Thanksgiving Tree

(This is a repost from 2010.  We're going to make our tree today.  I really love this simple tradition!)

It's November.

At the end of the month we celebrate Thanksgiving.

While we should give thanks year round - God is good, isn't He? - November can be a special to time to talk with your kids about giving thanks: why we are thankful, to Whom we give thanks, and all the things for which we can give thanks.

Last year I hung a long piece of paper on the wall and we wrote things on it through out the month. This year I came across this cool idea in a book: make a tree and write things your thankful for on leaves, adding them to the tree as the month goes by.

This is quite simple and yet so profound. Elizabeth and Brian have gotten into it, excited to add leaves, and it's a blessing to see E coming up with things she's thankful for at random times of the day. (American Girl is up there, along with warm pajamas and church; her first three leaves in reverse order.)

If you'd like some instructions for making your own tree, check out this Google Doc I created. My apologies that I don't remember which book I got this idea from; I noticed it thumbing through a Thanksgiving craft book in the children's section at the library. The process I wrote down is my own; I *only* stole the concept!

May your month be full of days of thanksgiving as you prepare for Thanksgiving Day!