thankful

Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays. It is a socially-accepted day where people around me give themselves permission slow down. It is a day when my family takes a break from the sprint of life and we allow ourselves to fall back into a mindset of simplicity. The expectations of the day are simple: turkey, family and laughter.  This holiday is more about presence and less about presents.

In preparation for this year's Thanksgiving, I wanted to teach my children (and most importantly myself) the importance of having an attitude of gratitude. We have been making thankfulness a deliberate part of our everyday lives.

At the beginning of October, we started a thanksgiving list. Each evening at dinner, we all share what we are thankful for and then post the note on the door. The kids have also made a point of asking their grandparents what is on their thankful list, so we can add their note to our door.

For the broader part of my family, this year I decided to try a recipe from here. As you may have surmised from my past posts, I have not been gifted with the passion for cooking/baking. But I decided to take a chance with the fickle nature of yeast and prepare Thanksgiving Buns (with the safety net of knowing Safeway was only a five minute drive away if things went bad!) To add to the Thanksgiving theme, I printed numbered thankful statements on paper and rolled the cut strip of paper in each bun. On Thanksgiving, we all took turns reading the statements and sharing our gratitude with each other. I couldn't have been happier with the result (side note, if I can bake these - anyone can!).

This weekend, I also took time to be present in the moment. This is extremely difficult for me, as I have a very anxious mindset: my mind is always racing. But I managed to pause a few times this weekend - and my soul feasted on these moments:
1375. Daughter and son jumping into a leaf pile.

1376. Son enjoying cold water from the hose on a warm fall day.

1377. Playing 'just dance 3' on the x-box with my son.

1378. Facetime conversations with grandparents living in BC.

1379. My mama's amazing cheeseball.

1380. Grace led by my dad.

1381. Uncle playing duct tape wars with my son.

1382. Seeing my aunt and uncle at all family gatherings.

1383. Surprise visit from my cousin.

1384. Watching Lord of the Rings with my husband (a fall tradition for us)

1385. Walking through the wetlands.

1386. Healthy kids.

1387. A son who wants to bake with me.

1388. Sunlight streaming through the window. This always mesmerizes me.

1389. Mom who always makes lots of turkey so I can steal some for my turkey soup.

1390. Husband who understands me.

1391. Father who shows his little girl how to fix things.

1392. Son's toothy grin.

1393. Daughter's love of swings.

Continuing my list of thanks...join other joy-seekers here.