Traditions

My classmate is writing a book about family traditions. She asked us to share some of ours, and I thought it was so fun that I'll share them with you. If you happen to think of any good traditions you'd like in a book, leave them in a comment and I'll send them to her. Yes, you too could be in a book! I love traditions!


My two older sisters got married in the Redlands California temple, and that's where I'm getting married in May. I am also using the same veil they used.
Every Valentines day, my mom would get a box of chocolates for me and my four sisters. They would be waiting for us on the mantle when we woke up.
My family has a usual routine for the 4th of July. In the afternoon, we gather all our footballs and lawn toys, and go to the field at Moore Middle School (my dad taught there at one point). We would set up the lawn chairs and blankets, eat potato salad and chips, and play football and frisbee until it got too dark. At that point, we sit on the blankets and try to play Uno by flashlight. All the while, there is a large mixing bowl of cookie dough with tons of spoons in it, which we would use to eat cookie dough at will. When the fireworks actually start, we sit back, relax and enjoy the colors and lights. When they finish, we fight the traffic to get home. Once there, we console our dog by giving her hugs and treats (she gets a little freaked out by all the noise).
It's a rule in my family that you can't go to bed before we say family prayers. Whenever someone is tired enough to want to go to bed (usually Dad), we gather in the living room and kneel. Our family is really playful, so it usually takes a few minutes for us to settle down to a reverent enough state. We go through the family cycle of who offers the prayer.
Half birthdays are a big deal in my family. We always celebrate, but the celebration ranges from a telephone call to a party. My favorite half birthday consisted of a surprise visit from my fiance, a few telephone calls from family and friends, and a rousing game of ping pong.
For my whole college career, I went to my grandma's house for Sunday dinner every week. As many cousins, siblings, uncles and aunts as we could muster would come and enjoy Grandma's home cooked meals, usually consisting of a roast and potatoes. Sometimes we would be assigned something to bring (i.e. dessert, a side, a drink). My grandma would make these assignments, as well as organize carpools, by a mid-week email. For an 80 year old woman, she was very proficient at emailing. When dinner was over, the crowed would clean the dishes, take the extra leaves out of the table, put away the extra chairs, and things would usually deteriorate into a game of Uno.