Fun Thanksgiving Ideas – Our Gratitude Tree

Fun Thanksgiving Ideas – Our Gratitude Tree

GRATITUDE

I have been thinking a lot lately about the things that I am grateful for. Even in my prayers, I try to focus more on the things I'm thankful for, specifically. I am so blessed and when I remember, focus on, and talk about those blessings, I realize just how much I am blessed. I love the autumn of the year. It's a beautiful time when the earth is touched with color...more than any other season. The feeling in the air is different...a melancholy feeling of memories and traditions. It's the end of a long, hot, drawn out summer and gives a sense of something about to happen. I even feel more like baking and making something yummy so the house smells good and 'homey'. The 'nip' in the air and the winds of change are upon us, blowing the leaves in swirls, with a hint of eeriness. I think of my childhood with fondness and the holidays with visions of celebrations and spending time with family. It also makes me think of the winding down of our time on earth when we can look forward to being with family again that have long been asleep. What a joyous reunion that will be!! As for holidays...Halloween was filled with candy, pillowcases full, homemade costumes, parties at church; Thanksgiving around the table, enjoying food, family, and having lots of leftovers, being thankful; Christmas with the sounds, sights, and smells of goodies, ornaments, presents, and the gift of love from God when he sent his only begotten Son to be our Savior and Redeemer of the world! Yes, Fall is my most favorite time of the year and I'm filled with gratitude! 

AUTUMN RAIN!

Today it rained...a lot! There was also a lot of lightning and thundering. I love it when it rains! We have not had much this year and things were looking very dry and sad outside. What a breath of fresh air after the rain. It makes everything new and clean and makes me feel like making something. It also evokes very good memories for me. I like listening to the rain hitting the roof and smelling the wet earth. I feel like singing 'Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain' or 'Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head'. Reading a book and curling up with a blanket or doing some embroidery sounds awfully good. When I was little I used to sit on the porch and watch the drops hit the ground. It got a bit chilly because of the dampness. I loved riding up in the canyon of Zion after a rain to see the flood in the river. Watching the roiling waters, so angrily rushing past were a little frightning, but I remember the smell of the flood water. The roar was loud and there was lots of debris floating past. I'm sure the trees and plants are grateful for a long awaited drink, too. They seem to perk up with renewed resolve to hang on a bit longer. It is amazing to me how much water the ground absorbs when it rains, but if I watered by hand, it rolls right off, making rivers onto the sidewalk and driveway. The next day, the ground is dry again. God's way of giving the earth a soaking is so much better and way more efficient. I hope we get more rain tomorrow so that the drought will get some relief, even a little bit. I love the rain, no doubt about it! Thanks Heavenly Father for such a wonderful blessing!

King Darius hand puppet from the story of Daniel in the Lions' den. Besides using the 'hands-on' story for Sharing Time in Primary, it was a great FHE with all my grandkids. The story was a simplified version I found in one of my many resource books. It required participation (the lions roared when it was their turn).

Two of the mean priests who wanted King Darius to put Daniel in the Lion's den.

Daniel and the third priest, from Daniel in the Lions' den story, found in the Bible. I made these puppets to do a Sharing Time in Primary when I was teaching the 6 & 7 year olds.

Three of the five lions I made for the story. The idea for the puppets came from using scrapbook people and changing them to fit the story and adding touches of my own, especially on the lions.

Presto! easy peasy tic-tac-toe game for the kiddos to play while waiting for Halloween. Enjoy! You could challenge your little ones to a game and you may even beat them, who knows? :)

Add faces on finished 'bean' bags using black puff paint, fabric paint, black sharpie pen, or cut out felt pieces. I used puff paints.

Sewing the 'bean' bags after filling them with pellets.

Poly-pellets used for filling 'bean' bag ghosts and pumpkins. I used about 1/8 of a cup for each bag.

Measure every 3 inches and pin the rick rack to create the game board. Stitch the rick rack down the middle.

Halloween

I decided to try my hand at making a game that would be easy and fun for kiddos and wouldn't take much time to make--you know, keep it simple. So...first cut 2-9"x9" pieces of felt and stitch around the edge (about 1/4" from edge).

Halloween game

I think I got the pictures out of sequence, but in this shot I am stitching the 'ghosts' assembly line, sewing only on 3 sides, leaving an opening for adding to add the pellets to make them 'bean' bags.

Halloween game

Here I am sewing the 'ghosts' on 3 sides, assembly line sewing. (The squares are about 3"x3")

Halloween tic-tac-toe tutorial

Start by cutting 2-9"x9" squares of felt (for game board). Cut 10-3"x3" white squares and 10-3"x3" orange squares.

LDS General Conference

It has been a wonderful weekend filled with inspiring talks and beautiful music! I hate that it's over so quickly! Now I will have to wait for another 6 months to have another spiritual conference weekend! I can't wait for the DVD's to come out so I can listen to all the messages again, and again, and again... (Although they will be published in the Ensign magazine and online at http://www.lds.org/. They were all so good and just what I needed! They are truly inspired when they prepare for these events! I love the prophet and all the general authorities and their wisdom. President Monson is truly a prophet of God and the apostles are divinely appointed as well. I am always amazed that the talks are so diverse and yet they don't consult with each other on topics, but no duplicates. I love stories that teach and feeling the spirit touch my heart and soul! I think the thing that is really awesome is hearing the music as the choir and congregations all over the world are singing at the same time. It is hard to even get through the songs because of the power that is felt! I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are pleased at the rejoicing through song! I don't know what else I can say about this magnificent experience other than I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life and the blessings that it brings to me and my family. I'm thankful for the technology that makes it possible to participate in such a wonderful program as General Conference, no matter where you live, throughout the world!! I love it!!!