Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello... it's me... the other third of the Steiner household.. Justin! Just in case you didn't know who that other guy was in all of these pictures, I just wanted to confirm that yep.... that is me!

I was finally given permission to hijack the blog! I can't believe it! It is like I have found the Holy Grail!

Thanksgiving has always been a great holiday for me with many traditions. Traditions ranging from broccoli rice casserole and the absolutely wonderful bread rolls that my grandma always made to Nebraska football on Friday afternoon.

This year it is easy for me to say so many things that I am thankful for but I have been asked to keep my list down to ten things. I could simply post the typical things like, I am thankful for my job in this job market, or I am thankful for living in the U.S., or heck even thankful that I get to see my cute father-in-law on such a normal basis. But let's face it, those things are things that I should be expected to be thankful for. Don't get me wrong. I am EXTREMELY thankful for my job and also the sight of my father-in-law. So here goes (in no special order):

1. I am thankful for my Alyson. These last few years have been full of ups and downs. If you read this blog, I know that I don't have to tell you them. I can't see myself ever facing life without Alyson! We have faced the stresses of the housing market in my career and the trips to the fertility doctor together. I am thankful for the effects that this has had on our marriage. It has actually strengthened our marriage and made us more in love. There are many days, like this one, that I just want to stay indoors and just relax with Alyson.

2. I am thankful for Nebraska football. One thing that you might want to know is that I am not a sports junky. What I mean is, I don't regularly watch sports on tv. Alyson can be my witness that whenever I need to find ESPN that I have to ask her what channel it is on. I have my select few teams that I watch but that is it. I am a Nebraska fan because of my family and their brainwashing. =). My mom grew up in Nebraska and we would make regular trips to my grandparents' farm during my childhood. If I would've chosen a different team to cheer for, like Colorado or Oklahoma, let's just say that I most likely would not be alive today. Nebraska football gives me just another thing to look forward to so that I can get through the week.

3. I am thankful for Betsy, my sweet furry baby. There is nothing like coming home to this dog after a long stressful day of work. I can't wait to see her either sitting by the door waiting for me or up on the staircase with her paw extended waiving in the air begging me to give her a scratch.

4. I am thankful for Hollywood... Yep, I said that. Seriously, if it wasn't for Hollywood, I wouldn't have had all of these fantastic or ridiculous movies to watch. I am a complete movie junky. Whenever Alyson is gone or if I am off work, I will always find a movie to watch. Movies definitely can help distract you from the stresses of the world.

5. I am thankful for my parents and the great example they have set for me and my marriage. They have gone through life together going through their ups and downs and have shown me how to get through them together. My mom and I are the sports fans of the family while my dad and I like to discuss politics and religion together.

6. I am extremely thankful for the invention of coffee! I could never get through my day if it wasn't for a nice cup or two...or ten cups of coffee a day. I like it so much that Alyson and I have volunteered to serve coffee at our church for the last 3-4 years.

7. I am thankful for Vince Flynn, Ted Bell, and Brad Thor. Who are they you ask? These are my favorite authors. From my list of things you can see a pattern of my life. I always make sure I have something to look forward to. It might be a football game, a movie coming out, but it is also the next book by one of my favorite authors. I can't wait until their books come out next year. I recently got my father-in-law into reading Vince Flynn and I must say... he is hooked.

8. I am thankful for basketball and not for the typical reasons. I honestly believe that basketball has helped shape who I am today. The discipline, the passion, the competitiveness, the teamwork, and the dedication I have learned from playing this sport have been things I have applied more to my life in my career than what a pronoun is (sorry Alyson and Joyce).

9. I am thankful for a pencil and paper. I absolutely love to sketch. I go through phases of sketching, but there is nothing like taking a blank piece of paper and turning it into something I can hang in my office. It always seems that the picture is already in the paper somewhere, I just have to erase the blankness and let the picture show itself.

10. I am thankful for our church, Hope Fellowship. I would attend church growing up, but it was my parent's church. It was a great church and still is, but Hope is my church. Alyson and I prayed about it and selected to become members of this church together. I have grown more spiritually in these last 4 years at Hope than I have in my previous 25 years of my life. I love what God is doing in our church and love our pastors there.

Well... kinda of long.. but that is my list of what I am thankful for. I hope you take a moment today and this weekend and tell those in your life that you are thankful that they are in your life. This week has been a reminder to me how short life can really be. We have to take in and grasp every moment of everyday and get through life together. God didn't intend for us to face this rollercoaster ride alone. Remember... when you get on a rollercoaster there is always a seat next to you that needs to be filled by another person before they start the ride. Have you ever ridden on a rollercoaster without someone there? I have and it isn't as much fun. When you are with someone, a friend, spouse, or even a stranger, their excitement, their energy, their worry, and their scaredness rubs off on you enabling you to enjoy the ride and get through it...together.

Happy Thanksgiving!!