Giving Thanks

After Thanksgiving ended, we started a gratitude jar in preparation for the Christmas holiday.  My daughter who is nine sometimes forgets how lucky we are when she compares our lives to friends' at school.  So, I put out one of my canning jars that I use as a vase for flowers in the summer and tied a green ribbon around it and placed it on our breakfast bar.  I cut some of her green and red construction paper into strips that are sitting on the counter right by the jar.  We then started individually writing down things we're thankful for and the three of us will read them on Christmas morning after we open our presents from Santa and each other.  I hope that this becomes a tradtion for us and that we all realize how blessed we are even though things aren't perfect in our family. 

I've put big things on my slips of paper but little things as well--those little things are what make up the sweet moments of our lives.  One of the things I put that I am thankful for is "watching Isabella playing outside in the snow for the first time this year."  Even though she was all alone out there, she looked thrilled to be enjoying our first snowfall of the season.  My heart felt so full just watching her explore and play.  I'm looking forward to all three of us reading the slips of paper on Christmas morning.