Our Thankful Tree

Our thankful beginnings

Some growth in Gratitude

Our thankful tree in full bloom

A few things learned:

Nothing feels better than to have people be grateful for you. When someone writes your name on a leaf and sticks it up there without you knowing it and you happen to see it in passing....it warms your heart. I imagine that is how Heavenly Father feels when we express our gratitude. And I learned that so much of what I was grateful for were people's kind interactions with me. One day someone checked us out at Woodman's and was so kind to me and to Ty and even looked in the baby carrier to comment on Jay-small yes. Meaningful-yes. A nice woman at Bath and Body Works gift wrapped my items-so kind and so appreciated. Those small things made a big impact on my day.

Also, when you are looking for things....you find them. Things that you see everyday are so common place but when you really stop and look your baby in the eyes you can't help but feel full and content with your life's blessings. When you two year old spills a big container of yogurt on his feet and then splashes in it....you can't help but laugh. Gratitude gives a capability, a sense of self, a prominent peace.

It was a great way to welcome Thanksgiving.

We invited our neighbor's over to make thankful turkeys. This is how it went:

"Hey there, do you want to come over Monday night? Every Monday we have a family night and have a lesson or activity. This Monday we are making thankful turkey's."

"You want us to come over and make thankful turkey's with you? How does one make a thankful turkey"

"Well, when you say it that way we sound really weird. But yes, I want you to come over and make thankful turkey's. I'll make you dinner. . ."

Ha! I roped them in with the dinner.