Our Thanksgiving

This year we went up to Renton Washington to spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her family. We had a very relaxing day and ate some yummy food, of course!


While waiting for the turkey I got an idea to make a family of hand turkeys. The girls have made them over the years but Jeremy and I never had. It was fun to see all our hands together. Much to my surprise Jeremy really got in to it and even colored his own turkey!


Grace also drew a great turkey and wiped out this poem in a matter of minutes! I was impressed, creative writing has never been my strength!


November 24, 1621

Oh the Mayflower looking so great,
Ready to float with us like a freight.

As the Indians cover their mouths for a noise,
'Cause we're getting to rejoice!

What are we going to rejoice?
What are we going to rejoice?

This great Thanksgiving Day,
To the Lord that we pray!
(for)

Mashed potatoes with gravy,
Buttered corn so nice and glazy!

Warm apple and pumpkin pie fresh from the oven,
Then you push yourself back from the table and say
I can't take nothin'!

Nice warm delicious stuffing,
AND A BIG TURKEY SO GOOD AND FLUFFY!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Greetings

Wishing you and yours a wonderful day of giving Thanks! Today I'm so very grateful for a God that never stops pursuing me, for my husband, my girls and my family, friends and my country.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Creating Traditions Part Two of Three: Celebrating Thanksgiving

Last year I decided that I wanted Thanksgiving to be more than just eating too much food. I want it to be a time of reflection, to be thankful for all my blessings. To encourage my girls to stop, think and be thankful. I'm still learning how to do this but I wanted to share some ideas I have come up with and have learned from others as well.

Share the Bounty of the Holiday: Invite someone to your home for the Thanksgiving meal, a friend, college student etc.

Yearly Thanksgiving Scrapbook: Bring a scrapbook to the family gathering and have each person write one thing they are thankful for on a sheet of scrapbook paper and include a group photo. OR you can have each person write on paper what they are thankful, then have them hold it up and snap a photo.

Cozy Book Nook: Create a cozy corner with a basket of books about Thanksgiving, the history, special stories or poems about being thankful. A great teaching moment for your children about being thankful for what they have. Also, provides the opportunity to learn why we celebrate Thanksgiving in the first place.

Skip Shopping and Have a Family Fun Friday: Turn off the computer, cell phones and the TV. Spend the day as a family playing games, reading books, eating leftovers and just enjoying each other.

Art Table: Embrace the idea of the kid table, cover a table with white paper and at each place setting have a box of crayons with the child’s name on it. They can draw while they eat!



This is our first ever kid table (2009). Grace traced a turkey cookie cutter, I cut out the turkeys and she finished them with hand stamped names.
Thankful Jar, Garland or Tree: Cut out some paper leaves and have each family member write what they are thankful for on the leaves. Put them in a decorated jar, hang them on a tree or string them together as a garland.


We created our first Thankful Tree just this afternoon and we love it! Using a large brown piece of butcher paper I drew a tree. I then cut it out a taped it to the wall in our front room. I had some paper leaves from a long time ago that we used to write out what we are thankful for. It was a simple way to talk about thankfulness. The girls really enjoyed doing it! I had to stop them so we had leaves for daddy to use!
:-)

*Recycled post from last year* :-)

Sweet Pilgrim Candles

This summer I found these sweet little Pilgrim candles at a garage sale. I was excited when I saw them. They remind me of some of the candles my mom and grandma had when I was a little girl. As you know, I love vintage and I have been wanting a few more Thanksgiving decorations. I really don't have much to put around the house in honor of Thanksgiving. I've been trying to be more intentional about celebrating Thanksgiving and all that we are blessed with. Instead of it just being a day to eat (although that is lots of fun)! These little Pilgrims are sitting on my cook top in my kitchen. They just make me smile and help me feel festive too!







I'm participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday over at the Colorado Lady. Be sure to stop by to see lots of other vintage treasures.

Scrapbooking Thanksgiving

I LOVE to scrapbook, it is my favorite hobby, it is my happy place! :-) But I seem to never scrapbook Thanksgiving. I think I have literally done two layouts for Thanksgiving. I don't seem to take many pictures because I'm not sure what to take pictures of. This year I am trying to focus more on this holiday and be Thankful for my blessings. I've come across some ideas of what to photograph (and scrapbook) on Thanksgiving, I thought I would share.

5 Things to Scrapbook for Thanksgiving

1. Create a layout about your favorite dish of the Thanksgiving meal, you could even include the recipe.
   
2. Have each person present write on paper what they are thankful for and snap a photo of them holding their paper (I've already warned the family we WILL be doing this one!)
   
3. Take pictures of meal prep and create a layout
   
4. Create a layout about your Thanksgiving traditions
   
5. Take a group picture of family and friends, create a layout and journal about the day or how each person pictured is a blessing to you/your family.
   

I'm excited to do some of these, now I just have to remember to take the pictures!