Thankful Chain

Our favorite Thanksgiving tradition, besides our feast, of course, is our family's thankful chain.  The kids love thinking of things they are grateful for and writing them down.  We try to do it every night, but some nights it just doesn't happen.  But when it does happen, I can feel the difference in our prayers.

We are thankful for:

Greg:
grapefruit
Tresa
scriptures
Coal
thankful chain

Tresa:
scriptures
warm showers
soup
Enoch
ponderizing
Spirit
friends who listen to the Spirit
Kate
warmers
Greg
Guard
sunshine
dishwasher
blue eyes
Primary
Kate's smile
chocolate covered cinnamon bears
my testimony
FHE
miracles
Gavin

Enoch:
our home
books
homemade hot chocolate
water
Dad
cheese
trees
hot showers
life
love

Kate:
Enoch
family
paper
Guard
Mom
home
food
backpack
books
colors
Gavin
Thanksgiving
flowers
Dad

Guard:
orange
Jesus
rocks
staples
mountains
family
snowflakes
ice cream
bananas (said like a minion)
preschool
Shark Boy and Lava Girl
trucks
playing wolves with Kate
couch cushion forts
blankie
spider's web

Guard liked to add to our thankful chain multiple times a day, so Mom and Guard have more than others.  I loved that he loves being thankful!
It is so interesting to see what the kids were thankful for, to hear what means a lot to them.  It is an insight into their personalities and helps me understand them better.  I'm so thankful for gratitude!

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.  The food was incredible, the company was even better.
We spend the holiday with the Fowler family - Grandma and Grandpa, Bret's and Wendy's family, Mike's and Julie's family, Doug's and Annette's family and ours.
We ate dinner,

played hide and seek,

talked and laughed,

competed in games,

and were happy.

After dinner and games, we went home and put up the Christmas lights.  Enoch and Kate love getting up on the roof with Dad.

It was a good day.  So thankful for all we have.  Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

Enoch cornered Uncle Doug at Thanksgiving and asked for the wishbone.  After letting it dry out for a few weeks, Enoch and Kate pulled the wishbone after making their wishes.  Kate won!  May her wish come true!



Raking Leaves

 

In Primary yesterday, we were challenged by Sister MacGillvray to do a service for someone not in our family.  After brainstorming some ideas, we decided to rake our neighbors, the Tuttles, leaves.  We put on our jackets, gathered our rakes and headed over.
The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed being outside.  The kids did a great job with their rakes and worked hard.

We also had some fun, too.

The kids had a great time and Enoch and Kate both commented that it felt good to help someone.  Service does incredible things to our hearts. 

Veteran's Day

We don't always make such a big deal about Veteran's Day, but this year I felt like we needed to do more.
On Sunday, we talked about veterans and how they protect us.  I hope the kids understood how much they sacrifice for us.  We made a fun window decoration with crepe paper and contact paper.  The kids enjoyed the craft and it looks really good hanging in our window.

On Monday, we made red, white and blue star sugar cookies with the Youngbergs.  The kids had a great time decorating them and delivering them to the veterans in our ward.

Monday night, we delivered some cookies and a window flag to our favorite veteran, Uncle Doug.  We so appreciate his service in Afghanistan and everything he has sacrificed for us and his country.  We are lucky to know him!

On Wednesday, the kids had a special opportunity to visit the Standing Quietly event on the overpass bridge by their school.  Standing Quietly was started by a veteran in our ward as a way to bring more attention to veterans and their ongoing needs.  It is a remarkable cause and I am so happy the kids could visit the veterans, learn how to stand at attention and thank the veterans who were there.
Thanks to all of our veterans and the service they have given for us.  I hope my kids can understand how important it is for us to support our veterans.

First Snowfall of the Year

Even though my kids are not complete snow-lovers, they get very excited about the first snowfall of the year.  Why?  Because they get homemade hot chocolate.

Enoch's all-time favorite food is homemade hot chocolate.  He absolutely loves it!  When I make it in the morning for breakfast, he comes bounding up the stairs, so happy, gives me a hug and dances around the kitchen.  Just for reference, Enoch usually isn't so bouncy and happy in the morning - quite on the grumpy side actually.  Hot chocolate mornings are good for all of us.

Kate and Guard also think it is the best.  Kate likes hers with peppermint marshmallows and Guard always asks for loads of whipped cream to top off his.

Homemade hot chocolate is a good way to start winter. Enoch wishes we could have it everyday!