An Adoptive Family's "Thankful Tree"

Every year we do something special in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.  Yesterday our children headed outside into the woods to find a tree branch that we could use for our "Thankful Tree."  We cut leaves out of construction paper, and everyone wrote several thing for which they are thankful.  Now our tree sits in the corner of our dining room and has been proclaimed as "my favorite thankful tree of all!"  :)

Along with the more typical leaves that were labeled with "Mama," "cookies," "my warm house," and all the pets names, we also have some leaves that are specific to our individual journey as an adoptive family.

Here are some of our daughter's leaves (which she doesn't understand just yet, but it is an ever-repeating part of our "family talk"):

In big and little ways, our family tries to incorporate her life story.  It is part of her.  It is part of us.  And we truly are thankful.

And as a side note...  Five years ago today, a precious birth mother in Taiwan wrapped up her little baby in blankets and placed her in a busy place where someone would surely find her and begin her journey to her forever family.  We honor that sweet birth mom, and we are thankful for her immense sacrifice.