Llano Lookalike

Look what we found on Memorial Day in Llano?  We found MaMaw's doppelganger (I always wanted to use that word)!

We spotted her and then got the biggest kick when she put that cigarette up to her lips.  MaMaw would never do that!

I guess everyone has a lookalike.

River Rats

On Saturday, we drove to San Marcos for a 5 mile kayaking trip.  This was our third time to kayak the San Marcos River.  However, it was Jonathan's first time to go down solo.

Jonathan did a great job on his own.  He was slow and steady.  We often had to slow down and let him catch  up.  He got himself in a couple of sticky situations, but never got himself in to too much trouble.  He was awesome!

Fred is the best at helping when you are in a jam.  He helped Jonathan out of a couple of jams and I think he yelled out a few instructions to me.  And, then there was the time that he told me that I wanted to make a hard right when I got under the bridge.  I did so and I started twirling.  I dug my paddle in, which caused me to over correct the situation.  All the while the current is swirling me in circles like a toilet bowl.  The next thing I knew, my kayak was upside down.  Thankfully, the only thing I lost was my shirt that I had taken off a few minutes earlier.  I am sorry San Marcos!  I accidentally littered your river with a purple shirt.

I took a million pictures of turtles, because they were everywhere.  And, yes, a million is an exaggeration.  I took about 4 pictures of turtles, but I could of taken more.  They were so cool.  They just sat on logs and rocks sunning themselves.  The life of a turtle must be great.  You just sit on a log catching some sun and when someone approaches that you don't like, you stick your head in your shell and jump in the water.

The weather was absolutely beautiful.  The sun was so nice and sunny and perfect.  The water wasn't too bad.  I wouldn't want to swim in it - my son was really itching to swim.  It was certainly cold, but I didn't think I was going to die every time we had to get wet.  We couldn't ask for better kayaking weather.  This was so much better than kayaking in the dead of summer.  We did end up with sunburns, though.  We need to be more diligent with the sunscreen.  (By more diligent, I mean apply at least one coat - we didn't apply any!)

We had so much fun.  I thought Fred was crazy for suggesting kayaking down the river.  I really thought we were going to die from the cold water.  It turned out to be a great idea.  There weren't too many people on the water.  There were a few tubers and I really do hate that part of the river, but it wasn't so hard since not many people were crazy enough to tube in March!

Great times were had by all despite the missing purple shirt, the sunburns and the blisters!

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.

Hiking Fools

The Fortenberry's (minus Jessie) decided to be nature lovers for the weekend.  We arrived in Austin Friday afternoon around 2:00 or so.  Our GPS thought it would be hysterically funny to have us exit the freeway and run the service road in downtown Austin during a music festival!  We lost a few minutes, but jumped back on the freeway and landed at our destination in no time at all.  We hiked McKinney Falls State Park.  A beautiful state park that is right, smack in the middle of Austin.

You'll notice that Jonathan's sunglasses were off kilter in every picture.  I think his cap was pushing them up. That would have driven me crazy!  I didn't notice it until we were pretty far into our little adventure.

I strapped on all kinds of gear around my waist.  It made me look like I had a big belly roll.  I think this is a big fashion-don't!  Next time, maybe I will try a drawstring backpack.  

It was a beautiful day for hiking.  The sun was up and perfect.  The temp was in the high 70's - just right - not too hot and not too cool.

Jonathan loved sitting in front of the cactus (or is the correct word cacti) and acting like he was in immense pain.

There were some sections of the park that were prettier than others.  I think the not-so-pretty sections will be nicer once Spring sets in.  At the last minute, we decided to hike another little section.  It was only about a mile long.  It was completely worth it, because it was beautiful.

We discovered that Fred has long legs which make for a super-fast hiker.  Jonathan is a slow-poke hiker and I think I am a medium hiker.  I don't really know, because I tried to stay behind Jonathan most of the time.  

We had lots of fun!  I'm ready to go back.  I'm not sure if the boys are so ready, but I am!

Flashback Friday: The Inner Space Cavern

Back on February 24th, we knew that Jessica would be released within the next few days.  Her therapist thought she should get used to hanging out in the 'real world' again, so she was granted a pass for that Friday and Saturday. We decided to tour the Inner Space Cavern in Georgetown .  It was my idea and everyone else thought it was silly.  However, the staff convinced Jess that my idea was a good one, so off we went!  We had such a fun time and enjoyed each other's company

Flashback Friday: Floating Down The River

Last year when we went on our kayaking trip, we also managed to squeeze in some time to float down the Comal River.  I was worried that the kids wouldn't enjoy it.  I thought that that it would be too slow and boring for them.  They actually loved it.  They kicked back and relaxed and had a great time! I thought they would be ready to get off the river after 20 minutes.  They surprised me when they had the time of their lives.  The Fortenberry Four hit the river leaving Uncle Joe and Grady to hang out and do guy stuff (Auntie Jan had to work and MaMaw stayed back in Lavon). 

We will have to plan another floating trip soon!  Not sure if we can do one this summer, but it sure would be fun!  It is always nice when you find an activity that everyone in the family enjoys.

I Love New York

While we were in New York, we had the opportunity to play a little bit in the evenings.  We walked around Times Square one evening.  Another evening we saw Wicked and had dinner around the corner in the theater district. 

One night, we took the subway to the Meat Packing District.  We went to a club called Plunge.  It was crazy packed.  Not so much fun... especially if you are a non-drinker.  However, it had a beautiful view that looked out over New Jersey.  Elena and I had a hard time posing next to Cody's gorgeous wife, Rachel. 

The last night, there were just a few of us left.  Most everyone had already flown back to Dallas. A handful of us had to stay back and tear down the booth.  The one lone male was tired of hanging with us ladies, so he did his own thing. So, there were three of us girl left.  We walked around for a while and decided that we wanted to take the subway to Staten Island.  Somehow we ended up on the wrong subway.  Imagine our surprise when we realized that we were in Brooklyn!  We decided that we were done with the subway, and we took a cab back to Soho!  It made for a fun story and a great adventure!  And, I got to see the Brooklyn bridge twice.  Once from the subway, and once from the backseat of a cab.

I really want to go back to New York!  I think it would make a great girls' trip.  Unfortunately, Fred doesn't like to walk, so I think New York would make him grouchy.  However, I loved New York, and I a want to go back soon!

She Works Hard For The Money

Our trade show in New York, Vision Expo East, is a very big deal for our company.  I had never attended the show.  I don't think anyone ever thought that I had the skills necessary to really have very much to do with the show.  I have always wanted to be a part of the show, so that I could prove that I am very capable.  Now that changes have been made in the Marketing department, not only did I get to attend this year, but I got to coordinate the entire show.  The months and weeks leading up to the show were quite stressful.  How can someone be expected to coordinate an entire show that they have never even attended?  Trying to decide how certain things should be laid out, what we should ship to the booth and other logistics was so difficult.  Somehow it all turned out okay. 

I learned so much from this trip.  I now have experience coordinating a trade show booth, and I was able to meet with many of our customers. 

Now that I am the Marketing Manager, I am working with all of our licensors.  I was able to meet with most all of them while I was in New York.  We work with the designer, Kay Unger (see the picture taken in our booth).  Our meeting with her was so crazy.  Several of us went to her showroom for the meeting.  It was an older building.  It had one of those elevators where the man shuts the gate and takes you up.  We sat in her showroom waiting for her, and then we realized that she wasn't in the office.  Turns out she got mixed up on the days.  So, we ended up taking a cab to her "fabulous" apartment in Soho!  I call her apartment fabulous, because that is how Kay kept referring to it.  It really was fabulous, though!  It was a fun and crazy adventure on my first full day in New York! 

My trip to New York was great for me professionally, and I am so thankful that I was finally asked to attend!  I hope that I have many more opportunities.

Wicked

 One of the highlights of my trip was going to see Wicked on Broadway. I went with my co-workers Elena and Cody along with Cody's wife, Rachel. We were so fortunate to have amazing seats. 

Of course, they didn't let you take pictures during the play.  However, I took pictures of the stage beforehand.  You know, just so I could document the experience.  The theatre seemed smaller than I imagined it would be.  Maybe that was because we had floor seats.  Perhaps, if I was sitting in the balcony then it would have seemed larger.

The play was phenomenal!  I was so worried, because I was the one who suggested Wicked.   Cody and Rachel don't really like musicals, so they weren't sure which play to pick, and Elena is Italian.  After some research, Cody and Rachel decided that Wicked  would be okay.  I was worried that the play might not make sense to someone whose first language is Italian, but she said that she understood most everything.  And, much to my relief, the non-musical liking couple enjoyed it as well!  I loved the storyline and the acting was superb.  I don't know how I will ever be able to watch another show again, because I will never again have seats this great!

The funniest story of the night came at the beginning of the show.  My co-worker, Cody loves to eat.  He is a healthy eater, though.  We were on a tight schedule.  We got back to our hotel a few minutes after 6:00 p.m.  We took a few minutes to change clothes and met up at 6:15 p.m.  Then we had to walk several blocks to the theatre.  Our show started at 7:00 p.m.  Cody could not wait until after the show for dinner.  He stopped at a deli for a quick sandwich and Greek yogurt.  He didn't have time to eat his yogurt, so he had Elena put it in her purse and sneak it into the theatre.  The very second that the lights went down he started asking for Elena to pass his yogurt down to him.  For some reason, I think that we are the first people in the history of Broadway to sneak YOGURT in to the theatre. 
After the show, we went to a restaurant in the theatre district.  Several actors had also come in after The Lion King.  We understand that Diane Lane was there, but we didn't get to see her.  There was an actor from The O.C. that we saw and we also got to see Josh Brolin and another lady whose name escapes me right now.  It was very exciting.  The host at the restaurant was letting us know who was exiting the restaurant, so that we could be on the lookout.  We didn't bother them, because we felt like they were on their own time and shouldn't be hassled.  However, Cody and Rachel did manage to snap a few discreet pictures with their iPhones. 

I loved the experience of seeing a Broadway show.  I loved Wicked.  I loved hanging out and seeing a few famous people.  It was a great night!

The Beverly Hillbillies Go To New York

We rolled up to the Marriott Courtyard Times Square in a limo.  Oh, yes we did.  We did not, however, roll up looking classy in our limo.  No, our co-president declared that we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies in New York. 

Six of us stood at the baggage carousel waiting for our luggage.  Most of us had two large pieces of luggage, because we were hand carrying product or presentations for the show.  A limo driver took in the situation and realized that he could make some money off of us.  He explained to our co-president that he could put us in a limo for far less than we would spend on taxis.  At first, it seemed pretty exciting.  My first time in New York.  I would experience the drive to our hotel in a limo.  Thing is, the driver didn't exactly have room for all of our luggage.  So, we sat with luggage crammed around us.  We discussed having a van service pick us up at the airport, but we wanted to save money.  I do believe that I will schedule a van to pick us up at the airport next year!  Six people and 10 pieces of luggage require a van!

Girls Gone Wild?

How on earth do I get roped into these things?

Sabbath Day in the Ozarks

I had a wonderful time with the girls in Eureka Springs. Each morning, we all welcomed the rare opportunity to sleep in. On Sunday, I woke up at 7:00 a.m. I had a slight headache, so I grabbed some Excedrin and a bottle of water. While I nursed my headache, I pulled back the curtains on my window and marveled at the Ozarks Mountains and Beaver Lake.

The other girls slept while I took a shower and got dressed for the day. I had this wonderful opportunity to be lazy on the last morning away from my family. Yet, I felt so compelled to get moving. I showered, did my hair and make-up and packed for the day. As I came up the stairs and saw one of the other girls doing her Bible study, I was inspired.

I bundled up in my sweatshirt and sat out on the porch. There, in the beauty of the Ozarks, I gave a silent prayer to my Heavenly Father. I didn’t have my scriptures with me, but I had one of our church magazines. I pulled it out and read several articles with quotes from our wonderful and inspired church leaders. It had been weighing heavy on my mind and heart that I was missing general conference. However, I was so thankful that I could have my own worship service on the porch of a cabin in the Ozarks.

The Spirit filled my soul and I was edified as I read the words of Thomas S. Monson and looked out over the beautiful lake and mountains.

Adventures in Atlanta

I had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta for a Walmart meeting. My younger brother, Jeff, is stationed nearby. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited.

Day 1 - Thursday, April 2
Thursday was spent traveling to Atlanta. They were late boarding our plane and then we sat on the runway. We arrived in Atlanta tired and hungry. We were staying downtown, so we were able to walk to a restaurant for dinner around 6:30 p.m. We decided to try Ted's Montana Grill (owned by Ted Turner) because one of the guys we traveled with is all about red meat. We were waiting on our table and I started feeling a little odd. I remember leaning against the wall. The next thing I knew everything was black. Apparently my head bobbed over on a co-worker's shoulder. She thought I was being silly and then they realized that my eyes were glazed over and not focusing on anything. I had locked my knees, so they did a karate chop on the back of my legs and pushed me down into a sitting position. I had passed out standing up with my eyes open. I have never passed out or been with anyone who passed out. I was thankful it wasn't more dramatic. I'm not sure if it was an inner ear problem or low blood sugar (we had skipped lunch). I was very embarrassed and it was discussed over and over during our trip. They told me that I had to call Fred and let him know what happened. His words to me were "What do they want me to do about it?" RUDE, RUDE, RUDE - I tell you!

Day 2 - Friday, April 3
We spent the day doing Walmart store visits. That evening Jeff and his fiance, Emma, came out to visit me. They had a two hour drive and they didn't get into Atlanta until 7:30. There was a huge high school volleyball tournament going on, so every place was packed. We wanted to eat at Hard Rock Cafe, but the wait was too long. We ended up at Hooters because they could take us immediately. I have never eaten at Hooters, so Jeff really got a kick out of it. I just wanted to add some material to those poor girls' shorts. We had a wonderful visit and stayed there for close to 3 hours! I finally made them leave because the drive was so long and Jeff had to play TAPS at a funeral the next day. Jeff and Emma, thanks for a wonderful visit. I miss you.

Day 3 - Saturday, April 4

Saturday was spent setting up our booth at the Walmart doctor's meeting. After we finished setting up, we were lucky enough to do some sight-seeing. We walked around Olympic Park. Went inside the CNN building and had lunch - we didn't take the tour, though. Then we went to the Coca-Cola Museum. Parts of the museum were kind of silly and not worth the $15 that it cost to get in. Some of it was geared towards children. There is a room where you can sample Coke products from around the world. That was interesting. I was a cautious taster.

The next room was the most glorious place ever. I found the room where they had tons of fountain drinks. I hadn't had a sip of Coke since May 8, 2005. I used to be a hard-core Coke drinker. With shaking hands, I grabbed a cup and filled it halfway with Coke. Aahhh! It was the best thing I have tasted in years. I filled up my cup two more times deciding that it was okay for me to have Coke in the Coke Museum. Coke is truly the nectar of the gods. I was a little worried that I might have fallen off the wagon and I would start hitting the sauce again. I'm happy to report that I haven't touched a Coke since.


Day 4 - Sunday, April 5
Nothing exciting on Sunday. We worked the booth all day and visited with the Walmart doctor's.

Day 5 - Monday, April 6
The Supplier Fair continued and we spent some time in their General Session where we heard Lee Scott (former Walmart CEO) speak among others. Everything wrapped up around 2:00 p.m. and then we had to tear down our booth.

Later that evening, we wrapped up the trip by visiting the world's largest aquarium. Walmart hosted a dinner at the Georgia Aquarium. There were 3 whale sharks and 1 beluga whale - among many other huge fish tanks. (In 2010 they are adding a Dolphin tank.)

Other than the unfortunate fainting spell, it was a great trip that seemed almost like a vacation.

Beluga Whale

Whale Shark