30 Days of Gratitude - Day 30

I am so thankful for this beautiful time of the year and the opportunity to celebrate Christmas.  I am thankful for the time that we take to celebrate our Savior's birth. I am also thankful for this time when people are a little bit kinder to one another.  

"Christmas, my child, is love in action.  Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas."

-Dale Evans

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29

Ordinary, simple, everyday life is all the more beautiful because of the people God has placed in our path. - Sophie Hudson

These are my people and I love them!  Friends are the family that you choose, and these friends are so perfect for us. I thank my Heavenly Father for them each and every single day.

I hope you enjoy some of the older pictures, because I just couldn't resist!

Jonathan and Ally - they are both 15 so they've known each other since the day Ally was born (she is a few months younger)

Ally and Jessie - love these girls!

Madison - I always say that she is the life of the party!

These kids are all related except for my two, but they've always made them feel like family

The Garstka's - Dave and Fred were great friends before I even came into the picture.  And, then we all met Angel!

The Millers - Dave's sister, Debi, her husband, John and their two girls Laura and Katy (Katy's not pictured-- although she is in the bowling picture above)

The DiSpignos - Dave's childhood best friend, Abie, moved to town after graduating college.  Of course, we adored him and so did the kids.  He left the area when Jessie was in elementary school and moved back to Chicago.  You don't even know how happy we were when he moved back several years ago.  He also brought us Stacey.  They are now married and have Isabella.

I am so thankful that Fred and Dave met and set the course for all of these beautiful, sweet friendships.

The Palmers - we met Tony and Kelly at church and we are so very thankful for their friendship.  They have been so good to us.  I always give Tony lots of credit for helping Fred find his way back to church and for that reason these two will always have a special place in my heart.

Jessie, Jonathan, Corbin, Conner, Fred, Tony

Corbin and Conner belong to Tony and Kelly

The Moffitts - We also met Rod, Ruth and their daughter, Jaiden at church (not pictured are Emmi and Jaxon). First of all I could just eat Jaiden up with a spoon.  I love her and her family so much.  They are all pretty darn amazing.

We love hanging out with the Palmers and the Moffitts.  We couldn't ask for better friends.

Some people make your laugh a little louder, your smile a little brighter, and your life a little better.

P.S. Jonathan looked at this post and I asked him if I missed anyone.  He told me that I missed the "family of the family."  That would be Dave's parents, Angel's parents, her sister and brother-in-law and their kids.  And, he is SO, right.  We have such great people in our lives.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 28

I am thankful for the amazing female friendships that I have in my life.  Each one is so sweet and important to me.

"True friendship is like the asphalt of life, it fills the potholes, and makes the journey smooth."

-Richard G. Scott

Ruth and I with sweet Nicole

Here is Kelly and Ruth.  (I didn't have a picture of Kelly, so I high-jacked her Facebook and then cropped people out of the pic-- I'm sorry for cropping those sweet faces out of the pic!)  I truly love these two beautiful women.  They teach me how to be a better wife, mom, leader and daughter of God.  They are Christlike women that I look up to.  I am thankful for their influence in my life.  I love them so very much.  Those two BFFs have a beautiful, sweet friendship that is very rare.  I am thankful that they let me in their little circle.  They bless my life and they are so very precious to me.

This is Cara or Yeates as I sometimes like to call her.  My heart just bursts with love for her.  When I first started serving in Young Women's with her, I thought to myself, "where has she been all my life?"  Then I realized, she's been just around the corner from me.  She literally lives just around the corner from me and I've missed out on her greatness, because I thought she was too hip to hang out with me.  She is funny, tender and sweet all at the same time.  Mostly, I appreciate how funny she is.  I love funny people.  I also appreciate that she appreciates my kids.  Those people have a special place in my heart.

Yeates sporting Wildberry (her pet name for me) on her Temple Walk shirt.

 My crazy, sweet co-workers.  I need a picture of Lisa Galvan, because she is just one of the best co-workers, ever.  I love her dearly.

Sarah, Lynn and I at Vision Expo last year.  I have the best co-workers.

 These are the Young Women Leaders that I serve with.  I love every single one of them and I feel so blessed to serve our Young Women with them.

  

Last, but certainly not least, I have known Heather, Angela, Tanya and Gracie for a very long time.  Our dear friend Abie brought Stacey (shown below) into our lives kind of recently.  I have so much fun with these ladies.  Every single time I'm with them, I laugh until I cry.  I do things that are absolutely insane.  We always make sweet and funny memories together.  It all started when two college buddies named Fred and Dave walked into a miniature golf place called Mountasia.  They decided to fill out an application.  They met two employees that happened to be best friends-- Angel and Gracie.  It took a little while, but eventually Dave and Angel married. All of these ladies were on a soccer team together when they were little called the Blue Birds.  I belonged to Fred.

Of course, there is also sweet Debi (Dave's sister).  Love her to pieces!  You really need a family tree or a road map to follow along.  But, these are my people and Heavenly Father put these people in my path when I was just a young woman to help make me a better person.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 27

I love note cards, cute pens (Flair Pens and Pilot Frixion erasable pens are my favs).  I love Washi Tape, stickers and self-inking return address stamps. I love the way all of these things make a note look and feel special.  I always say that it's all in the details.  One day, after I'm gone, my kids should make that into a meme.  I just love sending mail!  I'm sure the post office thanks me for it. Most of all, I love the way it makes the receiver feel.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to send notes that maybe make people smile. I'm thankful that I'm pretty good about getting birthday cards sent out, because people really enjoy feeling loved on their birthday.  

"Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today but the recipient will remember them for a lifetime."

- Thomas S. Monson

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 26

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for my family.  I am thankful for my family that is near and far. I am thankful for the family that has already left his earthly world. There are so many family members to be thankful for that I couldn't show them all here!

We love our family so very much and don't know where we would be without them!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 25

I am thankful for music.  I love music and have absolutely no talent whatsoever.  I'm thankful for the songs on the radio that I listen to on the way to work.  The music that I listen to on iTunes while I am at work to help make my day a little smoother-- sometimes it's inspirational and uplifting music and sometimes its my favorite Country Music.  I'm thankful for those talented band, orchestra and choir students that work so hard.  I'm thankful for those that share their talents with others.  I'm thankful for the hymns that we sing on Sunday.

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." 

-Plato

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 24

I am thankful for this beautiful earth that we live on.  It reminds me of one of my favorite hymns.  How grateful I am for the beauty that is all around us.

1. For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

2. For the beauty of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r,

Sun and moon, and stars of light,

(Chorus)

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

3. For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild,

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 23

I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am thankful for His atoning sacrifice.  I know that every trial that I've ever gone through, He has endured it before me.  How amazing and humbling.

"The Savior's Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the burden of our disappointments and sorrows, and heartaches and our despair.  I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now.  When He says to the poor in spirit,  "Come unto me,"  He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up.  He knows it because He has walked it.  He knows the way because He is the way."

- Jeffrey R. Holland

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 22

Today (and everyday) we remember our sweet Aunt Judy and we are so very grateful for the years that we had with her.  More than anyone that I've ever known, she taught me how to have Christlike love for others.  Every single person was better for having known her.  And, she didn't even know it.  She didn't even realize that she changed lives for the better. 

I want to be more like my Aunt Judy.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 21

I am thankful to have a warm house with all of the necessities like food, clothes, car and jobs.  When I get discouraged by how small our house is, I try to remember how fortunate that we truly are.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 20

I am thankful for the missionaries that serve our church.  If it weren't for the missionaries,  I would never have been baptized in December of 1999.  Elder Suter and Elder Maxwell were my missionaries and they changed my life.   (Fun Fact:  Elder Maxwell is Neal A. Maxwell's grandson)

I am thankful for the sweet missionaries from our ward that are out there serving right now and I'm thankful for those missionaries that serve in our ward.  I am thankful for the sacrifices that they are making. I am also thankful for the sacrifices that their families are making during this time.  The work that these missionaries are doing is so very important-- not only is it changing lives now, but also the lives of generations to come.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 19

On this day in 2008, I started a little blog called The Fortenberry Four.  I have used it as an online journal and really need to convert it into a book.  I tried to do that once, but it took a ton of time and I ended up losing all of my work.  Maybe I'll work on that over the holidays.

I am so thankful for my blog.  I am not a writer, but I do love to record my thoughts in this way.  I am thankful to those who drop by and read from time to time.  Jonathan is almost 16 and Jessie is 19.  I'm not sure how much longer I'll keep this up.  For right now, I love it!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 18

I am so thankful for Nouveau Eyewear!  I am thankful for the fun projects that I get to work on, the amazing people that I get to work with and for the times that I have been able to travel to fun places.  I have had the opportunity to learn new things and meet new people.

The photo shoot with Logan might be one of my all time favorite projects...

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17

Today is World Prematurity Day and we are thankful for our sweet little baby girl that gave us a run for our money 19 years ago.  Both of our babies were little squirts, but Jessie gave us more challenges than Jonathan.  We recognize how blessed we are.  She was 4 lbs 1 oz and only required a 2 1/2 week hospital stay.  While we were lucky, I don't think very many new moms are prepared for that.  At that point, I should have known that she was going to be high maintenance!