We are all so thankful...
It's Thanksgiving Week, which means the wonderful onslaught of so many things. Turkey and Gan Gan's dressing. Sweet potato pie. Visiting with my uncle and cousins from Texas. Football and more football. Mashed potatoes. Birthday cake for Gary.
And basically being overwhelmingly grateful for all the wonderful blessings in my life. I have a wonderful family, and fantastic friends, and a healthy body, and a life filled with so many little things that make me smile each and every day.
Because I am so blessed, I really like to have the focus at Thanksgiving on all of those blessings. Amidst the food and the family and the football, I like to encourage me, and Gary, and the girls to think about all the things for which we should be thankful.
So, then, another thing that is an integral part of Thanksgiving Week at the Wrays is a little family tradition we have done since McKenna was just a toddler.
At the onset of the week of Thanksgiving, I set out strips of construction paper and pen and instruct everyone: "It's that time again! Come write down the things you're thankful for."
Throughout the week, I find people sitting at the dining room table writing little notes on the paper strips. Then they put them in a glass vase sitting there, and I'm overwhelmed by how many things touch the hearts of my husband and daughters...if only we stop and think about them.
By the time Thanksgiving Day arrives, the vase will be stuffed to the brim and overflowing with our blessings.
As we wake up on the morning of Thanksgiving, and before we head out to all of our family gatherings, we will read them out loud with another.
Yesterday I put first few strips into the vase and this is what they said...
"I am thankful that we have enough money to pay our bills each month, and have enough left over for ice cream and movies."
"I am thankful for God's grace."
"I am thankful for words and books."
"I am thankful for sports, and the joy they give me when I enjoy them with family and friends."
"I am thankful for my girls."
And since today is Tuesday (and I haven't had an official Random Tuesday post lately here on my blog), here are two questions to share in the comments section or to put on your own blog:
Do you have any special Thanksgiving traditions?
and
What are you thankful for today?
10 comments:
I am thankful fo you and your beautiful blog and this wonderful friendship we've had through the last few years (that I pray will continue on for many many years to come.)
I am thankful for family and dear friends (like you) and for life.
Thankful for my faith, for work, for my ability to learn new things, for nice co-workers, for the weather (still sunny here in Cali), for a nice work commute this morning, for Starbucks, for cookies, for pumpking pie, for the fact that I'll get the next few days off, for so many more things. I love the act of being grateful. Our God is so amazing and gives us SO MUCH every day. It's hard not to be in awe day after day...
;D
Happy Thanksgiving week my friend.
Sweet Maria---I am so thankful for you and your friendship too! And what a wonderful list of things to be grateful for. We are blessed, aren't we?
I pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!
I am definitely not a big fan of Thanksgiving, but I do love the meaning behind it, and I am truly thankful for so many things but especially my health, and my family!
I love your tradition, we do one similar, but we right in a memory book and everyone passes it around, and the last person to write one is in charge of bringing it the next year. I always make sure I am not last I don't want to lose it haha :)
Have a great Thanksgiving to you and your entire family
Phats--That is such a COOL tradition!!! I think I would love your family!!
Remember to cheer on my Tide on Friday!!
I just love your blog.. Since my husband is a trucker, we really don't have any Thanksgiving traditions, except just hoping he will be home for Thanksgiving.. But if he isn't, I always fix a Turkey and the works when he gets home.. It doesn't have to be on the exact Thanksgiving day. I am so thankful for my family and friends and yes, the interent where I have even more friends.. Bunches of hugs.. and Roll tide..lol
What a great idea!
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Songbird--I know you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! And thanks for the Roll Tide well wishes!!
Kat--We did...I hope you had a wonderful holiday too!
Our tradition is essentially, just having all the traditional foods and vegging out as much as possible. This year, I asked us to think of one particular thankful for this past year. Also, I asked what our favorite thing about being in this family was. I know that is hideous grammar. But you get me. :)
I am thankful for health, for my salvation, for my husband's job, and for the blogging friends I've made. That barely scratches the surface, but then...your comments don't go on infinitely, do they? :)
Gretchen--
We are indeed blessed, aren't we? There is SO much to be thankful for!~
(And you know that you can just keep on commenting as long as you want to!)
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