June 08 Greenleaf Post

Friends and Family

This is the final edition of the Greenleaf Post - not because I'm not going to send out a family update anymore - I just won't be sending them from Greenleaf anymore. We sold our home! A great family from Arizona with 5 children has committed to purchase it. We feel very blessed.

We are in the middle of a busy time. We are moving next Friday, Lareen's brother Bryan is getting married this Saturday, Jarom's Eagle Scout Court of Honor is this Sunday (YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO COME), Hannah's 8th Birthday is next Thursday, today is the last day of school and my father passed away this past week and we have just returned from Idaho Falls for a wonderful celebration and remembrance of his life. I've included some pictures:

http://flickr.com/photos/12083017@N03/

My dad lived a long and full life. He had just recently celebrated his 83rd birthday and right after that was going fishing with his Chiropractor and he accidentally took some worm chemicals instead of water (both stored in water bottles in the fridge) and drank that. That was last Friday. He had battled Parkinson's disease for over 30 years and the chemicals triggered pneumonia and he slipped fast. By last Saturday, we returned late from Bryan's Open House in Weiser Idaho to a message on our answering machine letting us know that Dad was in the hospital and to include him in our prayers. Sunday before noon my sister called to say that the siblings were gathering at his bedside and to come. I left that afternoon and arrived around 9pm and spent the night there. By 4pm the next day my last brother was able to fly in from Ohio and we were able to have a great final Family Home Evening/Testimony meeting around his bedside after which he passed peacefully away with all his children, my mother, and some grandchildren there saying goodbye for now. It was a tender mercy of the Lord to let us have that time with him. I'll always cherish it.

We are moving to the American Fork area of Utah (south of SLC and north of Provo). We are going to rent for now - and make sure we know where we want to plant ourselves more permanently.

For those interested or able to come to Jarom's Eagle Court of Honor it will be held at 7pm Sunday the 8th at the LDS building in Caldwell on Kimball street. If you need directions feel free to call us at 454-9980 or my cell at 801-230-9437.

Love, The Packer family