The Return

So as it turns out I haven't been fantastic at keeping up on this here blog. That's okay though because my brain juices have been flowing and I'm going to end up going a different direction with this blog.

Day 19: Knowledge

So there I go missing a few days again. All in all I still consider myself a success as I've posted significantly more this month than in the previous months, or at the very least I'm not a complete failure. Having said that this may be a shorter post than normal as I get back into the swing.

Day 14: Day of Mourning

I feel today is an inappropriate day for me to continue expressing my thanks without acknowledging the day's events. Today a man walked into an elementary school after killing his mother and started gunning down children and then turned the gun on himself. As of this writing 20 kids between ages 5 and 10 and 6 adults were killed. I'm not entirely sure what this post is going to be, I'm upset, I've had most of the day to cool off but some things need to be said and I'll do my best to do it rationally.

Day 13: My Happy Place

Loial by Seamas Gallagher

All growing up my mother encouraged me to read. Sometimes it was by threatening to take away my game systems if I didn't read and others it was simply buying me a new book I had to have. My father and my older siblings were also voracious readers and I often found myself enthralled as they discussed stories that they had been reading. Don't get me wrong I love my video games and they have had their own part in the growth of my imagination, but the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert Jordan cultivated the fields and planted the first seeds of my imagination.

Day 12: I Love Our Robot Overlords

Boop Beep Boo Bop Beep!

I'm thankful for technology, the internet, text messages, cell phones, I'm thankful for all of it. Don't get me wrong I recognize the problems that come with abuse of modern tech, each generation is progressively becoming more and more social inept due to their reliance on tech. It's more and more difficult for people to just 'unplug' and communicate face to face with another person. Those things however are inevitable, anything can be over used and if something can be over used somebody will over over use it.

Day 11 Insert Title Here

The face of the West

Ok so I missed a couple of days, but I'm back in the saddle again! Hopefully there will be no more stops in the thankful train. Today I wanted to express my thanks for the land of my birth. Though I may not always agree with the path my country takes I am still proud of it's heritage and the privileges we maintain.

And On The 7th Day

Today I'm thankful for my health. There was a time not too long ago that I was more like the walking dead than the living. Each morning I had to shuffle to the medicine cabinet for Tylenol to even be able to function. I grew up with a "if it ain't bleedin' or broken you can walk it off" attitude, so it took my lovely wife to get me to the doctor. After a series of tests - read: horrifying invasive experiments - I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, even now nearly a year and a quarter later we're still not sure that's an accurate diagnosis.

So why might I be thankful? Because I've been able to keep working, I've been able to keep taking care of my family and spending time with my friends. As far as crappy diseases go I got one that has enabled me to keep on living my life. For that I can truly be thankful.

Day 6 My Job

I'm incredibly thankful for my job. I don't make a ton of money, but it's enough that my wife can be a mommy and I can honestly say I enjoy going to work in the morning. My official title is 'Marketing Implementer' which basically means I'm the web monkey/marketing assistant. I run reports, update revenue sheets, and work on getting organic hits to our website. In short its a job that you don't get without tons of experience and/or a degree. I currently have neither.

I was blessed enough that my bosses decided to take a chance on me, they put the trust in me that I could not only learn to be an SEO but that I could learn to be a good SEO. I've had a few set backs and a few small victories and after less than three months I can tell I'm making progress. I am so fortunate to be in the position I'm in and to have the opportunities to learn and grow in this field. There have been a lot of shake ups in the SEO industry this year and I feel like this is the perfect time to be just getting into the field, when even some of the big guys have to do a little re-learning.

With An Hour Left Of Day 5

At my older brother's wedding.

 I'm thankful for my family, in all their glorious chaos. I'm a very lucky man to have been blessed with the family that I have, both by blood and by marriage. I'm the youngest of three, the baby if you will, I have an elder sister and a brother in the middle. I've been fortunate to have siblings I have always been able to look up to, they've always tried to do what's right and in so doing have forged a path for me to follow. I think I'd be hard pressed to think of much I have learned that isn't at least in part to my sister, she has always been a teacher in my life. My brother has always been an example for me, when I was young and he was in high school he was the epitome of "cool", as he left on his mission I learned about duty, and in his life since I've learned about the intellectual and internal strength that signifies true manhood. I've also been blessed with a new brother and sister (in-law) through my siblings marriages. My brother-in-law has shown me how important family is, and that your wife can keep being your princess even after years of marriage. Where as my sister-in-law has taught me that being happy and positive is truly your own choice and nothing can take that from you.

I have also been blessed with amazing parents, I often feel like they were infinitely patient with me during my teenage years. My mother is a saint, she has worked hard and always put us kids first. It's really hard for me sometimes to look back on how much I took for granted, all the little things that she did for us. She is selfless and supportive of all that I choose to do. My dad taught me how to work, it seemed like there was always something that needed to be done around the house. Heaven knows I tried to get out of it as often as I could, but now that I'm older I realize he also taught me that when there is a job to be done you have to do it. He has also taught me that you can always learn a new skill, he instilled a thirst for knowledge and taught me how to teach myself.

Turns out I don't have pictures of either of my families unless we're at a wedding.

On August 19th 2011 I gained a whole new family. Two baby brothers and a mom and dad. When it comes to in-laws I couldn't have found any better, my father-in-law has helped me to learn how to plan. Hunting's have never been accused of being planners, schemers perhaps, but never planners. He has really helped me try to plan for the future instead of live in the present. My mother-in-law never ceases to amaze me, she is so calm when under duress. She has a lot of responsibilities to juggle, including my two little brothers, and she makes it look easy. If I'm lucky someday I'll be able to hold it together like that.

Then there are my little brothers. They make me remember that sometimes I need to step back and not take life so seriously. I remember that sometimes it's ok to just play a video game or just sit down and joke. They also help me want to be better in all that I do, because I want them to be the best that they can be.

Day 4 Wife

Today I give thanks for the light of my life, my darling wife Alexis. As of this writing we have been married 1 year and just over 3 months. It has been the happiest time of my life, it has also been the time of my most growth. My wife and I had our first date late January of 2011 at the time I was living in Provo, Utah and commuting to Salt Lake City for school. Alexis lived in Bountiful, and hour away from Provo. I also happened to be working a full time graveyard shift and battling a serious case of what was to be later diagnosed as Crohn's Disease.

So I spent the next eight months on little to no sleep, malnourished, and I developed an infection and a case of the shingles before it was all over. She's worth it. Not only is my wife strikingly gorgeous, she's both an artist and a writer. Believe it or not she's also a gamer, yep that's right my eternal love plays video games with me. She also grounds me and keeps me even keeled, she's that woman, you know the one that makes you want to be a better man?

I'm so fortunate because she's the perfect match for me, marriage isn't about finding someone who has all the same interests as you and is just like you. Two identical puzzle pieces don't fit together, marriage is about finding the one who completes you, whose strengths are your weaknesses and whose weaknesses are your strengths. I found my puzzle piece and I'm ever grateful that I found her, she's my one and only and will be an amazing mother. I wish the best on all those who're still searching for their other half, because your other half is searching for you.

Round 3 FIGHT!

Drink up me hearties yo ho!

Alright so here we are on day three and I'm still truckin'. Today I express my gratitude for my friends. Everybody thinks they have cool friends but as far as clans go I've been blessed with the best. I've been incredibly fortunate to have ended up with pack of friends who are genuine, caring, and absolutely brilliant! Many a night has been spent churning stories and ideas, I have no doubt I've spent time with the most creative minds around.

Some of my friendships I've been lucky to have cultivated since I was young, others were built strong and fast in the service of the Lord, and again others forged in fire, banding together against a few not so awesome roommates. One of my friends is hands down the most charitable man I know, I've literally seen him in 'shirt-off-his-back' situations. He once drove six hours one way to save me and my wife (then girlfriend) when we got stranded in Dillon, Montana. I have another who always has an ear when things get too tough, even when he's busy, even when he has his own problems, ever since we were thirteen he's made time for me.

My clan is full of geeks and nerds, filmmakers, scurvy dogs, a giant, writers, and even a man who works for food. We've pushed broken cars together, hiked mountains and caves together, we've gone on impromptu photo shoots, grilled cow, and even worn kilts together. I wouldn't be where I'm at now and wouldn't be half the man I am if not for the friends who've shaped my life. I may not have everything, but when it comes to friends I got the lion's share.

Day 2 I'm On A Roll

I had the fridge open, she though she could score a treat.

We have progress, two posts in a row! Today I want to express my thanks for my crazy little dog. I've been around dogs my whole life, like from the very get go. When I moved away from home though at eighteen I had been unable to have a dog, so I have been dogless for nearly seven years. My wife is also a dog lover, she never had one growing up but always wanted one. She's that lady who squeals PUPPY anytime she catches sight of a dog.

When we made our move to Arizona though we found that most of the apartments around the Phoenix area have a pet friendly attitude and we were pleased to begin our dog hunt. I wanted a young pup that I could train from day one, I wanted a male who could be gentle enough for a child yet tough enough to protect our home. My wife wanted something akin to a ball of cotton, or a husky, what we got was Lily. When we went to get Lily we were actually going to pick up her brother, I kept telling my wife that we might not bring a dog home and to not get too excited, I should have known better.

We drove nearly an hour to finally get to our little mongrel, we met Lily's owner and tried to make friends with Lily's brother. He ran, barked, growled, and finally tried to take my hand off. If I had time and wasn't expecting a baby I might have been willing to deal with high strung, but biting wasn't going to fly in my household. My wife talked my into at least looking at the two females, when we walked into their pen Lily came right up to us she sniffed and sat right down beside my wife. She seemed a little jumpy but I knew she was the dog for my family. She was six months old when we got her, an absolute mutt, she wouldn't move a muscle once we got her out of her pen, and not ten minutes after we left she pooped in the car.

Despite being not-the-dog-I-imagined I love our little dog to death. While it's a challenge to break some of her bad habits and teach her good ones, I'm thankful because you can't teach loving. She adores my wife, and loves my in-laws. She's only 37 lbs. but has a deep angry bark when she's startled and bravely stands between my wife and any ducks we run into. In short she loves us and protects my family, she's pretty stinking cool.

Thankful Challenge Day 1

10 minute walk from Angel Lake, Spoiler Alert, it was frozen.

Here we go! Challenge number three, I'm totally pumped, let's do this! As I stated before being a man of faith I feel December to be an excellent month to be thankful. I'll spend the next 30 days posting each and every day about at least one thing I am thankful for. I'll also be doing my very best to not use things like pizza and indoor plumbing for this challenge, now I'll have you know I love plumbing and I also love me some good pizza (Find Uncle Benito on Boulder Highway in Vegas and you'll never eat pizza the same way again) but I just feel like there is so much to be grateful for I can do better than that. Now, a week from now when I start talking about ice cube trays or something feel free to call me on it.

I figure that I'll start this off with a bang and talk about the one thing I'm most thankful for and one of the few things I can definitely place in my pantheon of thanks. First, a story, The picture that goes with this post is of me at the top of a 'mountain' in Wells, Nevada. I made the climb on one of my off days with my missionary companion while I was serving a mission for my church. We had foolishly decided to forgo the beaten path making the hike infinitely harder as there was a foot and a half or so of crusted icy snow to trudge through. As we sat at the top resting, I remember looking over the valley and really being in awe at how grand and detailed the land before me was, I remember it as one of my more powerful 'wow' moments. I define a wow moment as one where it becomes very clear that there is a God.

I am most thankful for my God and the faith that I have in Him. Everything good in my life is because of Heavenly Father, even the very breath of life. I attribute every job I've ever had to Him, I've got all of them in a nearly miraculous fashion. Prior to my wife and I meeting our lives were full of impressions and council that lead us to the same school and to take classes that had nothing to do with either of our majors. His timing is flawless and He has always looked out for me. I've learned to always trust Heavenly Father, he has guided me places I never would have gone on my own and I've always been blessed when I am obedient. I was lead to my strange little dog who is perfect for our family, I was lead from a well paying job and a nearly finished degree in Utah to Arizona where I found a better job and brand new opportunities. I've been blessed with great friends and an amazing family, both blood and by marriage. Most of these things you'll hear about again in later posts, but I want to recognize they have all come from my Heavenly Father. People, possessions, and talents everything I have I owe to God.