Thanksgiving 2013 - I'm thankful for...

[SnowAngel]

I have been starting the Thanksgiving thread on here for several years, I usually try to start it on the first of the month, but just like last year I wasn’t home most of the weekend for the same reason as last year too.

This thread always starts by asking what your favorite traditions or memories of Thanksgiving are.

My absolute favorite tradition is my family’s “thankful for” jar. Most of you already know about this, but I'm going to post it again so everyone knows. Years ago when I was about 6 years old my Mom started the tradition and we’ve done it every year since then. Here’s how it works, we get a large canning jar (or any container wide enough mouth to stick your hand in ), some nuts, M&M’s, candy corn, or other small candy and nuts. We pass the jar around the table and saying either "Thank you God for…"or "I’m thankful for…", and then we drop one piece of candy for each 'thankful for'. We usually do this at lunch every day until Thanksgiving and then on Thanksgiving and the days following it we get to eat the candy and nuts. We each do 6-8 thankful fors everyday depending on the size of the candy or nuts we are using that day. We normally have 2-3 large canning jars filled by Thanksgiving, sometime more. We have a pumpkin shaped jar that we are using this year.

One of my other favorite traditions is going for a walk with the whole family in the afternoon on Thanksgiving day. Since my Dad is in the military, we seldom walk the same trail two years in a row. But we always go for a walk all together and that is the important thing being together.

I'm thankful for...
~this past weekend being over! Well, at least Friday and Saturday - they were long busy days.
~My savior, Jesus Christ!
~My parents! I couldn't ask for a better Mom or Dad, they are so wonderful.
~Big brother and little brothers! Sometimes they are pains, but mostly they are awesome!
~Sisters, big and little! Life without my sisters would be so very boring, each and everyone of them is fabulous!
~Grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins! Family is the best!
~My pen-pal and her family. Outside of my family the one person whose friendship means the most to me is my pen-pal's.
~All of the wonderful people here on NarniaWeb!
~Chocolate!
~Christmas music!

SnowAngel

[jillpole1]

I'm very grateful this year, as I've realized and seen more of the people who are so much less fortunate than I am, and that's really impacted the way I view my life.
Kind of like what you said, SnowAngel, this year I kept a jar of good things that happen this year/things to be thankful for, but I'm going to open it at the end of the year so I can look back at it all.

This year I've been very thankful for:

~My freedom to be a Christian.
~Jesus Christ and his love for me.
~My Family.
~The fact that I have a home, electricity, food, water; all the things I normally take for granted.
~And of course, all of you!

Happy early Thanksgiving, I can't wait to see you all at the party on the 11th!

[coracle]

What a great idea, maybe it's a good new tradition for me in my new house. We don't have Thanksgiving in New Zealand, but I have had a lot to be thankful for, during the last three years (since the Christchurch earthquakes).
One thing I am thankful for is getting to meet a lot of lovely Narniawebbers this year - at a Moot in June.

[SnowAngel]

I'm thankful that I am almost over the cold I had this past week.

I'm thankful for...
~All of the troops and their family, who have given so much to keep the United States free in the past and present.
~A pleasant day to drain and refill the hot tub.
~Late night talks with the best big sister ever.
~New Christmas music, Duck the Halls!
~Candy corn!
~Apple cider!
~Fresh baked peanut butter brownies with chocolate chips!

SnowAngel

[Pattertwigs Pal]

I am thankful for:
~ God's grace, providence, and provision
~ C.S. Lewis's works especially the Chronicle of Narnia
~ NarniaWeb
~ My friends
~ My family
~ My cat
~ My small group Bible Study

For the first time ever, we are actually hosting Thanksgiving. My aunt and grandma are coming over.

[SnowAngel]

For the first time ever, we are actually hosting Thanksgiving. My aunt and grandma are coming over.

Sounds fun, Twigs! We have tried to get my grandparents to come visit us for Thanksgiving, but they won't because the family that's in the same town can't have Thanksgiving without them.

Our Thanksgiving menu this year is...
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Stuffing
Layered Lettuce Salad

and dessert...
Cold Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Cold Berry Pie (going to try the creamy layer from the pumpkin recipe, but with a thick berry sauce on top.)

I am hungry now!

I'm thankful for...
~A clean house.
~A friend's safe travel home from college.
~Money for Christmas presents (and hopefully surprises).
~Time with my wonderful family!
~Games; board, card, video, etc. (and hopefully a weekend full of them.)
~The little bit of snow we had yesterday, even though it didn't stick.

SnowAngel

[ceppault]

Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

Thankful.

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

I'm thankful for so much. . .

I'm thankful that this world is not my home. . . thankful that it gets better. Thankful that the suffering of this life will not last, and that this shall pass.

I'm thankful for God's forgiveness. . . regardless of how many times we fail Him.

I'm thankful for my family, and that I can spend time with them.

As much headaches as it causes me, I'm thankful for vet school. Thankful for the chance to live out my dream.

And last, but not least, I am so thankful for my NarniaWeb family. . . y'all have meant so much to me over the years, and I cannot imagine life without you.

[Princess Anna]

I guess this past weekend with my big birthday really put me in the right frame of mind for Thanksgiving this year. I mean, the outpouring of love in a packed room full of people the day after... it still moves me to tears after five days!!

So, what am I thankful for?

1) God, and His: gifts, promises, faithfulness, the trying times, the happy times... and for sending Jesus to die so we might someday live with Him forever. (a time of endless Thanksgiving!)

2) The best family I could ever have hoped for. I don't know what I'd do without them. Their importance was highlighted for me again, in May, when we lost my step-grandma to cancer. I hope I never forget to cherish any of them... to take our times together for granted. That would be awful. Which is why I'm ok with having our Thanksgiving tomorrow, rather than today... so my sister can be with us. Which reminds me, I'm thankful my beautiful and loving sister has a job that she's good at. It helps provide for her, as well as helps the people in the ICU. I'd hope that I could have a nurse as awesome and compassionate as my sister, if ever I needed one.

3) Friends that are so loyal, despite my faults and failures... that love me no matter how stupid I sometimes act. People that always have my back, share in the good and bad, remember old jokes/create new ones, call you part of their "family", pray for me, and utterly spoil me in general. (this includes my church family, and all of you too!!)

4) For being (relatively, most of the time) healthy, and for getting happier.

5) For the ever increasing awareness of what my purpose could be, or include.

6) Being able to still, occasionally, participate in community theatre productions. I can't think of how to describe what it brings to me. But I love stepping into someone else's shoes... bringing a character to life. Singing and reacting with newfound, and old, friends. And making tons of memories down in the green room.

7) For the ability to write. I know that when I'm blocked, which is much of the time, I can be annoyed. But when it flows... when it truly is working the way I want? There is no feeling like it anywhere... and I forget that the people in those stories are only real to me.

For all this and much, much more, I am eternally grateful.

[Puddleglum]

How ever can one have room for such a list, but I already know how it begins;
My Thanks to My Lord God, who loves me despite all my faults, and failures.
For His Son Jesus Christ, who showed His love on the cross. Dying for me, and rising again.
For The Holy Spirit, who councils me through my many failures, and comforts me in my trials.
For my wife, and her love for me.
For my son, and faith he shares openly.
For brothers, and sisters.
For relations, and friends.
For employment.
For Pastores, and others serving the Church here on earth.
Even for those in charge of our government. May they do God's will.

[AstroWolfD]

I'm thankful for so much... never limited to a few days a year.

For this path God has lead me on. Everything He has done along that path, the miracles I have witnessed, trusting in that path, and His forgiveness.

For an amazing family. And for a special, wonderful friend, who is always there.

And frankly, infinitely more