A Month of Thanks and December Goals

November was a pretty good month for us.  Pretty standard actually - a random sickness here and there, but overall, not too bad. 

Remember our Gratitude Turkeys?  Well, we finished the last feather on Thanksgiving Day.  We were all pretty amused at some of the things we all chose -- but overall, are very thankful for the things we listed and the things we didn't list.

Before we started adding feathers

After we added our feathers

So here's a little sampling of our feathers:

Daddy was grateful for:
Football
Hockey
Beer
A working car
A warm house
A good job
The grandparents
Friends
Mommy
Nani and Nudgie

Mommy was grateful for:
Chocolate
Black licorice
Books
My mom and daddy
Music
My computer
Good friends
Daddy
Coffee
Bubble baths

Nani was grateful for:
Toys
Chocolate milk
Zoja (our German Shepherd)
Jesus
Dolls
Her baby sister
Doing crafts
Her magnet doll book
Bubbe and Grandpap

Nudgie was grateful for:
Grandpap
Nana
Chocolate milk
Elmo
Zoja kisses
Crayons
Her Cinderella doll
Sissy (her big sister)
Bubbles (what she calls bubble baths)
Crafts

Our plan is to carry this "attitude of gratitude" into the Christmas season.  Nani is old enough now to understand that it's not all about asking Santa for toys.  We're setting up our Christmas count-down calendar to include activities that gives back or reflects on the true spirit of the season -- not about getting gifts.  (I'll be doing a separate post on that here shortly!)

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And over at Mama Smiles, she has this fabulous idea of setting monthly goals.  I linked up with my November goals and now it's time for my December goals!  Here are the categories we will focus on:

Health:            Planning healthier meals for my family, getting more exercise.
Family:            Planning family time, eating dinner together, keeping in touch with extended family.
Community:    Spending time with friends, honoring volunteer committments.
Gratitude:       Making time to focus on what we have and to be thankful.
Charity:           Reaching out to others less fortunate, sharing what we have with others.
Faith:               Attending church services, praying for others and my family, regular quiet time with God.
Creativity:       Encourage my children (and myself) to indulge in our creative side.
Homemaking:  Remember to try to keep my home peaceful, organized and a welcoming place for friends


Goals for December:

• Take the girls to donate toys to Toys for Tots.  Explain the importance of sharing with those less fortunate - Gratitude, Charity
• Continue to have family time at dinner at least 3x a week - Gratitude, Faith, Family
• Prayer time and reflection - Faith, Community, Family
• Continue to make Christmas gifts for friends and family - Community, Family, Creativity
• Keep my chaos at home organized, try to stay on track with chores - Homemaking, Family
• Remember to enjoy the Reason for the Season and not overschedule with activities and plans - Gratitude, Faith, Family, Community, Charity

So do you have goals for December?  Come link them up with Mama Smiles!