The holidays are upon us, and there is so much to be thankful for. I love Thanksgiving! It may be my favorite holiday, and not only for the fact that it’s the kickoff to this festive season.
It all starts with the chaotic hustle and bustle of people on a mission to finish their holiday shopping “early this year”. While every part of town and every possible place to shop is a madhouse, I can’t help but notice how “cozy” it all feels. From the holiday lights, to the Thanksgiving food shopping, to the FOOTBALL on Thanksgiving, it’s a feeling of love and excitement all around.
I spent this Thanksgiving in the mountains in a snowy winter wonderland. We had the traditional dinner of boatloads of stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed po’s (as I like to call them), turkey, pumpkin pie, etc. Nothing beats the feeling of tryptophan in your bloodstream and a warm fire after dinner.
Truth be told, this Thanksgiving was technically my third “Thanksgiving dinner” in the last three weeks. Yes, the food is amazing, but that isn’t the sole reason for overdoing it a bit in celebrating this amazing holiday. The first two I had were with different groups of friends. Just another excuse to cook delicious comfort food and catch up. Also, there is something about speaking aloud the things you’re truly thankful for that warms everyone’s hearts.
Speaking of being thankful, I thought I’d share a few of the things I’m thankful for:
- My family, who all live in Colorado now (Hey, it’s a pretty easy state to recruit to!)
- My close friends, who are basically like family to me
- My husband
- Our soldiers, who sacrifice so much for us all
- My health
- My faith
- My jobs as a Broncos Cheerleader and working for Vista TV, which both allow me to meet the most amazing people in the Denver community
- Our Broncos fans, who stick with us through thick and thin
- The women I dance with, who constantly help me grow as a person and dancer and continue to be incredible teammates and friends
I could go on and on…
One thing I would wish for us all to continue being thankful for is our troops. Every Broncos home game, one part of the game I love the most is when we get to hear from a soldier (and they say something to their family and to the fans). We are so grateful for everything they do, and the cheerleaders have a wonderful way to show our thanks to them, called “Cheer for the Troops”. Every year, we collect donations of items, from dvds, to snacks, to razors and chapstick. We then box it all up and ship these holiday packages to our brave men and women who are deployed. Last year, we’re so proud to say we shipped over 40 boxes.
We hope to brighten their holidays any way we can, and it’s just a small way for us to say, “we’re truly thankful for you”. We go through our day to day lives sometimes taking for granted the many things we’re thankful for. Try to keep all these things in your mind throughout the holidays and remember just how blessed we all are.
Please continue to “Cheer for our Troops!”
Happy Holidays, Broncos fans.
- Erica
Look for more thoughts from Erica and other Broncos cheerleaders throughout the 2010 season.
Tags: 2010, Cheerleaders, Denver Broncos, Erica
Your husband is a lucky man, I know one of the things he is thankful for,
YOU!
Erica, Thanksgiving is an incredible holiday. There`s just so much to be thankful for. I still believe with all of my heart that America is the greatest country in the world. The land of oppertunity. I pray for our Troops every day For there safety. Because of them we are still living in a free country. God bless you, your family, and the rest of the cheerleading team. And Erica, another reason thanksgiving is my favorite holiday is because I was Born on it. I tell people that I was born with a wishbone inside me. Hahaha! HAPPY HOLIDAYS
My post sounded like a Hallmark card now that I re-read it, LOL.
Yeah Bay I thought my mom signed on as you haha.
Just kidding.
Great list Erica and I think that at this time of year Faith is a very important part of what we should be thankful for, because in my heart my faith in God means that I believe God provides all those things I am thankful for.
My wife and children are so important to me and their health and welfare is what I am predominantly thankful for.
With the Broncos’ family of course we look to our Cheerleaders to be a focal point of all we love about the Broncos and I believe that the way you conduct yourselves and work so hard means that I can be truly grateful for all you beautiful young ladies that pick us up when times are bad. It is great to see you all doing the same for the troops whose bravery protects us all.
God Bless you.