Something that hits different when you start a family. I lived in Florida for about 20 something years. After my family grew by 2, my husband and I wanted a fresh start in a place with actual seasons, sorry Florida!! We landed in Greenville. I was a new stay at home Mom, who tutors with 2 under the age of 2, looking for routine and consistency. Not just for my kiddos, but for me as well. Before, I took leave, my teacher friends and I went out a lot. Over the years, us teachers had formed traditions. These activities built up friendships, helped to relieve stress from the job, and connected us as a community. All of a sudden, I found myself without them. It felt as if I had lost something. After sadly calling my friends across the states, they suggested to Mom date. And boy that was rough!!! I will get into that another day, but if you know, then you know!

I went to bookstores, joined Mom groups, had playdates. And just when I thought it would not work, something clicked and before I knew it new traditions were made! Now these did not involve drinking, as a lot of us caregivers were with newborns, but we felt united going through all of the major and minor ups and downs of parenthood. Complaining about naps that were not taken, breastfeeding, terrible 2’s, 3’s, 5’s, 12’s, postpartum, and the guilty feeling of not getting enough done at home. It felt amazing, I was not alone! One day during the Fall, the caregivers in our group talked about wanting to start new traditions within their families. We threw out ideas and decided to share what stuck.

So, I started digging to find activities I can do with my little family that can turn into an annual thing. In Florida, most trees stay green or instantly turn brown and die. I wanted to check out the changing of leaf colors. We packed up our car and drove to North Carolina and found magic. The vivid colors were mesmerizing! I found so many shades of reds, oranges, purples, yellow- it was insane! My kids jumped, crawled, and walked through leaves. We took countless of photos! What memories!! Then we found farms with orchards you can pick apples, pumpkins, gourdes, and corn. They made apple desserts- turnovers, pies, dumplings, slushies, ciders, donuts right there! On top of that there were corn field mazes, animals to pet, and hayrides to go on. The day was full of laughter, food, and family. Needless to say, we had a ton of fun that day! Our family finally found traditions we looked forward to participating in every year!

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons. Finding these new traditions made it that much more close to my heart.

What traditions do you have or want to create with your loved ones?