Wednesday, July 30, 2008

remembering dan

What an emotional week we have had. Phil's oldest brother Dan, passed away on July 23rd. The funeral was yesterday. I have wanted to sit down and write my thoughts down all week but it is a difficult thing to do. I have watched as the extended Pack family has come together to help each other and Dan's wife and children deal with this incredible loss. What a blessing our Heavenly Father has given us...the gift of family.
How grateful I am for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is so hard to lose someone that you love and I don't think that the hole they leave behind can ever be filled but Christ can bridge that gap that we feel in our hearts. I am so grateful for the Atonement of our Savior. We can find comfort in Him.
I am so thankful to know that we will see Dan again. What a great example he was to all of us. The funeral was so touching and uplifting. It was such a good mix of laughter, tears and music. All of his siblings and children shared stories and memories about this great man. They painted a picture for all of us of who he really was. He was a quiet, humble man. Phil said that Dan reminds him of the story of David in Egypt. The trials of life came but he had a strong faith and believed in the principles of the gospel. He never waivered. Dan was a kind and gentle man. He never competed for the center of attention or desired to be in the spotlight. Because of his quiet humility and unassuming nature, his great abilities and talents might be over looked. He was a master musican and could play almost any instrument. It was said at his funeral that music is what he woke up for each morning. It gave his life purpose. I am so grateful that at least 2 of my children were able to be taught by him. At Christmas time, Dan gave each family a cd of him playing his violin. It will be a sweet reminder and comfort for us all.
He didn't believe that he would ever accomplish anything great. But he was mistaken. His influence with music and the way he lived has reached many people.
Times like these cause us to stop and reflect on life. Our perspective changes. We are reminded of the important things...people. Relationships are what make life memorable and what gives us purpose while we are here in mortality. How we treat each other and the time we spend with each other matters. We can all be a little kinder....a little nicer. We can all see the good in people more. We can all look for those in need of comfort a little better. We can all be slower to critize or gossip. We can all be quicker at using a soft word. We can place ourselves in someone else's shoes before we judge. Isn't that what the Savior has taught?
I am grateful that I was priviledged to know Dan and I will always remember him.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Bear Lake

Last week, a few moms from Mendon took our kids up to spend the day at Bear Lake. We had so much fun. The kids played in the sand and water for hours. The moms could visit and enjoy being together. It felt so good to just slow down a bit from the summer frenzy and just relax with the kids. Hopefully, we can get in one more trip to the lake before school starts.
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Family Fun Triathlon


Reggie, Frank and Robbie participated in a family fun triathlon this last weekend. We had a great time watching them. It was Rob's very first try at this and he did great. They all did great except Reggie did go the wrong direction on the bike portion. He probably would have won but he was so focused on beating the guy next him that they both went past the turnoff. All in all we had a great time.
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Cindy's Hair Adventure

A tank of gas...$33.....A color....$50......Cindy's reaction.....PRICELESS! What a fun day we had! In June, my mom, sister Lynda and I took my sister Cindy to get her hair colored. She has never had this done before and was very nervous to do it. These pictures show before, during and after her hair coloring adventure. The picture on the bottom center is Cindy's face as she is turned around to see the finished product! It was so much fun to be together and a big relief when Cindy actually loved it.Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Girls' Camp


Alycia survived her first year at Young Women's Camp. The theme was "For Such A Time As This". What a blast she had. They went to Cinnamon Creek. As you can tell by these pictures there was never a dull moment. They were able to sleep in one great big tent that slept 20 people! They loved it! Each ward chose a woman from the scriptures or church history as their "masscot". They chose Lucy Mack Smith. They had "Got Mack?" printed on their t-shirts which stands for "Many Acts of Caring Service". They ran through all the different ward camps throwing candy, did service projects for the campground and for other wards and even had fun "snipe hunting". What a better way to get away from the world and all it's craziness to a place of beauty and peace where you can feel the love of Heavenly Father. I am so grateful that she could have this experience.
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Sunday, July 6, 2008

Nauvoo Trip 2008 - Pack Family Reunion

We had a great time on our trip to Nauvoo for the Pack Family Reunion. Phil's niece, Dyany, put the whole thing to together and did such an amazing job. There were about 80 of us there. We all stayed in some houses that are all next to each other and they sleep 16 to 20 people each. It was fun to be all together. There is a great big grassy field behind that houses that kids loved playing ultimate frisbie on. Our house was amazing. We had 18 people sleeping there but it didn't feel like it because there were 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. It was a very nice house with all the amenities of home. The houses are only a few blocks away from the Nauvoo Temple. On our way out to Nauvoo, our family was able to stop and see Liberty Jail and the Independence Visitor Center. We also stayed in St. Louis and were able to see the last two innings of a Cardinal's game and ride to the top of the Arch. Wow! Nauvoo was incredible. What a neat place. We were able to do so many fun things: Tours, Demonstrations and Shows. We went to Carthage Jail and felt the Spirit there. We were also able to attend the Nauvoo Temple and do baptisms, initiatory, endowments and sealings for family members. I am humbled to think of the sacrifice and faith of those people. I am so grateful for our experience there. It was so awesome to be where history happened and where ordinary people did amazing things. On our way home, we stopped by Winter Quarters in Nebraska and went to the Visitor Center and saw the temple there. What a fun time we had.