gratitude traditions

Now that Halloween is over, the real holidays can start happening (can I get an amen?). I've told you before that Halloween is my archnemesis, but Thanksgiving on the other hand? That's when it starts getting good!


Thanksgiving is really fun to teach about in 5th grade since the curriculum is all about US History (wait, they ate their own cats and dogs out of starvation that first winter? and the pilgrims and indians weren't BFFs like the cartoons show??). And gratitude is something we can all get behind. Not to mention it's been linked to better sleep, less anxiety and depression, higher life satisfaction, and kinder behavior in relationships (source).


Here are a few of our favorite traditions that show gratitude:


1. We have a tradition of writing in our family gratitude journal every evening after scriptures and prayers. Everyone writes one thing they are grateful for in the journal (and we mean everyone! If you're hanging out here during scripture time, you're signing it.).  This is basically the only family tradition we have that's lasted more than a few days, so we can't stop now! We like that it only takes a minute each day, but keeps us focused on gratitude all year round.

2. I made a little gratitude banner (5-second tutorial: cut banner shapes from old scrapbook paper, hand-draw or print out cute letters, outline in sharpie, stick a little jupe on the back and you're good to go!). Everyone knows the real decorating should be saved for Christmas, but this is a good start.

Sorry the pictures are so dark! It's always dark when I get home now. 'Tis the life of a full-time working blogger, I suppose!

3. We love to make treats and deliver them to people who we're grateful for. Last Monday's stop included the kind neighbor who drove Jason to school after he missed the bus (seriously what would we do without our neighbors?), and another family that's been so awesome to us since we moved in.

What are your pre-Thanksgiving gratitude traditions?

30 Days of Thanksgiving

Like most people, I'm passively grateful for a lot of things. When asked, I can spout a list like anyone else. Family, friends, church, teaching.... But as it turns out, being actively grateful is a harder, more rewarding challenge. 

This month, I took the 30 Days of Thanksgiving challenge. Each day, I thought all day about what I was grateful for, and made a list of one thing per day. It may seem insignificant, but it really helped me be actively grateful. {And it turns out the things you spout off like family, friends, church and teaching are the things I'm grateful for the most after all.}

1 - that my mom had bright blue eyes

2 - sweatpants

3 - nasal decongestants

4 - students who are kind when they know you're sick

5 - advil

6 - when you feel healthy again

7 - amazing, amazing coworkers

8 - candles that smell good

9 - freshly fallen snow
10 - dinners with family

11 - snuggly outfits and warm houses 

12 - compromises

13 - husbands that do the dishes
14 - the temple

15 - strong jaw lines

16 - holiday outings and Christmas lights

17 - days spent only with him

18 - my healthy, strong body

19 - coworkers who give great advice

20 - breaks from school

21 - cars that work

22 - clean hotels and lazy mornings with my love

23 - family, immediate and extended and in-law

24 - when you know where your life should take you

25 - to-do lists, and crossing them off

26 - that I'm passionate about my career

27 - certainty of decisions

28 - the kindness of my students

29 - 8 hours of sleep

30 - exercising

___________

Linking up with Carina.

P.S. I loved Elisabeth's post on gratitude.

Images via.

What are you grateful for right this very second?

Happy weekend!

for.

-- clean hotels and dirty houses

-- mint m&ms

-- skype

-- my 30 kids

-- pictures of my mom

-- brothers, step-brothers, brothers-in-law, and step-brothers-in-law

-- faith, and how beautiful it is to act on something you have no proof of

-- leggings and boots

-- my Heavenly Father

-- and this kid.

P.S. What are you grateful for? 

Leave me a link of your grateful post. 

I want to read it and comment.

what matters most

This time of year can get really hard for my family. Lots of memories, the best and the worst. I don't think I want to say any more about it right now, but yesterday I asked Sam if we could just have a quiet evening at home. We turned on the lamps and burned our favorite candle (yes, my favorite candle is from Walmart. It smells like winter, but happy.). He worked on his model football stadium, and I read my book. There were so many good things to come out of that October, and I don't want to miss a single happy memory this year.

Happy Sunday. Let's all be a little kinder, work a little more diligently, and remember what matters most.

one last fling

On the last day of school, my old roommates and I met up at our freshmen dorm.

We had to. It's about to be torn down. And now that most of us are graduating and moving and getting real jobs and stuff, we wanted one last set of pictures.

We matched on accident, which tells you something right there.

You know those cheesy quotes about real friends and how you can call them after forever and pick up a conversation like you just talked five minutes ago?

Yeah, those.

the routine

On Sunday mornings, we opt for a few extra minutes of snuggles, so we rush to church almost late every week.

After church, we nap and take walks and eat lunch.

On Sunday afternoons, I visit a certain grave in a cemetery. It's quiet and peaceful, and spring comes early there.

Then we have a family dinner, come home to our little lovenest, and procrastinate the start of our week together.

It's a good routine. 

year round

So there I was, sitting on a chair on campus last night. It was 7:15pm, and I was in a grumbling mood. You know, leave for school when it's still dark, don't come home until way after it gets dark again. School projects. No time. Lack of sleep. Husband's errands are taking forever. Famished. Cold wet shoes. That type of grumbly mood.

Husband was doing Important Car Errands, and I was channeling all my grumpiness by glaring at the floor tiles.

Then a voice in my mind started speaking to me-

At least you have a car.

You have a car! That gets you places!

And a husband who changes the oil and fixes the car for you.

You have a husband.

You're at school.

You're warm.

You have something to eat at home.

And then I was chagrined, and kept listening to the voice in my head, and gave embarrassed looks to the floor tiles.

And that voice went on and on. Everything it said was true.

I started catching on.

My husband picked me up. We went for a drive to see Christmas lights. I get to be with that angel who uses his turn signal!

We came home. I talked with my grandpa and emailed some family members. I have a family that loves me!

We planned for Christmas, and my birthday, and a trip to Oregon. I have things to look forward to! 

I think I may owe an apology to those floor tiles I spent so much time glaring at. I have way more than I need, and that is a huge blessing.

Who says Thanksgiving's only once a year?

{via}

Linking up to Elisabeth today.