Thursday, September 06, 2007

Monday, September 03, 2007

Maannnnyyy Things to Speak of....

Lately, I have been running into the word "tradition" alot. I got to thinking what tradition really signifies to me and how it is part of my day-to-day life. Traditions are about repeating and celebrating moments that make you feel content. They are a connection between your past and present. So, here are some traditions in my life, that have been with me for as long as I can remember. My Grandparents house in Gnadenhutten, Ohio. It has been in our family for a few generations, and I still smile when I see it, as I turn the corner on their street. It always feels like home to me. My tire swing in the backyard. I haven't used it in years, but other kids have come since me, so Grandpa keeps it up. In my mind, it will always be "my tire swing". And it feels like he keeps it up just for me, in case one day I want to take a swing again.

Both of my grandmas hung their clothes out to dry on the line in the summer. I used to love to run back and forth through the sheets hanging on the lines. And nothing smells or feels better than crawling onto clean sheets that hung out to dry all day.



This picture makes me so proud. I love my grandpa and I had to have this picture of him with his new Harley. For as long as I can remember, my family has loved motorcycles and dirt bikes, and any other various ATV you can think of. It is one of the most prominent similarities between my family and Justin's.


Our family sits on the front porch. We have the best time sitting on the patio furniture in a long row talking back and forth about anything and everything. My grandma tells us all the latest stories about the family and then we talk about the neighborhood and everyone who has visited lately. We laugh and carry on a lot and there is usually food and coffee involved. Lots of wildlife visits their house and this is a new little friend of theirs. I wonder if grandma has named it yet?? teehee...



These next few photos are pictures of what the world is like where I come from. The traditions I developed here, are a big part of who I am today. As a kid, I used to ride down the road by these places for fun. I forgot just how beautiful it is and how much I missed this small family tradition.