Latest / Just Us Sisters / Episode 16: Family Traditions
Transcript
- speaker-0: Welcome to the Just A Sisters podcast. Life doesn't come with a manual, so we made a podcast. speaker-2: To the just Hi, welcome to Just Our Sisters Podcast. I'm Shelley and I'm sister number three. I want to introduce my sisters to you. My oldest sister number one is Susan, Cheryl is number two, and baby sister number four is Stacy. Today we're discussing our family's traditions and what they mean to each of us. So we'll jump right in with what is one of your favorite family traditions? There were speaker-0: to choose from. I don't y'all think I don't know that I had a a favorite for us. The one that I remember probably the most was our victory breakfast before every basketball game. My dad would make us victory biscuits and eggs and bacon and write us a little note before the game and just it was just a fun little thing that I was thinking about the game and about hopefully winning. And I speaker-1: we all took that into our own families as well. I ⁓ by doing that for our children on their game days. Yeah. speaker-3: Yeah. My favorite family tradition will I think it will always be every other year at Christmas because it starts out on the Christmas Eve with Dad's chili. Now some years that's a good thing. Usually it's a really good thing, Dad's chili. ⁓ every once in a while though, he'll decide to he's gonna make it a little hotter this year. And so sometimes Shelley has to make a an extra pot. For people that don't like it as hot. Or sometimes he accidentally burnt the chili. But it doesn't matter. That's not what the the tradition's about. It's having the chili, then everybody loading up on a trailer full of hay. And no matter what neighborhood we're living in, that neighborhood's gonna experience Christmas carols like they've never experienced before. And then we'll come back. And Dad will actually open the Bible and read the the true story of Christmas and speaker-2: ⁓ Cheryl kind of alluded to what feeds into mine, and this is a generation passed down through a couple of generations, and that's alternating the holidays. And you just fall in. It's kind of almost a prenup that if you marry into the family, you just kind of fall into the rotating. So one year we all get together for Christmas, but we don't see each other at Thanksgiving. And the next year. We all get together for Thanksgiving and you won't see each other at Christmas. And it's kind of evolved over the years, but for the most part, the in-laws, the grands, and the grandin-laws have all fallen into that tradition. And it just takes the guesswork of where you're going to be for the holidays out. And I I really like that tradition. speaker-1: That has to be my favorite tradition as well. How many times did we have in laws come on the opposite year? You know, so we've included everyone in there as well. speaker-0: One thing that when we were young I think was fun was just Sunday lunch with our grandparents. I think that was very special. Sometimes it was in a h home at their house, sometimes it was at Ponto's or Lubies or somewhere like that. So that was also a mis a very fun tradition. Yes. speaker-1: Yeah. Logies. speaker-2: So what's something that our family did that you thought was normal until you went to someone else's house? speaker-1: think that grandparent time, you know, the time that we spent with our grandparents and that we did Sunday dinners or lunches with them and hung out with them and stayed the night with them sometimes. speaker-3: I agree with Stacy. We'd look up, you know, on it from a game and we'd see our grandparents up there and there wasn't very many other grandparents in the stands if you if you think about it. Another thing is when you go over somebody else's house and you get ready to eat, you're waiting, waiting for that prayer to be said. And it's not that they didn't, you know, love Jesus, but we said a a prayer before Breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever we were eating. So that was one thing I I noticed other people didn't do as much. speaker-2: So mine goes right in along with that. Because of the size of our family now, we typically serve buffet style. And I just assume that everyone else did it like us, and that's oldest to youngest. And we let any guest outside of the family that might be present go first, but we start with the oldest and end with the youngest. And we have done that as long as I can remember. speaker-0: And that's when you're glad you're the age you are. Yes. speaker-2: Yes. speaker-1: 'Cause we've all been at the end of that line before. speaker-4: Yes. ⁓ speaker-1: The newer ones don't like it though. They don't mm mm. They're like, What? That's not speaker-2: Right. So who in the family is the keeper of traditions? speaker-0: You I would say Mamma. speaker-2: ⁓ Well the four of us, out of the four of us. speaker-1: I think we all do. speaker-2: I would say me. speaker-3: would definitely say Shelly keeps all traditions that our family does alive and she does a really good job at it. speaker-2: Because it's a lot of work. speaker-0: Well, I beg to differ. Not that she does a good job, but I think we all do. keep a lot of these traditions going. Even in our own families, you know, just yeah. Sometimes it's hard with the large family, but in our own immediate families, I think I think we all do a pretty good job at that. speaker-4: Thank you. speaker-2: Then I won't ask which sister's most likely to break tradition. speaker-1: Which one do you think though? speaker-3: I think Suzanne. speaker-0: I said Stacy I don't know. I could or share. speaker-3: Pick somebody. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-2: You know, a lot of our traditions are food centric. Yeah. You're not getting the message there. So what family meal instantly takes you back to childhood? Let me la I wanna hear y'all's thoughts on that. speaker-1: Roast. Roast. speaker-0: ⁓ pot ⁓ I thought you meant breakfast, lunch or dinner. I said breakfast. speaker-3: Chicken fried tonight. speaker-1: Potrose, we never had chicken fried steak. speaker-3: What? We I did. speaker-0: Who said that? Cheryl, we eat chicken fried steak all the time. speaker-3: I know. We had chicken fried steak and it mom did a whoo she did it upright. She made chicken fried steaks, mashed potatoes, green beans. I don't think we had salad, did we? speaker-1: We never ate. speaker-0: Green bean speaker-2: We did have green beans. speaker-1: Green beans. And so speaker-0: Breakfast. I know I know I went general, but every time I smell bacon cooking I think of Grand and Pop's house. I don't know why. Think of Grand and Pop, it brings back some sweet memories. Yeah. speaker-3: Yeah. speaker-2: Well, if we weren't eating at Luby's or Wyatt's, we were having pot roast though. Every Sunday. Yep. speaker-1: Yeah. Even when the my kids were younger, Mamma would have pot roast on Sundays. And they they talk about that today. So speaker-2: So is there a tradition that some in the family might be annoyed by, but it still happens? speaker-1: Maybe the every other holiday and doing it on the day because I think some of our children with children would like for their children to experience Christmas at home. I think that would probably be the only annoyance part. speaker-0: Or the Christmas Caroline in the hay. speaker-1: Never heard a complaint about speaker-2: thought everyone love that. Hey, I can eliminate that in a heartbeat because that's some pain in the butt to get together. Anyway. speaker-0: It's fun to me, but I'm sure ⁓ some of the y younger ones are like, ⁓ my gosh, we're gonna sing. We don't know how to sing. speaker-1: We don't speaker-2: Well, I I really think the oldest to youngest in line does annoy some and obviously the younger ones, but I love it because it means little hands haven't gone into all the dishes before we get up there and get our food. speaker-0: That's true. I never thought about that. speaker-1: I know, I ain't been either. speaker-2: Or they take huge portions and then leave half of it on the plate. So I like that tradition myself. speaker-1: And you're older too, so speaker-2: Yeah. What am I number about number six now? No. So I'm curious, ⁓ if we if our family had a slogan, what would it be? speaker-0: From generation to generation, the love lives on. speaker-3: say we do use this one. You snooze, you lose. And Shelly, yeah, your husband found out the hard way. Yes. speaker-2: She did. speaker-4: Ha speaker-1: Mine is this is the last time we're all gonna be together to get a picture. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-2: Yeah. ⁓ that's so true. So which family tradition means more to you now that you've gotten older? speaker-1: Gosh, they all mean them on. Yeah. Yeah. They just you look back and and they mean so much and you want to continue those traditions with your own family. In fact, really push them. Like you said, it's almost prenup ish. Yeah. You know, and you drive that in your kids as well when they're engaged. Hey, you know, every other holiday you're with us, right? And then when it doesn't happen, it's kind of disappointing. It's like, How did that happen? I but they all mean so much. Well like speaker-0: Especially that Christmas, seeing the children and cousins and aunts all coming together, you know, and having conversation and catching up. 'Cause that's really the only time we have to do that. And I just love standing there looking at all the different generations, you know, laughing and talking and that would be my favorite too. speaker-2: You know, Cheryl mentioned part of our Christmas Eve ⁓ tradition being dad reading the Christmas story from the Bible. And with Christmas becoming more and more commercialized, that time, especially with with him and and the blessing that we have that they're still around, is even that much more special as we get older. Yes. speaker-3: Mine is during Thanksgiving I love hearing all the kids and everybody say what they're thankful for because it means y some of ⁓ get kind of teary eyed and almost everybody comes up with something. speaker-1: I think the last Thanksgiving that we had at Susan's house, that one was so special because everybody shared something and put a lot of thought into it as well. And it it does, you know, it makes you think how blessed our whole family is. speaker-0: Mm-hmm. speaker-2: Yeah. Have there been ⁓ traditions that you chose not to continue in your own family? I I couldn't think of any. No. speaker-1: I I think we do Sunday lunch or get togethers a little different now. You know, some of the kids live so far we can't do it. But with Trevor's family, we try to meet them at a place called Camp Brightside. The kids get to run around. We can sit and talk and have dinner or more like snacks there. But we like to get together with them on Sundays for the ones that are close. speaker-2: Yeah. So we kind of talked about which ones you've continued with your own family. Did anyone want to add anything to that? speaker-0: Actually it was one of my daughter in laws, Angie. We started Sunday swim club and it was a time where all the families came that lived here and came to the house and we swam and we had a cookout or just kept it simple. Pizza or hot dogs or hamburger, you know, nachos, something very simple, not a major, you know, feast. And it just was so fun. We swam and we talked and we sang music and it just was very, very sweet time. That's one tradition actually that we did for many, many, many years and then we moved and we don't have a pool. Can't do Sunday swim club, but we'll have to start something new. speaker-1: Well they have a pool you could go to their house. speaker-0: That's true. We could do Sunday swim club F ⁓ Caleb and Angie's. Mm-hmm. speaker-3: The two I really like that we do is we all go to a s summer vacation spot together. My family, just the immediate family. And we've been doing that for a few years now. And then we've added one the last like five years. Half of the family likes the Astros, you know, the good half. And then the other half like the the Rangers. So one year we'll go to Ardington to see the ⁓ Astros and Rangers and then another year we'll go to Houston and see the Astros and Rangers and we just flip flop it like that. And so we all look forward to that. speaker-2: That's a good one. speaker-0: One thing that ⁓ a tradition that we have started because there's so many of us, we do a monthly birthday celebration. And just if there's two or if there's six birthdays that month, we bring ⁓ all together and we celebrate their one birthday all together. And it's just another fun time to bring the cousins together, the aunts and uncles together and just honor those people that have birthdays and celebrate. speaker-1: Great step. Yeah. I love that. I'm with Cheryl. We do a a family trip every other year where we all get together. And like last time we went to Broken Bow, Oklahoma. This year just part of the family will get together in Portoransis. And then next year we're looking at Lake Tahoe or somewhere towards the West Coast. But also on our holidays that we're not together. So if we have a Thanksgiving that we're not supposed to get together. We try to get together during one of the days of the holiday to eat and to go play golf or go to talk golf or something, but do something together as a family. speaker-2: Good. So what traditions do you hope your own kids keep alive? speaker-1: All of Especially the every other holiday one. Well speaker-2: When Cherokee meets and marries, I truly hope that he is willing to fall right in to the alternating holidays because it's worked so well for the family. One of the traditions my parents started, and that's taking the kids on a trip for the ninth or tenth birthday. And that I look forward to doing with my own grandchildren if and when they come. So what traditions are fading in modern families? speaker-1: Spinning time with me. speaker-0: Absolutely. Totally agree. You rarely see that anymore. Not just families coming together, but grandparents and aunts and uncles even. speaker-2: That's what I was gonna say also, because it it's just not common for kids to know their grandparents very much these days. And I think it's unfortunate because I think there's a lot of wisdom that could be passed to the kids, but the grandparents obviously benefit from the love and and being around their grandkids. speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. I know I'm very jealous of my sons who live close to their wives' family and parents because of the time that they get to spend. Although I want them to do that. I want them to build that relationship and for the kids to have that relationship with their grandparents. But it does kind of hurt a little, you know, because we're not there. And it's like they're getting to experience something that I got to experience on the other side. And I I want my grandkids to get to experience that as well. speaker-0: Right. I think in this day and time because families are so spread apart, we were so blessed to have both sets of grandparents living in San Antonio from the majority of the time. I know our grandparents did live in Oklahoma, one set did for a time, but man, you don't find very many families these days that have both sets right there. That's pretty amazing. speaker-2: Agree. So this question kind of goes along with that, but how do you balance old traditions with changing times? speaker-3: Be flexible. speaker-0: with lots of grace because you have another person coming into your family and they may be bringing their traditions in. And you don't want them to throw out their traditions any more than they would want you to throw out yours. And so it's just it may look different. We just have to give each other grace in in the process. speaker-1: Yeah, Lexi and Derek live in Columbus and Lexi's family all get together on Christmas Eve for Christmas. And that means they miss out on the Christmas Eve part of our Christmas. But I don't want them to miss out on the traditions that her family has had for years either. So if I can if I get them for part of it, I'm very happy with that. Although I hate that they're missing out on part, they're getting something on the other side. And continuing a tradition there. Yeah. So it is flexibility and grace. I like that. Yeah. speaker-2: I just have to laugh because it it took me a long time to show grace. And you know, now my attitude has changed from those that come, great, those that don't, you know, they just will miss out because you can't get a bug up your butt if people don't show up. And we're gonna have a good time regardless. So it took me a while. I actually I'm still working on it. speaker-0: Well, the thing. That's why I was like, really? speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-1: I think Shelley, you gotta know that we go through that a lot ourselves too. We don't want them to miss out, but also we don't wanna miss out on that time with them. speaker-0: Yeah. So wait until you have a son in law and then you can add to the conversation. Death saying. speaker-2: Last thing and then we're gonna do rapid fire questions that y'all do not know are coming. And I just want you to say the first thing that comes to mind with these, just just to have fun. ⁓ but the last question is what's one thing you hope our listeners take away from from this conversation? It speaker-0: It's never too late to start a tradition. speaker-1: Yeah, that would be more possible with them. You know, they don't always have to look exactly the same as long as that heart is there and that you're keeping something going. Yes. speaker-2: Hope they feel how special our family traditions are and you know have a desire to adopt ones that either look like ours or are completely different for their family to carry on for generations. speaker-3: Be present. speaker-0: Let's go. speaker-1: Joel's not gonna make rapid fire. speaker-2: We're just having a little technical difficulty. It's okay. First thing that comes to your mind, okay? And just say it at once. Okay. Favorite holiday food. speaker-1: Turkey. speaker-3: Dressing. speaker-2: Okay, not so rapid fire round for Cheryl. Yeah. Okay, most dramatic sister. speaker-1: Delly. speaker-0: Shelly Shelly. ⁓ speaker-2: Best cook, Susan Driver. Susan I'm the best driver out of all of y'all speaker-0: Susan. Worst. speaker-3: No, Susan. Susan is. Susan is work, Susan. Yes. speaker-1: For my life at times riding with Shelly. So No Yeah, that's what I remember though. Shelley. ⁓ speaker-2: ⁓ God. No, no. Susan's the worst out of all of us. Yeah. Of course I haven't ridden with Stacy in years, so I have no idea what she drives. speaker-0: Doesn't dry. speaker-3: Yeah. speaker-0: Okay, next question. speaker-2: Sister most likely to start an argument. Sheryl. ⁓ speaker-0: Tchau. speaker-1: Okay. Who do you think, Shelley? speaker-2: Probably me because Sheryl doesn't like confrontation. speaker-0: Well, Cheryl will start it and then everyone speaker-2: Most competitive sister. speaker-3: Me speaker-1: I think we all are all speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, I think we all are, but I think Sherl's the most speaker-2: Probably Sherall will be the most. Who's always late? speaker-0: Shall I? speaker-1: Shelly. speaker-3: Shelley. speaker-2: That was a big delay! speaker-1: That was like thirty seconds. speaker-0: Yeah. speaker-2: Yes. Okay. Final question. Whew. One word to describe our family. speaker-1: Fun. speaker-3: Eccentric. speaker-0: Crazy. speaker-2: Abnormal. Used to think normal, abnormally normal, but that's two words. Okay, that was fun. We hope that you've enjoyed us sharing our family's traditions with you. Next week, Cheryl will be hosting episode sixteen, The Force Behind the Sisters, which will feature both of our parents. We can't wait for you to see the biggest influence on our lives. Until then, life is messy, meaningful, and better when shared. Thanks for listening. speaker-0: Don't forget to like us. speaker-3: Share us. speaker-2: ⁓ man. speaker-1: Subscribe. speaker-4: Bye. speaker-2: From the JING speaker-4: E E BELLS Santa came to say Rudolph went speaker-3: Okay. speaker-2: There we go. That will be very interesting. speaker-0: Be interesting.