Trip the Hogle Zoo

 It was such a special time as Grandma and Grandpa took Brooke, Will and I to the zoo that they took me to when I was a child as were were visiting SLC, Utah on our recent trip. We all had so much fun looking at the animals and remembering what animals were my favorite when I was little. Going to the zoo is a special memory of mine since my Dad took me many Saturday mornings as we had a Seasonal Pass. I loved learning about the animals as my Dad , ( Grandpa Pack ) read all the signs to me.

It was so special to see my children laugh at and drink from the same lion drinking fountain that I did as a child. It was neat to see Brooke take her own initiative to learn more as she always does! Brooke is always eager to learn as much as she can and it pays off because she is very intelligent, full of facts and in the Gifted and Talented program at school.

Heritage Park Highlights

 Going to Heritage Park was not just fun, but also informative. Besides playing with the animals, going on horse rides and enjoying ice cream, we enjoyed learning about the life of a pioneer. When we got to the school house we learned that in the time of the pioneers if a child was late to school they would have to wear a hat that said " dunce " on their head all day. Grandma Pack said she would just make her own that was decorated with bows and cute items which she would wear to school everyday ;) Unless it was church, work or school, I'd be wearing that hat to every single social gathering that I attend as well!

I particularly enjoyed the Black Smith's shop. I loved to see how metal items used to be so difficult to make. The Black Smith pointed out a cage that was made for the apprentices in that day. He explained that often children were sold to the Black Smith to learn the trade in exchange for their work. If their apprentice/slave did not want to work, they would lock them in the cage. Will was very glad he didn't grow up in pioneer times upon hearing this story, but he did have fun realizing that he was little enough to climb through the bars. He proudly said, " Well, I can just get out of this cage!" The Black Smith quickly reminded him that he could make a smaller cage that he could not get out of!

Brooke thought being a pioneer looked fun. When she learned the process of making clothing back them she found it to be exciting to shave the sheep and brush the fur clean and make it into thread! I wonder why she thought shaving sheep would be fun ;) ( Erin and Mommy )

Ending our visit with the kiddos cracking their own Geode open was the perfect ending for a very fun visit to the pioneer world!

Heritage Park

               
                                                     Digging For Gold At Heritage Park

John Pack

John Pack (May 20, 1809 – April 4, 1885) was a member of the Council of Fifty and a missionary in the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Contents

  [hide] 

• 1 Biography
• 2 Wives of John Pack
• 3 Descendants
  • 3.1 The John Pack Family Association
• 4 Notes
• 5 External links

Biography[edit]

Pack was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. He married his first wife, Julia Ives, in 1832 in Watertown, New York. In 1836, Pack wasbaptized a member of the Church of the Latter Day Saints.^[1]

Pack moved to Kirtland, Ohio, then to Missouri, and then to Nauvoo, Illinois. He was a member of the Nauvoo Legion holding the rank of Captain.^[2] Pack also served as a policeman in Nauvoo.^[3]

Pack was in the first company of Mormon pioneers to cross the plains with Brigham Young. He held the ranks of Captain of Fifty in the company as well as Colonel in its military organization.^[4] At the time of Joseph Smith's death, Pack was serving as a missionary in New Jersey with Ezra T. Benson.^[5]

The University of Deseret, the predecessor of the University of Utah, began in the home of John Pack.^[6]

Pack served with John Taylor as one of the first Mormon missionaries in France beginning in 1849. Pack was in this mission until 1852, but he spent most of his time preaching in the Channel Islands.^[7]

In 1860, Pack and his eldest son, Ward Eaton Pack, built the first sawmill in Kamas, Utah Territory.^[8]

Wives of John Pack[edit]

• Married his first wife Julia Ives on October 10, 1832 in Watertown, New York
• Married his second wife Ruth Mosher in March 1845 in Nauvoo, Illinois
• Married his third wife Nancy Aurelia Boothe on January 21, 1846 in Nauvoo, Illinois
• Married his fourth wife Eliza Jane Graham on October 14, 1849 in Nauvoo, Illinois
• Married his fifth wife Mary Jane Walker on September 15, 1852 in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Married his sixth wife Jessie Bell Stirling on January 16, 1864 in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Married his seventh wife Lucy Jane Giles on May 2, 1865 in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Married his eighth wife Jane Robison on July 20, 1870

Descendants[edit]

Ward Eaton Pack, one of Pack's sons, twice served as president of the Hawaiian Mission of the LDS Church. He also served in the presidency of the Cache Stake, which covered all of Cache County, Utah and into Wyoming at the time. Ward Eaton's daughter, Grace, married Charles A. Callis, who was later a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Another one of John Pack's sons, Frederick J. Pack, was a prominent professor at the University of Utah.

Heritage Park and our Great Grandpa John Pack

My heart rejoiced to take my children to visit the actual statues that display their Great, Great, Great, Great ,Great Grandpa John Pack. I can imagine that he too was joyed that we were also able to visit the replica of his home that they have recreated in this tribute him as well.

John Pack was a faithful and dedicated saint that uprooted his family many a time and followed Brigham Young to Salt Lake City, Utah. Besides serving many missions, raising many children, and taking care of many wives, he was the founder of the University of Utah. The first classes were held in his home. We were able to visit the replica of this home as we visited Heritage Park.

It was neat to be there with my father Allen Pack ( Grandpa Pack ) , whom has given us this great heritage in his blood and his name.

I will forever be indebted to and deeply grateful for the sacrifices made by all of those early saints whom suffered so much in order that we could have the gospel of Jesus Christ in it's fullest.

I do however agree with President Uchtorf as he stated in a pioneer celebration in 2014 as he says,

" In the life to come, I will be eager to meet with those legendary giants who gave so much to these cities here in the valleys of the mountains. I think they will be pleased by out interest in them. I think they will be humbled by our admiration. But I also believe that they will be far more concerned not about what they did, but about what we did as a result of their sacrifice? I have a feeling they will be pleased far more by our performances than by applause, praise or parades. They will want to know if we gained anything from the hard won lessons they learned through tribulations and trial. They will want to know if their sacrifice and endurance made a difference to us and our children."

                               Brooke and Will ran to the monument with great excitement so they could see the face of their Great Grandpa on a statue....

                                                We do not doubt that our ancestors knew it......

                                                            There he is John Pack
                                                     

Go Enjoy While I Watch You

 While we were in Mink Creek, Idaho we had quite the adventure going inner-tubing. I suppose that I am just a Dallas city girl because I was very worried about letting my precious gems ( Brooke and Will ) ride in the back of a truck down mountain roads.

I was holding on tight to Will the whole ride down to the river. Aunt Amy found it pretty amusing since her and her babies are used to living in the wild mountains of Alaska where they fly on little planes with their newborn babies.

As we approached the river I had an insightful imagery come to me that I am very thankful for.

My Dad ( Grandpa Pack ), having grown up in Colorado most of his life, and of course raising us in Utah, yet never having taken us on a river before, decided at the last min. that he was not going to go down the river with us.

As I saw my Father looking at us prepared to go on our fun little river float I felt sad because I wanted him to come. I didn't want him to miss out being with us. I couldn't figure out why in the world he would not want to come?

As he told me , "  I have done this before Emily, I want you all to have fun, but I need to stay up on the road and watch from above. If you need me, I will be of no use to you or your children in the water. You need me in the truck to watch from above. Go, and enjoy while I watch you."

I felt at that moment a smidge of what it must have been like for Our Father in Heaven to let us experience our earthly life While He is  above; yet allowing us to experience on our own; watching, protecting and being available to us in the place that He needed to be.

I saw others floating down the river just having fun with out a care in the world. If we weren't missing our Father because we loved him we might have not have noticed or cared that he was watching from above in the truck?  His children and even his little grandchildren were floating down the river in his watchful care.

Because we trusted him and were looking for him we would wave a happy hello, much like we whom trust in God do in our prayers and service through out our daily lives.

As we were on our journey down the river we had more fun because we were all together with family that we loved. I watched as Cousin Kurt tried to teach us about how to know if there is a rock under the water, and I was reminded that he is the Bishop of his ward, and we have been blessed in this life with these things as well. We have family that we can connect with, and enjoy our journey with, and we have those whom can teach us; our Bishops, Prophets and Teachers; if we desire to learn more and we will listen; our experience on earth is greatly enhanced.

As we knew that we had a father watching and looking out for us, we clearly heard Grandpa Pack's voice when he called us to come to the shore of the water because we were coming up on some rapids. We followed his instructions and I can tell you that I am thankful we did because my little Brooke would not have enjoyed turning over in her tube had we not been instructed to go along the other side of the river, or get out and walk around the falls.

We were surrounded by beautiful mountains on our tubing trip. As we were floating, during the times that Brooke wasn't overly scared and when I could see Will safe in Cousin Kurt's canoe, I was thankful for the great joys that I get to experience in life in the gospel, where I am aware of my Savior Jesus Christ and my Father in Heaven in this beautiful place that He has provided.

I know without doubt that He is watching us on our journey of life. I know often He tries to call out to us and give us warning and instructions, but we must love Him enough to be thinking about and desiring divine instruction and insights in order to hear them.

Lastly, I am thankful for the insight that was given to me about the journey of our lives and just how much our Father would like to be right beside us, but that His help where He is; is exactly what we need.

                                               
                                  Brooke, Wynn Shinsel, Emily, Will, Abby Shinsel, and Aunt Amy Shinsel
                                                 

                                                            Brooke Turano - 9 Years Old                                                      

                                       Here is Grandpa Pack warning us about what is ahead