Birthdays in our house are special. Growing up, my mom made sure every birthday was accompanied by cake and ice cream. She’d place that special order to the bakery and then take us to the grocery store to pick out our favorite ice cream. Year after year, this became our tradition – one I knew I would pass onto my own children.
Now, here we are, celebrating our last child’s first birthday, and I can feel tears fill my eyes. It’s hard to say goodbye to a stage of their childhood, and close a chapter you just aren’t sure you’re ready to close. My baby is no longer a baby. She’s turning into an incredible little human being, and I hope that one day she will appreciate the traditions my mother instilled that I now carry on for them.
The older I get, the more I feel that over-the-top birthday parties are overrated and aren’t what kids remember. They remember the little things. Like laughing with their friends. And eating extra ice cream.
That’s why this year, we decided to celebrate Maryn’s first birthday with one of our favorite ice cream brands, Hudsonville Ice Cream. I personally love their Traverse City Cherry Fudge. Hudsonville never skimps on the fudge strips, and those cherries are little balls of goodness. Every parent hopes their child will share their favorite ice cream flavor, BUT just in case Maryn didn’t, we also made sure to have some Superscoop on hand! Because let’s be real, Superscoop is every child’s dream come true. To be honest, you can’t go wrong with any of Hudsonville Ice Cream’s flavors!
While I realize Maryn isn’t old enough to understand this tradition and just how special ice cream will become in her life, I wanted to make sure I started celebrating her the way my mom celebrated me. I wanted to honor this tradition because these celebratory memories are some that I cherish the most. The love, the ice cream, and the simplicity of the day.
I’m sure many of you can also relate to these special moments in life, passing on or creating traditions. Whether it is with friends or family, how we celebrate matters. And those occasions are made even sweeter when you share a scoop of ice cream with your loved ones!
As a mom, I realize the importance of stopping to recognize and celebrate life’s special moments. Just like I remember my birthdays with my mother, so too will my children. And I want those memories, the traditions that they will continue to pass down, to be sweet. It is what brings us together and surrounds us with love. So my family will continue to celebrate our birthdays with Hudsonville Ice Cream. And just for good measure, we’ll eat it on most of the other days too!
So tell us, what are YOUR birthday traditions? Oh, and let’s not forget, what is your favorite ice cream flavor? Bonus points if it’s from Hudsonville Ice Cream, which you can find locally here.
