4 candy corns...

This year, we started a new tradition for Thanksgiving. At the end of the meal, we passed around a bowl of candy corn and told everyone to take as many as they needed. After the bowl had been passed, Craig and I told everyone that for each candy corn that was taken, you needed to say something you were thankful for. Sydnee took the most with 8, so she had a long list of gratitude. Here are the others that I could remember:

Christian: "water, and all other liquids"

Sydnee: "rain, my body, my mom, my brother, my sister, my daddy"

Craig: "my heritage, the gospel, my wife and all the things she does that may go unnoticed"

Kim: Christian, for how hard he is working to do well in 3rd grade (it has been tough for him); Craig; Sydnee and Ella; my parents, that they could be here in Iowa for Thanksgiving

Mom: "my grandchildren"

Dad: "the past year of his life and all the blessings that have come to his family"

(Ella was asleep during this portion of dinner, so she didn't participate.)

Christian wrote Turkey Notes. These are small pieces of paper rolled up in tissue paper and tied on each end with yarn. He wrote these at school and I thought they were pretty creative. The turkey note he wrote for his dad said:

Turkey Red, Turkey Blue, Turkey says I love football too!

Sydnee sang her Thanksgiving song:

5 fat turkeys

Scratching in the hay

Along came the farmer's wife

And took one away

They will serve him for dinner

On Thanksgiving Day!

Sydnee taught this song to Ella, and she wanted to sing it all by herself, but would only sing it under the table or in the other room where no one could see her.

We had a great dinner with all the traditional food items. I made Dana's Sweet Potato Pudding and it was a hit! Ella loved the Milk Nog (half milk, half egg nog), and Sydnee and Christian ate mostly turkey and mashed potatoes. It was a Thanksgiving day we will not soon forget. I know this is a long post, and since I was cooking, I didn't get any pictures, so watch for some from the long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!