Making Memories Can Be Fun

If you haven't started a family tradition with something I highly encourage you to start! It doesn't feel like a big deal when they are little. Yet, when they are teens and college kids and begin working their schedules around your tradition without you having to force it, ...its PURE SWEETNESS!















This picture says it all!

Is there anything better when you are 9 years old than KNOWING you just picked one of your dads fantasy football picks for your own team?!

I remember when our older boys would carry this same expression! The joy of knowing you have arrived to the competitive level! (We start ours young!)

I always thought our traditions would be around Christmas or Thanksgiving. We have a few of those traditions too but they aren't as ingrained as Fantasy Football is to our crew.


I have to say, knowing that one day they will have their own families and knowing that their spouses family will play a role in what traditions their own family holds, I love that we have Fantasy Football to bring us together! It isn't tied around a holiday that we may or may not be able to make. It is designed around a sport that whether we are at home or across the miles we can connect and play!

For now, we will enjoy the moments we can all draft in the same home!

10 computers + 10 teams + 1 goal = Familybits Fantasy Football Fun

Although fall is a crazy busy time for a family of 10, the fact that we all stay connected in some way when our teams play keeps us in touch! Whether we are setting our line up, bathing in the glory we just won, or laughing that we totally forgot 1/2 our team had a Bye week....for the next 17 weeks we have a common connection point in our craziness!

Our biggest goal in making a tradition is making sure it has pleasant memories. If the tradition becomes more important than the people, how pleasant will that be?

It takes a focused effort on my part to not try to control the tradition. Each one is slightly organic in nature. You have to leave room for people to change, the atmosphere to grow, and become a pro at managing expectations, diffusing irritations, and laughing the right laugh in tense moments.

Moms, this tradition will only be as good, or should I say enjoyable, as I allow it to become.

Basically, I set the tone! If I remember the goal...to have a connecting point for the family, then my focus stays right! If I get side-tracked on the food being right, the house staying clean, or the kids sitting in the right spot, then I have zapped all the fun out of the purpose of our tradition. These things are a little mix of planned things, with a little bit of human complexity, and then showered with a little chaos, and cover all of it with laughter. Within a few short hours you have a family tradition that is remembered for the fun and laughter and not the event that took mom over the edge!

Whatever your tradition may be...

• pray as you prepare...this always helps me find my holes and gets my heart right
  
• plan ahead...knowing it won't go exactly as planned
  
• find your thought process to get you back on track...cause something will make you lose focus
  
• laugh when things fall apart...pretty sure something will
  
• sit and enjoy moments with the family (You and I know that no matter what the tradition, WE will be busy! Don't let that keep you from sitting and enjoying part of the moments!)
• pray thankfulness as you clean...remembering the laughter makes clean up enjoyable

What is your favorite family tradition? Or tip for creating the right atmosphere?