Our Thankful Tree
I’ve seen several posts on this idea lately (like this cute one made by Jackson from The Tucker’s Take Tennessee), but just had to share mine, too. It’s about the funniest looking tree I’ve seen in a while, but…it’s ours and that’s what’s important.
The entire tree is made from construction paper. As you can see, we put it at the base of our stairs. I figure it can vine up the stairs if we get carried away. On Thanksgiving day, we will remove each of the hands and thank God “officially” for them all together as a family in prayer.
The scripture is from I Thessalonians 5:18 – “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
I love the things my children are thankful for – as any mama would! My oldest helped the youngest to trace his hand and then she cut it out for him. He doesn’t talk yet, so she imagined what he might be thankful for. Is it any surprise that she chose “My sister and my brothers”? Even though I know that that is true, perhaps we need to have a quick refresher on humility?
Here are a few of the things that are written on the hands so far:
- my air conditioner (broken all summer; interesting thing to be thankful for, eh?)
- my heater (just got this fixed this week)
- my books
- my family
- the sky
My “hand” hasn’t been traced and added to the odd-thankful-tree yet, but when I get it done it will read “Indoor Plumbing”. You can laugh, but I seriously pray a prayer of gratitude quite often for running water, hot showers, flushing INDOOR toilets, washing machines and dish washers. These luxuries do not go unnoticed in my household!
The Proverbial Woman 
Well, it’s not really odd but, I’m extremely thankful that my 3 yr. old still takes a good long nap on most days. 🙂
That’s such a charming idea. I have so much to be thankful for that I could fill the tree all by myself!
Great Idea!!
I am thankful for modern technology.
I love this – what a fun, cute idea!
I’ve seen a few of these lately and love the idea! Definitely something I want to do with my family next year.
I am grateful for snow scrapers! My husband just bought me a really great new one that reaches all the way across the car, even with my pregnant tummy in the way.
I am thankful that when my 6 week old is screaming in the car that my 2 1/2 year old stays calm and doesn’t also start screaming. It’s the little things!
We have a thankful tree on our kitchen window right over the table. I used my Cricut cutter to make the tree and leaves, and then self-laminated them to save time next year (we use a dry erase pen to write on the leaves). I’m thankful for blogs and people who post these great ideas that I don’t seem to come up with one my own : ). Our little ones are mostly thankful for toys, friends, family – but I am thankful for another child on the way, for friends bringing kids home from Ethiopia soon, and that God is merciful to me – a sinner!
What a great idea!
That’s such a good idea!
How fun! When my littles are older, this would work great up my staircase.
This is a great idea! Can’t wait to try it when my kid(s) get older!
We just started this tradition in our house! We LOVE our thanksgiving tree. The odd thing we are thankful for this year is the abundance of rain in the NW. Makes for many relaxing evenings, listening to the rain fall.
What a great idea! We just made a “family thank you book” and each of us drew pictures and wrote what we were thankful for on paper, then hole punched them, and tied them all together with string. The funny thing was I didn’t see what the others were writing/drawing and some of the things were the same! 🙂
I will have to use this idea too sometime!
I LOVE this idea! Thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving thoughts!!
I posted something similiar on my blog this week. We are thankful for all our family.
I am thankful that for the last 14 years in August, we have never had a mouse in the house! We recently had one, that was seen and caught that got in through the greenhouse attached to the walkout basement door. It got in because my dear children don’t always shut either doors and they were both found open many times throughout the summer/early fall. Hope it was the only one!
Too funny! I love that you are thankful for the absence of something! Mice are no fun. I won’t share all my stories about the “new house” (read: 30+ years old house that sat abandoned for 9 months before we bought it) we bought 2 years ago. We don’t have mice – I should be thankful! What we do have are rats! Never in our living quarters – also thankful for that – but too close for comfort just the same.
Hope your house remains mouse free for the next 14 years!
what a cute idea! i might try to do something like this for thanksgiving this year, but modified a little for a 22 month old.
I am thankful for great ideas like this! what a good reminder to voice our thanksgiving for the little things!
I love this idea! I’m going to try it with my family today. I’m sure my children will love it!
Can I use this comment as an extra entry for the diapers?
Yes indeed – just make sure you tell Keeper of the Home you made a comment here and it counts as an extra entry! Hope your family has great fun making their tree!
We have a thankful tree here too! I LOVE hearing the funny things and the sweet things my kids come up with. My 4 year old said he was thankful for cavities. “why?” Because if you get a cavity, you get TWO prizes at the dentist. Hmmm…He has never had a cavity, not sue where he came up with this! LOL
The odd thing I am thankful for is our PLAYROOM!!! I love having a special place for the kids to play, make a mess, and learn the responsibilty of cleaning it up!!
husskl at comcast dot net
Too funny! I guess you could be thankful that he hasn’t gotten 2 prizes yet at the dentist’s office! 🙂
What a cute idea! Kids do come up with the simplest things to be thankful for that we often take for granted. 🙂
I love your blog! and I’d really love to win those diapers! 😉 Thanks for the giveaway! My boy is growing out of the one’s he has, so it would be a wonderful start to a new, bigger collection.
Oh, yours turned out really cute! We made one of these last year (though not at Thanksgiving) and I made little leaves that didn’t really leave much room to include for what we were thankful. Oops! I love the hand idea. That’s a much better way to personalize each contributor’s blessing.
That’s a beautiful idea! I am thankful for potty chairs when my three year old who is attempting to potty learn is afraid of the big potty. 😉
One word: SKYPE! My husbands in the Army and I’m SO thankful that my son and I can see him once in a while!
I have a deployed loved one right now and his wife completely agrees with your thankful choice. What a difference this application has made for our deployed men and women and those that love them. Thank you for your comment.
I LOVE this idea, perhaps we’ll do it next year. We currently live out of States and in our little apartment here in Asia I am SO thankful for my bathroom! Not only do we have a “sitter” toilet and not a “squatter” (Thank you Lord! :-)) But my bathroom also has a little heater in it. When the gov. regulated heat comes on my little bathroom is ever so toasty. Since I don’t have a dryer, in the winter my bathroom is the perfect place to hang fresh out of the washer wet clothes!! They get dry within a day (much quicker than hanging them out on the rack next to the windows) do to the warmth of the room! I continue to praise the Lord for this little bathroom! It’s on my “blessing list” for sure!
I just commented on your give-away at Keeper of the Home. I had to stop by and see your blog too. Your thankful tree is such a good idea! I am thankful for all the smart Moms who share all their awesome ideas online!
I am enjoying your blog. I am thankful that we are finding a way to help my little guy with his dyslexia.
What a great idea! I love the thankful tree. I am also leaving a comment on this post for the diaper give away! Thanks.
Very cute idea. Great way to get the family talking and thanking the Lord for our many blessings. Thanks for sharing.
This is a lovely idea. I will definitely be using this idea as I start my family. Right now, my husband and I are expecting our first child and I’m so thankful for the little jabs and rolls that I feel all the time. The beauty of new life!