Grandma and Grandpa Pack--some highlights from 2013

This has been a wonderful year. In early spring, 2013, Grandma had a lovely visit in Ohio with the Thomson Family.  

Grandma with Neal, Brent, Alison, Greggy and Ken

Brent studying the newspaper

Neal causes a ball to hover, at the wonderful science museum

Ken reads to his little brothers

**Grandma was very happy to have been able to join the family**

***

Back home, the spring blossoms enthrall us.  Promise of apples to come?

The local Community Garden replants corn in our field, but this time devotes part of the space to various types of potato. We help tend, and reap the harvest weekly.

Grandma continues her care of the Bear Cub Scouts and Pack Meetings (but is released later in the year, allowing her to devote more attention to  her other calling) 

Roger's planned family visit to the U.K. takes place in May!  He, Ben, Chris and Grandma make a whirlwind trip from London all the way up to Sutherland in northern Scotland and back.

All these Turners and families join us at our Reunion at Crawford's house in Harpenden

The Family Bible (Uncle Willie's maternal) that Grandma's cousin Margaret in Scotland kindly suggests we take back to the States--printed in 1837

Roger catching up on the news as we travel up the country

One of many generous and delightful British breakfasts, being hungrily consumed. Note the quality of that there British bacon! :)

Back home, we celebrate May and June birthdays pleasantly at Pleasant Grove Children's Park. We are happy that both Jon and Preeti join us.

Birdwatching continues apace.  On this occasion Grandpa is joined by Grandma--for a photo-shoot by our friend Jane.

Isn't this a great shot of Grandpa?!

Wee Joshie enjoying his new back yard after his family takes tenancy of their new house.

Momma, Joseph, Jarom and Joshie harvest their ripe grapes for juice

Jarom helps Momma take off the stems

The four nearly-adult baby Gouldian finches Grandpa's parent-birds raised so well. People were excited to buy them at $50 apiece (the one male is on right).

Grandma doing what she loves--genealogy! We hatch big plans for exciting people in our ward to follow suit.

What a November we had! Even beekeeping was engaged in! Grandpa really wants to keep our one remaining vigorous hive going.

The "vegetable turkey" that Melissa and her sister Alison made for our Thanksgiving feast! Pretty neat, huh?

December 3rd - Little Alissandra comes to her three big brothers' home, the youngest member of the Pack clan! (Note: Joseph is wearing a suit Daddy brought from Africa!)

We were delighted to welcome the Idaho Packs back to Provo two days before Christmas, and very much enjoyed our time together but just forgot to use that camera!

Here's to a year for everyone of hopes and dreams and resolutions realized, and of many blessings that may keep us in mind of our Source and our destiny. 

Happy birthday to our eldest grandchild, Benji Pack, who will turn 16 on January 2nd!

Grandma Pack gets to go to visit Nikkala and Darren' s family later this month, when they have spring break! Can't wait!  She'd better find her camera, quick!

Hi, Family,

Last Sunday I got to talk to some of the Idaho Packs--ones that were home at the time. What a treat! I learned that:

Kayla has no fewer than 4 friends that live close by! She still misses her Orem friends, though.  Her favorite book series is "Fablehaven" (a family tradition). Kayla loves to read, and to watch her favorite TV program, "Sue Thomas, FBI" for Kids (I think that's right?). When we talked, there had been 4 inches of new snow.

Sammie said she plays a lot of Pokemon with her little brother and sometimes it's kinda fun.  She likes playing with her new friend Annie; they play mini-Barbies called Kellys. Primary Activity Days are cool and fun.  They remodeled the "snow hill" outside, making it flatter with shovels, and it's still fun to ride.

Hyrum is 5 years & 4 months old.  He knows his letters and numbers and is beginning to read. He loves Pokemon (Sammie said).  He still plays with his Christmas helicopter sometimes; he knows how to fly it right. He says Daddy found out that Milky is a boy bunny rabbit. Milky went away once but got caught again. 

Ben and Benji have been assigned as home teaching partners, and they will take turns with responsibilities. The family is getting an 8-seater suspended seating table, which will mean enough seating overall for the whole family + 1 guest.  Ben's calling takes him camping year-round, which makes for interesting conditions. They have been cross-country skiing in Herriman State Park, which Ben says Dad would have liked because there were lots of geese and swans and so on. There are plans to go backpacking in the Sawtooth Mountains. [Grandma looked these up, and the views were spectacular.]

Ben says work is going well.  He's still in training but already, with someone else, carefully oversees work that is done, to make sure it is done right. He is looking for trees for his ?orchard, and negotiating to buy some more land.

Reading the book "Visions of Glory" (which he recommends to everyone) has shifted Ben's paradigm, he says, in helpful ways.  He recognizes more how the Lord will be helping us accomplish our purpose for being on this earth; and how what's coming is engineered to help us learn to rely on Him.

Ben says, "Put your money in food storage."

We're looking forward to hearing about a project Ally has doing on the late, great architect Frank Lloyd Wright; and are delighted to hear that Benji is well on his way to his Eagle Scout award.

Grandpa is now well into his fruit tree pruning. We are grateful for more spring-like weather, now that March is here. 
     When Grandpa was answering a questionnaire sent him by his health insurer, we realized how healthy he is for his age.  "Are you able to prepare a meal without help?" "Do you need help with transportation?" "Can you balance a checkbook?" and "Do you need more help at home than you are able to get?" (He probably put for this: "That depends on my wife's mood!") We had a good laugh over all the "elderly" questions.

Lots of love to you ALL,  Grandma Alison Pack

6-months Already?

We can't believe we have hit the sixth month mark for being in Idaho. At times it seems surreal but for the most part we have settled in. Cold, dark winter nights allow us to spend time talking as a family, lots of puzzling (Sammie's a pro) and reading good books (Benji read the Hobbit so that he can see the movie). Kayla added a new feature to her person, joining the ranks of special eyes! Ally danced in her final performance as a snow fairy, part of the Nutcracker (picture coming, check the website again for an update).

The Family Journal, February 2013

                                                                  Livin' in Utah

Many of us recently visited Carrie's beautiful, almost-new workplace up by the Point of the Mountain. It had a very unusual "feel" for a building in Utah.  Brandon said it reminded him of something from New York.  Being there was like being in a modern art museum. Carrie says 1000 people work there. Their lunches are wonderful. (Pictures below copyrighted to Forbes Magazine, 2013.)

Looks like we may keep Brandon and Carrie here, at least for now. Carrie's boss gave her an offer she couldn't resist (an unheard-of 21% raise), reflective of the capital service she is giving in her department.
Carrie enjoys the wonderful new outlet stores at Traverse Mountain just up the road, too.

Gracie loves her doll house that was a gift from the Idaho Packs, especially the tiny hair dryers and other fabulous, fun people and furniture. Grandma has been babysitting up there and enjoys her cute two-year-old granddaughter who converses like an adult (or at least a teenager).

Gavin is the most easy-going guy you could ever meet, with a smile as broad as the sun.  He doesn't even complain if someone else wants a toy he is playing with.

Cousin Jarom has grown into a real 5-year-old with all the curiosity the best 5-year-old has.  His mom says he's crazy about science, and they do experiments together. Jarom looks just like a fireman in his bright yellow raincoat with stripes.

Joseph likes to talk about serious stuff. He knows all about what to do if you meet a stranger. He loves make-believe.

Joshie can carry on a whole "conversation" with you. He holds his own alongside his two older brothers.  He claims his rights and smiles and looks cute about it.

Jon and Preeti are doing well.  That is, they were until someone crashed into a door of their vehicle in the parking lot.  Jon is trading in the big generators he got for emergency preparedness, during their recent equipping, for a smaller, better variety.

Preeti recently got a nice raise. She especially enjoys the part of her job where she is in charge of all the company events and can use her creativity.  In connection with this she is currently constructing a "chandelier" made entirely of Cricut die-cuts.

Roger and Melissa have branched out on their free LDS choral music website into a competition for creative church music, starting on the 20th, and they are having a pot-luck dinner in conjunction with it.

Roger was sad (how sad?) to miss, due to illness, his ward Scout troop's Klondike Derby, which started during that Arctic period.
Roger would like to capture a corner of the computer file back-up market, and Grandma may be his customer.

With Melissa today did Grandma perhaps finally strike the right question to ask when asking for family information?-- What in your life makes you feel good or has the potential to make you feel good?

Melissa reports that as the current ward choir director she has been given the go-ahead to write a hymn arrangement for bassoon to play in sacrament meeting.
She has started a "housekeeping challenge" similar to the many on-line weight-loss challenges. It runs for 10 weeks, during which time the hope is that you develop the habits necessary to continue the desirable traits.
You are part of a team where everyone contributes $15-20 and sets their goals. You try to support your team by carrying out the goals you set (otherwise you lose your deposit and your team can't win). All the best, Melissa!

Grandma is starting on the remarkable new health and weight-loss program developed by the people at Curves. The combination of interactive on-line meal planning and grocery list generation, personal accountability to a trainer, and both resistance exercising and Zumba aerobic dancing make this program a no-brainer that takes only personal discipline!  The other bonus from being up there is being able to help some other ladies with their health challenges.  All the best, Grandma! :)


                                                               Love you all,

                                                             Grandma Alison

P.S.  Grandpa got a gift of some grey quail this past week.  These birds are native down south.