Thanksgiving ideas

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Friday's Grand Connection Fun

by Mary May Larmoyeux

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week! Will you be with your grandkids?

For the past couple of years Pops' and my grandkids have made placemats and name cards for our Thanksgiving table. It's been fun to see their artwork, and quite frankly, it gave them a project to do while I worked in the kitchen. But this year we are doing something a little different— going to a restaurant.

It just dawned on me that the kids can make name cards ahead of time and bring them to the restaurant. But ... they can color the placemats while we are at the restaurant.FamilyFun has the cutest placemats on its website:  Thanksgiving Placemat Checklist and Activity Placemat

If you are not able to be with your grandkids during the Thanksgiving holidays, you could always mail/e-mail them patterns for holiday placemats and name cards for their family table. Or, you could ask them to make some for your own table.

Do you have other ideas for making Thanksgiving festive at a restaurant or in a home? I'd love to hear them!

Wherever we are for Thanksgiving, our family goes around the table and thanks God for His blessings during the past year. It is always amazing how He has answered our prayers ... in His time and in His way. As Psalm 119:90 reminds us, God's "faithfulness continues through all generations." 

Happy Thanksgiving,

Mary

The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild's Heart

http://www.marymaywrites.com/

©  2010 Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo © 2009 Mary Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

7 Ways to Keep Thanks in Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just a week away! Here are seven ideas that can help us keep Thanks in Thanksgiving.

1. Memorize Philippians 1:3 (“I thank my God every time I remember you.”) Make a special effort as Thanksgiving approaches to tell the grandkids why you thank God for them.

2. Have a “bowl of thanks.” Ask each person in the family to write things they are thankful for on small slips of paper. Drop the slips into the bowl. On Thanksgiving Day read the notes of gratitude and thank God together for His many blessings. (Long-distance grands can either mail you their notes of thanks or write them on Thanksgiving Day.)

3. Talk with the grandkids (in person, on the phone, by e-mail) about the blessing of good health. If possible, with your grandchild, “adopt” someone who does not have this blessing—rake their leaves, walk their dog, go grocery shopping for them ...

4. Discuss Ephesians 5:20 with the grands: "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

5. When the grandkids come to visit, make a paper chain of thanks: 1) Cut different colors of construction paper into strips. If you want a loose paper chain, cut long strips. Short strips will make small links. 2) Ask family members to write on the links what they are thankful for. 3) Attach the strips together to make a chain.

The chain can be hung in a special place for decoration. The links could be separated on Thanksgiving Day and the family could read the notes of thanks.

6. Deuteronomy 32:7 tells us to "consider the generations long past." Remember deceased loved ones by asking everyone around the Thanksgiving table to share why they are thankful for that special relative or friend.

7. Have a 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 family photo available on Thanksgiving Day. On the back of the picture write the date, who is in it, and one thing that each person was thankful for during the current year.

I read a great article about taking family pictures: 8 tips for great family photos. You might enjoy reading it.

Whenever I give thanks, I am reminded that God has blessed us in so many ways!

Abundant blessings,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
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