Holiday Greetings from the Packers

New Year's Day, 2009

I told myself weeks ago that I wasn't going to stress about doing Christmas cards or letters this year. Then the cards and letters and pictures from family and friends started showing up in our mailbox and inboxes. I enjoy getting them and catching up with loved ones so much that I felt bad about not returning the favor. But I also knew it wasn't going to happen until after Christmas. We hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and wish you all the best for the new year.

For the first time in a long time, we don't have a new address or a new baby to announce this year. We love our home in Pleasant Grove and feel acclimated and happy to be where we are. We miss the friends we made as we moved around the country, but cherish those memories as we enjoy being close to family and mountains again.

JEFF is still working hard to build the German program at Utah Valley University. He's hoping to put together a study abroad trip to Berlin for next summer--anything to get back to Germany for a few weeks. He was happy to be released from teaching the Primary children and Cub Scouts when he was called as the Young Men's secretary at church. Jeff is still crazy about radio control model airplanes and cycling, but he also planted and cared for a successful vegetable garden this year. And a good part of his summer was taken up with a major home improvement project--digging two 4' x 4' x 8'-deep holes to patch some narrow cracks in our foundation. With the cracks patched, we are ready to start remodeling the basement bathroom and bedroom that flooded earlier in the year. Jeff's next project is teaching himself how to tile a shower. I'm really glad he's handy--when he wants to be.

DALLIN just turned two and moved into a twin bed over the holidays. He is a pleasant kid, smiley and giggly and quite the tease. Once he really started talking there was no stopping him, just as we expected. He mimics everything, English or German, and just recently started speaking some sentences. Dallin is a little "helper," often driving his mommy crazy in the kitchen when she's trying to get dinner ready. He loves to be outside, and enjoys all the normal toys that little boys love, plus a few that his older brothers would prefer he didn't get into. It's been fun to watch him grow this year.

JARED, 4 1/2, started preschool this fall. He has really picked up on letters and numbers with the help of his fantastic teacher, but loves the interaction with friends at school as much as anything. When Mommy lets him, he enjoys playing games on pbskids.org and watching PBS shows on TV. Jared took his first two sessions of swimming lessons in June, which he was not at all excited about. We're hoping he'll enjoy them a little more next summer. Four-year-old boys are just plain fun, and Jared is no exception. He's a delight to have in our family.

RYAN just turned eight and will be baptized this month. We are happy that he has chosen to follow Jesus Christ and wants to do what is right. He is excited about finally being able to be a Cub Scout too. He played coach-pitch baseball last spring, with his dad as the coach. Swimming lessons went well, although he won't go near the deep end yet. Ryan also played recreational soccer for the first time this past summer. He is a great little goalie--his preferred position because it required less running around in the heat. Ryan continues to excel in all subjects at school, but especially loves reading. He read the entire Harry Potter series TWICE during 2008. We gave him some new books for Christmas in an effort to broaden his horizons just a bit.

ADAM, age 10, isn't our little boy anymore. We have just three short years to figure out parenting before he becomes a teenager! He enjoyed Jr. Jazz basketball early in the year. In the spring he played his first year of Little League with the kids pitching to each other. His team didn't do so well, but he continues to improve his skills. If Adam ever gets a growth spurt, he may give Michael Phelps a run for his money in the swimming pool. He is our fish, making great strides, er, I mean strokes, in swimming lessons. Adam does well in school, but is also gaining a reputation for his knowledge of interesting facts and trivia. He continues to use his musical talent by singing in the elementary school choir. He earned his Bear badge in Cub Scouts last summer, and is now excited about being a Webelos Scout. He looks so sharp in his new Scout uniform.

HARMONY continues to hold down the fort and tries to keep everything balanced. In addition to enjoying my family, I still attend an occasional yoga class, read an occasional novel, and write an occasional blog entry. I volunteered for the city library board and now serve as it's secretary. At church I started the year teaching Primary children, then moved to Primary secretary and Cub Scout den leader, then to 2nd counselor in the Primary presidency. Teaching children about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a challenging but rewarding privilege. I also enjoy singing in the ward choir. On top of all of this, Jeff decided I needed a hobby and conspired with our parents to buy me a really nice Canon digital SLR camera for Christmas. And he's promised to take care of the kids while I take a photography class. I feel a little liked I'm being forced into this hobby, but I don't think I'm going to mind.

Our lives are filled with work, school, church, Cub Scouts, sports, and family activities. Our travels were limited to family events in Idaho and Utah. Some of our favorite memories of the year were camping with Jeff's family in the Uintah mountains in June, playing with Harmony's family at a ranch house reunion in August, and a trip to the Lagoon amusement park that the kids earned by doing chores and reaching their summer goals. Jeff lost both of his maternal grandparents this year, but they had lived long, good lives. We miss them, but know that we will be reunited with them when the Lord calls us home. We are so grateful for the peace and joy He gives us. We are also grateful for you, our loved ones. Our relationships with you enrich and bless our lives.

Love,
The Packers
Jeff, Harmony, Adam, Ryan, Jared, & Dallin

Christmas Letter 2007

Dear friends and family,

Season’s greetings from the Packers! We look forward to this time of year when we get to catch up with our favorite people all over the world. We look forward to your cards, letters, and pictures in our mailbox and inboxes, and feel inclined to return the favor. Even though miles and years often separate us, we treasure the memories and associations we share with you, and hope that you and your families are doing well.

2007 has been a year of dreams come true for us. After two great years in San Angelo, Texas, Jeff’s hard work finally landed him the long-sought-after tenure-track teaching job. He is now the German professor at Utah Valley State College (soon to be UVU) in Orem, Utah. This was a blessing we hardly dared hope for—a permanent position close to our extended family. In August we bought a rambler with a basement in Pleasant Grove, just north of Orem at the base of beautiful Mt. Timpanogos. Although the house itself has given us a few more projects than we anticipated, so far we love the location, the neighborhood, the schools, and the community. The last several months have been consumed with settling in to what we hope will be our home for years to come.

Jeff has his work cut out for him, trying to revive and build UVSC’s German program. He is very busy, but happy. He continues to stay in shape by cycling the 6 ½ miles to work and back, weather permitting. In September he reached his goal of 10,000 miles on his bike in five years. In his meager free time Jeff plays with his boys, flies his radio control planes, follows his fantasy football team, and occasionally sits down with a good book.

Adam, who just turned 9, is doing well in 3^rd grade. He misses his friends in Texas, but is very excited about using all his new snow gear. Last spring he was Mr. Consistent on his machine-pitch baseball team, with a .765 batting average. He also enjoyed a couple weeks of swimming lessons again before we moved. Adam earned his Wolf badge in Cub Scouts and is now starting on his Bear. He recently joined the school choir and is looking forward to Christmas performances.

Thanks in part to all-day kindergarten in Texas last year, Ryan, almost 7, is head and shoulders above most of his 1^st grade classmates (academically, not literally!). He brings home beautiful pictures that he has colored after his school work is done. It’s just a good thing he’s not inclined to misbehave when he’s bored. He is a voracious reader and has to be told almost nightly to “put the book away and go to sleep!” Ryan also made good progress in teeball and in swimming lessons this year. He loves sports in general, if you can tear him away from cartoons and computer games.

Jared, 3 ½, has yet to reach his pinnacle of cuteness. He learns new things daily and it’s just fun to watch him figure life out and then tell you all about it. He’s becoming a big boy, and I love the fact that he has pretty much mastered potty training, but hasn’t completely given up naps. Jared is also Mommy’s helper and enjoys doing little chores around the house. (Don’t worry, I know it won’t last.)

Dallin just turned 1, and it’s hard to believe how fast the year has flown. He started walking a few weeks ago and gets around pretty well now, with only a few bumps and bruises. He is still an easy baby with a sweet disposition and lots of smiles, particularly for his brothers who like to entertain him. Dallin loves to explore and get into EVERYTHING, especially things that aren’t toys. This promises to be one of those years when we only decorate the top half of the Christmas tree.

As for me, I thrive on being a stay-at-home mom (except, of course, during those inevitable moments when I feel like I’m going crazy). A friend once told me to cut myself some slack for at least six months after a move, and taking that advice is the wisest thing I’ve done all year. I count it all good when I can just keep up with the basics of home and family. I did take a fun Photoshop class earlier this year, and I still enjoy yoga. At church Jeff and I are now teaching the 3-year-olds, something we are getting better at as we adjust to their attention spans (or lack thereof).

We have felt the Lord watching over our family this year. We know he loves all His children and will bless us as we do His will. May you and your family enjoy His peace this Christmas season and always.

Love,

Harmony, Jeff, Adam, Ryan, Jared, & Dallin Packer