Thanksgiving, Thankfulness, and Thanks!

Tuesday of Thanksgiving week has me exhausted but so grateful for all of the blessings in my life!  I have a wonderful husband who loves his family and works so hard for us.  (I have been pulled into that crazy work too, but as so many are out of work, that is a blessing as well).  My beautiful, brilliant, caring child is safe and healthy.  My mom is independent, funny, generous, and close.  My home is cozy.  My country is free and full of opportunities.

Those are the big things, but there are so many things that make me so happy and thankful.  My daughter's school, while not free, is affordable and near our home and offers her a first class education.  She has friends and we have made a point to get to know the families of her friends.  They are kind to her and love her. 

Today was the Thanksgiving meal at my daughter's school.

This kicks off Thanksgiving week for our family.  We eat the non-traditional fried chicken after getting the lecture that we must eat quickly and get out for the next group to have time for their fried chicken feast.  The headmaster, though very caring toward the kids' minds and spirits, is a stickler for schedules!

As we enjoy the silly things, like paper turkey hats and 14 kinds of mashed potatoes, I cannot help but think of service men and women who are far away, without family, feasts, or fun.  Our family has just adopted a Marine.  I went shopping today for his first care package.  I cannot imagine what draws these young people to military service, but how thankful I am for them.

I am including a card I made during the last on-line swarm.  I think our first box will just be a "Thank You" kind of box.  I received the name of this Marine from one of the fabulous ladies on the Cricut Circle, Jennifer Bell.  The Circle is another one of those little things for which I am so thankful.  What a glorious group of women - creative, generous, funny, and caring!  How fortunate I feel to be a part of the Circle.

I am fast becoming an expert on what to send military service people in Afghanistan, mostly thanks to information from my post office, Jen, and the other ladies on the MB who have loved ones overseas.  One thing I have learned is that a box takes two weeks to get to the FPO so I can send this one now and then one in a couple of weeks for Christmas.  I love surprises, and I hope our Marine does too.

Speaking of surprises, I had blog awards given to me this week.  Caroline of Caroline's Craftograghy Blog has given me the Attittude Blog Award.  Wende at Passionately Paper , Rachel at Back Porch Creations, Maria at Stamp, Cut, Create!, Kristin at My Fantabulous Life, and Carolyn of Carolyn's Creative Corner have given me the Stylish Blogger Award.  A big thanks to those ladies for sharing the love!

         

I am so shocked that my new crafty buddies like my blog and so pleased!  I try to make it unique with some non-Cricut content, keeping with the theme of Roald Dahl's quote.  I like to give away all the secrets with size and technique.  I enjoy sharing a bit of my life mixed in with my crafting.  Whenever I can squeeze in a favorite recipe too, I do; I am such a foodie.  My love of sewing really influences my projects and the attention to detail that I learned through sewing has really helped my paper crafting.  I have loved the opportunities to share jewelry-making here too, after picking that up in the most hap-hazard way.  Blogging and crafting give me a much needed break from my job and house-hold responsibilities.

I would love to pass these awards on to some of my favorite blogs Laurens Creative, Sugar Peas Creation Station, Polish the Stars, Sour Kraut Krafts, Red Couch Recipes.  I am so thankful that we live at a time where technology is so easy and live in a place where it is so accessible.  We, as women, are more fortunate now than ever before in so many ways.  To think that women got the vote within my grandmother's life... it is amazing how far our culture has come.... again, how thankful for this I am!

At this time year, I always remind my friends of the little things we can do to show our gratitude.  Give blood if you can, give your change at the bell ringer stations, pick up a gift to donate to the elderly or to a needy child.  When we see a need we can meet, that is God speaking to us.  We are to serve as "the body of Christ" in fulfilling Jesus' words during the Sermon on the Mount, that needs will be met.  God meets the needs of others through us!

If you are feeling blue right now, I urge you to pick up Andy Andrews' The Noticer and to keep a gratitude journal.  As he says, "Sometimes all a person needs is a little perspective."

Happy Thanksgiving Week!  Eat extra pie for me.  I would love you to share with me what you are most grateful for this year!