The forgotten holiday.

My mom and I were at the mall the other day, and we started noticing all the Christmas decor. Standing tall at the front entrance is one of the biggest, most lavishly decorated trees I've ever seen. The Santa set-up is near the center, and the big guy is surrounded by huge candy canes, snow men, and adults dressed like elves (which always creeps me out a little). As we were taking it all in, my mom said, "It bothers me that everyone forgets about Thanksgiving." Isn't it true? We get so caught up in the spectacle that is Christmas, that we forget about Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong -- I love Christmas just as much as anyone else, but Thanksgiving is sort of treated like a snot-nosed, redheaded stepchild. And that's just not fair.

It starts happening right after Halloween -- stores bring in the red and green, and everyone begins to form their "wish lists." Before we know it, we're a week away from Thanksgiving, but we're already singing "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer!" So this blog is for you Thanksgiving; what you stand for, and the joy that you bring to our lives. Today, Christmas holds no candle to you.

We are thankful for...

Our God. Simply put, we couldn't imagine journeying through life without having Him to direct us.

Our marriage. We were best friends before we started dating, and we're best friends today. We sometimes say to one another, "I couldn't possibly love you more than I love you right now." But then we start a new day, and prove ourselves wrong.

Our family. From both sides, we are surrounded by people who truly love us, support us, and accept us. We have learned some of life's greatest lessons from our family members, and for that, we are forever indebted to them. There aren't enough words to express our gratitude and love for our family, so we'll stop here. :)

Our friends. For sharing in our ridiculousness, for always having our backs, for encouraging words, for inside jokes, for words of wisdom, for compassion -- we appreciate each and every one of you.

Our puppy. Oh Putter, our lovable lab. You have become a barking, slobbery, playful ray of sunshine in our life. We can replace our couch cushion (and our flip flops, and our laptop charger, and our pillow, and your leash...) but we could never replace you.

Our passion. Photography has become so much more than a job for us. It is a creative outlet, a shared passion, and an exciting challenge. We love what we do, and we love the people we get to meet and interact with. Our clients are some of the coolest girls and guys ever, and we feel extremely lucky to be a (small) part of their lives.

Amy's "guilty pleasures": Chick-fil-A waffle fries, sweet potato casserole, House marathons, Jason's Deli, Aveda hair products, sweet tea, gossip magazines, boots, Facebook, and IKEA

Ben's "guilty pleasures": Porkies' BBQ, anything Mac, House marathons, Arnold Palmers, key lime pie, the Golf Channel, and Tijuana Flats. It may seem a little trivial to acknowledge our "guilty pleasures," but why pass up the chance to thank the burrito rollers at Tijuana or the creators of Facebook?! 

We take our blessings for granted far too often, and we are glad to be able to use today as a reminder of just how fortunate we really are.