Thanksgiving Trees and Martinmas

I was inspired the other day by another wonderful blog by a very creative mama. She creates  "Thanksgiving Trees" for her own family and she also sells them in her Etsy shop.  I became very excited about this idea as soon as I saw her post about it.  A couple days ago the kids and I set out to find the perfect "tree".  At first I thought I might need to tie some branches together but then I found a huge dead limb with the perfect branch on it.  I took it home and set it in a jar with some rocks and sand to weight it down. 

We had our family time on Sunday in which we all sat down together and wrote our what we were thankful for.

I found some leaf sillouettes through google and we made a few stencils. Then we cut out leaf shapes out of felt together.   There are any number of ways you can make the leaf.  Carrie  takes fall colored material and canvas and sews them together, with a label bearing the thankful things sewn on as well.  You can make them as beautiful as you like. I wanted to keep it simple since my little ones were crafting too.  We just used single sheets of felt , and wrote with a marker on each leaf one of the things from our compiled lists. 

We have been putting up on or two leaves a day onto the Thanksgiving Tree. By the time Thanksgiving comes they will all be hung and we will read together what we are thankful for at dinnertime.

This idea really isn't new, but I wanted to take it to another level.  To complete my new Thanksgiving Tree tradition we are doing the following:

Once we hang the leaves for the day, we remember those things in our prayers, and give a special blessing over them.

We also are trying to incorporate an activity which exemplifies the things we are thankfulful for.  For example, on the day that we put up the "food" leaf, we plan to gather a box of canned food to give to our local homeless shelter.  On the day we put up "aunts and uncles", we plan to make cards and pictures, write letters to send, and also call the relatives, both mine and my children's. (This way they see that we're participating too, and also why we put up an "aunt's and uncles" leaf as opposed to specific people.)

Our first day we put up the "home" and "family" leaves. (I think it's good to pair together activities whenever possible).  Instead of just doing the normal routine of dinner and bed, I asked my daughter what she would like to do to give thanks for our family.  She wanted to eat our dinner around an outside fire, so that's exactly what we did.

 

 

When I put up our "home" leaf, we all gave thanks for it, but I made a special pact with myself, since I have the homemaker.  If I am truly thankful for my home, then I have to put that into action.  I vowed to do everything I can to leave my home clean and clutter free before bedtime, so that we can all wake up to a fresh and productive day.  I am pleased to say that it's been going well.

Today we gave thanks for "holidays and traditions" and of course....we celebrated Martinmas!  Even though we've been battling some harsh sickness within our family this past week, I was determined to celebrate this special day.  Hosanna's cold only lasted only for a day, so she's been feeling held down and left out lately since the boys are still sick.  She's even tried faking her coughs and telling me she wished she was sick to get more attention!  Today's celebration was really for her.  She enjoyed the evening's activity so much of making a lantern for the lantern walk...

 

And after making cookies....settling down around the wood stove to read the story of Saint Martin and the Poor Man..

I am very excited to continue sharing with you what we do to "give thanks" in the coming weeks.  I also hope that you will have an opportunity to create your own Thanksgiving Tree with your family.  If you do, please share it with me!

God bless you all during this special time and season...

Comments

[erin]

oh I love this idea. I also love how you took it to the next level, ensuring that you all take note of each thing you are thankful for by putting an action behind it. Love this!

[kate]

We love to make thanksgiving trees! It's so fun to do year after yer-- seeing handwriting and thankfulness change and grow and take on more meaning. Our favorite book to read during the thanksgiving time is "The Secret of Saying Thanks" by Douglas Wood. And I too love the fact that you are taking your gratitude and doing something positive with it-- I all too often miss that important step. Looks like your Martinmas celebrations were magical-- love those beads on your lanterns.

[Carrie :: between hitching posts]

I LOVE your tree! I love how you made it so personal & included each member of your family in making it! It warms my heart to see other families creating such wonderful memories from an idea that I had one day.
Thanks for sharing!

[gardenmama]

How exciting to see your thankful tree! We also share in this tradition at our home! I love how you made it your own and added so many meaningful things along with your leaves!

[Ashlee]

Very cool Thanksgiving tree and jar lantern! I love the little leaves that you all made, and I love Hosanna's handwritten thanks...what a sweetheart.

[Sharon Bartlett Price]

On this, my birthday, with Celtic carols in the background, and a fire in the fireplace, I thank God for the gifts you and Wesley have been in my life, a daughter and son of my heart. I rejoice that your children are being so abundantly blessed with you as their parents...two angels from heaven, whom you are holding, loving with such tenderness, wisdom, faith and love. You are not only protecting them from the evil in this world, but are sharing with them all that is beautiful and magical. God planted them in your hearts. You have nourished the roots, which come from the Creator of all life, with all that is good, most especially, with a knowledge of Him. I see you tenderly holding these buds, whose wings are still tucked behind them, truly raising them up as they shall one day go...wings opened to fly with the Spirit, to spread the Fruits that they themselves have tasted at your table, and for which they learned to give thanksgiving. We three were so infinitely blessed to be able to love, cherish, teach and be vessels of healing to the abandoned, abused, broken children whom God placed in our hands, hearts and homes for brief, precious moments. Just as they are still in our hearts, we are in theirs, nourished still by having known the love of Christ. How blessed we were to have been chosen to be their parents for a time, and to be able to bear them with us as we go forward in Faith, knowing not where they are nor how they are growing, but with the faith to know that they are still being held by God for His purposes, plans and future...and they are for good and not for evil. Praise God. I love you and your children, forever and for always. Sharon