Think to thank - we're grateful for everything!

This Thanksgiving season, we've really tried to "think to thank" as President Monson has asked us to do.  "In these three words are the finest capsule course for a happy marriage, formula for enduring friendship, and a pattern for personal happiness." he said. We watched a video about this for FHE and tried to keep this in mind all month, and encouraged each other to keep a grateful heart always.  We made our "Thankful Turkey" together and each day got to put a feather on the turkey of something we are thankful for.  Towards the beginning of the month, it's always the classic "family, home, God, food, etc..." by Thanksgiving, things get a little more interesting.  Here are some of our top ones:

Monster trucks, rocks, Santa Claus, lollipops, farts that don't smell, binkies, bugs, electricity, priesthood, muscles, sky, visiting and home teachers, peanut butter bars, the ability to read, water, the world, dabs, birthdays, windows, dance parties, mac and cheese, giving thanks, fuzzy socks, getting to go to school, EVERYTHING!

We made some cards to our grandparents, sending a little Thanksgiving love and signed it from "their little turkeys" and shipped it with some current pictures of the kids.

We started out Thanksgiving Day with the big Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  We love vegging out on the couch enjoying all of the fun!  This parade made Lucy decide she's going to move to New York when she's 16.  "Don't worry, Mom.  I'll come home for holidays," she assured me.  I asked what she'll do there and she said she might be in Broadway plays or possibly do the makeup for the plays there.

Then we got baking.  Emma helped me make the pies a few days before Thanksgiving.  Each person had what they wanted to help make.  Cov wanted to make green jello and green bean casserole.  Lucy helped make the rolls.  Cal did the mashed potatoes.  Emma did the orange rolls.  And Dave smoked the turkey on the grill.  It was fun to have everyone pitch in and it actually didn't take that long this year!  We read some of the Thanksgiving books we have and we got from the library in the afternoon and made some little pilgrim hat crafts.  Emma decorated and set the table and we cleaned a bit and staved off our hunger with some veggies and Cougar Gold cheese.

We started off our dinner with a prayer and Callahan said it.  After giving a great prayer and giving thanks for many specifics, at the end he said very sincerely "We thank you for...everything."  The kids were so happy about the finished product and the good food.  We talked about our gratitude for what we have and how we did miss our family but we'd be with them shortly!

After dinner chores next and we were off to do our "turkey shoot".  It was beautiful outside, a little windy but way warm - got up to 60 and melted the snow which was on the ground most of November!  Emma colored some turkeys and we used that and a target and went shooting down at the football field with bow & arrows.  Emma has quite the shot as she hit the turkey she was aiming for every single time!  She was glad to use her bow she got for her birthday.  The other kids did well, too.

We headed home to play Thanksgiving pictionary.  Cal/Emma/Lucy won and Dave/Mom/Cov lost.  Daddy was joking that we should get 5 points to take over the victory for our last one.  Lots of laughs and cute pictures.  Then we played a plastic wrap ball game which had little prizes in it and every time the kids rolled doubles, they got to unwrap the ball and get a prize our of it to put in their little pilgrim hats they made.  They loved this.

Last, we started the day the way we began - watching TV - football and Charlie Brown and the Berenstein Bears Thanksgiving.  And then scriptures and prayers of course.  How blessed we are indeed!  At the end of the day, Cov said he wished this day would last forever.  May we always "think to thank" for everything as that is what makes Thanksgiving what it is!

We also participated in the Turkey Trot here.  Emma wasn't feeling very well, and Dave stayed home with her and the baby as it was pretty cold.  The kids did all two miles (I did give piggy backs to a couple of the smallest kids for a bit).  Then we met at the Friendship Room after to visit and eat some snacks.  The kids did great and it was for a good cause - a benefit for the Giving Tree.