We all love a great feast and warm (and sometimes spicy!) gathering of friends, family, and favorites during Thanksgiving. Making Mom’s biscuits, creating memories, and laughing until our sides hurt are all on the menu! We’ve collected some of the top memories from each of our Sundog team to bring to the memory buffet and share a taste of what makes Thanksgiving special for us.

Joe & Cathy / Jeni / Derrick / Costa / Monica / Jacob / Lily

Joe and Cathy

This Thanksgiving, I (Cathy) am grateful to still have 3 boys living at home with us to celebrate Thanksgiving. I’m thankful they decorated our Christmas tree and outside our home to help combat the darkness that can feel oppressive as the days shorten at this time of year. I am thankful that I fully recovered from the cardiac arrest I suffered in Nov. 2022 and that I am still here to see the love my boys receive each time they come into the house from our new Brittany puppy.

I’m grateful Jacob introduced the ANSEP Acceleration Academy to us and that all our triplets actually passed the entrance exams into the program last fall. The opportunity to complete 5 years of UAA classes, all expenses paid and tutors, just for being studious, upright young men is a blessing! Even though a full year has passed since they were accepted into the program, I am in awe that they are completing their High School graduation requirements and working toward a college degree already.

I am very proud of their hard work and the hard work all 5 of our boys exemplify. I’m thankful that they all still love us and are well-adjusted, useful members of society so that we can rest assured they have the skill set to ‘make it’ so to speak.

I thank God for a husband who loves me and has built a business that allows us to serve others and spend time together daily. I appreciate the trust our clients put in us and our team and hope to continue working together for many years to come.

I pray that this Thanksgiving and Christmas season people hear the gospel of Christ and turn to God bringing about a revival like no other time in history. I pray our country returns to its roots in Biblical truths and that we enjoy the peace that comes from honoring God in our words and actions treating others with respect and God-fearing love.

Jeni

When it comes to listing gratitude, my heart is full and there are too many things and not enough digital space to record it all to share with you. God has been far more generous to me than I deserve.

Thanksgiving gives me the perfect excuse to pack my table full of family, friends, and strangers-almost-friends… and cook all the things I can think of that will make each person feel like they are home. It’s our small way of paying His generosity forward.

One year, our table was full, but my brother had to leave early and the empty chair could have been a little bit of a sad note. But my faithful fur friend, Alexander the Great, was like “I got you” and generously offered to fill the void. (He did have to find another place to enjoy his food after this photo, but not before he made everyone laugh.) He does love my cooking!

Derrick

I’m grateful for many things; I’m convinced the list could go on forever. But several overarching blessings are worth mentioning:

I’m thankful for the redeeming grace shown to me by God through His son Jesus Christ. Jesus has revealed Himself to me through His Word, paid for and forgiven my sins, granted me His own righteousness, and thus brought me into eternal fellowship with Him. He is so good and deserving of all my praise.
I’m thankful for the wife God has given me. She’s the sweetest woman on the planet and her love for me is precious. God knew what He was doing to put us together – we’re the perfect match! I love her more than anything in this world.
I’m thankful for the blessing of our children – two precious boys and a third baby on the way. 🙂

I’m thankful for the blessing of our family at Anchorage Grace Church. We are so well cared for by the ministry of the Word and leadership of our pastors. It’s a privilege to participate in the ministry there.
I’m thankful for the blessing to live and work in Alaska. It’s an awesome place filled with evidence of the majesty of God. I love watching the sun rise and set on the mountains out our window, and capturing what I can through my camera lenses. My job at Sundog is a great blessing the Lord provided when we moved here, and I’m so thankful for our team and the clients we get to serve.

Costa

I’m thankful for the good health of my family, my wife’s constant hugs, being able to work from home doing a job I love, my grandma making it to 97 this year, the company of Chewy (my pet turtle) who is hasn’t slowed down at all even after 26 years, midnight snacks, and my wife’s apple + oatmeal + cheddar cookies. And the daily latte coffees (half espresso, half warm milk)!

Monica

So many things to be grateful for. Some highlights are the outstanding and kind team at Sundog Media, my son Jacob and Maddy getting engaged this summer, and my son Jonathan and his wife Kiah giving birth to my first Grandson! God shows His mercy and grace every day.

Jacob

This Thanksgiving, I look forward to gathering with friends and family, enjoying each other’s company, and sharing a bountiful meal. I am deeply grateful for the people God has blessed me with, the opportunities I’ve been given, and the direction my life is taking. I am especially thankful for my fiancée, Madison—the most wonderful person I have ever met!

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories is when my family spent the holiday at our cabin, bringing all the traditional meal items with us, which we hiked in. We enjoyed a lovely meal together, shared what we were thankful for, and took in God’s beautiful creation around us.

We laid on the snow and gazed up at the stars; away from the city, the sky was brilliant. We could see every satellite passing by and countless shooting stars—it was breathtaking.

Each year, my family decorates for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. That year, though, we had a trip planned and wouldn’t be home to enjoy the decorations for Christmas.

So, we decided to bring the fun to our cabin, decorating a small tree and cutting paper snowflakes. That night, unbeknownst to me or my two siblings, “Santa” came to our cabin while we slept and surprised us with presents! We woke up to the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls and the thrill of gifts under the tree.

I will never forget the feeling and nostalgia of that Thanksgiving/Christmas. I can’t wait until I have a family of my own to share experiences like this and create lasting memories together.

Lily

This Thanksgiving, I’m deeply grateful for the incredible friends and community I’ve found at Resonate Church. The support, encouragement, and love I’ve received from this church family have been a constant blessing in my life. I’m especially thankful for the opportunity to serve alongside a small group of them in Bellingham, Washington, during this Thanksgiving break.

We get to partner with Lighthouse Mission Ministries to care for the unhoused community there.

It’s humbling to see how God is working through our church to make a difference, and I’m beyond grateful for the chance to contribute to that mission while growing closer to such an amazing group of people.

Thanksgiving Stories