Hello from the Meridian Mechams

Yes, I have been a little quiet since the cruise. I have been very busy with work and everything else. I really enjoyed attending conference this week. It was a great recharging experience. I so love listening to the leaders of the church. I realized that we must do more to help Diane and John. We need to make a stronger effort to keep in contact with them and to share our family successes. I had many strong impressions during this conference. Elder Holland's talk was simply amazing. I want to be able to bear testimony like that. Boy do I have a lot of work to do and things to change but I think it is worth the effort.

Brielle is enjoying soccer. Her team doesn't win but she is learning and having fun. She loves being an Aunt to Macy. Kaitlyn is very busy this fall with Marching Band and student council and mutual and school activities. She is doing great.

It is so fun to have Charlie, Chelsea and Macy in our home. We enjoy good times together. We enjoy working and playing together. I can hear Macy in singing right now as her parents are wanting her to go to bed. It is funny in a way to see your children go through what they put us through. :-) Charlie and I are playing basketball and racquetball together. We are having a lot of fun. The racquetball tally is Bryan 13 and Charlie 10 so I am still hanging with the youth but I don't know for how much longer as Charlie is getting better every time I play him. It is also fun getting motivated to start playing basketball again. I am enjoying it very much. Not to brag, but it is still fun when I hear the other team say "you cannot let him shoot." I still leave the gym only after making a three point shot. I jokingly say that this is what I want on my grave stone that "my last shot was a made three pointer." :-)

We are getting a new Bishop in a couple weeks. Our bishop was called to the new Stake Presidency. We have heard that the new Bishop has been called and are very excited about that.

We are happy with our current callings and enjoy the association with such great leaders and youth. I love teaching the 14 and 15 year old young men. This is the greatest age. I love their excitement for life and their transition from boys to young men. We all earned our varsity letter and I even earned the triathlon pin with the boys. It was fun running in the two mini triathlons. It is fun to see young men achieve their goals.

We cooked scones the other night at the football game and made the softball team about $185. We sold over 250 scones. They want us to do it for homecoming too. We haven't decided yet if it is worth the hassle. I will have to check the weather.

We had our first frost which ended our gardening for the year. We might get a few more raspberries and apples, carrots, potatoes and onions but not much else. I have to start my pepper relish on Monday night so the peppers don't go to waste.

I love all of you very much. I am grateful to be part of such a great family. I hope and pray that we will be those members who comit to living the gospel principles so that we may gain eternal life together. We have and are truly blessed to have such a legacy as we do and to have parents who show us by example the meaning of enduring to the end. Mom and Dad, I love you. We love you. Thanks for all you do and for the time you spend in the service of our family and the church. We have been truly blessed because of your diligence and perseverance.

Well, I am still working on getting the weight off that I gained on the cruise. Boy is that a workout in and of itself.

Hopefully, I will soon be able to report that I have done it. :-)

I love you!

Bryan

Happy Brithday MOM!

Mom I just want to tell you how much I love and appreciate you! I have been truly blessed with a mom who has taught me great principles and showed me them by example. Thank you for your testimony of the gospel. I can rehearse right along with the stripling warriors. "I do not doubt my mother knew it!" You have been a strength in my life. Thank you for all your support and love that you have given me over the last 26 years. I love you so so much. I hope you have a very special day! Happy Birthday

Love, Derek

Happy Belated Birthday to Macy

Macy

We just wanted to wish you a late happy birthday! We hope you 2nd birthday was a blast.

The Packards

Packard Update

Just an update on our family. Emmalynn started preschool this year. She is going 3 days a week and loves it. She decided she wanted her hair short instead of growing it to her butt. We went Saturday and had it cut to just above her shoulder. She looks really cute. Daniel finally got his bottom teeth that has been missing. I am sure this is just in time to have him get his 2 yr. molers. I will be glad to get through the teething! Gary is preparing for hunting and is discouraged at not seeing any elk in the unit he drew to hunt a bull. Hopefully as the weather gets colder it will bring down the elk. Pray for him to get his elk soon or I am going to be a hunter window for the month of October. I had a scare last Friday when I woke up with chest pains and my arm going numb. We went to the ER in the middle of the night with the kids getting woke up to go. I had a EKG, chest exray, blood work and urine sample done. All came back fine. They are unsure what caused my problem. I am going into my regular doctor at the end of the month to discuss this and the fact that I have been having dizzy spells. Hopefully it isn't anything serious.
We are celebrating Emmalynn's birthday this Wednesday. I know she invited all of you to it and she knows you probally won't make it but was excited to share this big 5th birthday with all of you.

We just wanted to wish Stephanie, Brant, and Michele a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Love the Packard's

Okay everyone, I've noticed the blog has been a little quiet lately! So... I'll do my part to catch you up on our news. Hope you'll do the same!!! First of all, congrats to Josalyn. I will be watching the broadcast on Tuesday! Our house has been busy but glad to be making it! Keith is in the middle of his internship. He is at the high school because one of the assistants had surgery. Instead of being an intern he is doing her job. The problem with that is he has a hard time finding time to do the reports and projects required of an intern when he is doing her job. Football coaching is taking more time than we thought it would. Let's just say, I'm looking forward to basketball season because he will be home more. (I never thought I would say that!) Brant is playing in a fall baseball league and practicing basketball everyday. Kyler is enjoying his freshmen football season and got to play in the sophomore game this last week! Jarom had a frustrating football game yesterday. The other team scouted Jarom's team last week and put their two biggest guys right on Jarom. He got held and pushed and couldn't do anything the whole game. He felt bad because both sets of grandparents came to watch him play and he didn't feel like he was able to do anything. Those days happen. Annie and Tegan are really into school. Tegan came home and said," I love Mrs. Orgill more than anyone in the whole world." Keith said, "How about your parents?" And she said, "Well, I guess you guys too." She is in an all day class so I have had some free time from kids! I am going to substitute teach for a fifth grade teacher when she has her baby. She is due the first of October. I will probably teach until about Christmas.
Hope everyone is doing well! Happy Birthday to all the September birthdays!

Congratulations

Josalyn,

That is so exciting about you making the women's choir. We are so proud of you. If we don't make it down for some performances just know that we are thinking of you and wishing you great success.

Love the Packards

GREAT NEWS!!!

Hello Everyone!!!

So just a little update :) I recently auditioned for the Women's Choir at BYU and today I found out that I made it!!! It was a very long and stressful process and I am so glad that it is over! Out of 150 Sop. 2 girls, she only took 40! It makes me so happy that I will once again be singing in an official choir! I know that the blessings I recieve from this experience will be such a strength in my life! So just so you know there will be lots of performances and other times we will be singing. I know you all have busy lives, but if you ever wanted to maybe come to one or watch on TV here is the information!

Sept. 15th (Tuesday) BYU Devotional 11:00 Marriot Center or on BYU TV
Choir Showcase September 24th and 25th in the de Jong Concert hall (tickets available through BYU)
Homecoming Spectacular Mon-Fri Oct. 19-23rd
BYU Devotional Tues Oct. 20 11:00 Marriot Center or on BYU TV
Men/Women's chorus concert Nov. 3rd (tickets through BYU)
BYU Devotional Tues Nov. 10th 11:00 Marriot Center or BYU TV
Christmas Concert December 4th and 5th (tickets through BYU)

that is the scedule through Christmas! I would love to see you at any of them!!

I love you all!!

Josalyn