Wait ... it's still Thanksgiving

photo credit: Dayspring

Don't you just love the picture above? I love these candles from Dayspring. I told Eric last night I was going to watch them and see if they are marked down after Christmas. He said they probably wouldn't last that long and I'm sure he's right. I just love the story they tell and could totally picture them on my mantel (mantle?) at Christmas. (Maybe I can just print this picture and stick it up there - Ha!)

I couldn't believe it last night when I pulled onto my street and saw people decorating for Christmas. What on earth? I've even clicked on several blogs and read about people putting up their trees. I feel enormous pressure now. And, let me tell you it IS pressure because our Christmas decorations are packed WAY back in our garage. I couldn't even convince Eric to dig out my Thanksgiving decorations. My Mom bought me wooden pilgrims a few years ago and I have missed them on my table!

So, let us all pray that Eric will want to dig out my Christmas decorations soon :) I mean, I don't want them out today, but after Thanksgiving would be nice.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. The older I get, the more it means to me. I love teaching my children the importance of being thankful for what God has done for us and figuring out different ways for them to do that visually.

Before we had children, Eric and I would keep a bag in our bedroom and beside it was a pad of paper and pen. Throughout the year, we would write what we were thankful for (sometimes daily, sometimes weekly) and at times, it was just a list of prayer requests we had. Neither one of us knew what the other was adding to the bag. Then on Thanksgiving morning, we would take some time to sit down together and read all we had put in the bag.

I loved that! I still have the bag and it's full of years of prayer requests that have been answered. I'm not sure why, but when we had children we got away from that tradition, but I plan to start again this year. I already have my bag (just a gift bag) and I'm going to share the idea with the girls this Thanksgiving morning. We'll have an entire year to do it as a family. Can't wait!

For this Thanksgiving, we have started our paper chain. This is something we have done for a couple of years. The girls, Eric and I are writing on slips of paper what we are thankful for and hanging it in our kitchen. (I ask O what she wants to write down and I write it for her. Then, she'll scribble on the paper to make it hers. There are even a few she has just scribbled on, but she looks at the chain and knows she has contributed.) It grows each day. (I recently saw on Meredith's blog where she keeps this up all year - wow!). My girls think this is the coolest thing .... again because it's a visual way for them to think about God's goodness.

One last thing I'll share. Since I couldn't get to my Thanksgiving decorations this year, I decided to make something new.

We went to the pottery place in town and made a Turkey platter (Paula, I know you'll love this!). In the center are the girls handprints and they are made into turkeys. I covered their names with paper - so normally there wouldn't be a purple square under each handprint - ha!) Isn't that cute? I love how it turned out!

That's it. I must go take my little one to MMO so I can spend some time by myself. Glory!!!!!!!!!

Don't get so focused on Christmas, you forget about Thanksgiving :) After next Thursday, you can wish for those beautiful candles above!