Mountain Man Rendezvous

Jonathan had the opportunity to attend some sort of Mountain Man experience from December 29th through the 31st.  I can't even pretend to understand what it was all about.  Fred grew his beard out and went for one night.  I think they participated in activities that were reminiscent of the olden days.

Our friend, Tony, was nice enough to send me these pictures while they were away.  The climbing picture was accompanied with the message that read... "He was a little nervous going over the cliff."

I know that there was no running water, so he went three days without a shower.  THREE days.  I think they brought in port-a-potties for this thing, because-- well, no running water.  You can't even imagine how fast I washed his clothes.  He used his good UnderArmour IHS band duffel bag.  I Frebrezed it.

The best I can tell, Jonathan had a great time, and Fred was sad that he only went for one day.  Unfortunately, he just couldn't get off, because of the timing during the holidays.

We are so thankful for these experiences that both Fred and Jonathan have had over the last couple of years.

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.

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.  

Lazy, Crazy 4th

I just love this time of year.  We had a fun, lazy, crazy 4th of July Weekend.  I'm going to try to summarize it into one post, but it might be kind of hard.  On Thursday, we had a cookout at work AND got off work at 3:00 p.m.  It doesn't get any better than that!  Because, when you think of me, the first word that comes to your mind is brave, I popped over and had my nails done very patriotically.

The nail ladies laughed and laughed at me.  I kept smiling and telling them how much I liked my nails, but they could see the fear in my eyes.  I get to live with these nails for about 3 more weeks.  Lucky me.  Lucky you, because they are very noticeable. We all know how I like to standout.  (That's a joke.  In case, you weren't sure.)

Friday we were invited to go out on  Lake Ray Hubbard with the Moffitts and Palmers.  My cute little Jonathan had the time of his life on the tube.  Jessie was a trooper, but would have rather just stayed on the boat.  The pictures are horrible, but tell quite the story.

Conner would grab Jonathan and pull him back on the tube to make sure that he didn't fall off. 

I guess it pays to have really strong friends.

Jess just put her head down and hung on for dear life.  Seriously, though, the boat was going about 5 mph!  She hated it and was scared to death, but got off smiling!

Given a couple of Excedrin, Conner turns into a stunt man!

Saturday, we attended the Ward Breakfast bright and early at 8:00 a.m.  Who thought that was OK?  I vote that they change it to 9:00 next year.  

(Stole this off of Facebook - this is not my pic as evidenced by the fact that I am in the background!)

We were one of the first ones at the breakfast, because Fred had to prepare for the Flag Ceremony.  He forgot to tell me that he needed to swing by the church for the flags.  I couldn't figure out why I was being rushed out the door at 7:35.  I need to understand these things, because I was planning on leaving at 7:55.

The Young Women were in charge of face painting... again.  We pretty much have the market cornered on face painting.

I scored some sweet art on my arms.  You know you love someone when you let her paint a dragon on your arm.  My goal was to prove my undying love to Jaiden by keeping the dragon on my arm all day, but it was so wet that I kept smearing it on everything.  I finally had to wipe it off with make-up remover towelettes.  Fred suggested Clorox Wipes.  He's hard core!

Katelyn thought I should have a more patriotic star on my other arm.  Maybe the dragon was a bit much?  I'm not sure?

You know you've got skills when you can paint your own face using only the reflective surface of your iPad. 

Later that afternoon, we went to see Terminator Genisys and out to eat.  I tried to take pics of Fred and Jonathan, but they clearly didn't cooperate!  I had never seen any of the Terminators, so I was a bit skeptical, but I watched anyway.  I liked it, but had to ask Fred a few questions afterwards.  Now, he wants me to watch the earlier ones.  I'm not sure if that is necessary.  I thought he could just get me up to speed.

On Sunday, we hit the road for Austin. 

We stopped off at Auntie Jan's and Uncle Joe's to visit with them.  Surprise, surprise... we ran into Mom and Dad there.  We stayed in a sketchy La Quinta. It was quite the adventure.

We dropped our favorite boy off at EFY on Monday!  I am going to miss him.  After we dropped him off, I really wanted to go back and pick him up.  I wasn't allowed to drop him off last year.  This is probably why.

Fred got all the way to Trinity University and we started looking for a restaurant to feed Jonathan.  I started using the GPS to locate eating establishments.  They were all "local favorites." 

We ended up stopping at Burger Boy that was just outside of campus.  Jonathan got the Working Man special.  He thought he had died and gone to Heaven.

On the way home, Fred and I stopped at HEB for some souvenirs...fajita meat and Whataburger ketchup.  I'm serious.  They have the best fajita meat and while we were there we bought some of their Whataburger spicy ketchup and jalapeno ranch dip.  When can we get an HEB?  Can someone please tell me?

By the way, Fred got off the interstate for something.  I think it was for the HEB and he said, "Well, the Whataburger is on the wrong side of the freeway.  There is a McDonald's."  I let him know that I could wait, because he had already fed me McDonald's one too many times.  Now, here is where communication is key!  I should have said I can wait about 15 minutes.  Fred had it in his mind that he was waiting for the optimum Whataburger.  I started noticing that we were passing eating establishments right and left and I heard him mention his dismay over all the Whataburgers being on the wrong side of the road.  Finally, I pointed out a Zaxby's, because I know that he really likes that.  I've never had it, but at this point I would take the McDonald's that I turned down.  He passed the Zaxby's up!  Finally, he found the perfect Whataburger at 3:30 p.m.  I was so HANGRY (hungry/angry) that he ordered me a #1 without even consulting with me.  We ended up throwing away half my sandwich, half my fries and a jug of drink. But, I guess Fred figured that he would rather be safe than sorry, since I was so upset!  

We'll head back to San Antonio on Friday after work so that we can get our boy on Saturday morning.  

Other than our Whataburger incident, we had an exceptional holiday!

That Time I Found a Man in My Backyard

Freddy Fortenberry (he really goes by Fred, I just like to call him that) was gone for the better part of a week and a half.  He was gone Wed, the 17th - the afternoon of Saturday, the 20th.  Then he set his alarm for 3:00 a.m.on Monday and left again and came home yesterday around noon.  All that time was spent with the young men from our church.  By the way, I know that he set his alarm for 3:00 a.m., because he forgot to turn it off and it went off again at 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning.  I might have been a little frustrated!

Yesterday, I had the extreme honor and pleasure of attending the baptism of my sweet eight year old friend, Avery Yeates.  Her mom, Cara, was texting me checking to make sure that I was going to be there.  I assured her that there was no other place that I would be!  I was ready ahead of schedule and even told her I would make a Hobby Lobby run for her, but it was deemed unnecessary.  Thank goodness, because I walked out of my house and almost wet my pants.

It all started when I heard a weed eater in my front yard.  I thought to myself, "Gee, our neighbor sounds like he is really close to us."  Then I wondered if maybe the city was mowing our yard for us.  But, dismissed that idea because Jonathan had "mowed at" the front yard on Wednesday, but didn't weed eat and it was a little stripey (is that a word).  However, I didn't think we were breaking any city codes.  I had been out in my driveway and had left the garage door up and still hadn't noticed anything.  

I had my purse in my hand and my cute little gift for Avery and was running out the door when I saw my gate opened.  I thought to myself, "That sure is weird!"  Then, I heard the weed eater and saw the back of a man in my yard.  I put my stuff down and went to investigate.  I saw his back and prayed, "I sure hope that is is Tony Palmer, because I don't have a Plan B."  What exactly would I do?  Call 911 and tell them that there is a strange man in my backyard doing yard work? 

Needless to say, it really was our friend, Tony.  He must have known that our son Jonathan would have done no work or substandard work.  He came and did Fred's yard work for him so he would have less chores to come home to.

When Tony turned around and I realized that it really was him, I just wanted to cry!  Not counting all of the bazillion things that my parents have done for us, I think that is a top 3 nicest thing anyone has ever done for us.

Tony asked me last week if Fred needed any help getting ready for Scout Camp.  I told him that I would let him know.  Of course, Fred said that he didn't need any help, so Tony just helped him out anyway by making sure that he had less to do yesterday.  I seriously wanted to cry (or maybe I did) all the way to the baptism.  How thankful I am for good friends that care so much about us!  It makes me realize that I need to be a better friend.  I think I always have the best of intentions, but maybe I'm not always great with the follow through.

Our family is certainly blessed!

P.S. I am going to die a slow, ugly, painful death for posting this picture.  Jessie hates this picture because she had been in the pool and her hair was drying and she has my swimsuit cover-up on over her t-shirt over a swimsuit.  I don't know how she came to be so layered!  I personally think she looks cute and I think that it is a darling picture.    I looked and looked for a picture of Tony and came up empty-- other than one of him and Kelly kayaking and thought this one was safer.  I thought I found one of Tony and a dolphin at Sea World.  I was impressed that Tony got to touch a dolphin.  I was like, "Wow, I really don't remember a dolphin getting so close to him at the dolphin tank."  Then I zoomed in and saw the Sea World logo on the guy's shirt and realized that it wasn't even Tony.  That would have been incredibly embarrassing to have used that picture.  I guess I need to make it a goal to take more pictures!

I Used to be an Eagle

I posted the cute story about Sophie Hudson being overdressed for her son's Family Night at Scout Camp earlier this week.  You can go here to read it. Since we are a family that is so heavily involved in Scouts, I could totally relate to her story.  For some reason it reminded me of getting conned into a BBQ dinner with my husband and the Moffitts.

As I've posted before, Fred and Rod participated in Wood Badge which is a very big deal.  There was a dinner for the participants.  I feel pretty sure that our husbands set us up.  Now, I love Ruth and Rod, so I don't hold any grudges, but I think it was very tricky.  I'm not exactly sure, but I think Rod told Ruth something like, "Hey, Fred and Donna are going to the BBQ, why don't we go, too?" and Fred told me the same thing and that is how we all four ended up at this BBQ that really should have just been Fred and Rod.  (If that is not the case, then I owe those boys a very big apology!)

Now, in Sophie's story she imagined a picnic with lights strung across like in Parenthood.  Well, I may or may not have imagined a classy little BBQ that was Ewing style-- as in the Ewings from Dallas.  Only, the BBQs on Dallas normally took place outside during warmer temps and this was definitely winter, so I imagined it to be in a heated barn-like structure.  I also imaged it to be decorated super cute with red and white gingham tablecloths.

In Wood Badge, you are divided into patrols and each patrol is assigned a "critter."  Fred was an eagle and Rod was a buffalo.  I know, I didn't even pretend to try to understand.  The dinner was held at a Boy Scout Camp in Dallas.  On the drive, the men were in the front and the women were in the backseat. The men were talking about their "chants."  Fred lets loose with his patrol's chant about eagles.  Then, Rod tells us that he WROTE his patrol's chant.  Impressive, huh?  Well, we then hear his chant that is all about buffaloes.  It was well written, but as you can imagine, anything that has to do with buffaloes is just weird.  At this point, sweet Ruth pipes up from the backseat and says something like, "Gee, honey, that is really great."  The way she said it was heartfelt.  I remember thinking right there at that moment, I need to stick with this woman, because she is an exceptional wife!  I wondered if she might give me wife lessons, because I felt inadequate next to her.

We arrived at our BBQ that was nothing like an event that the Ewings would hold.  The dinner was held in a metal building that might have been heated, but I sure didn't feel the heat.  We sat on cold metal folding chairs.  The building was so cold that I never took my coat off-- the entire night. If there were decorations at all, they certainly paled in comparison to what I had laid out in my head.

I'm sure the speakers were interesting, but Fred is the Scout, so the topics were a little lost on me.  Mostly, Ruth and I talked about how the Scout uniforms should be redesigned.  Khaki is not an attractive color and what is up with those green pants?   It was very reminiscent of Clairee's interview on KPPD in the Devil's locker room.  (In case you don't know, that is a Steel Magnolias reference.)

The best part of the night came at the very end.  They asked the Wood Badge participants to gather in their patrols.  Which means they were grouped by their "critters."  They stood around the room in a circle.  Once they got up, it felt like Ruth and I were the only ones not standing.  We were smack dab in the middle of the room-- looking so out of place.  It was a strange feeling.  I felt like E.T. must have felt like when he was trying to get back to his homeland.

Then, each patrol chanted their chant.  I thought they were done.  But, no!  Then, they sang a song.

I used to be a Beaver, 

And a good old Beaver too. 

but now I've finished beavering,

And I don't know what to do.

I'm growing old and feeble,

And I can Beaver no more.

So I'm going to work my ticket while I can.

Then they repeated it with all the rest of critters:

Bobwhite 

Eagle
Fox
Owl
Bear
Buffalo
Antelope
Crow

At that point, I really felt like E.T. trying to phone home!  When it was over, my sweet friend Ruth (the one that I want to take wife lessons from) looked at her husband and said "I will never go with you to one of these events ever again."  In my head, I was saying, "Yeah, preach it, sister!"  But, I think I really said, "Me, too."  Just so you know, I still want to take wife lessons from her, because I think she is the greatest wife, ever.  No one should have to sit through that.  I want to be supportive, but it is too hard to be supportive when you are freezing.  

P.S.  Some people relate everything in life to Seinfeld or Friends.  I have one friend that can relate anything and everything to Everybody Loves Raymond - yes, that's you, Tanya!  But, as you can tell,  everything circles back around to Steel Magnolias for me!

Fish Tales

The men in my life were at High Adventure last week.  Tropical Storm Bill threatened to put a damper on the fun, but they were out on the Coast fishing by Thursday.  Jonathan left with his leaders on Monday morning and by that evening he was in Austin having the best time ever swimming at McKinney Falls State Park.  The next morning, they had to move out due to the bad weather.

Fred was super excited, because he and his friend were going to meet them on the Coast for some fishing.  If you know anything about Fred, then you know he loves to fish.  He was so excited for this day.  The plan was for Fred and his friend to drive down on Wednesday.  The boys were having trouble finding a campsite on Wednesday due to all the flooding.  The leaders posted this picture on Wednesday.  Our tent is the blue one on the right.  It looks like it is going to take flight at any moment.

Fred started taking boys out fishing on Thursday.  He had so much fun and so did the boys.  To Fred, there is nothing better than fishing.  There was a time in our lives that we truly lived that Brad Paisley song I'm Gonna Miss Her.  The first time I heard that song, I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, because it hit way too close to home.  I can't tell you how many family functions Fred missed to go fishing.  We like the new and improved Fred, but I know that he misses fishing!  I have a feeling he caught the fishing bug while he was out there with the boys.

I know that Jonathan had the time of his life fishing with his dad.  It will be a special memory that he can carry with him always.  Fred was gone Wednesday - Saturday last week with Jonathan and then he will be gone Monday - Saturday of this week for Scout Camp.  We miss him, but to see Jonathan's awkward smile with this fish is completely worth it!

The Perils of Vanity

So, Fred left this morning at 3:45 a.m. to take 7 boys to Scout Camp!  He will be doing Scoutmaster stuff until Saturday.  In honor of his week at Scout Camp, I wanted to post this story, because it made me laugh really hard.  I thought it was so funny that I read it to Fred.  When I read it the second time, I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe.  Fred was laughing, but I'm not sure if he was laughing, because I was tickled or if he really thought the story was that funny.

There is an author/blogger that I like.  Her name is Sophie Hudson and she lives in Birmingham, Alabama.  I was reading this story about her son, Alex, going off to Scout Camp for the first time.  It made me laugh so hard that I practically cried.  Mostly, because it is funny and also because it reminded me of this time that my friend, Ruth and I accompanied our guys to a BBQ dinner for all of the Wood Badge participants.  Let's just say that our experience was very similar to Sophie's Family Night experience at Scout Camp.  I thought we were going to a nice BBQ dinner and it was nothing like that at all.  We didn't have to hike to our dinner.  However, like Sophie, we were definitely overdressed.  Maybe, I'll write a post about it.

Here is Sophie's story.  I hope you think it is as funny as I did:

Alex has been at camp all this week. It's his first time to stay a week at overnight camp, so I spent most of last Friday and Saturday going through the packing list and running to the store and trying to make sure he had everything he needed for the week. This is why I will forever refer to last weekend as THAT TIME TARGET TOOK ALL OF OUR MONEY.

So I got the boy packed, and after our usual Sunday routine of church and Chuy's, we took him to the drop-off spot and said our good-byes. I was determined to keep everything LIGHT and BREEZY and FULL-O-CHEER, but I really shouldn't have worried because he wasn't even a little bit upset about leaving us. He was excited about being with his buddies and fired up about an adventure run / mud obstacle course that they were doing on Monday. So, you know, BYE FELICIA.

Last night (Wednesday) was Family Night at camp, so David came home from work early and we left the house around 3:30 in the hopes that we'd be at camp by 5. I knew it was going to be hot because so far the month of June DOES NOT PLAY, so I wore some super-thin / comfy palazzo pants and the thinnest tunic-style t-shirt I could find in my closet. I mean, yes, it's hot, but I wanted to look cute-ish for the family dinner, and IN MY HEAD I thought that we would be at some sort of picnic shelter located mere seconds from our car.

Why did I think that? Well, I have no idea. It was just the mental image I'd created when David first mentioned Family Night, and I may have also envisioned lots of lights strung through the trees sort of like what you see in the Bravermans' backyard on Parenthood.

Well, we were about 45 minutes into our drive when David mentioned that he didn't know whether Alex would be with us on the hike or not, and I promise you that my head whipped around and I said, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HIKE? I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS TERM." 

He said, "Didn't you read the email? We have to hike to the campsite."

I stared at him for several seconds before I said, "No. No, I didn't read the email. The email was very long and I'm not sure if you've noticed but I'M WEARING WEDGES."

Then I pointed to my shoes for emphasis.

He asked where I thought we'd be having our picnic, and I calmly explained DUH, AT A PICNIC SHELTER, LIKE AT THE PARK, and then I pointed to my shoes again and he got very tickled.

Well.

As soon as we got to the campground, Alex and his buddies were walking through the parking area, and he looked so happy and was so quick to tell us how much fun he was having. Then he said, "Hey! I can hike with y'all to the campsite!" and I looked at David and Alex looked at me and I pointed to my shoes and then I kid you not it started to rain.

Thankfully the rain didn't last long at all - just enough to stir up some good steam - and we started our hike. THROUGH THE WOODS. While I was wearing palazzo pants and a tunic. Sporting some serious statement earrings. Carrying my sassy little Noonday tote bag and the 7-layer salad I'd made for the festivities. 

I texted Melanie later and told her that I felt a little bit like Mrs. Howell on Gilligan's Island. I mean, I certainly don't relate to the Howells on a cash money level or anything like that, but I was really just a hair shy of carrying a clutch bag and wearing pearls.

In other words, I looked absolutely ridiculous.

By the time we made it to the campground 14 or 42 minutes later, I was drenched in sweat. It was like I'd arrived on the Survivor island in my street clothes and the first item of business was an elimination challenge featuring a relay race that culminated in a wood-chopping contest. 

Eventually, though, I started to cool down, and we set up our chairs and visited with some of the other families. Alex showed us his tent (I may or may not have seized his battery-operated fan to help me cool down a bit), he told us about everything they'd been doing, and my mama heart was so relieved that he was having a blast and totally in his element that I was able to ignore the fact that my hair looked like I'd just finished up at the shampoo bowl at Truvy's Salon. 

After dinner and some more time catching up and talking, David said it was probably time for us to head back home. We gathered up all our stuff, hugged our boy good-bye, and then I remembered that if I'd had to hike to the campsite, I was going to have to hike back to the car. And honestly, it wasn't *that* far - maybe 1/2 mile - but the wedges on dirt and clay and hills and gravel? NOT THE BEST OPTION.

Finally - mercifully - I made it back to the car, and I hadn't even sat down in my seat before I cranked the A/C all the way up to FREEZE & STUN. I tried to pull my hair off of my face but was unfortunately without a clippy, so I just held the wet, soggy mess off of my neck and let the A/C work its magic. And make no mistake: the time at camp was so worth it because it did our hearts a world of good to see Alex thriving in that environment. However, I've already decided that when we go back for Family Night next year, I will be wearing a ventilated fishing shirt, shorts, and some shoes that are suitable for hiking. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HIKE, YOU SEE.

Silver lining? I probably lost six pounds.

So, what do you think?  Was it as funny as I promised it would be?

Super Scouters

I am very proud of these Super Scouters-- by the way, I just made up that title.  It's not a real BSA title. Fred and Rod earned their Wood Badge tickets, which is a really big deal in the Boy Scout world.  They attended six days of training, which was divided in two long weekends.  This meant that they took time off from work and their families.  After they finished their training, they still had to earn their tickets which basically meant they had to complete several meaningful projects.

Last Thursday, we gathered together for their "beading," which was very exciting for both of them.  I would like to add that one of my kids was relieved to hear that it was a beading and not a beating-- seems there was a little miscommunication at our house.  

The families participated which was a little awkward, yet very special. The Fortenberrys specialize in awkwardness.  The wives placed beads around the husbands' necks, and the kids placed the new neckerchief and woggle on their dads.  The new neckerchief and woggle signifies that they have completed their Wood Badge.

I don't have any pictures of the actual beading, because there was an entire row of people there and we all went up front for this event.  There was not a soul around for me to signal to or ask to take pictures.  It's probably best.  Who knows what we looked like.

Fred had individuals from his patrol (or whatever it is called-- I'm not real savvy on the terminology) there to support him.  I know that he was appreciative of all those that came to support him. I would like to remember that Tony and Alisara were there.

I am so thankful to have a husband that works so hard for our boys.  He puts in so many hours that no one sees.  

Fred and Rod are both such great examples for our Young Men!

The Perfect Tent

Last year, I was getting ready to go to Girls' Camp for my first time ever.  Camp was being done on a Ward level so we needed lots and lots of supplies.  We packed everything Fred owned.  What we didn't pack-- we bought.  

We needed tents and we begged and begged for 10 man tents from our fellow church members.  We received lots of offers, but the offers weren't quite what we needed.  We ended up one tent short.  The week before we were leaving, Fred and I were at Walmart buying One hundred-bazillion dollars worth of stuff for all of our summer camping trips.  I mentioned that we were still one tent short.

So, we went over and looked at every single one of the tents that Walmart had to offer.  And, I truly mean that we looked at every single tent that Walmart had to offer.  And, we scrutinized which tent to get.  I remember the concern I had that this was a big purchase and we were already purchasing so much.  I also remember my snooty thoughts that Walmart really isn't the place to buy a tent.  I thought we should be at Academy, instead.  I gave Fred my thoughts about quality and that we should buy a good one that will hold lots of girls.

Fred assured me that this was a good choice and that we would use this tent again. I texted my fellow Young Women leaders and let them know that Fred had bought us a tent and that we could call off the begging. They were ever so thankful. Trust me.

I have to say that Fred bought the perfect tent.  Walmart, I owe you an apology!  It pops up in 2 1/2 minutes.  Now, that is my kind of tent.  It is nice and roomy.  And, in less than a year, it has been used for Girls' Camp, High Adventure, miscellaneous Boy Scout adventures and most recently our 4th Year Girls took it for their camp out.  Oddly enough, our family has never had the opportunity to use it, but maybe this summer we'll get to go on an adventure.  It's definitely been used by the youth.  We've cleaned out coke spills, blood and red sparkles (Girls' Camp theme was 'There's No Place Like Home').

My favorite thing about my husband is that he will give you the shirt right off his back or buy a tent for the Young Women to use and never think twice.  He's pretty much a keeper!

Testimony

One of our girls from church is working on a project for Personal Progress.  She is compiling "testimonies" and asked the leaders and youth to send her our testimonies.  I wasn't sure if I was going to post mine, but since this is my online journal, here it is:

I am thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and for His Atoning sacrifice.  I am so thankful that he atoned for my sins. He took upon himself the pains and sicknesses of His people.  Every pain and sadness that I have felt, He felt it before me.  That brings such comfort to me.

I know that I am a daughter of God and that He placed me with a loving family.  And, the sweet children that I have are sons and daughters of God.  They have been entrusted to my husband and me for a short time.  They are His children that we have stewardship over to love, teach, lead and raise in the gospel.

I have a testimony of the Holy Ghost.  He leads me and guides me and brings peace to my life.  I know that if I listen to that still small voice it will bring me comfort.

I believe that we are given trials to test us and strengthen us so that we can progress through this life.  I am so thankful for the trials that I have been given.  They have made me a stronger and better person.  They have increased my faith and taught me that prayer works.  They’ve taught me that my Heavenly Father loves me and listens to me.  He answers my prayers – not necessarily in the way that I expect or when I want Him to.

I believe that faith can move mountains.  Just a couple of years ago, having faith brought my husband back to church.  Now, he holds Melchizedek Priesthood and we have been sealed in the temple.  I know that families can be together forever.  It is my hope that my entire family can be together forever.  I have such a testimony of the temple and the sacred ordinances that take place there.  It is a beautiful and sacred place where the spirit may be felt.

I have testimony of the Book of Mormon.  I know that it is another witness of Jesus Christ.  It is the keystone of our religion and the most correct book on earth.  I am thankful for the lessons contained in The Book of Mormon.

I am thankful for the missionaries.  Without the missionaries, I wouldn’t have been baptized.  They leave their homes at such a tender young age and they spread the gospel.  How blessed we are that they make this righteous choice.  I am thankful for the missionaries that serve in our ward and for the missionaries from our ward that are out in the field serving.

I am thankful for the Young Women’s program and for the callings that I have had in Young Women’s.  It is truly an inspired program.  The Youth in our church are wonderful examples to those around them and it is because of what they have been taught at home and in the Young Men’s and Young Women’s programs.  I have a testimony that Scouting and Personal Progress programs teach them and strengthen them and help them to become exemplary Young Men and Young Women.

I am thankful for my sweet family.  They strengthen me and teach me so much about love.  They make me want to be a better person, so that I can make sure that I spend eternity with them.  I am thankful for righteous friends that are a good example to me.

I am thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

-Donna Fortenberry, 2/24/14 

Blessings

I love this time of year!  I really do, even if I let the hustle and bustle stress me out a little.  It is a great time to reflect on the birth and life of our Savior.  It is also a great time to think about our many blessings.  Although, we can and should do those things all year long.

Two of my greatest blessings are Jessica Taylor and Jonathan Andrew!  They bring us such joy.  I love them to pieces.

Jessica is a senior at The Saint Anthony School in Carrollton (a therapeutic private school).  She loves working with special needs kids. She is given the opportunity to work with kids in the lower school most days and those kids adore her.  She also loves serving in any capacity.  The seniors recently went to the Salvation Army and helped them get the packages ready for Christmas and she was extremely touched by her experience there.   And, let's not forget that she loves all things Doctor Who!

Jonathan is in 8th grade at Wester Middle School.  He plays the  tuba and is excited to play a song for us on Christmas morning.  It is a compilation of Christmas hymns; he has been talking about it for weeks.   Jonathan has been working very hard in Scouts and is a project and a few partial merit badges away from being an Eagle Scout.  He will finish all of those partials except for one before Christmas break is over (do you feel Mom cracking the whip)!  Jonathan loves video games and could play them for hours.  We are working on helping him to develop a few more interests!

If you are reading this, then we count you as one of our many blessings, too!

Happy 41st Birthday to Fred

 

We are celebrating Fred's 41st birthday today.  Nothing fancy.  Just a cake.  I don't even know what we are doing for dinner yet.  It will just be our family.  I need to plan something bigger, since we never got to celebrate his 40th last year.  It is so hard to celebrate with him, because he is such a busy man.  He just got home from camping with his Boy Scouts and he will be doing Scout training next weekend.  Looks like it will be the following weekend. 

I am so proud and excited for Fred.  He went to the temple for the first time (a very big deal in our church) on September 21st.  I am so glad that he did that before his birthday.  I don't know why, because age doesn't really matter, but it was a very happy day for our family.  We still have a big milestone to hit in the upcoming month or so, but that was one hurdle accomplished.  I am so thankful to all those men that have touched Fred's life and inspired him to come so far.  We are truly blessed (cheesy but true).

Happy Birthday, Fred!  We love you.

Scout Camp

Jonathan and Fred spent all last week at Scout Camp.  I understand that they had a wonderful time.  There were lots of great pictures, but I don't know much about them.

Jonathan took Riflery (or some such merit badge) and fishing - along with some others that soundes less fun.

I am so thankful that Jonathan had the opportunity to hang out with such wonderful young men and leaders.  I love that his Dad has been to camp with him every year.  I'm a little nervous for him to go on High Adventure and to EFY next year.  It will be his first adventures without Fred!

I Am Blessed

I am so blessed to have this special guy in my life.  He keeps me on my toes and makes me smile every day. He and Fred came home from Scout camp on Saturday.  He helped unload the Durango, had lunch and rested for about 5 minutes... and then asked if I would take him to the swimming pool.  How could I say no?  We stayed out there for about 2 hours.  He had the best time just enjoying the sun and the water.  It takes very little to make him happy!  I wish I could have his spirit.

Welcome Home

I am so excited!  Jonathan and Fred are due home today.  They have been at Scout Camp for a week.  They are going to stink.  Their gear is going to stink.  I will have tons of laundry to wash.  They are going to have hours worth of stories to tell.  But, they are coming home!  Whoo-hoo!

Stay Tuned

Dance Like No One's Watching

Stay tuned... I'll be back.  I just don't know when.

My dear sweet husband took the only working laptop to Scout Camp with him.  Bless his little heart!

Geocaching

Jonathan and Fred learned about geocaching in Scouts.  Jonathan actually earned a geocaching merit badge. I didn't really understand what all the hoopla was about.

While we were hiking at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, the Fred and Jonathan had the opportunity to do some geocaching.  To me, they were just walking around looking for hidden boxes.  Seemed kind of useless to me.  They liked it, so that it is what counts.

Status Quo

Valentines Day Candy and Cards for My Loves

We are just trucking along!  Nothing big happening at the Fortenberry's. 

 Jonathan is out selling mulch for his Boy Scout fundraiser.  He has come back in twice to get a new pen, once because there was no one home on our street yet and there was another problem, but it escapes me right now.  He did manage to get a couple of orders, though.  Thank goodness.

Jessica is in her room cackling to You Tube videos.  Why are You Tube videos so funny?  She always makes me watch them with her.  I happily oblige, because it is the right thing to do, but I never find the same enjoyment that she does.

Fred has been helping his boys work on their Physical Fitness merit badge.  He is excited to come home every Wednesday and report which exercises he can do better than Jonathan.  Exactly how old is he, again?  Oh yeah, that's right.  40!  Should he be competing against his 13 year old son and bragging about it?  Right this second, he is hobbling around.  Maybe too much competition?

I am super busy at work and want to cry, because it just isn't going to get done.  I'm also behind at home, so please don't come visit me right now.  On the bright side, my hair has looked really good for the last two weeks.

And, that's all I've got!

To The Moon

Fred took his Scouts camping Friday night.  They launched rockets Saturday morning.  Fred was supposed to bring a camera and he forgot.  The red and silver rocket is Fred's.  There was a malfunction.  Apparently, it went up and then right back down and stuck in the ground.  Jonathan's is the green - his very favorite color. 

I understand that the boys had a great time launching their rockets.  I am so glad that Jonathan and Fred are having this time together in Scouts.  It is such a blessing to our family.