One thanksgiving down, one to go

 !OH HI PO!

That’s a little more symmetrical.

I’m starting this letter late Saturday night. We’re watching Ford Versus Ferrari on the new projector. It’s smaller, But looks way better. I’m tired from going to the game. It was fun if not spectacular the final score was 23-17. The Utes only passed 11 times, but ran the ball pretty well. Luke Bottari had a competent if not spectacular game. He may be the one guy on the team I could keep with in a foot race, but he has way better hair. The game started off sunny and cold, then got cloudy and colder, but I got some sun anyway. It was glorious being with your mother, she is so beautiful.

This has been a pretty great holiday, save missing you. I guess my general definition of great means calm. Our dinner was small, only grandma, uncle Steven’s family, the Bergs and us were here. Beverly got sick so her and Rod didn’t come so I felt, surprisingly, kinda bad about that. I know they’re just being conscientious about grandma. We had two turkeys, one Ben smoked and one mom roasted traditionally. I made the potatoes, they were good. We missed you when it came to the potatoes and the deviled eggs. Grandma made cheeseball and Costco made the pies, pumpkin and apple. 

Talking to you was great, you look good and confident, and happy. You’re a strong kid but I hope I would be able to tell if you were struggling, I got no sense of that. Instead you looked all the former things and I think you’re independence, intelligence, and resourcefulness are going to serve you very well.

I try to keep gratitude in mind all the time, but this is the time of year to reflect I guess. I’ve thinking about what an eventful year this has been for our family. Loosing grandpa, Jacob returning home, your graduation, cousin cecily’s transplants, grandma’s diagnosis. Each one of those events carries so much love from Our Heavenly Father, even the difficult ones. Each one of them can give us a reason to rely on him, whether it be from the helplessness or fear we feel and we seek his comfort and strength, or from the direct joy we feel from the positive events and the gratitude that we feel because of them. 

It’s now the middle of the night, I’m not sleeping, but I should be. I guess I should finish this tomorrow because the minutiae of the days since I last wrote are foggy right now. 

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It’s Sunday evening now. We just got home from visiting aunt Stella and grandma. Aunt Stella made us peanut butter cookies and hot chocolate. I feel so much love from her and uncle Temmy. She recently had to replace two furnaces and ac units in her house. Her little dog is so sweet. Uncle Tims family was at grandma’s. She seemed a little more stressed than normal. I think the weight of all she’s going through is starting to pile up on her. We’re going to go by Saturday morning to put up her tree and install her bathroom fan. Uncle Tim and I chatted football. Poor BYU lost there game against Oklahoma State in double overtime last night. I told him, sincerely, that I felt bad for him and Jordan but that I wanted to roast Mark over it. That made aunt Lithia laugh.

Also this week is prep for the ward party, I got roped into being on the committee for the second year in a row. I have to make some trees for the stage. Tonight mom and I are going to pass invitations around the horse shoe. My favorite time  of the winter is January, after all of the busyness and expectations of the holidays are behind you. 

Mom probably told you how she’s decorated the house. I really like it but it would probably underwhelm you. 

In other news, Thursday morning was the turkey bowl. It was pretty fun. I must admit that when Jake was running full speed towards me with the ball I realized how big, fast, and strong he was. You faced your brothers every day, I must be really old. Mom and I got home before your brothers. We heard this loud, crazy, steely noise come from the garage. I ran out the but couldn’t see anything out of place. Later when we went to open the garage door, it would only raise about two feet. I then realized where the noise came from. Garage doors are spring loaded to help the opener lift the door up. Our spring broke. Lucky one of the local garage door companies was able to come fix it Friday morning. Unluckily it was expensive. 

I’ve also made some progress on the projector cabinet. I still have to assemble the upper cabinet and figure out the top. I can start to finish the base and the back though. I’m sending pics. The finish will make the final product look pretty different though. 

Not sure if anything else is worth reporting. I hope you know how much we love you and we pray for you always. Have a great week kid.

Love 

Pops