Thanksgiving Fives

With Thanksgiving next week, I am sharing one of my favorite family traditions with you today. We started making our Thanksgiving Fives the year Shane joined our family. We had so much to be thankful for and I wanted to document it each year. Thus, our Thanksgiving Five activity emerged. 

I make these on 12 X 12 inch paper and eventually will need to start doing separate pages because I can't imagine all our hands are going to fit on here in the coming years. For now I have them hung up in the house when I decorate for Thanksgiving and we can enjoy them. I think next year I may get a book and add the previous pages in.

To make these I write the year at the top and then let Shane decorate (I did the decorating the first year). Then we use a non toxic inc pad and stamp our hands onto the paper. Lastly, we each dictate five things we are thankful for and I write them on the fingers of our hand print. It is quick, easy, and gives memories for years to come! 

2012 Thanksgiving Fives

Brian: Disneyland, Warm Home, Apple TV, Knee, Job 

This year we had taken Shane to Disneyland and it was a wonderful memory that Brian looks back on with joy. Brian worked late nights during 2012 and I remember he was so happy to come home to a warm home after a chilly shift. In December of 2011 Brian broke his leg in two places and tore two tendons in his knee when I was 8 months pregnant with Shane so he had a lot to be thankful for surrounding that injury. We both were thankful for he kept his job despite the recovery time, that he was able to walk and run again after lots of rehab, and for a Apple TV we bought at the time because Brian had a lot of time to sit around after surgery.

Heather: Coffee, Family, Warm House, Teeth, Prayer

I was thankful for coffee. Any new mom really appreciates a cup of coffee...even if it is decaf! I was really thankful for all my family during the past year. I was helping Brian recover from surgery and had a baby who had some minor complications after birth which landed us in the NICU for a week and PT for several months. That year it was a COLD winter with lots of snow so I was grateful for a warm home. I had some dental work done in October and I remember being so thankful for a good dentist and my teeth. Prayer was something we really needed that year from surgery to health concerns to our home foundation needing major repairs and God answered our prayers time and time again!

Shane: Socks, Books, Chloe, Spatula, Mom and Dad

Shane loved to pull his socks off from about 6-12 months. It gave him pure joy! He also enjoyed reading and playing with Chloe. Spatulas were a supplemental teething ring for him and he carried one everywhere. Even though we made these for Shane we hope he was thankful for his awesome Mom and Dad!

2013 Thanksgiving Fives

Brian: Shane, Baby Angelo, Heather, Lower Mortgage, New Neighbors

Brian loves us all and I am so touched he three of his thanks for his family members. That year Brian worked with our awesome mortgage broker Kerry Day and saved us several hundred dollars on our mortgage which was a huge blessing. We also were blessed to have a new family move into our neighborhood who were friendly and super nice to live next to. 

Heather: Two Healthy Boys, Egg Free Cooking, Sleep, Amazing Friends, Patience

I was over the moon that year to have Shane and be expecting Keith. Shane had developed an allergy to eggs so I was really thankful for the resources I had to navigate egg free cooking in our home. Shane was sleeping consistently through the night and taking great naps so I was thankful to be getting a lot of sleep. I remember my friends were such an encouragement to me during this season. They prayed for me, threw me a baby shower, and helped me out with Shane when I had doctors appointments with Keith. Lastly, I remember how patient everyone was with me as I toted around my 18 month old and my 6 month pregnant belly that summer!

Shane: Chloe, Buttons, Big Boy Bed, Baby Brother, Legos

Shane seriously loves his dog Chloe. They are so sweet together and I think every year he will give thanks for her. Last year he was also fascinated with buttons. He always spotted them on shirts or coats and was fixated on them. We moved Shane into a twin bed around 21 months to make room for his baby brother and he moved over really well and actually enjoyed his new bed. We like to think that Shane was excited for Keith. In reality I don't think he really grasped the idea of a brother until after Keith had arrived but we still hoped for a brother to be a blessing to Shane. Last year Shane was into building and constructing with Legos. He still is!

Those are the past two years of thanks! We have really enjoyed doing this activity as a family and look forward to our 2014 Thanksgiving Fives which we will do next week. 

What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions?