My Little Basket

Every month I put together a little Personal Progress Motivator for our Young Women.  Now, I don't know that these little motivators send them running home to work on their Personal Progress, but they sure are fun and they seem to enjoy them.  I love making them and they love receiving them.  It's like a Win-Win set-up we've got going here.

I try to make it cheesy and funny, but give them something they enjoy. Ramen noodles, potato chips and Swedish Fish seemed to be the favorites.

The all-time favorite?  Flair Pens!  Flair Pens are the way to a Young Woman's (or not-so young woman's) heart.  They loved their Flair Pens and were so excited when there was enough left to send the basket around twice for a second pen.

This week's treat was simply a Halloween treat, but it was prepared with love!

I stuffed all my little candies into my basket and was thinking that I sure do need to get a bigger basket.  It occurred to me that I received this basket as a wedding gift from my Mom's very best friend, Evelyn.  These projects would have been right up her alley.  She loved a good project and spent so much time meticulously trimming and cutting to make everything perfect.  

I am planning and preparing our Young Women in Excellence and I am in the home stretch.  I am down to the decorating part.  I sure could use Evelyn's expertise right about now!  I feel like I could have given her my theme and she would have had a million ideas to help me tie it all together.

My mom and Evelyn were quite the pair.  They turned class parties into solid gold-- long before Pinterest. 

I wish my kids could have known the greatness of this duo-- Calhoun and Forthman!  I think they were a force to be reckoned with.

Yeehaw

Well, we finally celebrated Fred's birthday.  It took a couple of weeks, but we did it.  I think it is the first year we've celebrated it in FOREVER.  I blame it on him, actually.  On his 40th birthday, HE planned a camp out with his Boy Scouts.  Last year, I think he was either camping or we were at a football game-- or both.  This year was football games and marching competitions.  But, we finally got it celebrated!

We went to Texas Roadhouse with our good friends the Moffitts and Palmers last Friday.  I'm so glad that he picked Texas Roadhouse (or maybe we picked it for him, because he was indecisive).  Most of us used it as an opportunity to splurge.  I was mostly speaking of the delicious fillet that I had, but I think it could also be said of the chicken fried steak that took up an entire plate (and then some) that Tony ordered. We won't even talk about all of the food that Jonathan put away.  I think it was just 2 years ago that I had to beg him to eat.  Guess those days are gone!

 I signed us all up for coupons so that we could get free appetizers (sometimes I think ahead).  I think we should all go out on all the restaurant websites and figure out what we can find for free.  This might be my new hobby.

  We capped the evening off with big fluffy cupcakes from Smallcakes.  Let me say that they weren't small by any means.  And, again, I was thinking ahead and brought take-home boxes for the cupcakes and we all brought our cupcakes home.  I had the strawberry cupcake.  It was amazing.   I don't really like cupcakes.  I just ate the cake and threw away a mound of frosting.  Fred said that was wasteful and that I threw away the best part.  I beg to differ.

I am especially glad that we went to Texas Roadhouse, because I couldn't live another moment without this picture of Fred on the bull.  He was so close to me that I couldn't really get a good picture, but it still makes my day. 

 What a fun night!  So thankful for great friends that braved the rain and  helped celebrate Fred's 43rd birthday.  I love Fred and I love the Moffitts and Palmers!

Sitting in Parking Lots Watching YouTube

So, I was sitting in the Memorial Stadium parking lot chewing up some data on my phone.  I was listening to a live stream of the Frisco ISD board meeting while Jonathan was finishing up band practice.  I was trying to figure out if we would be a Knight next year or a Titan with the whole rezoning process.  You don't even know how big of a deal this is for us.  Our neighborhood should have never been chopped off and zoned for Independence, but it turned into a beautiful thing, so don't send us back!

Anyway, I saw a text push through from AT&T that we had used 75% of our data this month.  My text was pretty generic, but it turns out that Fred got one that ratted me out saying that my phone was the one that used the majority of the data.  Dear AT&T, I find that to be RUDE.  You should only rat out the dependents in the family!

Anyway, it seems that I've been spending a very large amount of time this month sitting in parking lots waiting on my son.  Fine.  I've been watching YouTube videos.  I confess.  It is my guilty pleasure.  Fred's response?  Take up Solitaire.  It uses less data.  Again, RUDE!

(As it turns out, it is proposed that our neighborhood will attend Centennial again.  If I understand it correctly, it will only effect the incoming Freshman.  Hallelujah!)

Band Mom

UIL Regional Contest

I'm a Band Mom and I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a Band Mom.

I didn't think we were crazy, but maybe we are.  I was sitting with another Band Mom at the game on Friday.  We were hooting and hollering for our boys.  A non-Band Mom friend just kept shaking her head. 

There is a neighboring school.  I won't say their name, but those Band Moms are a special brand of crazy.  When they were the Visitors at our game, they came to our Home side to cheer for their band.  And, mercy me, you should have seen them at the UIL marching contest on Saturday. 

For me, being a Band Mom means wearing a wild looking pink shirt all day (so that I wouldn't have to change) for the Pink Out game that said "Fight Like a Knight." The graphics took up the entire front of the shirt.  Perfect for the teenagers.  Maybe not perfect for me.

Being a Band Mom means that I sometimes go to football games by myself, because Fred often has other obligations (usually church obligations).  However, we usually stay within the city of Frisco, so that makes it easy.

Being a Band Mom means that I am cheering on boys in a game that I know nothing about.  And, I usually stay until the last second even when we are losing by a landslide.  Only cold weather or Fred's firm insistence will make me leave early.  

Being a Band Mom means that I've cheered on the same show for weeks and weeks in a row, but always do it with more enthusiasm than the week before.

Knights Band Warming Up

Being a Band Mom means that I sit in a parking lot ready to take Jonathan to band practice just as soon as he gets out of seminary.  It means that I've sat countless times waiting for him to finish up from practice or after a game.

Being a Band Mom means going to bed late on game night and getting up early on the morning of marching competitions.  It means hitting McDonalds to buy his favorite breakfast and Subway to pack his favorite lunch on competition day.

Being a Band Mom means sending good luck text messages and congratulation texts to your boy and others that you hold dear.

Being a Band Mom means rushing back up to the school to see them off even though your tuba player never even realizes that you are standing off to the side to see the bus off.

Being a Band Mom means attending Marching Competitions.  Sometimes by myself-- like on Saturday.

Being a Band Mom means cheering so loud at competitions that your head feels like there is a percussionist INSIDE your head.  (I seriously had a migraine from no food and cheering on Saturday.)

Being a Band Mom means skipping lunch to get to the competition or missing dinner to make it to the football game.  Or, worse, eating meals from the concession stand.  

And, for me, being a Band Mom means not just cheering for our Knights Band, but also cheering for every underdog on the field.  I feel like our band is the underdog.  Last year, they were brand spankin' new and marched without any seniors.  This year, they are more seasoned, but they are still smaller than most of the bands in our area.  I also played in a smaller band in high school. I want all the smaller bands to do well.

UIL Regional Contest

 Jonathan asked me about volunteering and wanted to know why I didn't want to be a chaperon this year.  Of course, I want to.  You have to be available at 5:00.  They already had volunteers for the days I was available. However, I can be an IHS Knights Band groupie!

If we have children, then we are some kind of mom.  We are cheering, buying spiritwear and following our kid around. 

I love the band and I love being a Band Mom.

Yeates and JFort

So, I got a text yesterday from my sweet friend, Cara, letting me know that she had the great fortune of having my boy, JFort, in her class that day at school.  Okay, maybe she didn't say that she had the great fortune.  I added that part.

When I got home, I asked Jonathan about it.  Here's how the convo played out:

Me:  I hear you had Coach Yeates today.

Jonathan:  Yeah, why?  (He looked a little concerned.  Like maybe Cara had given me some inside information into his day that he didn't want me to have.)

Me:  No reason.  I was just wondering how it went.

Jonathan:  Well, when we came into class one of my friends said, "Hey Jonathan, when I walked in I heard Coach Yeates say, 'Oh man, there's Fortenberry.  I think I'm going to hurt myself.'"  So I told him that it's okay.  I know her.  Technically, we're neighbors and we go to church together.

Me:  What?  You didn't tell him that Coach Yeates is one of your mom's favorite friends?  Or, can you not talk about your mom at school?

Jonathan:  (Looking at me like he was thinking about rolling his eyes) No, Mom!  I just didn't have time to tell him ALL the ways that I know her.


What does that even mean that we are "technically" neighbors?

Also, the first time I referred to Cara as Coach Yeates, Jonathan said that sounded so weird.  He said that what is more weird is trying not to call her Sister Yeates at school!

JFort and I are thankful for Yeates and how she serves others.  This mama considers it a tender mercy that she is at IHS each and every day.

Butt Cake

We celebrated Fred's birthday with dinner at Chili's and a "Nothing Bundt Cakes."

For someone who can be so coordinated with most everyone else's birthdays, I woke up and realized that I had nothing for my own husband.  October 12th just snuck up on me!

We took him to Chili's (at his request) for dinner.  They were SEVEN orders behind.  I had decided to splurge and get my all time favorite sandwich ever, the Grilled Chicken Sandwich.  It is usually so good and the only place that makes one better is Cafe Express and I haven't had that since our office was over on Midway and Keller Springs-- so that was like 10 years ago. (This post just went off course, somehow.)

When they finally brought our order out to us my sandwich was room temperature.  The plate was piping hot, but the food was not.  It made a big difference in the enjoyment of my dinner, let me tell you.  Fred and Jonathan enjoyed there hamburgers.  And, I believe that we had been waiting on Jessie's veggie fajitas.  I was so very sad. 

When we finally made it home... you know after waiting for what seemed like hours for our dinner... we celebrated with a "Nothing Bundt Cakes."  Well, everyone except for Jonathan.  Jonathan and I are not big cake eaters.  He said that he wasn't eating a "butt" cake.  Even though I generally, don't enjoy cakes, I have to say that I did enjoy this particular cake. It did seem to ease the sting of my really bad dinner.  Score 1 for me!

I still owe Fred a much better celebration, but at least I redeemed myself with the Butt Cake!

To the Best Person I Know

Happy 43rd Birthday to Freddy Fortenberry!

(I am so thankful that he has finally stopped reminding me that he is 8 months younger than me!)

We have been celebrating his birthday together since 1991... that's a whole lot of birthdays.

I guess we are officially oldish.  And, clearly, I'm slightly older than Fred.

Fred's the best person I know and I'm so thankful for him.  I'd be happy celebrating his birthday every single day!

Dog People

In life there are two kinds of people, dog people and cat people.  

We are all dog people in our house.  All of us.  Except for one.  She is cat people.   

I am dog people. Once upon a time, when I was a teenager, I thought I was cat people.  Turns out, I only liked MY cat, Miss Kitty. 

Nope, I'm dog people.

Courage and Heart

Well, it all started on Friday night.  I went to pick Jonathan up at 6:45 p.m.  Supposedly they got out early, because they had to be at the school early for their Saturday contest in Denton.  As it turns out, it was past 7:00 before I saw in band members heading back to the band hall. 

I had shown up before 6:45 p.m. so that I could claim a prime parking spot.  Little did I realize that I was parked next to James who happens to be the brother of one of my very favorite band members (not counting a certain tuba player).  

So, anyway, Faith spotted me as she was headed out to get in her car and gave me a big wave.  I jumped out and gave her a hug.  I would like to point out to you (and I already pointed out to Jonathan) that while Faith was nice and sweaty from all of her hard work, she smelled fresh as a flower.  Jonathan says that is because she is a girl and probably just used more deodorant before leaving the band hall.  He said he didn't have time for more deodorant.  He was just ready to go home.  Faith asked if I was coming to the contest on Saturday and I told her I wasn't sure, which actually meant that I hadn't planned on it, but now I was having second thoughts.  I had already told Jonathan not to expect us, but now having a second person ask about it, I was starting to be swayed.  If one more person had asked, I would have committed right then and there without talking with Fred.

So, I went home and told Fred that I felt compelled to go to the contest.  So, he struck up a deal.  Fred loves to strike up deals.  It's his favorite thing.  He told Jonathan that if they made it to the finals then we would be there.  Jonathan was super excited and held us to it.

On Saturday, I got a text letting me know that they made it to the finals.  Performance time?  9:00 p.m.!  What kind of deal did Fred make?  Why wouldn't he just commit to the preliminaries?  Tickets were $16, so we got there in time to see almost every band perform.  Fred said he wanted his entire $16 worth!

In the Finals, all bands were judged against each other regardless of size or ability.  One of the first bands we saw was Atoka (I think).  They were so tiny.  I think they had 14 band members 4 flags and 1 drummer and he was on a trap set.  I seriously teared up when they marched out.  I wanted them to be amazing.  The guy behind me was laughing and his wife was shushing him.  I cried for their determination, heart and guts. I texted a picture to my brother and asked him if it reminded him of his band at Community.  I'm not sure that we were even this small my first year and we had the luxury of including 7th and 8th graders.  And, we were probably only bigger by about 6 more members.  What courage it took for them to compete against a huge band like Wakeland High School.  Way to go!

There were some pretty amazing bands competing.  All were more seasoned than our band and many were larger than our band.  The Knight Band did a great job on the field and put on a magnificent performance.

They came in 7th place behind some very fine bands.  Wakeland was 1st and Colleyville Heritage was 2nd.  Honestly, Fred and I thought it would be the other way around.  They were both outstanding. (In the preliminaries, I understand that we were 2nd in our class and 5th overall.)

Fred and I sat next to the Denton High School band.  At first, they were loud, annoying and stinky.  I guess all band boys stink.  A few used inappropriate words.  It was not behavior that I was used to.  I have been fortunate to spend time around some amazing youth from our church and school.  It is no secret that I just love young people and I ended up falling in love with the row of girls directly behind us.  The group as a whole was still unruly, but I loved those girls.  They were so in to each and every performance.  And, they got excited over every group.  They cheered for every band that was competing against them.  They would yell, "Nice!!" when they would do something especially impressive or "Alright!!"  I didn't notice it at first until I heard the most enthusiastic girl cheering for our Knights.  They were on their feet applauding Colleyville Heritage High School.  

What a great way to conduct our lives.  We can all learn something from those girls.  

I've Done Gone and Broke My Blog

So.... I broke my blog on Friday.  It's a true story.  I was inspired to change out the background, so I went to the Internet and found a free template.  The only thing required of me was to copy in some html code, which I know nothing about.  Seems the Blogger has changed a little since 2008, when I jumped on board the blogging train and it seems to have really changed since the last time I changed my background.

I managed to get lost in a world of html code, gadgets, widgets and who knows what else.  I was clearly lost!  There was a time when the blogging world was made easy for us "Mommy Bloggers."  I ended up losing my Navigation Bar which allows me to sign in to my blog.  That's a big deal, right?  My blog was adorable, though.  I hunted through the code looking for what the help sites said I needed to delete, so that I could reclaim my precious NavBar.  Couldn't find the jacked up coding anywhere.  However, let's take a step back and remember that I'm in Marketing, but graduated with an HR degree. None of this makes me qualified to decipher html code.  So, I went about it a different way and found another template, that would allow me to access the NavBar.  But, it didn't quite work.  It was from a site that I had been using for years.  Guess, Blogger has changed their format.  So, I ended up using a free background from the Internet along with a template from Blogger to get by for right now.  So, what you see is a big mess on my blog.  I also managed to lose some of my buttons on the side and my labels. (Those items are easiest enough to reclaim though-- I think.)  I'm sure there are more things that I lost and I don't even realize it.  However, I found that precious NavBar!

In the next few days, I'm going to be playing with the background of my blog.  I can't stand this one.  Just can't.  Sorry.  I thought I could, but it's pretty much killing me and there is nothing I can do to get the old template back.  So, I'm sure I'll make a mess out of my blog over the next couple of days. Wish me luck.  I'll die if I kill this blog.  Just die.

Do you think it is a coincidence that I accidentally blew my blog up right around the 1,000th post?

Playing Dirty

Happy Friday!

Do you know what I hate about Thursday games?  They make us super tired on Fridays.

But, do you know what I love about them?  We get a Friday night off!  We pick up Jonathan at 6:45 from band practice and then I plan on being lazy!  Usually, he doesn't get finished until 7:15, but he gets out early due to a marching contest tomorrow at the early hour of 7:00 a.m.

Thank goodness for General Conference weekend, because we need it!

Oh yeah, and way to go Knights!  They almost beat those sneaky Titans (48-41)!  So proud of those boys.  They worked hard.  I have limited football knowledge and told Fred (who left early) that the Titans played dirty and let the time run out at the end, so that we couldn't try to tie it up.  Fred said that isn't playing dirty.  He said that is just football.  

I say that football isn't very fair if you are allowed to play dirty!

(Put that on a shirt.)

1,000th Post!!!

In honor of my 1,000th blog post (oh yeah, that's right, 1-0-0-0), I felt like I needed to do a little Throwback Thursday and pay homage to Angela's birthday, the State Fair of Texas and these boys that truly love each other!

So, first of all Happy Birthday to my crazy friend, Angela!  You haven't changed a bit-- you still look and act just like you did when we were in college.  Amy, your hair was a little higher in college!

I feel like there are several things to point out...

1) That "kiss" sure is awkward

2) I wonder if we planned our coordinating outfits.

3) Check out Dave's flip phone held together with electrical tape.

4) Fred needs a hair cut.

5) Why did they pose like that?

6) I believe this is the one and only time that I have ever been on the Texas Star.

7) I wonder if I needed Dramamine.

8) Can I say Amy has great hair?

9) Again, do we know why Dave and Fred posed like that?

10) I'm just going to keep asking the question about Fred and Dave until someone answers it for me.

I don't think there will be 1,000 more posts, but here's to a few more!

Thanks for reading!

P.S.  Here is last year's tribute to Aunt Angel.