An ABC Thanksgiving

On Monday for family home evening, we read a short story from The Friend called "We Are to Thank God in All Things."  On the page next to the story was a fun activity where we could list a blessing for every letter of the alphabet.  We all took turns sharing things we were thankful, and though we didn't finish, I thought it would be a fun blog post.  I am certainly thankful for lots of things, and here they are.  In alphabetical order.

A  Apples, Art, the Atonement, and Aging gracefully (at least, I think I'm aging gracefully)

B  Brandt, Blythe, Bread, my Bike, Books, Bed, Body, and this Blog

C  Cheese, Christmas, Creme brulee, Canoeing, Car, and since I'm to be thankful in all things--Challenges and the things they teach me

D  Dad (even though he is included in the first E thing too; I miss him.) and Donuts

E  Eternal Extended families (by which I mean our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents on both sides of our family, those who are here now and those who have gone before, and new additions like Brick and Rowen who was born on Monday), Exercise, and Energy to do everything I want and need to do

F  Friends (we really have a terrific network of friends we can call upon any time we are in need--of help or of someone to play with), Five senses, Food (I'm not really very biased, I just love the whole category), Feet, and Floss

G  Gospel, Games

H  Home, Holy Ghost

I  Ice cream, Internet

J  Jesus (I was having a hard time thinking of J things and sort of listed juice, jammies, and jerky before I had one of those 'duh' moments with Jesus.  I supposed I am thankful for juice and jammies too.)  Juice, Jammies

K  Kent

L  Laughing, Lotion, Light, and (again in the vein of being thankful in all things) Laundry (because it means guilt-free TV watching.)

M  Music, My Mission

N  Nature, Neighbors

O  Outings, Order (when things are neat and tidy), Opportunities, and my generally positive Outlook on life

P  Primary, Prayer, Priesthood, Playing Piano, Pie, Popcorn

Q  Quilts on cold nights

R  Reading with the children, Rainstorms, Religion

S  Singing, Slippers, School, Service, Sunsets, Scriptures, Swimming, Seasons, Sleep

T  Temple, Travel, Trees

U  Unanimity with my husband (when we've got it), and Umbrellas (for those rainstorms, though I like being out in the rain without an umbrella because we don't get a lot of rain here.  U is a tough letter because there aren't a lot of things that start with it.)

V  Vacuum (to help with the order at letter O), Visiting teaching, Vaccinations, Veggies

W  Work, Walks, Water, and the Washing machine

X  (In an act of desperation I went to the dictionary to look up X words.  'Perhaps,' thought I, 'I will find an X something to be grateful for.  Turns out there are only two and a half pages of X words, and of those, really Xylophone is the only X word anyone would use--ever.  But as I am to be thankful in all things, here goes.)
Xylophones (I do want to learn how to play one), X-Rays (I have had a broken leg, and I was grateful to the x-ray that showed where it was broken), and Xeroxs

Y  Yard (which is shaping up nicely, though it still needs work), Yeast (which makes bread--see B--possible)

Z  Zippers and Zebras (which should really be a representation of animals in general)

And so there it is, a Thanksgiving ABC.  We are truly, remarkably, wonderfully blessed and I try to recognize all we have not just this day, but always.