Fun Friends on a Saturday Night

Saturday night, Fred and I spent a wonderful evening with the youth and other leaders from our ward (congregation).  We had the opportunity to attend an FC Dallas game and had so much fun.  We have amazing youth and leaders.  I feel so blessed that I get to hang out with all of these wonderful people.

 

Jaiden brought 2 friends.  Jessie seemed to find common interests with one of them.  They talked about all kinds of things that were foreign to me.  They traded numbers, so they could continue to talk about quirky/weird stuff.

Fred and I knew that our first attempt at a selfie was a fail.  What we didn't realize was that we had a photobomber in the background.   I posted this pic on Facebook and Instagram.  The Colony ward happened to be sitting behind us.  His daughter and granddaughter both claimed him.  One on Facebook and one on Instagram.  How funny!

And, last but certainly not least, I had the opportunity to get to know this awesome Beehive-to-be.  I mean I knew her before, but I feel like I really got a sense of her precious, fun, sweet and energetic personality.  I am counting down the days until we can be Personal Progress buddies.

I am so thankful for each of the youth and each of the leaders that I spent Saturday night with.  They are such great examples to both me and my family.  I am thankful that my family can spend a Saturday night hanging out with them and having fun.

Mentoring

We are in that busy time of year right now.  Last week was the busiest week of all.  Or maybe it was just a precursor to what was to come.  However, Jonathan had a band performance previewing their 2015 marching show and there was an Eagle Court of Honor for three Young Men at 6:00. Being the ambitious person that I am, I  decided to attend both events.  My parents held seats for me at Jonathan's performance and I went to the Court of Honor.  I called Fred to see if he wanted me to bring his Scout clothes to the church so he could just change there.  I could tell that he was frustrated and he told me that he wasn't going to make it.  Leaving work early on Thursday isn't something that he does often and he just wasn't able to make it happen.  Once he got on the tollway, the electronic sign was telling him that he was about an hour away from home.  We went to Plan B.  I told him that I would meet him at the field to watch Jonathan's performance and I would just attend the Court of Honor by myself.

I gave Cooper and Brendan each a hug beforehand and told them that I was proud of them and that it didn't look like Fred was going to make it.  I could tell that Brendan was disappointed.  Fred actually was able to slip in just a few minutes late wearing his Progressive Insurance shirt instead of his Scout shirt.  Each Eagle Scout was able to award someone a Mentor Pin.  Brendan saw that Fred squeaked in and awarded Fred his Mentor Pin and threw me under the bus for saying that Fred wasn't going to make it.

I think it was so very sweet that Brendan presented Fred with that pin.  I know that Fred worked very hard to help prepare Brendan to receive his Eagle.  However, I also know that Brendan also mentored Fred.  When Fred was first called as an 11 year old Scout Leader, Fred wasn't active in church at the time.  Brendan often invited Fred to church and cheered him on all along the way.  

So, in a sense, I think Brendan was a mentor to Fred, too.

Silver Linings

Last Friday was the day designated for checking out your locker and finding all your classes. Let me tell you, Jonathan could have cared less.  I took Jonathan up to the school, so that he could put 2 packages of paper and his Spanish binder in his locker.  Everything else he decided to carry with him on the first day.

He didn't want to pose for a picture because that wouldn't be cool.  His only concern was that he had a bottom locker and he dislikes bottom lockers.  I tried to find the silver lining.  If he has to have a bottom locker, at least it's on the corner.

He had 2 classes that he wasn't 100% sure of their location.  So, he found them in about 2 seconds flat.  I think he was just humoring me when I suggested that he look for any classes he wasn't sure about. 

Then, we found our favorite teacher and swim coach's classroom.  It was open.  We weren't the first to sneak into her room.  Must have been fate that her door was open for visitors.  Jonathan and I are sad that his locker is down the hall and away from her classroom.  I love my updates.  Mom's like updates even in high school. 

Here's to a great Sophomore year!

Green Eggs and 10th Grade

And, this guy started 10th grade today! Seriously, I don't know how it is possible.

He chose "Green Eggs" for breakfast.  That is his go-to breakfast when he has an important event, test or just gets to pick breakfast for some reason.  They really aren't green they are really gray eggs, but he is color blind and they look green to him.  They are gross and they make my whole house stink for a couple of days.  It is some concoction that Fred brought into our family and Jonathan loves. Eggs, tuna and cream of mushroom soup!  Yuck!  Fred dutifully makes it for Jonathan anytime there is a standardized test or something special (I think I would hurl from the smell, if I made it).  That was Jonathan's breakfast this morning.

Fred gave him a Father's Blessing.  And, he grabbed his stuff and went to the bus stop even though I had to go by his school this morning.  He felt that he needed to let the bus driver know know that he was riding the bus. He has a wonky band schedule and he felt like he needed to go ahead and establish with the bus driver this morning that he would be riding the bus.  

We had packed his school supplies on Saturday morning, but I gave him a new pen.  An erasable gel pen.  The most amazing creation in the world of pens-- besides the Flair Pen.  He thanked me, gave me a hug and away he went.  Off to be a Sophomore!  Hopefully, he has a great day!  I asked him if he knew how to catch the bus for the CTE center and he said he didn't, but he didn't seem worried about it.  I love that about him.  I would have been worried to death that I would miss my bus and then that would cause me to miss my off-campus class.  Not Jonathan.  He said, I'll just follow the crowd and find where I'm supposed to be. 

I just love that quirky, crazy, funny kid!

Just Like That

Saturday night, I was sitting in the stands at Independence High School. We were there to for the school's 2nd Annual Rumble, which is a fun little event to introduce the students and parents to all the school's extracurricular organizations.  It is also a fun little event to drain you of all your money so that you will spend it supporting these organizations.  Anyway, we were sitting there waiting for the band to march out on the field.  They were going to play the fight song 400 bazillion times in a row for each organization to come through blow-up contraption that football team runs through.  It is their time to shine.  Anyway, we were there to support our most favorite sousaphone player in his second year of band!  The Rumble also features a fun little scrimmage game, which I suppose is the main draw-- not the band.  The Rumble will get its own post, because I took some pictures-- trust me!

Anyway, while I was waiting, I happened to look down at my phone.  My friend Jeanette had sent me this picture of the cutest little Cub Scouts I've ever seen in my life.  I defy you to send me a picture of cuter Cub Scouts.

And, just like that they went from being cute little Cubs to Sophomores in high school.  

Happy Birthday, Jessie!

Happy 19th birthday to our Jessie!

Here are 19 things that I love about Jessie.

I love ...

1. her kind heart.
2. that she loves all animals - even those stinky cats! 
3. her ability to love kids and the fact that she is super patient.
4. that she is quirky and owns it.
5. how opinionated she is.
6. most of the baked goods that she creates.
7. that she says "I love you" to her family all the time and means it.
8. her red hair that comes from a box.
9. how she and her dad enjoy watching the same movies and TV shows.
10. her laugh.
11. how she chatters all the time.
12. how passionate she is about topics that touch her heart.
13. that she loves her family.
14. her sensitive nature.
15. her ability to do hard things.
16. her sense of humor.
17. the way she seems to love every single person.
18. how she makes me a better mom.
19. the love that she has for her brother.

Hope you have the best birthday ever!  Thanks for making me a mom 19 years ago and thanks for making me a better person each and every day.  I love you so much.

Good News

So, when I visit the Laurels class on Sundays they go around the room and share their good news-- or fun activity from the week.  I am never prepared, because I forget that they do this.  I think I said something lame-o about having gone to see a movie the night before.  Well, after I had gone, I wanted to scream, "Wait, I take mine back!  My good news is that I got to see my sweet friend, Susan on Friday!"  I only got to see her for a moment at a wedding reception, because she was so very busy.  However, she greeted me with the biggest and best hug and I was so very happy to see her.

Once upon a time, I was a YW 2nd Counselor and Susan was our Beehive Adviser.  I could sit and listen to her teach for hours and hours.  She is my favorite teacher.  I love to listen to her teach.  I know those Beehives loved to listen to her teach, too.  On Sundays, my family would just motion to me that they would be waiting for me in the car.  They always knew that it would take Susan and I a few minutes to wrap up.  On Wednesdays, after mutual, we would be in the parking lot talking (in the dark) late into the night.  Fred would text me to see if I was EVER coming home.  We would be standing in the parking lot solving the world's problems-- or at least worrying about our sweet girls.  It was always hard getting up the next morning, but I loved standing there talking to Susan on those  Wednesday nights.

Our Jessie hit a few snags in life during her sophomore year of high school and we didn't feel it was safe to leave her home alone.  We were afraid that she might hurt herself.  I left work each day and picked her up from school and brought her back to work with me.  It was a crazy and stressful time of life, for sure.  I didn't really tell people what was going on or ask for help.  I just kind of dug in and went to work.  It's hard to ask for help when your are going through that kind of hurt.  Susan knew what we were going through, because we were serving so closely together and because we spent Wednesday nights solving the world's problems.  (Those Wednesday nights were my only time away from my problems.)  Susan started picking Jessie up a couple of days a week from school, so that I could have a break.  It stressed me out at first to have help, but she didn't take no for an answer and it was really good for Jessie to have that time away from me.  They baked together and played with Susan's granddaughter which are Jessie's two favorite things in life.  I will be eternally grateful for the service that Susan provided during that time when we needed help.  I know Jessie will, too. 

I was so sad when Susan moved!  I loved serving with Susan.  She is absolutely one of my favorite people on this earth.  We had so much fun with our Beehives and my testimony grew as I learned from her example.  She taught us about the gospel, loving others and about how to serve others.  

These cute Beehives are now Laurels and we all miss her and think of her often.

Auntie Jan and Uncle Joe

August 9, 2008

Seven years ago, the Fortenberrys were blessed with a new Uncle.  I don't remember the exact day that Auntie Jan started bringing Uncle Joe to our family get-togethers.  I think Auntie Jan remembers that it was a going away party that we had for Jeff when he was headed off to the Army.  

My first clear memory of Uncle Joe is of an Easter weekend.  Jonathan was just a little guy. Auntie Jan and Uncle Joe brought my kids marshmallow shooters that they had fashioned out of PVC
pipe and duct tape.  They were very crafty and I remember thinking that it was very thoughtful of them.  It never occurred for me to think that it would be anything but barrels of good, clean fun!  My mom, the realist, raised her eyebrows and looked at these marshmallow shooters skeptically. Jessie had great fun with hers.  Jonathan wanted to have great fun with his.  Really, he did.  You see, the point of a marshmallow shooter is to load your shooter with a marshmallow and then blow it out the other end.  One problem, my Jonathan didn't seem to know how to blow his marshmallow out.  Seems he only knew how to spit.  He kept gumming up his shooter.  Nothing worse than a spitty marshmallow.  Those marshmallow shooters made my kids' day and I remember thinking that it was so sweet of Uncle Joe (he actually wasn't Uncle Joe yet) to go to so much trouble for them.

Side note:  that Easter was also the time that the self-appointed informant (every family has one and ours is Jessie) came up and said, "Hey Mommy, everyone told me not to tell you this, but JonJon drank out of Auntie Jan's glass."   My mouth dropped and I started panicking as I tried to clarify if Jess meant that Jonathan drank Auntie Jan's wine.  Jessie comes back with, "Yeah, they said you'd be upset and that's why I shouldn't tell you."  Jonathan was going through a phase where he just picked up glasses and drank out of them.  Didn't matter whose they were.  I guess my family panicked. 

We love Joe and we were excited when he and Auntie Jan were married.  I am thankful for my sweet family and the love that they show us.  They open up their home to us and we've had fun adventures together.  We've been hiking, kayaking, sleeping in the FEMA trailer, eating lots of delicious meals and played some fun/crazy games together.  (Jonathan loves Auntie Jan's biscuits and gravy!  Ha Ha)

And, now the adventure takes us to Cancer.  Not a road anyone wants to travel.  Uncle Joe has Cancer and we are so sad for him and Auntie Jan.  We have been sending all of our love, thoughts and prayers to Austin.

We love you Auntie Jan and Uncle Joe.  We hope you can celebrate this special day.

Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles. ~Alex Karras

Temple Trip

Fred and I had the opportunity to celebrate our 21st Wedding Anniversary with the youth from our church.  And, I didn't even get a single picture of Fred and I!

We took some very special family names to the temple-- both of grandfathers along with my dad's sister and mom's sister.  

Jonathan did the names for the men and Jaiden did the females.  What a tender, sweet and tear filled evening for me.  The spirit was felt for sure.

A Temple trip wouldn't be the same without a trip to Braum's!  What a blessed wife, mom and YW leader I am!

Boys are Gross

Boys are gross!  We had to run some errands one night and it was getting too late to grab a decent meal.  Jonathan requested Burger King.  He ordered a pulled pork sandwich, nuggets and fries.  

1) This is a kid that we had to BEG to eat his food until about 7th or 8th grade!

2) Ummm... Burger King is not known for their pulled pork.  Why would anyone order that?

3) You won't even believe what he did.  It was so gross.  He opened up his sandwich and lined it with SIX-- yeah, that's right, I said six-- nuggets and then closed the sandwich and ate it!

4) As his mother, I felt embarrassment.  Just sayin'

21 Years!

Last Wednesday, Fred and I celebrated 21 years of marriage.  What a sweet and special day that was - all those years ago.

I always felt a little sad that I had such a small wedding.  It was just us, my parents, Jeff, Dave and Angela, my friend Steven and the Simmons family.  Oh yeah, and my frizzy hair and big glasses were there too.  Can't forget them.  This was what Fred wanted (and probably my dad's bank account, too).

Then, on November 16, 2013, we were sealed for all time and eternity in the Dallas, Texas Temple.  Again, Fred only wanted a few people, and I was okay with that.

We have had an amazing journey full of ups and downs and twists and turns.  I wouldn't have taken that journey with anyone else, but Fred.  I am incredibly blessed to have found such an incredible eternal companion.

Till We Meet Again

Fun Youth Activity with Daniel on the Far Right

Last week was a long and an emotional week.  I had the opportunity to attend two funerals.  One was for kind-hearted Daniel who was just 18 years old.  I taught him in church when he was just a little guy of about 4 or 5 years old.  He always kept me on my toes.  One fond memory that I have from those days was asking him to say the opening prayer for our class.  We had a little girl who wasn't very reverent in class.  It bothered Daniel a lot.  He felt that we all needed to be reverent.  He had been taught well by his sweet mother. We will call this little girl Amanda (I actually don't remember what her name was).  During his prayer he prayed that "Amanda" might be able to stay reverent during class and be able to keep her hands and feet to herself.  His mom and I got the biggest chuckle out of that.

In that same class, we had the opportunity to learn about families.  I asked the kids to come to class with a family picture and be prepared to tell about their families.  Daniel came to class so proud to tell about his family.  He told me about how he and his sister were both adopted.  He proudly told me how he was so fortunate to have two moms that loved him-- the one that gave birth to him and the one that is raising him.  I was so impressed with his maturity and the love that he felt for both these women.  Afterwards, his mom dropped in my class and I told her how it went.  I told her that I had no idea that her kids were adopted.  I told her that every time I see their sweet family together, I've been struck by how much Daniel looks like his dad and Krista looks like her.  Nita (who passed away in 2008), got this sweet, serene look on her face and said, "I know. Didn't Heavenly Father do good?"  I hope I never forget that sweet conversation.

I had the opportunity to teach Daniel again when he was 15 turning 16.  I taught a fun little Sunday School class full of irreverent teenagers.  Daniel was a ray of sunshine in the class.  I would say that he was one of my favorites, but really they are all my favorites for different reasons.  I loved Daniel for his sweet personality and because he was so calm yet fun in that crazy class.  He loved to tell me about the truck he was going to get and then he started showing me pictures.  Sure enough, he got himself a great big truck.

My favorite thing about Daniel was the friendship that he gave to Jessie.  He was about a year younger than Jess.  When he was in 8th Grade, he would wait for her High School to get out and then he would walk her home from school.  The next year they were at the same school, so it was easier.  One day, she was having a hard day so he walked her home from school and they baked cookies together.  They left some important ingredient out.  Those cookies ran all down my oven.  It was such a mess, but I was so thankful for Daniel's kind heart and friendship to Jess.  The crazy thing about those walks home is that it was really out of Daniel's way to walk her home.  Daniel just had a big heart!

We also went to Sister Gschwend's funeral this last week.   The last time I had the chance to talk to her was at Avery's baptism.  We were both asked to bear our testimony.  Afterwards, she came up and gave me the biggest hug and we talked for a few minutes.   As we were leaving, she said, "Your guy sure is special."  I said something back like, "Well, I think he is."  She responded with, "We usually think that about our own.  Don't we?"  When I got home I told Fred that Sister Gschwend sure did love him.  He told me that she was always coming up to him saying sweet things, and he didn't know what he had ever done to deserve them. It made me think that when I grow up, I want to be just like her.  When you are around her you know that she has a testimony of the gospel, she loves her husband, she loves her family and she makes everyone around her feel so special.

I guess that is my takeaway from the events of the last couple of weeks.  I want to live so that those around me know that I love them and feel special when they are with me, and I want it to be clear that I have a testimony of the gospel.

The Baby

On July 29th, Fred and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary.  However, that is also the day that I realized how very much I loved my little brother.  I always knew that I loved Jeff.  Don't get me wrong.  But, let's face it, he was a pest.  He knew how to push my buttons.

May 25, 1977, I remember my Granny Bill and Papa Jack telling me that I had a baby brother.  The way I remember it is that I smiled like I was excited.  Neither one of them is here to tell a different story, so we'll just go with that.  However, I remember thinking that I really, really wanted a little sister.

Jeff was (and still is) a pretty big pest.  He knew that he could pick and pick at me until I would break.  And, then I would be the one to get in trouble.  I would say something like, "But, Mom!  Jeff, started it!"  She would look at me with such disappointment and say, "Donna, he's the baby!"  One time, he was driving me crazy.  You have no idea how crazy he was driving me.  He was mad at me about something and he was running towards me at full force.  And, I thought to myself, "If I hit him, I will get in trouble."  Folks, I'm not normally a quick thinker, but I quickly developed a plan that would take care of the situation AND keep me out of trouble, or so I thought.  I doubled up my fist and held my arm straight out in front of me.  My brother was so mad that he charged straight in to my fist.  I hit him without really hitting him.  The perfect plan.  I am here to tell you that "he ran into my fist" is not an acceptable excuse.  I still got in trouble!

When I got married, Jeff was getting ready to start his senior year of high school.  He was a short, skinny boy with a mullet and something that he called a mustache.  I loved my pesky brother a lot.  When we started taking pictures, Jeff and I posed for one and I started bawling.  I loved him so much my heart hurt.  I was excited to start my new life with Fred, but I didn't want to leave my brother.  I was so proud of his accomplishments and his heartbreaks were my heartbreaks.  I laughed when he laughed and I cried when he cried.

When he grew up and had his own family, my heart was breaking and he stepped up and helped me.  He probably didn't even realize how much he helped.  I am so glad that God gave me a little brother on May 25, 1977.