Passion for Marketing

Jessie is taking Fashion Marketing this year, and I am loving the class.  I am also loving all of the projects (except for the pumpkin purse - that one stressed me out a little).  One Saturday we were out and about and Jess announced that she needed supplies for a shoebox window display.  Three stops (Target, Hobby Lobby and JoAnn Fabrics) and $36 later, we had all of the supplies for her to create this masterpiece.  I was grumbling about spending so much money and half my Saturday.  I told her that she needed to tell Mrs. Anderson that she is very lucky that I have such a passion for marketing.  Jess got a kick out of that.  I have a feeling that she probably went back and reported those exact words to Mrs. Anderson.

Geek Chic!

 Yes, I do work for an eyewear company.  And, yes, I will be purchasing her a pair of frames to wear as an accessory.  Fred thinks it is an unnecessary cost.  I think that I would rather use my employee discount and get her a real pair of glasses, so that she will stop popping the lenses out of the 3-D movie theater glasses.

Just Say Cheese Please!

Seriously, the older he gets, the less cooperative he gets.  He believes that getting his picture made is pure torture.

Mother of Mothers

I am finding that I absolutely love being a part of the Young Women's program.  I thought that Jessica and I would be stressed out having this time together, but we are both enjoying it. 

Today wouldn't have been complete without a Christmas lesson.   The YW leaders were each given a different section of Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from 1977 to read.  As a mother, I found myself very touched by his description of Mary.

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“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and [she] wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and [she] laid him in a manger.” (Luke 2:6–7; italics added.) Those brief pronouns trumpet in our ears that, second only to the child himself, Mary is the chiefest figure, the regal queen, mother of mothers—holding center stage in this grandest of all dramatic moments. And those same pronouns also trumpet that, save for her beloved husband, she was very much alone.

I have wondered if this young woman, something of a child herself, here bearing her first baby, might have wished her mother, or an aunt, or her sister, or a friend, to be near her through the labor. Surely the birth of such a son as this should command the aid and attention of every midwife in Judea! We all might wish that someone could have held her hand, cooled her brow, and when the ordeal was over, given her rest in crisp, cool linen.

But it was not to be so. With only Joseph’s inexperienced assistance, she herself brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in the little clothes she had knowingly brought on her journey, and perhaps laid him on a pillow of hay.
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As I think of Jesus this Christmas Season, I'm also thankful for the love and labor of Mary - the Mother of Mothers.  Thank you, Sister Zollinger for giving such a beautiful Christmas lesson today.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Christmas is coming... whether I'm ready for it or not.  I have a ton of shopping left to do.   My house is a mess.  My laundry is piled to the ceiling.  There have been church commitments every night.  Work has been exhausting every day.  The kids haven't assembled and decorated their gingerbread house yet.  My Christmas cards aren't getting mailed until Monday.  I thought they would go out today, but my address labels are  held hostage at work.  I didn't get a chance to print them before I left on Friday.  The worst part?  I had to delete my aunt's name and address out of the file.  I cried. 

I wish that we had an extra week before Christmas.  I wish that I was more organized this Christmas.  I wish that we had our Aunt Judy this Christmas.  However, regardless of what I wish,  I know that my family is blessed!  I know that I have a lot to be thankful for.  And, I know that Christmas is coming... whether I'm ready for it or not! 

The Fortenberry's wish you all a Merry Christmas!

I Like to Move It!

I saw this picture and immediately thought of that song... "I like to move it, move it"

That should be Jonathan's theme song!

Baking With The Beehives

I am trying to learn my way around my new calling.  Last week, we worked on our Personal Progress by baking and cooking treats.  We made cookies and caramel marshmallow treats that were so rich they would knock you on the floor!  I made these recipe cards for the girls to take home with them.  I really need to work on my crafting skills.  I think I will be calling upon them often!

They are the sweetest girls ever!  We used our the evening as an opportunity to develop new skills which allowed us to pass off one of our requirements under Knowledge in our Personal Progress book.  

We tried putting peanut butter cups down in our chocolate chip cookie dough.  A few of them fell apart.  I think they especially enjoyed eating the rejects! 

I am looking forward to getting to know these girls better!  They have such sweet and beautiful spirits!  They are fun and crazy, and will remind me to slow down and laugh more.  

New Beginnings

In our church, we have what we refer to as callings. A calling is an opportunity to perform a service within the church. It is your “job” in the church. You don’t choose your calling. It is given to you by the Bishop. I was explaining this to a friend at church, and he was really struggling with the concept. I was trying to explain that it isn’t taken lightly, and that everything is prayed upon. He wanted to know why I couldn’t pray to find out what my own calling should be. I’m not sure if this is true for everyone, but I don’t think that I would listen intensely as I should. For instance, I loved teaching the Sunbeams. Because I loved that calling so much, I would have taken that as a sign that I should stay there for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t have taken the opportunity to search and out and figure out where I should be next. Plus, everyone issuing their own callings would cause complete chaos within the church! 

I had been a Visiting Teaching Supervisor for well over a year, so I knew that I would be released soon. It was one of those dream callings. It was a behind-the-scenes kind of callings. No one saw me. I was not in front of a class giving a lesson. I compiled a report each month. That is all there was to it. Easy as pie. I loved my calling. It played to my strengths – organization and compilation of data. It also gave me the opportunity to share my testimony each month of the Visiting Teaching program. I believe so strongly in the Visiting Teaching program, and loved the opportunity to move the program along in some small way.

All good things must come to an end. So, now I move on to a new and exciting chapter in life. I have been called as the Young Women’s 2nd Counselor. I will be working with the sweet little Beehives (12 and 13 year olds). I was given this calling the day before my aunt died. I had so much on my mind that I was kind of numb when I accepted the calling. Had I been in my right mind, I would have spent a week with my stomach in a knot. Luckily, I had too much going on to spend very much time worrying about this new calling. This is one of those callings that I had always hoped would NOT be mine. I have always worried that I don’t possess the qualities that would make a good Young Women’s leader.

I have only been on the job for a week, so I still have a lot to learn. The calling isn’t as scary as I thought it would be. The girls are super sweet, and I am so lucky that the Beehives advisor is Susan Dunn. She is wonderful, and I know that I am going to learn a tremendous amount from her. This calling will definitely keep me busy. In addition to Sunday church and Wednesday night activities, there seem to be a plethora of meetings. However, I know that if I just try my hardest that it will all come together and our family will be blessed. Earlier this month, Fred was called as an eleven year old assistant scout leader. So, it seems, that you will not be able to reach the Fortenberry’s on Wednesday nights.