vacation (a little late) and new traditions

I finally got around to pulling the photos off of my camera from our trip to the Outer Banks in August, only a short month after the actual vacation.  I had so much fun reliving our trip through the pictures that I just had to post some of my favorites here.

And it all (including this awesome article) got me to thinking . . . 

What kind of family traditions do I want to create for our little family?  It's easy to hop on board when members of your extended family plan trips and holiday celebrations and adopting these as traditions is fine by me.  But I'd also like to be more conscious of the traditions that my husband and I feel are important for our family - us and our children.  What will hold the most meaning for us?  What will help bond our little family in ways that are sure to enrich not only our lives, but our children's lives as well?  What kind of relationships do we want to build with each other?

I realize that every year - and this is probably more apparent with my in-laws than with my own family because I most certainly do not know them as well as my own mother and sister - when vacation time rolls around, I get to know my family better.  We create a more lasting bond through our shared experiences, both good and bad, from the parasailing to the arguments; memories that we can all reminisce about, together.  And that is what I want for my daughter - to know her family, to share these moments with them, and to have a strong sense of the traditions and stories that her family holds dear.