Three July Birthdays, One Family Tradition
Some family traditions aren't intentionally created. They simply begin with life—and somewhere along the way, they become part of your family's story.
For us, one of those traditions happened every July.
My husband, Mark, and both of our children celebrate their birthdays in the same month. When the kids were little, that meant July wasn't just birthday season—it became one big family celebration.
Year after year, we opened our home to friends and family. There were backyard tents and balloons, tables overflowing with food, children's games, piñatas, crafts, birthday cakes—and a house that somehow always seemed to have room for one more person.
Back then, I was busy planning the next party.
Today, I'm looking at these old photographs and realizing something very different:
I was watching my children grow up, one July birthday at a time. ❤️
🎂 Three Birthdays, One Celebration
Having three July celebrants gave us a pretty good reason to throw one big party.
With Mark and both of our children celebrating birthdays in the same month, our joint July celebration became a family tradition. Year after year, friends and family would gather at our home to celebrate them together.
There were birthday cakes, balloons, plenty of homemade food, children running around the backyard, and a house filled with conversation and laughter.
Some years were bigger than others, but the tradition continued as the kids grew.
Looking at these photographs now, what catches my attention isn't the decorations or even all the food I prepared.
It's how little the kids were. ❤️
Back then, I was probably wondering whether we had enough food, whether everything was ready, and whether everyone was having a good time.
Today, I simply look at those little faces and wonder where all those years went.
Birthday moments from our 2010 July celebration — blowing out candles, cutting the cake, and celebrating another year together. ❤️
🎈 Childhood Summers in Our Backyard
July birthdays meant summer birthdays—and when the kids were young, that usually meant taking the celebration outside.
Our backyard became their playground. We planned simple games and activities that would keep the kids entertained while the adults ate, talked and enjoyed time together.
There were sack races, piñatas, arts and crafts, and plenty of running around with friends.
Looking back, I love how simple some of these activities were. There wasn't anything elaborate about them. Give the kids a backyard, a game and a group of friends, and they knew exactly how to have fun.
These are some of the photographs that make me smile the most today—not because of what we planned, but because of the joy on their faces.
Sometimes the simplest moments become the sweetest childhood memories. ❤️
Backyard birthday fun in 2010 — sack races, a piñata, friends, and plenty of laughter. ❤️
🎨 A Tradition That Continued
And then another July would come around, and we would do it all over again. ❤️
By 2011, our backyard was once again transformed for another birthday celebration. We set up the canopy, decorated with balloons, prepared activities for the children, and welcomed another houseful of family and friends.
One thing I especially loved was making sure the kids had something fun to do. That year, arts and crafts became part of the celebration, giving them a chance to create something of their own to take home.
Looking at these pictures now, I realize these weren't simply birthday parties. They were little chapters of our children's childhood—and we were creating memories without even realizing how precious they would someday become.
Another July celebration in 2011 — our backyard filled with friends, family, and little activities that made the day especially fun for the kids. ❤️
🏡 A House Full of People
One thing I remember about these celebrations was how full our home became.
Our friends and their children came year after year, and seeing everyone gathered together was part of what made these birthdays so special. The backyard might have been where we planned the party, but with the summer birthday heat, it wasn't unusual for everyone to eventually make their way inside. 😂
Suddenly, the house would be filled with conversations, children moving from room to room, people getting food, and friends simply enjoying one another's company.
At the time, a crowded house probably felt a little chaotic. Looking at these photographs today, though, I see it differently.
A full house meant we had people in our lives who were willing to come, celebrate with us, and become part of our family's memories. ❤️
Sometimes the best sign of a good celebration was simply a house full of people. ❤️
🍽️ Food Was Always Part of the Celebration
Of course, no big family celebration in our home was complete without plenty of food. 😂
I loved planning the menu and preparing dishes for everyone who came. The tables would be filled with trays of homemade food, and seeing our family and friends enjoying what I had prepared was always part of the joy for me.
Looking back, I realize the food was about more than feeding a crowd. It was one of the ways I showed love and welcomed people into our home.
Maybe that's also where part of my love for cooking for others grew—around these busy birthday tables, surrounded by family and friends. ❤️
Homemade food was always at the heart of our celebrations — prepared with love and meant to be shared. ❤️
🌸 Another Year, Another July
And just like that, another year came around.
By 2012, we were celebrating again—another July, another birthday, and another collection of little moments that probably seemed ordinary at the time.
The kids were a little older, but many of the things that made these celebrations special remained the same: family and friends gathered together, plenty of food, and simple activities for the children to enjoy.
One of my favorite pictures from that year is of Jael decorating her own beach pail with her name on it. It's such a simple photograph, but that's exactly why I treasure it now.
These little snapshots remind me how quickly childhood changes from one birthday to the next. ❤️
Jael decorating her beach pail during one of our July celebrations in 2012 — one of those little moments that means so much more years later. ❤️
❤️ Watching Them Grow, One July at a Time
For many years, July came with the familiar rhythm of planning another celebration.
I would think about the food, the cake, the decorations, the activities for the kids, and all the little details that came with welcoming family and friends into our home.
At the time, I don't think I realized what those birthdays were quietly marking.
The children were growing up.
One year they were little enough to get excited about piñatas and sack races. Then another birthday came, and they were a little taller, a little older, and entering another season of childhood.
Year after year, the photographs changed. The faces grew older. The activities changed. Eventually, even the way we celebrated changed.
But every July gave us another chapter of our family's story.
Looking back now, I'm grateful that we celebrated so many of those years together. I may have been busy preparing the parties, but without realizing it, I was also preserving moments that I would someday look back on and cherish. ❤️
🎈 What These Celebrations Taught Me
Looking back, one reason these celebrations became such happy memories was that I learned to plan early.
With three birthdays to celebrate, children to entertain, food to prepare, and friends and family coming over, waiting until the last minute simply wouldn't have worked. Over the years, I learned to think ahead about the menu, activities, decorations, and little details so that when the day finally arrived, I could enjoy the celebration too.
The parties didn't have to be perfect or extravagant. What mattered most was creating a welcoming place where our children could celebrate with their friends and where everyone could enjoy good food and time together.
If there's one lesson I'd carry forward, it's this: a little early planning leaves more room to enjoy the people you're celebrating. ❤️
🍽️ From Our Family Table
Food was always a big part of our July celebrations. Over the years, many of the dishes became familiar favorites—the kind of food I loved preparing when family and friends gathered around our table.
I'll be sharing more of those party dishes, menus, and recipes in the Taste Journal, including ideas for preparing food for a crowd.
🎈 MORE FROM OUR FAMILY CELEBRATIONS — COMING SOON
Years of hosting our family birthday celebrations taught me a lot about feeding a crowd, planning ahead, and keeping children entertained. I'm turning some of those lessons into practical resources that I hope will make planning your own celebrations a little easier.
🍽️ What I Cook for a Crowd
Party menu ideas, make-ahead tips, and recipes from dishes I've served to family and friends through the years.
🗓️ How I Plan a Family Birthday Celebration
My approach to planning ahead, organizing the details, preparing for guests, and leaving enough time to actually enjoy the celebration.
🎉 Party Essentials & Fun Activities for Kids
Simple party essentials and activities that worked for us—from piñatas and sack races to crafts, favors, and backyard fun.
Coming soon to Faithful Footprints Journey. ❤️
🙏 Looking Back, I See God’s Faithfulness
Looking through these old photographs now, I see more than birthday cakes, trays of food, decorations, and children playing in the backyard.
I see God’s faithfulness through the years.
Year after year, He gave us another birthday to celebrate, food to place on the table, a home we could open to others, friends and family to share it with, and children we had the privilege of watching grow right before our eyes.
At the time, I probably didn't stop in the middle of all the planning, cooking, decorating, and hosting to think about it that way. I was simply busy being a mom and making sure everyone was having a good time. 😊
But looking back, I can see the blessing in those ordinary moments.
Not every season of life is perfect, and not every season is easy. Yet through every season, God remains faithful.
Those July celebrations became little markers along our family's journey—reminders of His provision, His goodness, and the gift of another year together. ❤️
🙏 What Does It Really Mean to Be Blessed?
Looking back on these memories also reminds me that being blessed isn't measured by perfect circumstances, what we have, or what we've accomplished. For me, being blessed is rooted in something much deeper—who I am and what I have received through Jesus Christ.
I shared more about this in my Believe reflection:
At the heart of every celebration was family. ❤️
👣 A Footprint Worth Cherishing
When I look at these photographs today, I don't notice whether the decorations were perfect or remember everything that was on the menu.
I see little faces.
I see friends who shared those years with us.
I see a backyard filled with children and a home filled with people.
I see birthday candles being blown out year after year.
And most of all, I see a family growing together through the seasons of life.
Life moved forward, as it always does. The children grew up. The parties changed. Seasons came and went.
But those July celebrations left footprints.
They remind me that sometimes the moments we're busiest living are the very moments we will someday treasure most.
And these are footprints I will always cherish. ❤️
— Emie
