Giving Thanks: A November to Remember & Thanksgiving 2020

We always have thinks to be thankful and grateful for no matter what life throws our way. This November we carried on with our traditional methods of showing gratitude and even added a few new ways to remember our blessings. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From gratitude trees that the kids made & displayed in their rooms to daily thankful leaves we kept in an “I’m grateful box” to shopping for those less fortunate, the kids embraced the spirit of Thanksgiving. It was beautiful to see their giving hearts in action. 

 

 

 

 

No matter how you celebrated this year, I hope gratitude was vibrant in your heart & mind.

Aspen Michael: 6 1/2 Years Old

Dearest Aspen Michael,

My oh my son how you’ve grown! Even in a short 6 months since I last documented your growing age. You continue to grow taller. You continue to excel and learn at school. You continue to improve in your social anxiety and coping mechanisms. Your love of sports elevates daily. And your heart gets bigger & bigger with the passing time.  

 

You are flourishing in Kindergarten. Although we will move to NTI for a few weeks, I am so proud of how you’ve navigated a new grade with many different aspects to it this year. You’re reading beautifully and progressing with perfection. I am so proud of you. 

We have started a wonderful tradition of tennis together on Monday afternoons. We spend 30 mins to an hour on court working up a sweat and laughing at ourselves & each other. This simple one on one time is truly cherished and I love the smile on your face as we play together. Between the cross court drills and the Gatorade breaks, we are having a ball. 

You continue to make great progress with Ms. Sherri learning to control your emotions and anxieties. Your make shift Nintendo controller drawing as served as an excellent tool to remember to STOP and press PAUSE. You have noticed your progress too and the pride you have when you use your tools to help you is contagious. 

You have become a little social butterfly making all sorts of new friends in so many areas of life. You genuinely enjoy life and everything that comes with it. 

Aspen, you are a sweet soul who loves your mommy so much. For that I am forever grateful that God chose me to be your mom!

I love you!

Love,

Mommy

Whitney & Ryan: Wedding Annivesary #9

You might recall when we celebrated our first anniversary and the *paper* gift that kept on giving all year long. We had a great time on our monthly dates and continued to enjoy our passion for exploring. For year two, I combined cotton & china into a beautiful Thanksgiving week getaway up in Mont Tremblant, Canada. In year three, a traditional leather gift came in the form of a TUMI travel wallet while the modern crystal gift included a Thanksgiving dinner at The Crystal Hotel in Portland, OR. Year four brought "tropical" fruits & flowers together with a trip to Bermuda followed by an upgraded {appliance} TV for our bedroom. Our fifth year was about "wood" and "silver" which included a bamboo sushi set for two, wine cork cuff links with the year 2011, and a trip to the Greenbrier. The sixth year of our marriage included iron & candy meaning bikes to burn off those personalized M&Ms and the trip to Schimpff's Confectionary in Indiana. In year seven, wool & copper were our gifts of choice which included a wool Fedora, a copper pocket watch and an incredible trip to Cuba for the ultimate throwback.
Year eight saw the traditional bronze and pottery via a money clip & homemade pottery while linen & lace came from a personalized pair of boxers & a night staycation at the Omni Louisville.

This year I wanted to *again* stick with tradition and put a spin on the modern gift. Traditionally willow is the gift of choice for year #9. Willow is thought to represent nature & flexibility. Leather is the modern gift symbolizing warmth & durability. Two important qualities in a successful marriage.

For *willow*, I was able to find two wicker (made from willow) coffee mugs. Ryan is a huge coffee guy so his morning cup will now be filled with love.

In terms of *leather*, which is the modern addition, I had a leather weekender bag monogrammed with his initials: RMT. 

 

More details to come on our planned trip to celebrate with *willow* and *leather* when we are able to getaway. It involves a lot of nature, plenty of warmth, and so many of the things that we both love separately & as a couple!

I truly love following the traditional and modern celebrations of each year. I hope when we look back on all of the years we can enjoy the way we celebrated as well as the special moments of each passing year! 

The Thompson Fall Bucket List: Jump in a Pile of Leaves

We rounded out our *2020 fall bucket list* with a big ole pile of leaves. The kids had been eyeing it for days and we finally found the perfect time to jump in. With the sunshine beaming down & fall colors galore, their innocence was seen as a bright light in the world around us. The crunching of leaves by littles feet. The endless giggles between them. The wonder as they threw the foliage up in the air and watched it fall down to the ground. 

 

 

With the changing seasons, we are reminded of new life & the circle of life. This fall we embraced the light and the traditions we hold each fall. For us, it was exactly what we needed.