About Me
My name is Tami and I live in central Illinois with my husband, Larry and three children, Caleb (6), Camden (4) and Emma Grace (2). I hope you'll enjoy reading about my life as a wife/mother and about our family's adventures.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tags: 
Thanksgiving
The History of Thanksgiving
In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World the Pilgrim’s fall harvest was very successful and plentiful. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish which was packed in salt and meat that was smoke cured over fires. They found they had enough food to put away for the winter.
The Pilgrims had beaten the odds. They built homes in the wilderness, they raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.
The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770’s) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.
In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.
from Holidays.net
Check out Family Education for a list of activities, Thanksgiving printables, quizzes, recipes and fun on the road tips.
Tags: Thanksgiving, 
pilgrims, 
American history
Thanksgiving Blessing Mix
I found a great Thanksgiving gift idea for my son’s preschool teachers this year on Organized Christmas. I am going to make them Thanksgiving Blessing Mix. The recipe and printable gift tags are available on Organized Christmas.
Blessings Mix
- Bugles: Shaped like a cornucopia or Horn of Plenty, a symbole of our nation’s abundance.
- Pretzels: Arms folded in prayer, a freedom sought by those who founded our country.
- Candy Corn: The sacrifices of the Pilgrims’ first winter. Food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few kernels of corn a day.
- Nuts or seeds: promise of a future harvest, one we will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence.
- Dried fruits: Harvest gifts from our bountiful land.
- M&M’s: Memories of those who came before us to lead us into a blessed future.
- Hershey’s Kiss: The love of family and friends that sweetens our lives.
Tags: Thanksgiving, 
homemade gifts
Show Your Support
I found out about this great project at Mississippi Girl. Xerox has launched a program called Let’s Say Thanks. They say, “The mission of Let’s Say Thanks is to provide a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas”. The postcards have patriotic and hometown themes submitted by children and are being sent to active duty military personnel.
This is such an easy way to say “Thanks” to our military for doing a great job. Check it out and send a postcard today.
Tags: 
postcards, 
U.S. military, 
Let’s Say Thanks
Works For Me Wednesday – Christmas Gifts
One of our Christmas traditions that we started with our children is with the number of gifts they receive. We are trying to teach that the true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Our children each receive three gifts, for the three gifts the Wisemen brought to baby Jesus. We also do one Santa gift and their stockings. The load of gifts comes from their grandparents and extended family. Hopefully, as they get older (they are 3 and 1), they will truely understand the meaning of Christmas and realize that it is not how many gifts you received – that the true gift is Jesus.
Go to Rocks In My Dryer for more Christmas Works For Me Wednesday.
Tags: 
Christmas, 
holiday traditions
Exercise Your Right
Take the time tomorrow to exercise your right to vote.
We will be taking our children along. We have been doing this since our oldest was 6 months old. He is very excited about voting tomorrow. We want to set a good example so that one day they will exercise their right to vote.
Check out this great site that gives you all of the election information you need to know.
voting
electionHandwashing Has Its Rewards
Here are some handwashing tips for the cold and flu season from Say Boo To The Flu.
- teach your kids to wash their hands frequently – before meals, after school, after they use the bathroom, after they sneeze
- help them wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, the time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice
- encourage your kids to tell their friends about the benefits of handwashing
Here is a great activity for cinnamon magic to show kids the importance of hand washing.
Rub a little vegetable oil on your child’s hands, then sprinkle with cinnamon “germs”, while explaining that real germs are too small to see. Have your child wash hands without soap. The “germs” won’t come off. Add soap and watch those “germs” disappear.
Check out these other activities – spooky soap, yummy bug cakes
Did you know:
- 72 – number of hours viruses can survive on common surfaces
- 80 – percent of germs are spread by touch
- 300 – number of surfaces a child can touch in just 30 minutes
Tags: 
handwashing, 
cold and flu season
Putting Christ Back In Christmas
Lindsey from Enjoy the Journey has started a Christmas blog, Advent for Evangelicals. She has some great things planned to focus your Christmas celebrations on Christ – recipes, crafts ideas, guest bloggers and contests.
Christmas is our favorite time of the year and my family has been wanting to incorporate Advent more into our celebrations. I’m looking forward to getting some new ideas for our family.
Tags: 
Advent
Miscellaneous
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