Knowing that relationships and family are a key to increased happiness please share one of your family/friends traditions and/or recipes to give us all ideas.
This tradition is going to be a new one for me. It is on my bucket list so I am going to make it active next memorial day. When my parents passed away I was given 17 acres. This acreage was part of my great grandfather's farm. It has been passed down for generations. I am going to start a tradition that on memorial day I will invite all my brothers and sisters and their children to the land for a picnic. I am going to plant a tree or flowers EVERY year in memory of my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.
Every Sunday evening my husband, two children, and I have a "popcorn and smoothie night". While we enjoy our treats, we either watch a family movie or play a board game. Our children ages 6 and 9 REALLY look forward to Sunday evenings. :)
One of our favorite family traditions is to play "Bingo" after our Christmas dinner at my mom'house. We no longer exchange gifts as our family is growing and so now every family brings about 10 little wrapped gifts that cost between $1 and $3. They are piled in the middle of the table and everyone wins a prize when they get Bingo. We usually win 3 or 4 times, and the little ones to the aged just love it. We don't care if it is another flashlight or a big candy bar--it is the laughter and the togetherness that make it so special. We were thinking of stopping it one year, but my kids said "no way!"
Pig roast time at the Foss house. It's a party that starts on Wednesday and ends on Sunday. A 25 year tridition,games for children,bean bag toss for young and old. Draw artners so that people get to know other people, music,cards and just visiting. People come from all around. We even have a couple that met here and now are married with two children,yep their coming again this year. Tons of work,but worth it. Want to come? Everyone's invited.
Just got done doing some canning. Taught two young women the skill of canning pickles. Stop by the Osceola fair Sept 9-11 to see who wins. I have been the champ for many years,but this might be the year one of my students beats me.
My family has a tradition of watching a movie every Friday night. We put our own "intermission" in the movie and then make popper popcorn (not the microwave stuff on Fridays!) and enjoy each others company. Comedies always go over big!
A gift from my stepfather joining our family; sitting down to dinner before we eat, we hold hands and say, "Its nice to be here with you". Now the boys say it for us & it just sets the mood for a enjoyable dinner.
Our family eats dinner almost every night together, with the TV and radio off. It's a nice time to hear about each other's day and visit. Also, every summer we try to go camping at least a couple times. It's like a giant sleepover to the kids, since we all get to sleep in the camper together. Sometimes when we are too busy to go somewhere in the summer, we may even just sleep in the camper together right in the driveway.
I don't know if all of you have read "Tuesdays with Morrie" but this is a little bit like it. My brother bought my dad's farm years ago, but my dad keeps going up there every day to help. It has been wonderful for him to keep mentally and physically active. They have coffee around 9:30 every day. As often as I can, I call my brother and ask if the coffee pot is on. Of course, he always says, yes, and I tell him that I'm bringing the donuts. Often times, my other brother, sisters or other people show up too, unannounced, and we sit round the kitchen table for an hour or so, have coffee and donuts, tell stories, and laugh.
When my family is all together we cook, and everybody is in the kitchen. Our favorite dish to make together is Kumla because it takes a team to make it and none of us are quite sure we can make it alone. Kumla is a Norwegian potato dumpling that is cooked slowly in a ham broth. It's a tradition that started with my grandmother who passed it on to my mother and now I am passing it on to my sons.
When my boys were little, I was at home full time with them so as the first reached school age, when he reached the end of the drive way, I and the two boys left with me would shout, "I LOOOOOVE YOU!" and he'd shout back. As each entered school, the same would happen until it was only me left in the house! Shortly after the youngest started, I went back to work and dropped them off at school. I thought nothing of the tradition that was abandoned until the youngest pointed out how sad he was that he did not have years of the I... shouts. We modified the tradition to make it more appropriate for a busy school intersection, but it taught me that traditions are important.
On the Saturday morning after Thanksgiving, everyone helps make lefse. My brother, sister, and I did it when we were kids and now our children help. Everyone has a job regardless of your age. No one is allowed to go shopping or watch football until the lefse is done.
One of our newer traditions is to ask our kids at the end of the day, "What was your favorite part of the day?" Many times, I'm surprised by their answers. We went to the zoo today, and my daughter said the snakes were her favorite thing. That was not what I expected. It's helping me get into their little minds a little better.
This tradition is going to be a new one for me. It is on my bucket list so I am going to make it active next memorial day. When my parents passed away I was given 17 acres. This acreage was part of my great grandfather's farm. It has been passed down for generations. I am going to start a tradition that on memorial day I will invite all my brothers and sisters and their children to the land for a picnic. I am going to plant a tree or flowers EVERY year in memory of my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.
ReplyDeleteEvery Sunday evening my husband, two children, and I have a "popcorn and smoothie night". While we enjoy our treats, we either watch a family movie or play a board game. Our children ages 6 and 9 REALLY look forward to Sunday evenings. :)
ReplyDeleteOne of our favorite family traditions is to play "Bingo" after our Christmas dinner at my mom'house. We no longer exchange gifts as our family is growing and so now every family brings about 10 little wrapped gifts that cost between $1 and $3. They are piled in the middle of the table and everyone wins a prize when they get Bingo. We usually win 3 or 4 times, and the little ones to the aged just love it. We don't care if it is another flashlight or a big candy bar--it is the laughter and the togetherness that make it so special. We were thinking of stopping it one year, but my kids said "no way!"
ReplyDeletePig roast time at the Foss house. It's a party that starts on Wednesday and ends on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteA 25 year tridition,games for children,bean bag toss for young and old. Draw artners so that people get to know other people, music,cards and just visiting.
People come from all around. We even have a couple that met here and now are married with two children,yep their coming again this year.
Tons of work,but worth it.
Want to come? Everyone's invited.
Just got done doing some canning. Taught two young women the skill of canning pickles.
ReplyDeleteStop by the Osceola fair Sept 9-11 to see who wins.
I have been the champ for many years,but this might be the year one of my students beats me.
My family has a tradition of watching a movie every Friday night. We put our own "intermission" in the movie and then make popper popcorn (not the microwave stuff on Fridays!) and enjoy each others company. Comedies always go over big!
ReplyDeleteA gift from my stepfather joining our family; sitting down to dinner before we eat, we hold hands and say, "Its nice to be here with you". Now the boys say it for us & it just sets the mood for a enjoyable dinner.
ReplyDeleteOur family eats dinner almost every night together, with the TV and radio off. It's a nice time to hear about each other's day and visit.
ReplyDeleteAlso, every summer we try to go camping at least a couple times. It's like a giant sleepover to the kids, since we all get to sleep in the camper together. Sometimes when we are too busy to go somewhere in the summer, we may even just sleep in the camper together right in the driveway.
I don't know if all of you have read "Tuesdays with Morrie" but this is a little bit like it. My brother bought my dad's farm years ago, but my dad keeps going up there every day to help. It has been wonderful for him to keep mentally and physically active. They have coffee around 9:30 every day. As often as I can, I call my brother and ask if the coffee pot is on. Of course, he always says, yes, and I tell him that I'm bringing the donuts. Often times, my other brother, sisters or other people show up too, unannounced, and we sit round the kitchen table for an hour or so, have coffee and donuts, tell stories, and laugh.
ReplyDeleteWhen my family is all together we cook, and everybody is in the kitchen. Our favorite dish to make together is Kumla because it takes a team to make it and none of us are quite sure we can make it alone. Kumla is a Norwegian potato dumpling that is cooked slowly in a ham broth. It's a tradition that started with my grandmother who passed it on to my mother and now I am passing it on to my sons.
ReplyDeleteWhen my boys were little, I was at home full time with them so as the first reached school age, when he reached the end of the drive way, I and the two boys left with me would shout, "I LOOOOOVE YOU!" and he'd shout back. As each entered school, the same would happen until it was only me left in the house! Shortly after the youngest started, I went back to work and dropped them off at school. I thought nothing of the tradition that was abandoned until the youngest pointed out how sad he was that he did not have years of the I... shouts. We modified the tradition to make it more appropriate for a busy school intersection, but it taught me that traditions are important.
ReplyDeleteOn the Saturday morning after Thanksgiving, everyone helps make lefse. My brother, sister, and I did it when we were kids and now our children help. Everyone has a job regardless of your age. No one is allowed to go shopping or watch football until the lefse is done.
ReplyDeleteOne of our newer traditions is to ask our kids at the end of the day, "What was your favorite part of the day?" Many times, I'm surprised by their answers. We went to the zoo today, and my daughter said the snakes were her favorite thing. That was not what I expected. It's helping me get into their little minds a little better.
ReplyDelete