Previous Adventure          The List          Next Adventure

Start a Tradition

finished 8/7/18

I've always had a thing for traditions.  Probably because I really don't have any or many.  It seems every year around the holidays we have to change things up.  This was the case growing up as well.  As a kid I had visions of always going to grandma's house or anybody's house for that matter, and singing carols and eating the same foods and having the same arguments.  Well, maybe not the arguments, but you get the idea.  I wanted normalcy, stability, a feeling of nostalgia. Didn't happen.  I have implemented the advent box tradition, inconsistently. There was the tradition of having Mary and Joseph travel throughout the house "on their journey to Bethlehem." Didn't last.  We used to draw pictures each year in a Happiness Book around Thanksgiving. Lost it. I could name countless others that never really took off.  But I still have the itch.  

Here's my plan.  This tradition will not be centered around a holiday and it will not be rigid.  I would like to try to implement Sunday dinners, a big lunch in the mid afternoon.  Kids are at the age where they like to sleep in on Sunday morning and since we can't seem to find a church to go to, that works out fine.  I will let everyone know what I plan to make for the meal and when it will be ready so they can prepare and not eat a pizza 5 minutes before.    The tradition will also include others helping with the making of the mean and it will include a message from Pastor Don.  I would really like to be in church, but this will have to do. We've done it a few times before and I think it works well, but again the issue is consistency.  My issue obviously.  Let's see if we can give this one a go.

BTW, the picture is a joke.  In no way do I think this is what our Sunday dinners will look like unless you are talking about the creepy guy in the bottom right looking straight at you.

7/21/16 Of course I find out right after I write this that the kids are leaving on Saturday night, so my first meal I had planned would be for just Jeremy and I and that is probably not going to happen.  I might be able to convince him to listen to Pastor Don with me.  He really likes Pastor Don.

7/30/16 Well life got int he way last week.  I guess when it is just Jeremy and me, I don't feel compelled to go all out to cook. We are planning on being in the jeep tomorrow so that doesn't look like a great time either.  What I need to do is schedule the meals. Actually put it on the calendar along with the recipe I'm going to use.  

8/14/16 Halfway through dinner I realized I forgot about starting a sermon.  We did have dinner together.  We've done that several times the past couple of weeks and I think it is more important than a long workout. I only have four more years with David in the house.  I want to soak it up, really enjoy it, get to know him and Kaleb as they move through some pivotal times in their youth. We've banned cell phones during dinner and David even called Jeremy out on using his tonight. Eating together has been fun. Hopefully it isn't a phase.

8/20/16 Sunday is here again and can't start this week either. We are taking our guest from Holland off-roading today. Even though we haven't been able to start the tradition I anticipated, we have had more meals as a family and I have enjoyed that. I still want to incorporate Pastor Don's messages though. Say a silent prayer to ask God for help and guidance and no worry about it. It will come.

8/28/16 This is not going well at all. Jeremy and I went out to off-road today with a group and didn't get back until just before dinnertime. Maybe I need to reevaluate my idea. We are doing so much better eating as a family, but the listening to a message is not going all that well. I think that part is important though. I'm not quire ready to let that one go. Maybe I need to illicit suggestions from the peanut crowd to gain buy in from the rest of the family. OK, I'll bring it up at a family dinner this week.

If I just went with eating as a family, then we are rocking the new tradition. Jeremy wants to start working out again and that means in the evenings, but I do not want to stop eating as a family. It is important to me and I enjoy it.

9/23/16 Well, this tradition is in the crapper. 

11/28/16 I have it. I have been watching a movie with the family on Sundays and talking about how it relates to God, our lives and the Bible. It has actually gone over well. I tell them it is time for church and they plop down. The boys even participate well. I have them read the scriptures by actually finding it in the Bible, which is comical at times. I try to be patient when they look for Luke in the Old Testament and Psalms in the New. It takes time. It just means we have fallen down on the religious education a bit. No time like the present. So far we have watched and studied The Village, Bourne Legacy and my personal favorite...City Slickers. The first time I used an actual study that I paid for online. The last two times, I just looked up the movie summary and googled some concepts to highlight. I am a teacher for crying out loud. This is a cake walk! And I'm enjoying it. I like spending time with them and doing something meaningful. That is what this whole start a tradition thing is about anyway, finding a way to connect with my family and make an impact. I hope it sticks and this does not become an owl latch hook all over again.

1/31/17 We have added Sleepless in Seattle and RV to the list of Movie Bible Studies. I'm trying to figure out if I can use any of the Oscar nominated movies. Always trying to kill two birds. The boys never complain about the Bible Study and they actually answer the questions. I should have them suggest a movie once in a while.

2/19/17 Watched Rudy tonight and talked about our dreams and what it takes to accomplish them and how other people help or hinder us along the way, but we can't let that get in the way of reaching our goals. I think I could watch Rudy over and over again. Well, I have in fact watched Rudy over and over again and now I am dragging a younger generation along with me.

8/7/18 When does something actually become a tradition? I'm not totally sure on this one, but we started Mosaic at our house on Sundays and the boys actually ask if we are going to do Mosaic today. It isn't an every Sunday thing. I don't force it on the family. We listen to one of Pastor Don's messages and we do some kind of art. I usually end up doing a mandala and the boys usually draw. We have some great conversations about what Don is talking about and try to apply it to our own lives. It has been the best "church" we have been to since we have been here in the Seattle area. 

Through this experience I have learned that traditions are only meaningful if others buy into them and want to participate. I may not have a star on top of the Christmas tree (didn't even have a Christmas tree this year), but I have moments where we are creating meaningful memories. And that is better than any star.