Thankfulness

First of all, I want to give a humongous "Happy Thanksgiving" to you on this wonderful evening of what was an amazing Thanksgiving Day.

Secondly, I feel compelled to share my thankfulness. Before you roll your eyes and browse on, you should notice that I'm not listing the obviously thankfullness-worthy things (God, family, health, etc.) so stick with me here.

Here's what I'm thankful for right now:

1. Stacy. Whenever you go through major events (like graduating from college or starting a biz), you need a go-to person, and you need them to be freaking awesome. Stacy is my person, and I love her more than she knows. She has supported me and been with me through thick and thin, and I am eternally grateful to be able to spend the rest of my life with her as my best friend. She's helped me, talked with me, inspired me, made fun of me, laughed at me, cried with me, fought with me, prayed with me, travelled beside me and comforted me. I owe my being to this woman. Bonus: Every time I see her, she is noticeably more beautiful. I am thankful for her.

2. You. When I called up the "South Dakota Tax Fun-ness Let's-Get-a-Sales-Tax-License" bureau in February 2009, I was having, "holy crap, this is happening" moment as I chased my dream into reality. I could not have done so without the support, motivation and inspiration of you, my audience, my clients and my friends. You give me a reason to blab and post photos on this site, and you give me a reason to do what I love. I'm thankful for you.

3. Moonfruit.com. I'm very proud of my website, and Moonfruit has been very useful for me to build my site and get "me" out there. I've heard some very useful feedback, and I like being able to quickly edit/customize the crap out of my site. (BTW: if you haven't done so yet, you should visit shotbyjohn.com and also tell your engaged/graduating friends about it.) I'm thankful for Moonfruit.

4. My iPod Touch. E-mail, internet, games and music when I need them the most. 'Nuff said. I'm thankful for it's convenience.

5. My Grandma Erma's scalloped corn hotdish. I have never. tasted. anything. better. I'm thankful for her awesome cooking.

6. My future in-laws. Most of them don't know that I'm a photographer, but that's made me realize that I'm not just a photographer. That's a good thing, and it's taught me something for which I'm thankful. I need to be a person before I'm a photographer. I'm a person. That sounds simple and kind of dumb, but it's meaningful if you think about it. They appreciate the sans-camera John, which is good in a deep way. I look forward to getting to know the rest of Stacy's family, and I look forward to spending time with all of them (yes, even you Todd.) I'm thankful for every member of Stacy's family.

7. Google Reader. I spend several physically-unhealthy hours in front of my computer every week, and I read and review a lot of stuff. Google Reader lets me subscribe (via RSS) to all of my favorite blogs and news sites and read them all in one site, which saves some computer time which can be transferred to shooting/editing/fun-ness/Stacy time. (It also allows you to subscribe to this blog. (Hint: I want you to do it.)) I'm thankful for Google Reader.

8. The Post/9 Clouds, Inc. All of the people associated with these two things are simply awesome. They give me another reason to do two of my most favorite things to do: hang out with some of my best friends and take pictures. I look forward to working more with these people. I'm thankful for The Post and 9 Clouds, Inc.

9. Julie Underwood. She's a CPA (tax person) in Brookings. Earlier this year, I was having a "holy-moly-I-don't-know-anything-about-accounting-or-tax" crisis. I met with Julie and she helped me get my biz straightened out. I'm thankful for Julie Underwood.

10. I'm thankful for Collin and Nichole Steiger. Before I blab about Collin and Nichole, I should point out that I'm sincerely thankful to every one of my clients and subjects. Collin and Nichole hold a special place of honor in the creation of John's Photography. These two people graciously allowed me to use their beautiful wedding day as a springboard to dive into the world of wedding photography. To non-photographers, it might not sound like a huge favor, but it meant (and still means) a lot to me and my biz. I will never forget August 15, 2009. I'm thankful for Collin and Nichole.

That's it. I'm sure that I missed a few things, but these are the big ones at the top of my mind right now as I sit here in a gravy-induced coma.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Holidays!

John