Friday Fives #13 - Five Reasons Why I'm Thankful

It's amazing to see how fast this year seems to be going...it's Thanksgiving next week.  What are your plans?  Will you cook an extravagant meal with a Turkey and all the fixins for your family? If you're a military family, will you be traveling back home to spend time with your extended family? 

I'm thrilled we'll get an opportunity to experience the new F.A.O. Schwarz during this holiday season in New York City (see video below); as well as all the other things/places New York City has to offer for the holidays. 

​For today's Friday Fives, I wanted to share five reasons why I'm thankful.  Just a quick glimpse of the news and it's a quick reminder to be grateful and thankful.  Here are my top five reasons I'm thankful.  

1.  Life - Boy, life can be an exciting train ride.  It comes with highs and lows...but it's worth every moment.  For example, getting to experience F.A.O Schwarz in New York City and all the other amazing things that come with visiting New York City during the holidays (like caroling and looking at the window displays).  
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Iconic toy store FAO Schwarz returns to New York City from CNBC.

2.  Family - I am so thankful for my family.  I have such an amazing group of fellas in my life.  It's astonishing to see how fast my little ones are growing up.   
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3.  Health - Where would I be without my health?  To maintain great health, I drink lots of water and walk at least three to four times per week for at least 30 minutes or more.
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4.  Family Photographer - It's a dream and wonderful being your Northern Virginia family photographer.  Since starting I've seen the business grow beyond my wildest dreams.  It's been a true blessing being able to photograph your family's legacy.  
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5.  Friends - Being a military family, friends can be your saving grace especially since I don't live near family.  As a matter of fact, I have friends dating back to the time I served in the Air Force and was stationed in Japan.  For instance, we got together for a girls trip to New York City...we had a blast. 
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During this week, take a moment to find five reasons to be thankful.  I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.    

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Are you looking for a fun family activity for Thanksgiving; check out this game...

The Game of Things.  You'll need index cards, plens, and slips of paper.  On each index card right a prompt: here are some examples:  

• The thing I was most thankful for when I was three years old…
• A famous person that I’m thankful that lived is…
• The Thanksgiving food I am most thankful for…
• The last thing the Thanksgiving turkey thinks before his demise…
• The first thing the Indians thought about the Pilgrims...
• The first thing I am thankful for each morning...
• The thing I’m most thankful I can smell...

Have each player add to your prompts by writing their ideas on index cards too before starting the game; you'd be surprised with how creative some people can be!
 
In each round a different person is the “Reader.” They draw an index card, read it out loud, and everyone writes an answer on a slip of paper and passes it back to the Reader. The Reader fills out a slip, but does not guess during their round. The Reader rereads the prompt along with all the answers. Play begins with the person to the Reader’s left guessing which answer belongs to which person. If they get one right, they may guess again until they make an incorrect guess, and the next person to their left may try. If a person’s answer is guessed correctly, they are out for the round and may not have a turn guessing during the remainder of the round. After all answers have been correctly matched each person gets one point for each correct guess. Play rotates to the left and the person to the previous Reader’s left becomes the Reader for the next round.