I’ve mentioned before how family traditions get started, continued, and sometimes, wrung dry and parched after a while. Our family pretty much embraces favorite traditions, as in the Fourth of July Flag Cake.
Another tradition that we continue is THE PHOTO. As in, “Wait, wait! Don’t cut the cake yet! We haven’t taken THE PHOTO!”
1980-Not everyone enjoys having their picture taken with the flag cake.
This was/is the original PHOTO. Jeremy, not even 3 years old, wasn’t a kid who enjoyed having his photo taken. He’s even decked out in the patriotic shirt, handed down from his older brother, that dated back to the bicentennial (1976). Kevin, age 7, was gamely trying to do his part. A few years later, as we were looking back at previous Independence Day photos, someone picked up the flag cake, before it got sliced and served, and suggested that it might be humorous to re-create the photo. And we did.
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- 1989-I think someone said, “Remember that funny picture where Jeremy is so grumpy?” and we *sort of* recreated the pose. (And Jeremy was old enough to consider it a joke and not a personal comment.
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- In 1990, we worked harder at an accurate representation.
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- In 1999, Jeremy was out of town, and we first tried using a bust of Jeremy that he had created for a TCU art class. It looked a little bit like him, and with his red t-shirt, it was a nice attempt.
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- But we also tried using Kevin’s friend Barret, who happened to be visiting, and a photo of Jeremy. It works, don’t you think?
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- In 2000, Kevin was away, and Jeremy tried a more artsy sort of flag, but was disappointed at the result. Kevin’s photo, however, likes the cake just fine.
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- In 2002, JoAnne and I were in New York on July 4th. No one else tried for a cake.
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- In 2003, Jeremy achieves what he was going for in 2000.
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- 2017-In which I solve a pesky flag cake issue
There was a photo every year and lots of interesting cakes. There was an ice cream roll cake, and cakes with fruit decorations, and many, many variations of red, white, and/or blue shirts. But this seemed like a representative selection. And I’m really happy with my leftover cake dilemma. And there was always leftover cake. So this year, I made some sugar cookie dough and cut long strips and a blue rectangle. I made strips with red glaze and sprinkles and white glaze and sprinkles and thirteen little white stars to go on the blue rectangle. (Not historically accurate, but I will be thrilled to hand over the job to anyone who asks for it!) Almost all of it got eaten up, right there at the lunchtime table.
And here are a couple of more photos that we’re happy about.
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- 1977-Kevin, aged 4 years, 4 months, and 28 days
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- 2017-Peter, 4 years, 5 months, and 8 day–wearing the same shirt (not a replica or something similar, but the very same shirt) and standing in the same driveway
Six days before Passover Jesus went back to Bethany, where he had raised Lazarus from death. A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.
John 12:1,2 (Contemporary English Version)
I used this a couple of years ago, for a July 4 blog. I like it. I like the idea of Jesus sharing meals with the people around him, with whom he had friendships. I like when we have meals together with friends and family, too.
I LOVE this! Your family photo traditions are the best! I think we’ve talked about this before, but I have a flag shaped Jello mold that solves the problem of left over cake very nicely! I’d be happy to share.
Well, April, and therefore Peter, are vegetarians, which omits gelatin dishes (and I had to have that explained to me). So, no Jello stuff at our house. But thanks. And I’d love to see a photo.
Love these re-creations of history !!
We’re so fortunate that my dad was so into photography. We have wonderful documentations of events, some special, and some ordinary.