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The Thankful Tree

Inspired by many variations on the same theme floating around pinterest and the blogging world, I decided to do a "thankful tree" this year. Most nights (when my husband was home) after dinner, I'd ask everyone what they were thankful for and write it on a leaf. The answers from my 2- and 3-year-old boys were sometimes odd, but I tried not to "lead" their answers too much!

To make the tree, I cut up some big paper bags for the trunk and branches (which blend in with the brown wall a little too much, but I felt resourceful in doing it). The leaves started out on full pieces of construction paper, traced from a leaf I printed out as a template, but I soon realized I would run out of construction paper WAY too soon making big leaves and started cutting them free-hand out of smaller pieces instead. As it was, the momentum faltered a good 7-10 days before Thanksgiving, partly because we got busy and partly because I knew I couldn't make any more leaves without a trip to the store for more paper.

Here's the tree on November 1, with a smattering of small leaves just for decoration:


And here's the tree on Thanksgiving day, with (roughly) three weeks' worth of leaves adorning it:


Our family's 2012 thankful list (you can guess which belong to whom):
early bedtimes
mud
a broken car radio
the stairs
the ability to vote conscience
pink
eating carrots
Grandma Rose's stuffing
clean water
a cozy house on a rainy day
flowers
Duplos
"don't walk"
my boys
my toys and food
Rat
new recipes
the Bible
good friends
the kind people of our church
big blocks
a window to watch cars
a wife who cooks
leftovers
brown boots
nearby grandparents
bacon
corn and rocks
the clicker horse
the garage
orchestra tickets
the dresser and my undies drawer
Grandma and Grandpa

We are so blessed in so many ways!




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