Photo Assignment: Thankful Thing

So I bet you can figure out where the "thankful" part came from...  Those of us in the U.S. are gearing up for Thanksgiving and the holidays are quickly approaching for all of us (I will do us all a favor and not announce the number of days until Christmas).  *grin*

But why a "thing"?  Things aren't really what folks are focused on right now.  Right now it's all about family and friends and faith and building relationships and, well, all that stuff you give thanks for.  Which isn't stuff... or things... this time of year.

To prove my point, go to our Gallery and use the handy-dandy search function.  (Did you know that was there?  I use it when I'm stumped to get ideas!)  Try words like "Thanksgiving" or "thankful" or "blessing" or "Christmas" or "holiday" and you'll quickly see that we are all very, very good about documenting what is important to us.  Which is not stuff... or things... 

Except when it maybe *is* about the stuff and the things.  The stuff and the things that don't really get documented like they maybe should. To prove my point, pay attention to what people say this week and in the coming months: 

"Wow, this turkey looks amazing, Mom - it turned out beautifully!"
"Do you remember when we first got this ornament?"
"You know, this bowl I got from Aunt Elsie is pretty ugly, but I just can't have cranberries without it!"
"Can you believe that sunset?"
"Hey, do you think our tree fort is still there? Let's go look!"

And when you hear stuff like that... about things... grab your camera and capture the stuff and things that are part of our lives and traditions now, next week, next month, and always!  That's what the DT did this month:  we documented those everyday things that mean a lot to us, and that we are thankful for.

Jenny says:  "I am thankful for God's beauty!  This photo was taken during a trip to the mountains in Ruidoso, New Mexico."

Aphra says:  "I am thankful for our home. We love our neighborhood, and we feel blessed to have such a nice place to raise our family."

Melanie says:  "I'm so thankful for my sewing machine. I got my new sewing machine when I found out I was pregnant with my first son. I made my boys' first blanket and quilts using this machine...it even embroiders so their special blankets have their names on them (which they think is awesome). I love being able to give a handmade gift to friends and family. Plus I tend to stitch on most of my scrapbook layouts...I love to sew!"

Beth says:  "I'm thankful for my scrapdesk and my husband. He built it to look like a desk from the Pottery Barn catalog"

Theresa says:  "I'm so thankful for my glasses. All the things I love to do are dependent on my eyes, and I think one of my favorite phrases is "do you see that?"  I think about my glasses most, though, when we get those beautiful cold clear nights full of stars.  I can't imagine going through life not seeing them."

So now it's your turn to go out there and document your thankful things.  These photos would be a great addition to your Project Life, Month-in-Review, or calendar pages.  You may even be inspired to take more than one photo and make a layout about family traditions, treasures, or the little things you don't want to forget.  Feel free to share your photos, too - we all love ideas!  And speaking of ideas... we've got more ideas from Jenny and Melanie coming later this week.  Yep, I'm pretty thankful for that, too!

- Theresa/"Savi"