We've had a very eventful past number of weeks.
Lareen's father has been suffering from a failing liver for a couple of years and the doctors had nearly given up on him so Lareen had her mother and father come down to Utah to stay with us and try some alternative health routes. They came down the Friday night going into the Labor Day weekend. Saturday we started the treatments and processes to start trying to help him get better but by Monday morning he had other plans. During the night he "had a good talk with the Lord" and decided that he was going to go "home". After much tears Lareen, her mom and sister Shelly all decided that this was the real deal and we contacted the rest of the family to have them all come down to Utah to say goodbye to Grandpa Hansen. It was a beautiful opportunity to have all the kids and grandkids receive final instruction and say goodbye to the family leader and patriarch.
He passed peacefully that following Thursday morning with his wife, daughters (one by phone) all at his bedside. We know he has a new assignment (he told us) on the other side and he was looking forward to getting to work doing what he spent most of his life on earth doing - the Lord's work.
Lareen went to Idaho the Saturday after that with her mother, sister and two twin brothers to help transport their dad back to Idaho for the funeral that was planned for the following Saturday. The kids and I stayed back in Idaho until Friday when we went to Idaho for the viewing. One of the highlights of Friday was the incredible tribute that was payed to Larry Hansen - The Voice of the Wolverines for 35 years. Lareen's father had announced all the Football and Basketball games for 35 years and was an true icon in Weiser for the entire community. The tribute was payed to the family as we all gathered at the halftime of the home football game and the band, cheerleaders, administration and fans all paid tribute and let off hundreds of red and white balloons on cue to say goodbye to a great man.
The funeral was incredible and so many people where there to pay their respects. It was truly an inspiration to behold. It reminds me that life is precious and that the best thing we can do with the time we are gifted here - is to serve others faithfully. That is where true joy is found and where you can leave the best legacy for your posterity. He didn't leave a lot of $ for his posterity - but what he left was more valuable than piles of gold and jewels!!
On another note, we have a new addition to our home. Jarom finally got another boy to play with! Yep, we adopted a little boy!! He's only 1 year old, cute, fun and best of all - he's potty trained! He's a Shih-tsu dog named Todd. The kids are beside themselves in happiness and Lareen is pretty accepting despite her biases against house pets. It helps that he doesn't shed or that he has that "dog" smell. If we keep him clean (bath once a week) he smells great. He is cute and I think that helps warm Lareen up a bit.
Jarom came back from our trip this past weekend (for the funeral) with a bad case of poison ivy. Yep, he got it again! About a year after getting it with the Scouts in our old ward. This time it really got his face bad! See for yourselves at http://www.flickr.com/photos/
The other photo is from a great hike with the scouts to the top of Mount Timpanogas. We started at 3am with 4 leaders and 15 boys - arrived at the top at 8am with 6 boys, 1 leader. It was quite the experience!
All the kids started school and have decided that public schools down here are really great and they are loving it. Logan is doing really well taking some honors classes and still enjoying less homework than she had at the charter school. She is also enjoying a whole new set of friends (boys and girls).
Hannah and Jarom are at the American Fork Jr. High and both enjoy it. They are really enjoying lockers, A and B days, and real electives! Hannah is in the orchestra and learning to play the violin. She is enjoying it and is getting better all the time. She turned 12 and is now officially a Young Woman! I can't believe my little Hannah Bannana is 12, going to Young Women's and Jr. High. She is still my cute little girl that fits just right on my lap. I'm not giving up on that!
Emma has learned to ride a bike!! She is feeling quite independent now that she can hop on her bike and ride to school or to a friends house. It is so fun for her. She has a plethera of friends and is a complete and total social butterfly. She has her mother's spirit in that way. I don't think Emma will ever have issues with friends - they are attracted to her like flies. Logan and Hannah are more like me and are fine to spend some time alone reading, but Emma and Jarom are like Lareen and attract throngs of friends to them. I swear Jarom's friends prefer our house over their own. They'll even hang out when he's at football practice. Lareen will have them work at our house and they don't seem to mind too much - they just like being at our home and eating her food. They've all decided that Lareen is the best cook!!
Life is good, we feel very blessed, we are enjoying our new home, neighborhood and church down here - but will always have a soft spot in our hearts for the dear friends we have in Idaho. We attended church in our old ward in Idaho to witness Lareen's brother Bryan get called into the Bishopric (another in a string of wonderful miracles for his family).
With much love,
The Brian Packer Family
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