Five Things for Friday, 50th Edition

We started a new tradition this year. Well, actually I don’t know if we can call it a “tradition” yet since this is the first time we have done it, but I intend to keep it up. So, we’ll count it.
 Starting on the first day of November I bought a new package of Post-it Notes and told everyone that each time we sit down to a meal at the table everyone has to write down at least one
thing that they are grateful for and then stick it on the sliding door.

Our door is slowly getting covered and I am sure by the end of the month we won’t be able to see out of it. My kids have loved doing this and Asher never forgets to remind us “DO, THANK YOU NOTES!” So far we have notes from everything from ” Autumn leaves”, “two cars that work”, ” Friends”, “Ramen Noodles” and “Movies from the Library” (which shows you what my kids think the library is for). It has been a fun reminder to express gratitude to the Lord for all things.

I have been really impressed by what my children have chosen to be grateful for. They have shown a spiritual depth that has humbled me. Like this one from Rose saying she was grateful for Joseph Smith.

I mean, who isn’t grateful for Baby Unicorns?

Remember my review on the wonderful scripture journals from Personal Ponderings? 

Well Michelle, the owner of the company has a wonderful gift for all of my readers. She is offering you all 30% off on any of the journals in her store. This will be a standing discount (meaning it won’t expire) that you can use at any time and as many times and you would like. To get the discount you just type in  WITS  (it must be in caps) into the “coupon” box when you check out.

If you are looking to start your own scripture journal I would highly recommend this journal. Also, if  you are looking for gifts for friends and family she also has a personal journal and a literary journal in addition to the scripture journal.

I will have a button on my blog side bar with the code and a link to the website so that you can find it easier.

It isn’t often that I read a book that touches me deeply.

But this short children’s story  has changed my heart… in a profound way.

This book was incredible. I listened to in on tape and I think I used up a whole tank of gas driving around aimlessly in order to listen to the end of it. When I finished I made Jon listen to it and he finished in less than two days (there went another tank of gas) and said it was one of the best stories he’d ever heard. I agreed. It just bumped “Peter Pan”  down to #6 on my top 5 favorite books list.

I don’t even know where to begin to explain how this book touched my heart. I checked it out from the library because it was on a list I found of books to teach children about humility. It is certainly a powerful story about humility and gratitude but it is also about faith, kindness, perseverance, following promptings, truth, miracles, and family. The story is fun and engaging but its message is powerful and soul changing.

If you want a wonderful book to read for Thanksgiving (or any time really) I can’t recommend this one enough.

Abe has to be the just about the cutest crawler there ever was. A few months ago he started to waggle (is that a word?) his head back and forth whenever he crawls. For the longest time I couldn’t figure out why he did it. Then one day I realized that he thinks that if he waggles his head it makes him go faster. He will crawl normal and then as soon as he really wants to get something he starts the head waggling. It is pretty cute.

It was really hard to catch it on video but I finally got a few clips of it. If you want to see what I am talking about he does it for the first 30 seconds or so… but then the rest is me talking in a funny mommy voice and spying on my kids.

Also, if you hold Abe and start to waggle your head and say “ooooh,
oooh,” he will start to waggle it back at you. It is a strange, but really fun game to play with him 🙂

Oh, and I loved the ideas that this website gave for teaching children to be grateful. I got the post-it note idea from her and I really like her  idea of giving some one a thank-you jar. I also plan on making these gratitude rolls for Thanksgiving this year. I figure they  will either be amazing or a real disaster. Hopefully it is the former.

 Happy Early Thanksgiving!

PS. There won’t Five Things next week because we will traveling to be with family.

If you want to link to your own “Five
Things for Friday” post you can use the tool below to add your
link. 1) Please link to the URL of your blog post and not your
main blog and 2) Please include a link back here.