About two years ago, we started the Tradition of having a "Thankful Tree" during the month of November. A friend of mine started this tradition a few years ago too and after reading about her experiences on her family blog, I decided to do it for our family, I have loved it.
Having this as a family tradition has been awesome! I have felt like it has helped our kids really think about what they are grateful for. I also think that it has made them more aware of the many blessings we truly do have in our life. So each Monday night during our Family Night in the Month of November, we take a moment and record what we are thankful for on our leaves and place the leaves on the "Thankful Tree."
This year, I decided to do a bit more work and make a nice tree and laminate it. Last year, I spent some time cutting out leaves and the tree and it was so very, very time consuming. After the month was over, our poor little tree looked a little bit "loved." I also felt sick having spent so much time on it and then knew that it wouldn't last until the next year in storage, so I ended up throwing it away!
This year, I made a new tree and I laminated it. I also made new leaves and laminated those and I just used an erasable marker to write on the leaves. So by the end of November, it allowed me to wipe them clean and put them in storage for next year. I hope it will be well worth it. I wish I had been smarter a year ago. Oh well, you live and learn, right?
It truly was fun at the end of November to see all the things we were thankful for. In fact, we ended up running out of leaves so next year, I will be making more!!
I am thankful for our Thankful Tree and for the opportunity it has provided my little family to appreciate the many blessings the Lord has blessed our lives and family with.
