Family Traditions with Kimberly Hilson

What are a few family traditions you remember as a child?

I grew up with such a unique mix of traditions; very southern traditional on my mother's side like Sunday Dinner at Grandma's after church, and my father’s side of the family was very eccentric so we kicked off the start of every summer at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. We did a day in the life in Colonial times. It was actually very fun. They were huge history buffs, so that was kind of their favorite thing.

Do you know who created those traditions and how they were started?

Dinner at Grandma's was something that just always was passed down from family Matriarch to Matriarch.. My Mom's oldest sister is the current host now that my Grandmother is no longer living. Williamsburg was started by my Father's parents in the 1980's and it went all the way until the early 2000's until they were no longer able to travel.

What was your favorite family tradition? Do you still observe this tradition today?
My favorite tradition is one that I have now with my husband’s family. We celebrate as a family on Christmas Day, exchanging gifts with each family member complete with a giant dinner and games. We spend the entire Christmas Day at a loved ones home and for the last 3 or 4 years it’s been our home. I just love it! It’s a very special occasion and we look forward to it each year.

You and your husband are raising a family of six kids ages 9 months-15! What is that like?
It’s busy! We are a blended family. I had 2 kids from a previous marriage and then we had 4 together - including the recent addition of twins! I say now that having six kids is not for the faint of heart, but it’s also so rewarding. Not to mention you are never bored with 8 people in the house.

Has having a large family of your own changed the way you view family? If so, how?

Yes, completely. Now I find myself thinking about the generations to come and the possibility that I could have a ton of grandchildren lol ...it's also made me take a hard look at what's important in life. When you have a large family you truly nestle into a sense of selflessness .You are stretched in an incredible way and you become way more patient. I actually surprise myself on how calm I've become considering my home can resemble functional chaos at any given time.

What are some core strengths you have in place to help keep your family balanced between work, school, and home life?

I would say quality time is our strength right now. Just doing nothing. With the addition of the twins one of the things that instantly changed was our need to be still...and we've really embraced that with Pajama Pancake Saturdays and a completely lazy summer. We all pile up in my bedroom and laugh and talk and watch documentaries. That helps us to stay focused on us continuing to move as one unit.

What traditions and celebrations has your family created?

One my immediate family has is that my husband cooks us breakfast on Sunday mornings before church - every single Sunday since we've been married.  It's breakfast then church. We've only skipped that if we are traveling. Another is one that our extended family has created, is a New Years Eve/Day breakfast. We attend what's called "Watch Night" service at our family church then we go to a relative’s house for breakfast and everyone stays until the sun comes up. It’s like 40-50 people up all night eating, talking and planning family vacations all on this night. It's like an annual family business meeting.

What family tradition is most important to you?

I think right now it's our Sunday tradition. The world is changing and companies are going to 7 day schedules so just being able to have that Family + Worship time consistently is very important and is hopefully laying some great foundations in our children.

What are some favorite sayings or expressions used in your family? How were they created?

Our most used is asking someone if they want "Big or Tiny" in regards to the amount of whatever they are requesting. It was started by my 2nd oldest daughter; when she was 3 or 4 she always requested juice or food in that serving size...It just kinda stuck with everybody and she's 14 now lol...And yes we are all aware that we sound crazy saying "pour me big please" lol, but its our thing.

Do you have any family heirlooms or keepsakes? Can you share a little about the history and memories connected to those items?

Yes, currently I have a few items mostly the normal stuff - a platter from my Grandmother, etc. But two that are still heirlooms in the making are a pair of Oshkosh overalls from my oldest niece (she's 21 now) and each baby between my sisters 3 children and my 6 have worn them. The other is a dress that all the little girls from my husband’s side of the family have worn. That dress is special because it was one of the last dresses his late Aunt purchased for her middle daughter before she passed away. I didn't meet her but I heard she was quite the fashionista and the dress is very pretty and timeless. Magically each girl in the family can fit it starting at about age 7 or so and it's been holding on for about 15 years now and gone through 5 or 6 girls so far.

If there is one family tradition you would like your children to continue, what would it be?

Hopefully they will keep the tradition of coming together as a family weekly. I know that life will change for them but hopefully their connection to family will stay strong and wont be limited to holidays.  I hope that they feel a desire to stay close with one another.

Describe what family means to you

Family to me means Love/Hope. Having such a large family, it has really centered me to be able to think about what is really important in life and that is the ability to recognize the presence of love and being willing to pursue it. It really is the thing that motivates everything else. Just simply loving one another and enjoying what can come from that.

Kimberly has been married for 10 years, and is a SAHM (Stay at home mom) of six children ages 15, 14, 9, 7, and 9 month twins. Her blended family resides in Stone Mountain, GA. In her free time she enjoys all things domestic. She is currently on a quest to master the art of sewing. You can get to know her more through Facebook.