Thanksgiving Day and More Thankfuls

The Thanksgiving holiday is over and the kids have all gone back home.  Things are a bit quieter now, but we have some good memories and have been enjoying lots of leftovers!   We had some good times, some good food, some fun games, and some great company for our Thanksgiving Day, and we also took a few moments to share some of our "Thankfuls"  with one another.  

 

Everyone at the table was given the opportunity to write the things that they were grateful for on different colored leaves that DD1 had cut out for us.  We then taped the leaves to our "Thankful Tree"  that was drawn by DS1.  This idea has been around ever since our Joy School days when our kids were in pre-school, but we haven't made a Thankful Tree recently.  It was a good activity.

 

The weekend also included a visit with my dear Daddy and a nice drive and shopping trip with DD4 when I took her back to college, a wonderful day enjoying the wedding of a dear niece and the company of more family, the opportunity of speaking in church on Sunday, good help with Christmas lights and a new bathroom upgrades from visiting DS1 and DD3, all topped off with a fun visit with DD2, DD4, DS2, DD in law, and DGS via Google Hang-out on Sunday evening.  I am feeling very grateful. 

 

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Here is a summary of my end of November Thankfuls as posted on my Facebook page:

 

Gratitude Day 23: I'm grateful for reliable transportation!   Two years ago we were limping along with a driveway full of barely functioning vehicles.   Various members of the family ended up stranded in various places at various times, and we were often calling upon friends, neighbors and family members for help with said vehicles.   We now have three good, reliable cars in the driveway and are feeling very very blessed!

 

Gratitude Day 24: I'm grateful for Books!  I haven't done nearly as much reading in the past year or two, but I still enjoy a good book and a warm blanket.   We've done a bit of rearranging of the bookshelves recently, and I must say they are looking pretty fine.   What have you enjoyed reading lately??   Six Science Backed Reasons to Go Read a Book Right Now

 

Gratitude Day 25: I'm grateful for Pie! Pumpkin, Mincemeat, Key Lime, Apple Crumb, Chocolate Chip, . . . .and any others !!  I always say I'm going to cut back on the pies every year.   Then I start making the pies (always pumpkin, of course, and this year mincemeat for DH and a lowfat key lime for me), and then each of the children asks . . . well, what about such and such?  Everyone should have their favorite pie on Thanksgiving Day, right??  Especially since I usually only bake pie three or four times during the year  (Pi Day in March, Cherry Pie in July when the cherries are ripe, and then Thanksgiving, and usually for Christmas too.)  So . . . I make a huge batch of pie crust dough and keep on baking until the dough runs out.   This year I also bought a frozen Razzleberry Pie (it was a good deal and had a free can of whipped cream thrown in), dear Mother-in-Law brought banana cream pie, and DS1's friend brought strawberry rhubarb.   Dear sister-in-law also brought yummy homemade caramels and DH had baked date nut bread, so we were surrounded by goodies this Thanksgiving Day.

 

Gratitude Day 26: I'm grateful to have the world's best Mother -In-Law!. She comes for dinner, brings food, helps in the kitchen, does the dishes, gives everyone wonderful loving hugs, always has a cheerful smile and positive attitude, gifted us her car when she gave up driving, and always always is looking for other ways to help us out.
I'm also grateful for all of the dedicated health care workers, policemen, and others who sacrifice holidays and family time to provide necessary care and services for us all.

 

Gratitude Day 27: I'm grateful for Google!  Many years ago when the internet was still very young, my DH posted a comment in a public chat room about what a great search engine the new and upcoming company called Google provided.   Someone from Google saw the comment and sent my DH a Google T-Shirt.  Both DH and I have proudly worn that T-shirt on many occasions.  A little over a year ago DS1 became an employee of Google on one coast, and a month ago DS2 became an employee of Google on the other coast.  Google has been good to our family.

On Friday I grabbed an old T-shirt out of our downstairs closet for DD4 to use, and guess what shirt I found?   That old beloved Google T-Shirt!   Needless to say, DD4 was given a different old T-shirt to use, and the Google T-Shirt was moved back to  a place of honor in the master bedroom closet. 
 

Gratitude Day 28: I'm grateful for temples and forever families.  There is nothing better than gathering together in the House of the Lord with your family to witness and/or participate in sacred Temple Ordinances that bind families together in love for the eternities. 

 

Gratitude Day 29: I'm grateful for a day of rest, Sacrament Meetings (even when I'm asked to speak with only two days notice), and chocolate!  (The chocolate chip pie and the fudge stripe cookie and reeces peanut butter cup pilgrim hats were both big hits at our Thanksgiving dinner.)

 

Gratitude Day 30: I'm grateful for Christmas lights and dear daughters who put them up and take them down! I'm grateful for Skype and Google Hangouts!

It's been a wonderful month full of blessings, and a few challenges to help us grow too.   I hope it has been a good one for all of you!!

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