I love having "traditions" in my life. I am not sure if I have always been this way, but I do know that the need for that form of stability + joy in my life has grown quite important over the past decade or so.
Perhaps a sign of getting old? haha ;)
I am also not sure where I get this desire from. Marmie has always been a spontaneous person, and my Daddy was the same way. Don't get me wrong...I do have a spontaneous streak in me, but it's not quite as prominent as it can/could be seen in Marmie and Daddy.
The following are just a few of those traditions I hold near and dear to my heart:
EXHIBIT A:
"The Christmastime Trip to Asheville with the Teacher"
The Teacher and I started this tradition in 2009. This year will only be our third year, but I certainly think that is long enough to be considered something permament! :)
What is this trip, you ask? Well, the Teacher and I (plus Marmie, some years) go to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC every December. From Thanksgiving until early January (I believe!), The Grove Park holds their annual National Gingerbread Display and Contest. It's a fairly big deal. It has been featured on the Food Network a few times, and the winners of the contest are always on Good Morning America the morning of December 24. (That being said, if you go...go at least a week before Christmas Eve, so the grand prize winners are still there and not on their journey to NYC! We learned that the hard way Year One!) There are amazing gingerbread houses (Check out the photo albums from years past on my Facebook for some pics!)
After we leisurely walk through the hotel, viewing ALL of the gingerbread creations AND stopping for our annual picture on the reindeer driven sleigh in the Great Hall, we peruse the gift shops for neat Christmas ornaments (I usually get a wine/spirits related ornament each year) and stop for a cider or cappuccino. It is beyond relaxing and is the perfect way to "get in the Christmas spirit"!
From there, we go to lunch and do any necessary Christmas shopping at one of our favorite malls, the Asheville Mall. :)
It is a simple trip, but one I cherish so dearly! We always have an amazing day, with amazing conversations on our journey. Plus, it's so nice to oooh and aaah over the gingerbread displays like little kids for a while. :)
EXHIBIT B
"The Annual Mother-Daughter trip to Home Craft Days with the New Mom and our Moms"
I honestly could not tell you how long this tradition has been going on! I do know it did NOT used to be a "Mother-Daughter" trip, but merely a "Best Friends" trip for a number of years. I think it was just in the last few years that the New Mom and I began to cherish our Moms more and want them with us. :)
The New Mom and I are alike in the fact that we love the rustic/cabin feel crafts...and love to make fun of those crafts that are just downright weird or creepy. Granted, these people are exhibiting more creative genes and talent than we have yet, and we really should not laugh behind their backs...but we do. I'm just being honest. haha.
We also love good "homecooked" and "fall-like" foods!
So...we always start off eating, then take our time looking at all the crafts. Normally we leave with more purchases than we ever intended to go home with, of course!
This past weekend was Home Craft Days. It ended up just being the New Mom, her Mom, the Niece, and myself. Unfortunately, with Marmie having her knee replaced in the recent past, she knew she would not be able to walk around without dealing with repercussions later. It wasn't the same without Marmie, at all!
We still had a great time. It was the Niece's first time, and she did great, overall. Towards the end of the trip, she had enough and got whiny/sleepy, but that is to be expected from an 8 month old. She sure seemed to have fun while she was awake, though. The little stinker was all flopped back in her stroller, one foot propped up on the food tray on the stroller, making her "fish face" at all the people we passed. It was beyond adorable!
The food was great, of course...as always. I had AMAZING barbecue and equally amazing strawberry lemonade. S-C-O-R-E! The crafts, however, were just not as enticing this year. Granted, we did see some really good work and crafts, but...for the first time ever, I believe...we ALL left without buying a single purchase that wasn't food-related. SO disappointing. :/
That being said, I am already looking forward to mid-October next year...when the New Mom, our Moms, and the toddler version of the Niece, head back to Mountain Empire Community College, as tradition dictates us to do so! :)
EXHIBIT C:
"The Christmas Eve and Day traditions"
Granted, most families do have traditions on Christmas...so, I know this one isn't anything TOO different. :)
Christmas Day has changed, tradition-wise, for Marmie and myself since Daddy passed away in early 2009. We both felt like we needed to handle the day differently, as a coping mechanism for the loss of the patriarch of the family. We do some things the same...such as eating breakfast, then opening presents. Now, however, we have a nice spaghetti supper instead of the whole ham meal deal. Yeah, maybe it's weird...but we like it. :)
Christmas Eve consists of going to my church for the Christmas Eve service, where for the last 11 years, I have sang the same song. It is a song I adore and it is always requested by church members, so I love singing it. (It is "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant, by the way.)
From there, we usually go for a family get-together at my Aunt's house, then I drive around looking at Christmas lights on houses (one of my FAVORITE aspects of Christmas!) before heading home to watch "A Christmas Story" before bed. :)
SO much fun!
There are so many more traditions...Marmie and I have a "Black Friday schedule/tradition. The Registrar and I all but HAVE to go to the drive-in at least once a year...and she is the one I have to see Twilight movies with! haha The BigSis and I had traditions growing up that I do believe we would keep going if we didn't live almost 3 hours apart now. The Boyfriend and I have a few things we do that feel like traditions.
I suppose I am a creature of habit. Like I said before, I DO love spontaneity from time to time...but I also adore the simple joy and love that is found in tradition.
What about you all? Are you like this Southern Sweetie and have traditions you couldn't live without?
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