Since it's November, we started a "Thankful Tree" for Family Home Evening this week. For our lesson we talking about being thankful to Heavenly Father for all the ways he blesses us. After our lesson we drew some leaves and wrote down some of the things we are thankful for and put them on our tree. We're going to continue to think of blessings throughout the month, so by Thanksgiving our tree should be full of leaves.
It's kind of like a reverse fall. But since we don't have fall here anyway, I don't think it matters that our tree is gaining leaves instead of loosing them. At first when I said what we were doing, Andrew said,
"Okay, let's all make a green leaf..." and he started to give Rachel a green crayon.
"Actually, they can be any color of leaf. It's fall," I pointed out. Plus, it's a paper tree, and Rachel likes the white crayon the best.
"That's right, it is fall," he agreed and picked up a purple crayon, "Although the trees here are still all green."
Yeah, not to rub it in, but it's 25°C (which is like 77°F). That's one of the things I'm thankful for. I really don't like winter.
That's not on our tree yet, but here are some things that are, in no particular order:
- Scriptures
- Food
- Mommy
- Daddy
- School
- Family
- Jesus
- Freedom
- Home
- Temples
- Rachel
- The Gospel
- Skype
- The Atonement
- Our Branch in Cairo
There's still so much we have to be thankful for! I'm excited to see how full our tree will be by Thanksgiving.
Rachel's really getting into the Thanksgiving spirit. Yesterday when I got out of the shower, this is the face that greeted me.
We haven't even talked about pilgrims or Native Americans (First Nations/Indians/whatever you want to say...I am not very politically correct at times, I know) but Rachel's all over it! Apparently when Andrew asked her what she wanted to wear she brought him a pair of pants and refused to put on any shirt he offered her.
I thought the headband was a nice touch. She put that on herself.
I am picturing, you having your camera while getting out of the shower......
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea the Thanksgiving tree!
Don't picture.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I don't shower with my camera. :)
I didn't think you were ranting. I think you were totally fair and much more educated about things than people who just voted straight party line for no good reason other than the party! :) You had a lot of good things to say, things that more people should pay attention to.
ReplyDeleteAnd I like your thankful tree. But how do you know for sure that Rachel is thankful for Mommy and Daddy? :-D
Actually, the "food" leaf is the only one that is hers so far. We know she appreciates that (except for polenta and plums).
ReplyDeleteMommy and Daddy are grateful for each other. I don't know how I'd survive one day without Daddy coming home at the end of it!
We just hope that Rachel is grateful for us, too!
We're also grateful for our own mommies and daddies :)
And I'm glad I didn't sound like I was ranting. I worked all day trying to sound "fair," as you put it! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking she looks more like a 1/2 streaking Jane Fonda :) You know the whole sweat ban thing missing the shirt. Maybe you should get her a leotard!
ReplyDeleteWe had a Thankful Tree in one of my apartments once for Thanksgiving, and we liked it so much that we left it up for months :) Maybe I'll have to start a North family Thankful Tree, now that you have reminded me how much I like them.
ReplyDeletePS: I second the half-dressed Jane Fonda look.
So I had to look up Jane Fonda.
ReplyDeleteTurns out I actually do know who she is, but I think the only movie of hers I've seen is Cat Ballou, which is a good movie, by the way.
I'm assuming you were referring to her workout videos...and my question there is, if she didn't have any kids, why does she have a video called Jane Fonda's Pregnancy, Birth and Recovery Workout?
Just wondering...
But, yeah...Rachel does have the 80s style headband thing down pat.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea, I think we'll do a thankful tree too - 'thanks' for the idea. :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment is for all your posts I was glancing through...I really enjoy reading your blog. You are a great writer and have so many interesting things to say - I wish I had more time to read everything. ;)