Tradtions

Traditions are a funny thing. When I was home, teaching the Valiant girls two weeks ago we went around and had everyone share their favorite holiday tradition. One girls family reads out of a book their grandma wrote. One girl's family lets all the kids younger than 25 stay up all night as long as they stay downstairs. I was thinking to myself "man my family doesn't have these kinds of traditions." I was worried we might be lame. Then I realized we totally have traditions.

Christmas Traditions:
1. We cut down our own tree, we get stuck in the snow, and we find one that is at least 3 feet too tall for the living room.
2. The boys break most of the ornaments and they are all concentrated at the bottom of the tree.
3. Mom hangs her Blue Viking Santa ornament and dad hangs his little stain glass house.
4. Mom listens to Doug Stone's Christmas album over and over and over again.
5. EVERYTHING smells like mom's pine candles.
6. We talk dad into letting us open "just one more" present at least twice on Christmas Eve.
7. My brothers fight about who gets to read Luke II.

Birthday Traditions:
1. Katy always feels bad that my presents were better
2. We have birthday donuts, not cake.
3. We wrap presents in that days newspaper
4. You get to pick one activity for the whole family to go out and do.
5. We forget to bring the birthday child with us when we leave and he chases us down the driveway. (okay this one only happened once)

Thanksgiving
1. Mom makes cranberry mousse and that is the only thing Jake eats the whole day.

Fourth of July
1. We go to Gettysburg, and Mormon night at the Phillies.
2. Dad gets all choked up during the fireworks if they play God bless the USA.
3. Dad won't admit he gets all choked up.

Other Random tradish
1. Mom makes dutch oven everything on the 24th of July
2. Katy will always try to take shotgun. Doesn't matter who's turn it is. Doesn't matter if she had it 5 times in a row.
3. I injure myself frequently
4. When dad teaches night classes mom takes us to Delaware for Mexican.
5. Mom would sneak me and my friends out of class and pep rallies to go shopping or grab lunch.
6. Jacob makes "balcano" cookies for FHE.
7. The lesson for Fhe is always The Peanut Butter boy or anky anger if one of the boys does it.
8. Katy never liked dinner and sat at the table for at least an hour after dinner while she gagged it down.