Thanksgiving

Letter to James from Mom:

Dear Eldest Elder Berky,

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful that we could speak briefly with you today! 

Started to snow a little here, but not much. 

Grandma is in Saint George with aunt Wyn, because aunt Lynette had back surgery on Tuesday for a severe herniated disc. Lewis’s opted to stay at their house this Thanksgiving . 

We had our usual dinner at the Leavitt’s with Aubrey & Joe (with Kendrick  and Sterling), a couple of Joe’s single siblings going to BYU, and Kris’ nephew with his small family of wife and 2 kids. Austin flew out from Texas, but Brandon (now in dental school in Missouri), drove with a friend to Ohio for Thanksgiving. He’s saving his plane ticket purchase for Christmas break.

Stewart came over to Leavitts in the evening to hang out with boy cousins while his sisters watched a chick flick.

Dad and LaMont reminisced about their landlord stage with 14 4plexes in West Valley City from 2001-04ish.  I should have turned on my voice recorder to capture some of those stories for family history. Then they began talking FindACode business. Of course! The older my brother gets, the more and more he reminds me of dad, your Grandpa Leavitt. Even my older cousins say how uncanny it is that LaMont looks and acts like “Uncle Henry”. 

Holly and Tanner live in the basement apartment of LaMont and Kris, and have 2 new kittens. They are soooo adorable! Attached is a cute video of Ammon, Kendrick and Sterling playing with them. Their other cat, Oreo, got hit by a car in the river bottoms down from their house. Tanner’s is a cat person. so a few weeks after they buried Oreo, they got a new kitten. The new kitten is so sociable, but they were gone most of the day. They felt bad for the lonely kitty that they went back and got a kitty sibling so they could keep each other company during the day. 

Ammon and cousin Kendrick

It’s 7:00 and we are still having a great time hanging out, talking, playing board games, and playing with the kittens. I’m writing this now while still here, but my ears needed a break from the boomy great area room.  I’m hiding out in the front sitting/music room. Good news is that I didn’t have to bring my headphones this year to manage the pain of the loudness. But that’s partly because the hearing loss is setting in? 

Jacob, cousins Matt, Kendrick, Stewart, and Sam

I am full of gratitude for the gospel of Jesus Christ, that I am a member of his restored church, temples, and eternal families. We Love you and are so thankful for your desire to serve and to improve yourself each day. 

Hugs and love, Mom

Ben, plate #1
Jacob and Sam
Anthony and cousin Austin
The pie table
Cousin Kendrick and Ammon
Benjamin and Anthony digesting

Halloween

In keeping with the traditional lining the front porch…Anthony is Black Plague, Ben is Forrest Gump, Sam a motocross rider, Jacob an 80s exerciser, Ammon “Dark Vader” as he calls it. They all went to the Halloween party at the Dempsey’s from 6:30-8:30. Except Jacob, who insisted on going to swim team free day from 5:45-6:30. He was THE ONLY one and had so much fun with the coaches playing various games and making up new strokes 

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After practice he and Ammon went from 7-8:45. It was so cold outside They didn’t even go trick or treating.