52 lists: Family Traditions (week 41 make up week)

This week is "make-up" week for 52 lists. I might make up quite a few lists, but the one that I really wanted to get to was family traditions. I love family traditions, and would love to do more. My kids are always suggesting family traditions that we should start. Sometimes they say we don't have any, but they don't realize some of the simple things we do are traditions. But, first before I share my list of traditions, I want to share this book. I picked it up at our Deseret bookstore on a whim one day. I like to look through it and try new things. There are some great and simple little traditions to do. It is called The Book of New Family Traditions. It has fun ideas for almost any occasion, daily, weekly, yearly, even one time events like a girl starting her period. I know odd, but it had some great points and ideas to make her feel special at a time in her life when a lot is changing.

Anyway, great book. Just wanted to share if you aren't sure where to start in your family traditions, this might be the book for you!

Now for my list of family traditions!

Our thankful tree from 2014

Fall traditions:

• We pick apples every year, and do various things with them including apple sauce, apple pie, apple cookies, etc.
• We take back to school pictures with the kids' grade number.
• We visit a pumpkin patch
• We go on a fall nature walk (school)
• We make a fall thankful tree
• We usually go on a fall camping trip, but had to cancel this year.
• We attend our church's trunk or treat and carnival 
• We don't have any thanksgiving traditions except that we eat a dinner somewhere. Sometimes at home, sometimes with family.
• Celebrate Mom's birthday (this year it's ON Thanksgiving day!)

Alex's Birthday tree for his 4th birthday.

Winter traditions:

• We usually have a countdown to Christmas of some sort.
• We draw names as a family and make or buy a special gifts for the family member drawn.
• We have a glow light dance party on New Year's eve. 
• We celebrate Alex's birthday. Sometimes we decorate the Christmas tree for him if it is still up.
• We go see Christmas lights and go caroling with friends.
• We try to go to the snow at least once
• For Valentine's day I write a reasons I love the children, one for each year, on hearts and tape them up on the wall. (This is a new one from last V-day that I plan to keep doing)

Making Mother's day baskets for gifts.

Spring traditions:

•  Many activities involving Easter
• Celebrate Aaron's and Dad's birthday
• We kick off the camping season with a camping trip on Memorial day weekend, or early June.
• Mother's day celebrations

Aric's 8th birthday breakfast on the birthday plate.

Summer traditions:

• 4th of July family camp
• Aric's birthday is celebrated
• April's birthday is celebrated

Some other more frequent traditions include:

• Birthday person gets their choice of dinner out, and we all go out as a family
• We have the missionaries over for dinner each month
• General Conference: I make buckets for the kids with stuff to eat and do while listening. The kids also enjoy making beds on the floor, and having a space of their own.

That's all I can think of. This was a great list. It was good to think about the traditions that we DO have because sometimes it feels like we don't have many. I always start out with the greatest intentions, but sometimes I just can't keep them going. It's nice to see that we have a few things that have stuck around.