The Tradition Continues

Today is YC’s and my 23^rd wedding anniversary.  It seems I have started a tradition of posting a blog on our anniversary.  And I guess the blog will be about memories I have with YC.

My wife likes traditions.  She feels they give our children a sense of certainty – something to count on and look forward to.  They know that we will have “family reunion dinner” at Chinese New Year.  We will put up our Christmas tree after M1’s birthday; we will open presents on Christmas morning.  We will go to Menchie’s after dance recital.

Well, COVID-19 put a wrench in a few of these traditions (the Menchie’s we normally go to closed down).  But YC is also very flexible.  She doesn’t let the traditions force her to do things.  She partakes in them because she enjoys them.  If something changes, she will change the tradition, maybe start a new one.  She told our girls, “You will also start new traditions with your children.”

One tradition that YC is very rigid on, though, is apple picking.  We went every year that I can remember, since M1 was old enough to grab an apple.  Sometimes we went with friends, sometimes we went with cousins, and sometimes we just went with our own family.  One thing you can be sure of is that when Thanksgiving approached, we would go apple picking.  There was one orchard where we got to take a wagon ride and children were able to run around on haystacks.  But eventually it got too pricey.  YC found other orchards, one as far away as Mississauga.  There were some good ones in Stouffville where we also bought fresh apple cider that tasted very good.  One time we tried baking an apple pie with the apples we picked, but it didn’t turn out that well.  The important thing is that we had fun.

The one thing YC enjoys most about apple picking is taking pictures of our girls – picking apples, funny poses, just having fun.  This actually leads into another tradition of YC’s.  That is our family calendar.  YC makes a calendar each year with pictures of our family (and friends’) events throughout the year.  She loves the apple picking ones.

I’m happy to report that during the past two years, we did not let COVID stop this tradition.  We still went and picked our apples, drank apple cider, and took nice pictures that made their way into the family calendar.  YC, my love, I hope you enjoy reminiscing about our apple picking memories.  Happy Anniversary.

Big Oh