Turkey, Tradition and Thankfulness...

A couple of days ago Emma's teacher asked her to share with the class one Thanksgiving tradition that her family had, so she came home and asked me what she should share and that is when I realized we were in trouble. You see, we don't really have any Thanksgiving traditions other than eating lunch with my family and eating dinner with my husbands family (not the most exciting thing to share with your class). It was kind of sad as I began to think about what we did year after year and couldn't really think of a single thing. Finally Emma said she thought of one and I breathed a sigh of relief. "What are you going to say?" I asked. "I am going to tell them that we eat ham" she said. Great! The only thing the poor child could say with confidence that we did every year was eat ham....pitiful! I began to think about the legacy of tradition that we were passing down to our children and realized we have very little in the way of tradition that we do for any holiday. We get so wrapped up in just getting done what we have to do to prepare. Then the actual days are spent in a whirlwind of travel between families, lots of eating and chaos and then the final drop into bed late at night, a quick sigh of relief that we made it another year, and the next day it is time to prepare for the next thing. No family traditions that belong to just our family for our kids to look back and say "we did that every year and it was great" and nothing for the next generation to pass on. I decided at that moment that we were going to have a tradition for each holiday that we celebrate. Something just for our own household to do that our children can look back later and say it was our tradition to do this...
This Thanksgiving we are making a Thanksgiving tree, just a small branch, and everyone gets to write on their paper leaf what they are thankful for and hang it on the tree. Emma wanted to help bake a pumpkin pie, which I have never done before, and Lydia wants to watch a movie with nana and papaw after we eat our Thanksgiving lunch. I will be watching the Macy's parade, which is my own little tradition, while I cook the tradtional lunch meal with the main course already set- ham! 
I also have been thinking about what I am thankful for this week. I decided to focus on the little things that I normally take for granted but that I need to remember that God wants us to be thankful for ALL things no matter how small. Here are some of the things I have thought of:
1. The love of my husband! I feel blessed to not only have a good husband but to have a husband who shows me love daily. I love that I still get excited when I know he is coming home and I still look forward to having him here. I am Thankful that he still hugs me, holds my hand while we walk, tells me he loves me everyday, kisses me in front of our children, tells me I look nice, tickles me while I am trying to cook, rubs my shoulders after a long day and always helps take care of the girls. I am also thankful that he spends quality time with us and always puts family time first!
2. My children! I am blessed to have to healthy children who are sweet and thoughtful (most of the time) and who love God and still think that their parents are heros...ha!
3. My parents and extended family.
4. My new home.
5. The ability for me to stay home with my children for another year. God has blessed my time with them and I am so thankful I have not had to miss a single minute! I love being a stay-at-home mother, it is the best job in the whole world. I prayed and prayed for God to let me have children and I am thrilled that He not only gave me two of them but gave them to us at a time when I could spend this time with them. God's timing is truly perfect.
6. Jason's job. Although this year has been stressful and we have had to move away from all we have known God has blessed us tremendously when so many others are struggling- Thank you God!
The list could go on and on but I have to go pick up Lydia from her nana's house so I will stop for now, but please take the time to be Thankful to God this week for all He has blessed you with and don't make your legacy to the future generations be what you eat. Start a new tradition!
" Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever."  Psalm 107:1