Traditions

I've been vigilantly reading Noel Piper's Treasuring God in Our Traditions, and I'm so excited about implementing some of the traditions that she suggests for families. I'm not finished reading yet, but here are some of the things we are going to try to incorporate in our family from now on.

- Once a month Tyler and I will go on a "date" (I'm looking for another word for date, but for now, that's what we're calling it.) and when Piper's old enough, she'll go on a "date" with Mark. Treasured time together.

- One of us (probably me) will write a poem or letter to each child every year on their birthday.

- Some of the traditions we were already doing are daily reading the Bible as a family and praying together at meals and at night.

- Added to our daily routine will be a special "quiet time" where Tyler and Piper will have their own individual time with God. While they are so small, they can color a picture about the Bible story we just read, look at a Bible picture book, or quietly listen to Bible songs.

- I'm also in the process of choosing a hymn for each child that we will try to sing daily. Noel Piper did this during the bedtime routine, but I don't know if that will work for us. Singing seems to arouse my children rather than calm them. I'll fit it in somewhere though.