Our Thanksgiving Plans

We are quite excited around here that it is the week of Thanksgiving! That means company is coming, Ken/Daddy gets to be home extra days, we will enjoy lots of good food, play games and have other relaxing fun and it is a time to really reflect on how much God has blessed us and thank Him for it!

 One of the fun things that we have done this year (I want to make it a tradition!) is to have a "Thanks Tree". I brought in some branches from the woods and put them in a secure container and then I cut out a bunch of colorful leaves.

  On the leaves we have been writing things that we are thankful to God for and then hanging them up. It has been lots of fun to think of things big and little that we are thankful for and to read others' notes too. One of my favorites is Megan's, it says "I am thankful for everything except salad and tomatoes".  We will continue to add leaves through the end of this month.


I have the leaves ready and waiting by the base of the tree along with our little homemade Thanksgiving characters.

Another fun thing that we are doing this week is reading stories about the first Thanksgiving. Here are the books that we have and are enjoying:

• The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving  by Ann McGovern (A book from my childhood)
• Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas
• The Story of Thanksgiving by Nancy J. Skarmeas

Reading the stories of their hardships really helps us to put life into perspective and join with them in Thanking God for what we do have. We have so very, very much!!

Food of course is an important part of this day! My Mom and I work together to make the meal. The kids and I will have a baking day the day before and then on the day we will roast the turkey and do other stuff as well. Mom will bring a bunch of food that they got out of their gardens. We enjoy having a very homey sort of meal filled with things made from scratch and harvested by us as much as possible. Here is our menu:

• Turkey
• Potatoes and Gravy
• Butterhorn Rolls (Recipe)
• Dressing
• Broccoli with cheese
• Corn
• Squash
• Cranberries
• Pickles and Olives
• Fruit Salad
• Lots of Pies (Pumpkin, Pecan, Peanut Butter, Mince and more)
• Apple Cider
• Mint Citrus Cooler (this is a new recipe I plan to try)

  On Thanksgiving day we always enjoy having company come to our house. My parents and 2 youngest siblings come over and we love to have any other family come that can. This year my oldest brother and family are planning to come, we haven't had Thanksgiving with them for several years so this is a treat.

Besides family we enjoy having over other friends too. We especially try to include anybody that might otherwise be lonely on Thanksgiving. This year several of our single friends are going to join us. I think our total number is around 17. I love crowds and Ken doesn't mind, he just requests that I don't invite more than can sit down at "the" table. I can get pretty creative in making our table large enough! :-)

 Decorating is always a favorite of mine, so we have fun figuring out frugal ways to do that. I enjoy making name cards, lighting candles, pulling out my tablecloth that my Grandma made for me and finding things around the house that will look pretty on the table.

 When we aren't eating we enjoy playing games like Bohnanza (a fun card game about beans), Risk, Rook, Apples to Apples, Taboo or one of the other many games we have!

  The kids are also dreaming of possibly ice skating on the frozen swamp behind our house or maybe they will end up playing in the foot of snow we just got! We will also enjoy visiting and playing with my baby niece!

  But most of all- it is my hope that our hearts will be turned towards God and be filled with Thankfulness for all that He has done! I want my prayer to be like David's in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13:

""Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father,

forever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power

 and the glory and the victory and the majesty,

indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth;

Yours is the dominion, O Lord,
and You exalt Yourself as head over all.

Both riches and honor come from You,

and You rule over all,

and in Your hand is power and might;

and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.

Now therefore, our God, we thank You,

and praise Your glorious name."

 What are your Thanksgiving plans? How do you celebrate? What is a tradition that is important to you?

I would love to hear! I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

This post is part of the “Plan it, Blog it! 2010 Thanksgiving Blog Writing Contest” which is sponsored by UPrinting. The winner will receive a $100 gift card to Target as well as free 250 Greeting Cards. Your comments will help me to win. I would really appreciate it if you would leave a comment!! Thanks so much!