A Thanksgiving Journal

Do you go all out for Thanksgiving? Do you host dinner in your home? Are you the wonderful cook?

I can’t even make myself reach into a store-bought chicken to pull out the extra parts let alone be trusted with a turkey. I can make a mean bowl of mashed potatoes or take on the crafty side of Thanksgiving, like decorating or making and sharing the holiday journal.

For many years we have shared Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law’s home in beautiful Napa, California. But the one year we did host Thanksgiving, I presented the family with this book. Words of Thanksgiving. In lieu of going around the table and saying what your thankful for, (no one really wants to say the deep stuff out loud), this book gets passed around all day. Not everyone chooses to write in it and that’s ok. But the thankful entries of those who do, give history to the happenings in the lives of our family over many years of gatherings.There’s a page of scribbles from Bennett at age 20 months. But my favorite page is the one that has an entry from each of my children:

“I im Thake for familys
Sarah”
This being Sarah’s first Thanksgiving with us since her mom, my sister, passed away and we adopted her.

“turkeys are what Iim I thankfol for
Jamie”

“I am thankfoul for frends and famley.
Bennett”

The book is a simple store-bought journal that I added a printed gold paper label to. You can get as elaborate or simple as you like, just be sure it’s not so overly decorated that it becomes too cumbersome to write in. Make a few extra for friends and neighbors. As with ours, yours can become a meaningful journal of the blessings in the life of your family.