MMM: The one where I decided to make a tree...

So, Makeover My Monday hasn't died.  Don't worry (I know you were).  I just haven't been blogging much.  This Monday, though...the one where I thought it would be a good idea to make a tree...this one needed to be documented.

For two reasons.
1) For the record: I could fit all of my craftiness in my pinky.
2) The end result really has been a blessing for our family.

As for #1- There is sort of a running joke in my family that my brothers and I were probably the only kids to EVER get kicked out of the craft cabin at Church Camp.  You have to know that the "Craft Ladies" at camp were some of the sweetest, most patient, creative ladies ever, and ladies who we dearly loved.  But they had to cringe when they saw a member of the B-family heading to the cabin during free time.  They'd never admit it.  But we knew.  You know the projects that "everyone can do".  We couldn't.  None of the three of us.  Ever.  Well, there was the one flower pot that was stinkin' amazing...and I actually still have sitting in my kitchen window.  But I digress.  The point is, and I think I may have mentioned this once (or a thousand times) before...I am an accountant.  I don't mean just by occupation.  I mean by heart.  I love rules, order, formulas, answers.  Not art.  Unless there is a pattern, or a website, or a formula.  That I can do.  (case in point- to make the batman symbol on the top of my birthday cake...which no one was going to see... I actually printed and cut out a pattern).  SOOOOOO- when I decided that Monday's project should be to make a tree for our Thanksgiving leaves, I should have known we were all in trouble. 

After some cutting and more cutting (and RRL begging me to stop the cutting before I made it worse)...

and then some painting, painting (a trip to the store for more paint) and more painting...

here is our tree.

As for #2- We've been going through the Greater Things Prayer Journal with our kids, and talking about being grateful, and sharing our blessings pretty constantly over the last 40 days.  That fed perfectly into the beginning of November and really wanting to spend some intentional time during the Thanksgiving season talking about all the ways we have been blessed.  I remembered that a couple of years ago, the Tallons posted an AWESOME idea on their blog about doing leaves- one each day per family member- with things they are thankful for.  We adopted the idea this year (thus the necessity of the tree) and it has been an amazing blessing.  I love hearing the things the boys come up with each day- so far we have everything from angels to quesadillas- and I love getting to hear my husband share the things on his heart, too.  It has me looking forward to dinner time in a new way. 

So, although the tree is not cut from a perfect pattern,  and although it is sort of a hybrid tree with several different leaf types and although it is actually a bit bush-like and although Cbug thinks it really needs a door...

it is perfect. 

Completely. 

ABL

Can't wait to show you the finished product after we get all of the leaves up over the next couple of weeks. Maybe I'll post the list or something of what each leaf says. But I wanted to go ahead and post the idea because it has been such a blessing to us and I thought other families might enjoy it, too. Thanks, Tallons, for sharing it with us!!