Thanks-giving FHE

Yesterday we had a great lesson in RS about the importance of gratitude. I've been seeing all the November-is-grateful-month posts on FB but haven't felt inclined to join in. The lesson, though, reminded me that it is never a bad time to get on the grateful bandwagon. So, for FHE tonight, I brought back one of our favorite November rituals. Phil and I started this three years ago. It has taken slightly different forms but has kept its original intent and purpose.

Behold the Thanks-giving Turkey:

Every night from tonight until Thanksgiving we will add a feather of gratitude to this little Turkey. He looks pretty bare right now, but just you wait!

Eden and I talked about the importance of gratitude. I asked her why it is good to say "thank you" and she said, "because then you'll probably get more stuff!" Clearly, I have some work to do.

Yesterday in the RS lesson there was a quote that said, "What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked Heavenly Father for yesterday?" I used that concept and said to Eden, "what if I took back everything except the things you have thanked me for?" She replied, "I'd be really, really mad." We talked about it and then I said, "what if Heavenly Father took back everything except what we thanked him for yesterday? Did you thank Him for our house? Did you thank Him for your mom?" etc. She realized she would have food and that is about it, no house or mom or toys or friends. I think her prayer tonight was the first time she's ever thanked Him for her mommy. Nice!

She is so excited to add feathers to our bare little bird. I told her that she needs to be thinking through out the day so that she'll know what to put on the feather each night.

I'm thankful for a great lesson yesterday and the inspiration to bring back the Thanks-giving Turkey.

To make the turkey I bought a piece of foam-core at the dollar store. I used brown wrapping paper to cut out the body (just a basic pear-like shape). I cut a triangle beak and red for that floppy thing (Layne can tell us in the comments what that is called). His eyes are just white paper and blue paper with accents from a black marker. His legs are from scraps of orange paper. I cut out feathers from a variety of colors. It is all pretty basic but makes a cute bird in my humble opinion. In past years we have done individual birds (that were smaller) and the first year we used a pumpkin for the body and I just cut out a head and feathers that we pinned onto it. The problem is that the pumpkin didn't quite make it to Thanksgiving.


Glossary: 
FHE - Family Home Evening, a family night held once a week (usually on Mondays) in Latter-day Saint homes. Ours follows this basic pattern: song, prayer, flag salute, "Kesler Kudos" (a time to thank one another), lesson (brief), activity, treats, prayer.


RS - Relief Society, the women's organization within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest women's organization in the world.


FB - Facebook (but I'm guessing you already knew that!) :)

Update

I am sitting in Phil's office.

He is molding young minds.

He's also in the middle (well, the beginning of the middle) of a treatment so he is on drugs.

He can't be trusted to drive.

But he can be trusted to mold young minds?

I'm the chauffeur.

His class is three hours long.

We live a half hour away and so I am waiting.

I'm supposed to be working on my YW lesson.

I'm blogging.

Shame, shame.

Projects Update

Bathroom: same status as last post. The OTHER bathroom is in severe need of attention. It is getting all the use and none of the attention. I should really clean it tonight.

Dress: everything is done except the zipper and hem. She looks beautiful in it. Yesterday we went shopping and she got new shoes, a necklace/earrings set, and an uplifting undergarment. Clinton Kelly would be so proud. I hate zippers though. Guess what I'll be doing at midnight while Phil can't sleep?

72 Hour Kits: I bought a new backpack with wheels. It doesn't all fit into it. I have sorted the stuff into boxes: Phil, Heidi, Eden. I need another backpack with wheels. Maybe two. Is it cruel to expect Eden to haul her own survival gear?

Laundry: Resumed its position of prominence but although washed, it hasn't been folded. Guess what I'll be doing before midnight? I can't stand to have laundry unfolded over night (Phil, on the other hand, can't stand to have unfolded laundry for more than five minutes. He's a good man to put up with me and my laundry wrinkles.)

Roof: done by 3:00 that day! Yeah, those guys are finishers! I should learn from them. It looks great.

Other upcoming events:

Saturday morning: the Laurels and a few of their prom friends are coming for a waffle party. Phil is a nice, supportive guy to let me invite (actually they invited themselves) a bunch of teens into the house on the last day of his treatment.

Saturday afternoon: unhook Phil from his poison and pull out the needle. I'm such a good nurse.

Saturday evening: drive to B'ham for YW training followed by a stake YW activity followed by the YW General Broadcast. Of course the laurels will all be at prom but those beehives better get their little skinny bods there!

Sunday: teach a lesson about patriarchal blessings. This isn't in the manual but we decided to reserve fifth Sunday lessons for topics that we feel impressed our girls need. I'm not sure what the beehives are going to be learning about but the laurels are going to be learning about planning for the future now, including the importance of patriarchal blessings.

It is such a good thing that our lives are fairly busy. If I had time, I bet I'd be throwing myself pity parties. Phil's CEA was up again. We seem to be having a steady (slow) climb here. CT scan in a couple of weeks. That should give us some more info with which to work. Yeah, too busy for pity parties. That is a blessing and truly one of the tender mercies I count.