to Wisconsin in the Fall. They enjoy great food, beautiful Fall weather, pumpkin patch festivals and most importantly each others company. We always have a blast, and I’m looking forward to carrying on this tradition with our family. Below are pictures of Mark and I in front of the fire place at our hotel in Door County, starting with 2007 (1st year we were married) and progressing to last year’s 2010 trip on the right.
Night Before PJ’s
On Christmas Eve, just before leaving for Midnight Mass, we were allowed to open one Christmas present. They were always pajamas, but even knowing that didn’t keep me from being super excited about opening a gift early. All other gifts were reserved for Christmas morning. It worked out well for my parents, too, because they knew we wouldn’t be wearing old sweat pants and an big t-shirt in the pictures taken the next morning as we were opening gifts. Mark and I still do this, and definitely plan to carry it on with our future children.
Girls Night In
From the time I was 8 to about 12 years old, almost every Friday night was “girls night in” at our house. My Mom, sister and I would pick up our favorite fast food meal from Taco Bell and a couple movies from the rental section at the grocery store. Once home, we would eat dinner while sitting on the sofa sleeper in the living room in our pajamas and watch the movies. I can’t remember all of the movies we watched, but I distinctly recall watching The Purple People Eater. Memories of those nights with my Mom and sister are very special to me.
Sunday “Dinner”
This is a new tradition Mark and I started. Every Sunday night, I make breakfast for dinner. Breakfast is quick and easy to make, and we always have the necessary ingredients on hand. Last Sunday, we had french toast and turkey bacon. This week, we will have omelets. In my quest to create the perfect omelet, Mark endured new recipes and techniques for creating omelets several Sunday dinners in a row. After much experimentation, my best advice is to let the eggs reach room temperature before cooking. If you are impatient like me, put the eggs in warm water for about 10 minutes before using them. They won’t stick to the pan as much and will be much easier to fold.
What traditions do you have or plan to start with your family? Share them in the comments!
Waffle pic found here: http://www.mylot.com/w/photokeywords/waffles.aspx
Cupcake pic found here: http://emmalovescakes.blogspot.com/2009/10/18th-birthday-cupcakes.html
PJ pic found here: http://www.squidoo.com/christmas-pajamas
Purple People Eater pic fond here: http://pokershrink.blogspot.com/2011/04/saturation-saturday-purple.html
I love our traditions. The Sunday night breakfast makes me look forward to Sunday night (when does that ever happen?!). Awesome post, and I can’t wait to continue these traditions with you and create new ones to pass on to our children!