30 Days of Thankful: Day 20--Thank You Notes

Okay, so this is a good time to address thank you note etiquette or lack there of. Before I was married, I thought it was totally amazing that my sister-in-law sent Thank You notes for every gift on every occasion. I still stand in awe of the fact that she not only sends them for herself but creates and sends them for everything the nephews receive as well. Dana, of course is the most amazing influence in my life, so I took up (and dropped a few times) the habit as well.

I began my adventure in mothering by requiring Darling Daughter to write thank-yous to her friends and family before she played with or used her new found treasures. That only lasted one birthday and one Christmas before she totally refused to do it anymore. I tried buying her fancy stationary with her monogram on it. I even took a drawing she created, scanned it and created post cards one birthday; she filled them out and never gave them to their recipients, stating, "My friends think it's weird that you make me do this!" Me? Weird? That's just crazy!

What ideas do you have for Thank You notes? I have posted Ms. Post's (SHE HAS HER OWN WEB SITE...TOTALLY COOL! AND I WOULD TOTALLY DIG GETTING THE 18TH EDITION OF HER BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS!) advice below...I was surprised at how wrong I have been about this. I apologize to my mother for misguiding her about condolences, and, Sosie, you only have three months, not a year. Oops!

Etiquette According to Emily Post:
It’s never wrong to send a written thank-you, and people always appreciate getting “thanks” in writing. Why? Handwritten notes are warmer and more special than other forms of thank-yous. The rule of thumb is that you should send a written note any time you receive a gift (even a ‘thank you’ gift) and the giver wasn’t there to thank in person. But notes are not always necessary. If, for example, the gift is from a close friend or relative (and it’s not a wedding gift) you can email or call instead if you prefer. Below are some other note-writing guidelines:

Shower gifts--Even though the gift giver attended the shower in your honor and you had a chance to say thanks for her gift, you should still send a written note.

Wedding gifts--Each wedding gift should be acknowledged with a written note within three months of receipt of the gift. It’s best to write the notes as soon as possible after gifts arrive, however. Write a note even if you have thanked the giver in person.

Congratulatory gifts or cards--Anyone who sends a present, or a card with a personally written message, should receive a note in return.

Gifts received when sick--Thank-you notes should be written as soon as the patient feels well enough—or a friend or relative can write the notes. It’s okay to call close friends rather than write.

Condolence notes or gifts--Everyone who has sent a personal note, flowers or a donation should get a written thank-you. A close friend or relative can write the notes on the recipient’s behalf.


30 Days of Thankful: Day 19--God

Dear Father God,

Thank you for this day, which you made for me 37 years ago. Thank you for giving me such a blessed life. I thank you for my loving and supportive Mama and Daddy and their example of love. You blessed my life so deeply with Gayla and James II; they are the most amazing people to have for a sister and brother. Thank you also for Dana, James III and William; they are my joy.

Thank you also for Chad and Darby; you obviously knew what you were doing to direct our paths as you did. Thank you for loving and believing in us.

Father, I also thank you for Sosie and her family. They are amazing people who I am so proud to know and love. Thank you for our "Boys" and for opening our hearts so many years ago to such a beautiful friendship turned family.

God, thank you for all of our extended family and friends. The lives you have given to us are so beautiful. I also am so very grateful for Kevin and Evan and the business we are building. You really blessed me when you crossed our paths.

Lord, I thank you for the education I have and the home I am building with Chad and Darby. I thank you for the talents you bestowed on me as well as the need to always be learning. Thank you for knowing our needs and providing for us. You are amazing and your love is extravagant.

Love, your child,
Jaimee

30 Days of Thankful: Day 18--Students

Dearest Former Students of a Crazy Lady,

Thank you, my sweets, for being the first children I could claim as mine. Thank you for learning all you could from me and making me feel like I somehow changed the world just a little by being in your lives. Thank you for making me laugh and even thank you for making me cry. Thank you for teaching me as much as you learned. Being your teacher was the most fulfilling calling I have ever had next to being a Mama to Darling Daughter. I am so thankful to follow your lives via FaceBook each day.

Micaela, you humble me and cause me great joy all at the same time by telling me you wrote a speech about me. I cannot wait to watch this most honorable gesture of love. Thank you, sweet girl. Thank you also for staying in contact with me and keeping me informed of all you are up to. I am so excited to see what your future holds for you, Love.

Ali girl, thank you for the birthday wish. I cannot wait to read what you wrote tomorrow. Thank you for always being a Godly woman with a heart of gold. You make me proud.

Caleb, you too, man! Your posts remind me that even with great pressures, God reaches out to us through so many avenues and reminds us to seek Him. Thank you, friend.

Chris, Collin and Kody, oh my goodness, where to even begin. The three of you kept me in stitches when I was your teacher and continue to keep me pretty dad-gum entertained these days too. Thank you for always taking that high road and for reminding me to be positive and to seek out the humor in all situations. Thank you for always making me feel like I matter to you.

To all my babies who have become parents since I was your teacher, thank you for teaching me that life goes on and God blesses us all. To my loves who chose to serve our nation's military, thank you for your service; thank you for ensuring the protection of our freedoms. To my children seeking that higher education, make me proud and be all you can be. Mostly, to all the students from Queen City, Flower Mound, and Plano, who I gave my all during the ten months you were my students, thank you for making me a better person. I'll love you forever, my children you will always be.

Chocolate Milk!

Miss Moore/Mrs. Hunter/Ms. Jaimee

30 Days of Thankful: Day 17--Val

My Dear Sweet Miss,

Your friendship is invaluable. Thank you for adopting me just--wholly cow--SIX YEARS ago, really? Without your sense of humor and loving ways, I wouldn't have survived those years teaching...obviously, I lost my will to teach right after I left my wonderful team. Thank you for challenging me to be the best, fun, crazy, caring, responsible teacher I could be. Thank you for embracing my inner geek and helping me celebrate the crazy.

You inspired me then and you inspire me now, dear friend. Val, because of you, I write...a lot! Thank you for reminding me to embrace my talents and tackle my fears. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and heart with me. Most of all, thank you for sticking with me through all the ups and downs. Thank you for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. It was an honor to read your novel, dear Friend. Thank you for trusting me with something so precious.

Val, thank you for getting me and being my "long lost fraternal twin sister by another mother and father." I always sit amazed at how our likes and dislikes are pretty much in sync to the nth degree. You make me feel like part of "normal" because I am not the only one that feels or thinks like this. Thank you...you make me normal!

I love you, Val. Your embracing me in the last few months has been my saving grace. Thank you for understanding this pain and helping me tackle surviving the rest of my life with this loss. Thank you for reminding me of what Gayla would tell me. Thank you for helping me shoulder this life.

All my love to you forever!

Your Mrs.,
Jaimee

30 Days of Thankful: Day 16--Mike

My dearest Mike,

Brother Friend, first and foremost, thank you for not holding it against me that I am goofier than you prefer, and thank you for loving me anyway. You are an amazing friend, and I sit in awe that you actually like me. ;-D

Mike, thank you for loving MyJ-Man and making him happy. The two of you inspire and astound me constantly. Thank you for your laughter and hugs. Thank you for making us breakfast whenever we invade you for the weekend. Thank you for making that morning cup of coffee so much diverse fun. Yall's home is welcoming and comforting at all times.

Mike and Romeo

Thank you also for our "family" vacations. The laughter on the way to New Orleans, the line dancing on the cruise ship, the snorkeling among the jelly fish...all are precious memories. Thank you for always keeping our little group moving and adventuring. Thank you also for giving me some sense of style. Your introduction to the finer things in life make me just a little more cool.

Thank you, Mike for adopting my blood family as well. My Mama and Daddy love and adore you so very much. My brother friend, I thank you for loving my sister as well. She valued your friendship for the treasure that it is. Gayla was your biggest fan and she loved you as her own brother. You said it best, "Some people are family out of birth and some are from love." You are definitely part of our family of the heart, my love. I thank you so much for encouraging me during my crisis of faith and reminding me that it's okay to be mad and still believe. Thank you for being the best sort of Christian and changing the world with your steadfast love and loving heart.

Thank you, Mike, for saying you are proud of me for quitting smoking. You don't know how much that meant to me and made me stand a little taller and prouder. It made me want to succeed. Your support and approval are so very important to me.

I love you, my brother, my friend, my family. You are amazing in every way and an inspiration for me daily.

You Sister,
Jaimee

30 Days of Thankful: Day 15--Jeremy

My Dearest Jeremy,

Thank you, Brother, for always being our voice of reason. Thank you for being the perfect example of an accepting and open-minded man. Thank you for being the sounding board to my crazy without fail. You inspire me to be a better friend...a better person. You have taught me the real meaning of friendship (knowing the worst of the worst and still sticking to it).

Jeremy, thank you for befriending me almost 11 years ago. You embraced me from the instant we met and have never let me down. Thank you for that lunch run to the pet store where I got my first goldfish, Chocolate. Thank you for not razzing me too much when he committed fish-cide by jumping out of the bowl and onto the floor while I slept. On that same note, thank you for teaching me about fish aquarium maintenance so I didn't kill all of Darby's fish a few years back. You knew that the falling water gave them oxygen and the tank shouldn't be all the way full.

Brother, thank you for the many family vacations we have shared. I always feel safe knowing you are behind the wheel, literally and figuratively. Thank you for all of our inside jokes with which we torment Sosie. "Have you seen my baseball?" "Biscuits and mustard..." "Look, kids, big ben!" Thank you for keeping me entertained watching y'all squabble lovingly. Thank you for that trip to the zoo; it's one of my favorite memories of us all together. Thank you for always being our photographer and designated driver. You literally save our lives every time.

Thank you for bringing Mike into our little gang. He is the perfect den father for our little rag-tag group. It was such an honor when Sarah and I were asked to make that first valentines day surprise so special for the two of you (sorry about the candy on the floor). Y'all's love inspires the rest of us to love with our whole hearts and run head-long into the unknown because we know that our partners will be right there with us on the adventure.

Jeremy, thank you for embracing my family as your own. I am proud to call you Bubba. Your love for my parents is unmatched. Your love for Gayla is heartwarming, and it gives me peace to know that she always had you and Mike just down the road to be a part of her day-to-day life. She loved you so much and really cherished the times you two would go out when Mike was traveling. She loved spending time with y'all at the movies or out shopping. Thank you also, Bubba, for being my rock during the last few months. I will forever be indebted for your love, your friendship, your support, and your willingness to go with me to the mountains or just to the homestead.

J, thank you also for adopting my darling daughter as your art protege. Your support of her even when just helping her pick out supplies at the store makes her feel like she is important to you and that y'all share something special and your own. Thank you for helping Chad with whatever crazy project he has going on, and thank you for all the years of letting me be your helper on your own crazy projects. I am still afraid of heights but will always help you put up Christmas lights.

I love you, Jeremy. You began as my friend and will forever be my brother.

Your sister,
Jaimee

30 Days of Thankful: Day 14--Sosie

My Dearest Sosie,

Friend, sister, spirit that reaches in and touches my very soul, you are an amazing woman. There's not a day that goes by that I am not grateful that you picked me to befriend. In all honesty, I would have been too intimidated by your beauty and vibrant personality to have made the first step. I remain forever indebted to you for changing my life by just being my friend.

Sarah, thank you for adopting my family as well. It warms my heart when you and my Daddy play flirt and you and Bubba play fight. I don't think I will ever get used to you calling my mother and father Mr. and Mrs. Moore. They consider you their child so I always expect mama or daddy. Words will never be able to fully express our gratitude for you when it came to everything regarding Gayla. She loved you so much and was so very proud to call you sister friend. I will always remember you as one of the few people she and I shared equally in our lives. Thank you for being my rock in the last few months. I will never be able to repay your love and friendship. You are my treasured joy, Sister.

Thank you for working so diligently to make my birthday wish come true this year, sweetie. I just cannot wait to see all that you wrote. It reminds me of that first birthday you threw for me, and I say a prayer of thanks that your friendship is as strong now as it was then. You always amaze me, girl. Thank you, Sarah for being my biggest fan. You make me feel special and important. Your heart knows no bounds and is perfectly you.

Thank you also for sharing your family with me. I absolutely adore your sister and brother-in-law, nephews, nieces, parents, aunts and uncles. Also, Becky and Cale will forever be a part of my heart and the times they were in our lives are the most important times for our relationship. We will always be thankful for their love, and I will always be grateful that you shared them with me. Thank you also for sharing Flanagan with me. He is the perfect mix of picking brother and chilling buddy. I wish y'all all the love and friendship you deserve in the future. All of your people have hearts that are a reflection of you, Love.

Sosie, you have to know that your love for Darby is also a blessing. Thank you for loving my girl as your niece and being her "Cool Sosie." She adores you as does that knucklehead, Chad. Thank you for being his co-conspirator in whatever schemes y'all come up with. We are both blessed to call you sister. I love you, Sarah Elizabeth!

Your Sister Friend,
Jaimee

P.S. I would so have loved to name my baby girl after you and Gayla...Elizabeth Gail...we would have called her Lizzy or Izzy or something equally fun and cute like her aunts. ;-)

30 Days of Thankful: Day 13--Employer

Dear Kevin and Evan,

I stand amazed almost every day that I have been so very blessed to work with the two of you at Key Residential. I knew when, during our interview in 2010, Kevin told me he would pray about me and get back to me, that this career change was going to be a huge blessing in not only my life but the lives of Chad and Darby as well. 

Kevin, thank you for believing in me and for constantly making me feel appreciated. Thank you for trusting me with so much and empowering me to do what I can to make us a success. Being your office manager and director of marketing is one of the best careers I have ever had. Your support and friendship is a plus. Thank you for always giving solid advice and for praying for us as if we were family.

Evan, thank you for being so easy to get along with and for understanding me when I give you that look of "HuH!?!" I am thankful for our staff development meetings each week and for getting to know you as a person, which helps make us a strong team for Kevin. Your sense of humor and work ethic make being your co-conspirator a breeze.

Please pass along my thanks to your families for their support of our team as well. We would have nothing without them. Thank you for being my blessings, guys.

Jaimee

30 Days of Thankful: Day 12--Jason and Hannah

Dear Jason and Hanna,

Thank you for being my brother-in-law and niece, respectively. Jason, your concern for our well-being during storms is always comforting, especially since I am usually unhinged at that time. Thank you for always being so thoughtful. Hanna, we are so thankful you are back around these parts so we get to see you. Thank you for keeping us entertained with your quick wit. You are so precious. We love y'all both so much and are looking forward to spending time together soon.

Much love,
Jaimee

30 Days of Thankful: Day 11--La-La and Jesse

Dear Alicia and Jesse,

Thank you for being my family. Alicia, thank you for being my sister long before you actually were. Jesse, thank you for being my brother (even if you think that means picking at my gardening and crafting).

Alicia, I feel like I have been a part of watching you grow up, little one. Thank you for loving me from the get-go and for always making me a part of your life. Thank you for calling on me to guide you through growing up. Thank you for taking care of me so lovingly when I was sick or recovering. Thank you for understanding my sense of humor and finding it funny. Thank you for the hugs and understanding since losing my Gayla. Thank you for being my friend and sister.

Jesse, thank you for calling on me to help you with surprising Alicia. It meant so much that you trusted me to help you with this important step forward. Thank you also for helping my daddy with his boat parts. He's so thrilled to have "someone in the business" also in the family. I am proud to call you brother, Friend.

I love you both and say a prayer of thanks for you.

Your sister,
Jaimee