November 23 - 29, 2009

November Pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kensbestpics/FamilyNovember2009#

Fortie Family Flyer
November 23 – 29, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
Turkey, lurkey, shmurky (I think that was what the Swedish chief said on the Muppet Christmas), it’s all marvelous indeed (except the parsnips we used to have to eat every Thanksgiving at grandma’s – never got used to those). Happy Thanksgiving to one and all; hope your Thanksgiving dinner was delicious and your Thanksgiving Day was enjoyed with family and friends.
I didn’t write this week and now it’s more than a month later and it’s all gone. I do remember on Wednesday Thurl Bailey came in to the store and I sold him a few dozen rolls. He was very personable, we had a nice conversation.
Our thanksgiving meal was great. Part of our chatting at the end of the meal was about memories from Anita Ave. It was fun to talk about the crazy basement I set up for the kids with the fort under the bunk beds and the fireman’s pole down from the top bunk and the secret door in the wall and the train set and the three wheelers hanging from the ceiling and the big whiteboard, etc. – fun times.
At the end of the day the kids wanted to do something besides play cards so I suggested we go to the church and play croquette. The other adults were too full but the kids were all over that so we had grandpa come with us (to unlock it) and he worked in the office while we played. The Loosle’s were in the gym so we set up a course in the hallway ending in the Relief Society room. It was a lot of fun and we decided we should do it every year.
Jennifer and I went shopping at 5:00 a.m. Friday morning and I had a feeling I should stop at Target before going on to Sam’s, our first stop. We found a keyboard for a great door buster price and I felt I should buy it. The lines were long so we left it in the corner of the store and hit a few other stores then came back and got it. We didn’t find much but we enjoyed the day. Michelle went shopping with her friends and they seemed to have fun. Now I have a keyboard that will hook up to the computer so I can play the songs I have made up and the computer will be kind enough to put what I play on paper for me. Marvelous things these computers.
Well, that’s all I can come up with for now. Aren’t turkey’s and mashed potatoes and pies wonderful.
Ken and clan



From Elder Fortie:
Well Transfers have come and I'm still here as ZL in Oakland, which means I get to deal with the crazy holiday sister drama! I am afraid... oh so very afraid... (don't tell any of the sisters I said that....) Which means I will probably be here for a while, because I am one of the youngest zone leaders and most of the other ones are going home soon so I will have to stick around to train new ones, even the one I just trained is going home before me, so he won't even be able to take my spot! How lame is that! But exciting news! (for me at least) my son is already district leader! The elder that I busted my tail training right before I got made ZL, is only in his fourth transfer and he's already a district leader! He is such a fantastic missionary! He's tearing it up, he's probably going to be the one that takes my spot when I go home. Not that it's really anything I did, but still one becomes' strangely attached to the missionaries he trains, so to see one I trained doing so well, makes me proud of him!
So the Christmas lights are up at the temple now, I kinda like it I kinda don't. The Christmas lights in Salt Lake are a lot more classy. The lights here are pretty, yet they are to flashy, it's like Las Vegas. The Salt Lake Temple's lights almost sing Christmas to you with peace and joy and gentleness. These lights are like the cookie monster running around yelling "CHRISTMAS!!!! LIGHTS!!!!! WOOOOW! PRETTY!!! BLUE!!! PURPLE! RED! PINK! WHITE! YAY!!!!!!! CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!" I'm kinda not a fan. I mean, it's really nice, and it draws a lot of people, I just feel like it's not temple conducive... Not that it's bad, if it were any where else it would be great, just not on a temple grounds. I dunno, maybe it's just me.
So Thanksgiving was good. I got good and full, and the food was fine, but it just didn't feel like Thanksgiving. I really miss San Francisco... things just don't feel the same over here... Thanksgiving, and Christmas over there, felt like Thanksgiving and Christmas, they were special, here it was just a day where a few families gave us a lot of food to eat and I taught them about being Thankful... It just didn't feel the same. Haha, most missionaries get trunky for home... no offense I love you all, but I know there are more Christmas's and Thanksgiving's with you all to come, but not having Thanksgiving out there made me trunky for San Francisco! I'm still on my mission and I'm trunky for my mission! Sad... that's some twisted logic... I never thought doing the same service in two different places could be so different. Nothing has changed about me, I still do the same work, teach the same gospel, have the same calling as a missionary, yet something’s just not the same. I dunno what it is, but things just aren't quite the same... lol not that you need to worry about me or anything, I'm just reflecting my thoughts on paper... err... screen... key board?... computer, e-mail, stuff, yeah...
Anyhow, so again, I hate to say these kinds of things because it makes me feel like by mentioning it, it seems like I'm trying to remind people so that they will do something, but I'm really not, it's just an inevitable thing that must be addressed for instances of holidays and birthdays and such. Not that anyone needs to! But if anyone was planning on sending me something for Christmas, don't send me objects. I don't like to admit it, but my days as a missionary are growing short, and I'm to the time when I have to realize all the stuff I want to keep, has to fit in 2 suit cases... so I'm already having to look at what I'm gonna have to cut, so I don't need any more objects that I'm going to want to keep that will take up non-existent room in my suit cases. I love you all, and I appreciate that people want to do something, but when life has to fit in about 5 cubed ft. and not be over 100 lbs. People's kind gestures become rather smooshed... so not that I need anything, but if you are bent on sending me something, don't send objects. IF you are one of those crazy people who plan way to far ahead and have already got something ( I don't think anyone that knows me is that organized...but just in case) then I don't want you to feel bad or that you can't send it. Just don't go getting anything more haha. Once again, I truly am serious when I say I need nothing. Okay, done with that awkward conversation!
So we're shooting for 20 more baptisms by the end of the year for our stake... President Packer, us and the Stake president talked things over and it's a pretty bold goal, in fact, pretty much, it will set some records for the mission, but we think we can do it... We've got 6 of the 20 so far... so we've got 1 month to get another 14... It’s rough, and it will be especially rough because of Christmas time which means a lot of us missionaries spend a lot of time doing stuff for the V.C. and not teaching. So we've got our work cut out for us, but we've been setting records right and left, so we'll see if we can keep it up!Alright I gotta fly! talk to you all later!
Love,
Elder Fortie

November 16 - 22, 2009

November Pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kensbestpics/FamilyNovember2009#

Fortie Family Flyer
November 16 – 22, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
Thanksgiving is in the air, I had better make sure my thankfulness is in good working condition. Lets see, what am I thankful for… Several years ago I remember having the kids write their top 50 things they were thankful for, in order and at first it was easy but after a while they had to really start thinking. I wonder what I would write today. Well, since there is not much to speak of in the news department this week perhaps that will be my letter.
Here we go:
Life
Good and evil
Jesus
Salvation
Love
Faith
Hope
The Gospel
Family
Extended Family
Priesthood
Prophets
Scriptures
Temples
America
Founding Fathers
The Constitution
Pioneers
Health
Eyes to see
A Home
Friends
Indoor Plumbing
Electricity
Fruit Trees
Beautiful Scenery
Sunsets
Roses
Song of the Meadowlark
Mountain Streams
Lilacs
Flight of an Eagle
Good Music
Books
Cars
Refrigerator
Computers
A Camera
Internet
Mountain Bike
Beach
Comfortable bed
Camping
Garden Vegetables
Educational Programs – Science, Travel, History, etc.
Scooter
Airplanes
Moon
Stars
Piano

Well, I finished this letter then the power went out and it had saved it up to about number 40 so I had to do the last 10 over again plus the rest of the letter. Hope I remember it all.
Since we had already celebrated Michelle’s birthday this week was a bit more low key. Jennifer and I went and decorated Michelle’s locker at school (I had to get Jennifer out of school to do it) and Jennifer bought Michelle a lunch from Wendy’s. She is nice that way. Michelle came to her locker and we talked for a bit before I had to get Jennifer back to school.
I started work at the American Fork Deseret Book store this week. It sure was strange trying to get used to registers that I used to train people on. For the first day I felt like I was in a foreign country; crazy how quickly I forget things. It is also strange not being the supervisor. I was able to quickly remember the fun little things I used to say to the customers to break the ice. Hope I can fit in with this crowd.
Saturday I worked in the morning as did everyone in our house so I went and picked up the BYU game that grandpa and grandma taped for us so we could watch it that night. The girls worked late so Tami and I watched it. It was a good game.
I taught the genealogy class on Sunday and then Priesthood after that. It is always difficult to switch gears and teach one right after the other. After church we sent Michelle after grandma Talley and grandpa and grandma and Chad came over for dinner and we had a nice time.
Oh, I have been listening to a set of CD’s about the book of Revelation by Draper. It is very interesting. Looks like we are in for some interesting times.
Well, that’s it for this week.
What are you thankful for?
Ken and clan



From Elder Fortie:
Hello everyone, so this morning I had to be up at the temple at 7:00 in the morning to take down one of the exhibits they had up for the California Pioneers as they prepare for all the Christmas exhibits, I love Christmas, but I am not looking forward to being the zone leader here during Christmas time... this place gets insane at Christmas... It's total madness, and they tell me all the sisters, (I have like 18 sister missionaries that I am over) with all the stress of being in the Visitors center during the madness, they get pretty nasty! (You female's, no offense, but you don't usually take stress well, you get all hopped up and crazy!) and with 18 sisters in one building with thousands of people coming through that they are supposed to help... all those hormones packed together under high stress every night for like 45 days... and I am the one that all their problems come to... please, your prayers are appreciated...
Well this week has been pretty good, although I have filed for retirement once again... but president doesn't think he's gonna let me retire from zone leader, he says I'm doing to much work to retire, and I am tempted to be useless so he will retire me, but then there's this nasty little thing called a conscience, and it possesses me and won't let me! Cursed conscience.... Although I rejoice in the fact that I will stay as a zone leader, because that means I won't be an AP BWA HAHAHAHAHA!!! Dodged that bullet! I don't understand all the greenies that come in wanting a leadership position, the joys that come from the simple service, from changing people's lives, from bringing the gospel into someone’s home, that is what our purpose and where the true joy in service comes from! Not from "I'm gonna be the next AP!" (All you future missionaries out there that are reading this, take heed, I'm serious, forget callings and just work, just do your job whatever it is, and do it right. No one cares about callings). Okay, off my soap box.
Thanksgiving is coming up, and one of our recent converts asked us this past week to come over and help him work on his back yard, so we went and dug out about 6 inches down a 15x30 ft. area in his back yard because he's trying to make a patio, then when we got done he told us it was for us because he wants us to come over for thanksgiving and have a thanksgiving picnic! So our efforts appear that they will pay off. My hands are getting soft after so long without any good hard manual labor... so they get pretty worn out swinging a pick for 2 hours, as does my muscles that have slowly turned to gelatin over the course of my mission... but we got the job done right quick, and then had a tasty lunch, (the mom is a chef! hehe) and are looking forward to some thanksgiving yum!
We have been trying to get a few people married recently too! (so we can baptize them!) so it's looking like were gonna shoot for a mid December wedding so we can have a Christmas time baptism! YEAH!!! We have a bunch of people we are teaching, but Satan's trying really hard to throw them off, every possible obstacle imaginable is coming down on us and them, BUT WE WILL RESIST!!! WE WILL OVER COME ALL BARRIERS!!! Satan cannot stop us now! He's mean sometimes, but we're stubborn! (or dumb... one of the two...) But either way it works!
Well I must get going, can't dilly dally you know, lots to do, so little time to do it all. Everyone out here keeps asking me when I'm going home... they seem to think my end is near, they all say it seems like I've been out a long time, yet I still have over 1/4 of the way to go! WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK I'M DYING??!!!! I'm still young yet! I refuse to die! Back off!
Anyhow, keep on going and doing stuff and things like that, and I'll do the same. Chin up, back straight, suck in your gut and slap on a smile!Love,
Elder Fortie

November 9 - 15, 2009

November Pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kensbestpics/FamilyNovember2009#

Fortie Family Flyer
November 9 – 15, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
We have six weeks ‘till Christmas, 7 weeks ‘till 2010 and one hundred sixty one weeks (give or take) until December 21, 2012 and the end of the world, so they say (or at least until the end of the Mayan calendar which, when we figure out the truth, probably means it’s time to change the batteries in their calendar). Hum, I guess we better get out and see as much of the world as we can in that one hundred and sixty one weeks (just in case).
Well, as usual, not much to report this week. I did have both the Sandy and the American Fork Deseret Book stores try to hire me. The American Fork Store offered more hours and said they were much more fun to work with so I took that one. I start Monday the 16th (today). Hopefully it will be a positive experience and my ankle will allow me to do a good job.
I decided I didn’t get a very well rounded group of pictures from Wheeler Farm when I went to take family pictures so I went back in the middle of this week but there had been some pretty strong winds for a few days before that and it went from beautiful yellow colors to brown and gray rather quickly so not much success there. I’m not even sure why I take these pictures; I still have to come up with a way to get them to make money - perhaps a calendar with a quote from the scriptures on each page or something.
Nothing fun in the evenings going down all week; just work and girls doing activities for church. I did shop for Tami’s birthday but I am never very good at finding something she likes so I really struggled with it. I finally found something and before she even opened it she told me that she wanted to use her birthday and Christmas money to get a new couch for the family room so I said we might as well not look at what I got since we just have to take it back. She wanted to see it anyway so she opened it and actually liked it and wanted to keep it – shock of the century for me. It was a warm robe since she gets cold in the office down stairs in the winter time. On Saturday we went to dad and mom’s to watch the game. Due to work schedules we were a few minutes late but had a nice time once there. Alicia fixed some soup that really hit the spot so I asked for the recipe. I think we have several soup days coming up with the temperature falling and snow coming down.
It snowed pretty hard Saturday night and Michelle had the truck at work so I went and let her drive the car while I drove the truck home. Even though it was just from 134th (Kneaders) to our house it was very slick and we could see 3 accidents on 134th from the restaurant. The truck had a hard time making it up the slope on Monarch Meadows and Shaggy Peak (not very steep just very slick) but we finally made it home. It’s nice to have a home to come to in weather like that. We got home late and I stayed up a bit to get my lesson for my genealogy class. Our ward is now able to get on to the New Family Search sight (as of Monday) so we will see if I can’t get our ward on it and doing their genealogy. The class went well on Sunday, now I just need to get next weeks lessons for Sunday School and Priesthood earlier in the week so I’m not staying up late on Saturday night working on them. We all slept after church and one home teaching visit for me. Tami ended up making the dessert for the birthday dinner at mom and dads. When Brian came home we took off, the roads had cleared up pretty well so we had no problems. We had a nice dinner and visit and Tami and Michelle blew out candles and we had cake and ice-cream, of course. Mike and Linda and Ashley were there as well.
Well, that is indeed the whole week except all the exciting stuff, but then that would have been a fiction story and I don’t do fiction. Hope all is going well for you and you are thankful for what you have in this season of Thanksgiving.
Ken and clan




From Elder Fortie:
No, I didn't die; the two day delay in my letter is just because I moved our zone's p-day to Wednesday just for this week to let them go to the temple (It's not open on Monday when we have p-day and p-day is the only day were allowed to go). So I moved it for this week so they could have their tri- annual temple trip. So P-day is Wednesday for this week, but we'll be back to Monday next week. My week was again filled with lots of administration but not as much as last week gratefully. Although this upcoming week is looking like I may be doing another long haul... Still smiling though!
Well the temple this morning was great! I'm there almost everyday, but I don't get to do a session. So to actually get to go through it and not just rush around at meetings at it was a nice chance to relax and do some reflecting and stress relief. It was a bit of a frustrating week. I do wish members would better understand their purpose in the mission work and both the good, and bad affects they can have by simple choices. I had to deal with two situations where active members pulled a dumb move with an investigator which is head aches and problems I don't want to have nor does it need to happen! Be good! Be kind and nice and loving to investigators! Okay? All you people out there, treat them well! Both to their faces AND when their not around! That's all I'm gonna say about that.
Well I set 2 baptismal dates this past week! One of them is living with her boy friend and is not married and has a 4 year old kid, she accepted the baptismal date, and our next lesson was going to be on getting her married so she could get baptized. I was worried about it because I didn't think it was going to go over very well with the boy friend, he didn't seem like he wanted to get married, but to my surprise the Lord had a nice blessing up his sleeve. The next day after she set a date to be baptized, before I'd ever told them she couldn't get baptized until she got married, he proposed to her!!! Out of no where! After living together for like 4 years he "randomly" (with a little celestial help...) decided to ask her to marry him! Yeah... coincidence.... I think not! This is so the Lord's work and he prepares those whom are open to change! So that was exciting.
One night this past week, we’re not sure what I got but I had a temperature of 101.7 degrees, and we were supposed to have 4 appointments in the next 4 hours, and I was shaking like a leaf struggling to stand as we knocked on the door of our first of 4 really important appointments. We were looking like we were in trouble! But then our ward mission leader, "tio Ted" (His name is Theodore Fairchild, who's a white guy who was a former professor at BYU and several other prestigious universities who served his mission in Guatemala, but he goes by "Tio Ted" which is Spanish for "uncle Ted") he's a funny little sweet man in his early 60's that does a ton for us and is a great teacher and missionary showed up at the appointment and said I needed to get some rest, so they took me home and left me with another Elder who was sick and he went out with my companion and went to all our appointments for me. He's a great guy and he did a great job, the people love him and he really knows how to get stuff done. I was up and running by the next day, but I was pushin 102 degrees which if I remember right is not good haha. But I'm totally fine and back to norm now. So that was another great help to have him there to take over for us.
Well now I gots to go, no p-day for the wicked hahaha. My p-days usually consist of doing my laundry, writing an e-mail and if I'm really lucky I'll have time to write a letter or two sometime throughout the day to a friend. Its madness and I don't really get a p-day most of the time, more of just it's a day when I'm allowed to clean and write home and friends in between all the other stuff I have to do. My time has run out, stay strong everyone, keep on smiling, happy birthday to Mom and Michelle, and remember... something... because I don't!
Love,
Elder Fortie

November 2 - 8, 2009

November Pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kensbestpics/FamilyNovember2009#

Fortie Family Flyer
November 2 – 8, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
What to say about this week. Monday the girls worked but we all went out for a milkshake after they got home.
Tuesday I went to take pictures of Chad, Alicia and Spencer. We went to a little park behind a cemetery near dad and moms house. It was a nice little spot but we didn’t have much time after Chad got off work and the sun went down, daylight savings time is over and it gets dark early.
I had an interview with the Sandy Deseret Book on Tuesday, then one with the American Fork store on Thursday. They both offered me a job, the Sandy store is closer but the American Fork store offered me more hours and said they were much more fun so I took that one. I should be starting soon. Perhaps that will keep us afloat through Christmas.
Brian drove on his scooter for 2 days on a flat tire and didn’t know it so he destroyed the tire and the rim. It is going to really cost him to replace it. I took it in to the shop when I went to the American Fork store for an interview.
Saturday I got up early to get my Sunday School and Priesthood lessons. I don’t feel ready to teach everyone about the New Family Search program but what can you do, they asked me to do it and so we do what we can. I didn’t pay attention to the rest of the family sleeping in and when I came up to get out the door to meet with Chad and Alicia for pictures the rest of the family were just getting up. We rushed everyone and headed out but were about 15 minutes late to Wheeler Farm for pictures. Chad and Alicia were wandering around with Spencer amongst the animals and having fun. I was expecting wind as a storm was supposed to be coming in but it was a nice day and barely needed light jackets with only a slight breeze. We wandered and took pictures and relaxed. The farm was very pretty with many of the leaves down or falling down all around us and some just turning colors in the trees, so the ground was covered and some of the trees had beautiful colors shimmering in the sunlight. I would like to have spent more time there as a family just walking and enjoying the atmosphere but all were busy, busy, busy so after pictures they all rushed off and I walked around by myself for a bit, taking pictures and enjoying the grounds and the music of a bagpipe player there just to play for anyone who wished to listen. Brian came on my scooter after his class so he went with the others back to grandpa and grandma’s and I took the scooter after I was done. We finished watching the BYU game and we really wiped them out. They taped it for us so we could watch it later. After a visit there we headed for home to get a few things done and then go to a Stake Luau. It was a family that someone in our ward knew that put on the show and they did a great job. We thought it was a dinner and show but it was only dessert so we were hungry when we got home and fixed something quick as it was late.
On Sunday I made some last minute preparations for my two classes and we headed for church. I was feeling like we shouldn’t be teaching about the new family search until we actually could get on but they announced in Sacrament meeting that we could get on starting on Monday. That will be good as they can now get on and actually do what we talk about in class. I went over the basics with the new program but still feel like I am only one step ahead of everyone else. The class seemed to go well and then I dashed out for a drink and then to Priesthood to teach the High Priests. My lesson was different as it was just about 9 pages of descriptions of Joseph Smith from people who knew him. That seemed to lack some variety so I approached it in a different way. I first talked about favorite prophets of old that people in the group had (only a few minutes). Then I read a few ancient descriptions of how the people loved their prophet, whether it was Abraham or Moses. There were a few moist eyes in the room as I read some of the descriptions (from a book I have of ancient commentaries of the scriptures called “The Bible as it Was”). We then read about Joseph Smith with each choosing their favorite from a page they were assigned (no time to read them all). We then talked about how the prophets are very close to the Lord and seem to be very good at showing love because they felt it from the Lord (again a few seemed to be affected but the spirit of the message). I then talked about how important it is to love our prophet telling as much about us as it does about him. Both lessons seemed to go well and I enjoyed it.
Well, Sunday night was choir practice and singing at home and watching a DVD about early church history then writing letters.
That’s it in a nutshell.
Keep following the examples of the great prophets and love, love, love.
Ken and clan



From Elder Fortie:
Well, I still am alive by definition, though brain dead may be fitting... it's nap time. I am worn out like a moldy old carpet! I did a zone conference this last week, I prepared it, conducted it, and was asked by president Wade to be the main speaker at the conference, which took me half the day to do, starting at 7 in the morning, then I got home, and did 4 hours of reports for a stake meeting, then I went to the stake meeting and spoke there, and then it was 9 P.M and time to go home, and I realized I hadn't talked to one person that wasn't an active member all day! ugh... Then I had to do 7 hours worth of numbers and reports for Salt Lake, through three other days of the week, then I had to plan some zone works for next week, then the ONLY DAY ALL WEEK I HAD FREE TO WORK IN MY AREA, one of our missionaries got in a car wreck and had to have surgery on his arm so I had to go be with one of the Assistants and his companion to deal with that situation... so I taught one appointment that day. But it was a really cool appointment! I was with one of the Assistants who doesn't speak Spanish, so it was all me I was flying solo, which isn't difficult for me to do as far as me being able to do it, but having a second witness is much more powerful when you teach, so I was up against this die hard old born and raised catholic lady, and I had no companion to testify with me, I told her the moment I met her we were here to help her repent and be baptized, and she just looked at me and said "I've been baptized and I don't need to be baptized again, I've been Catholic my whole life and I'm not going to change. I told her to listen to what I had to say and then she could decide for herself when I was done. I taught her about the restoration of the church, and as I shared Joseph Smith's first vision her eyes filled with tears, and then I stopped, and sat there in silence as she stared at the floor crying. Once she finally made eye contact with me again, I asked her if she would be baptized, she told me "God is in this room, and I know everything you've told me is true, I will pray to God tonight and ask him if he wants me to be baptized, if he tells me yes, then I will do it, but I need to pray first, because this means everything I've believed in my whole life is wrong, and I will be leaving everything I knew behind." Then I gave her a Book of Mormon with Moroni's promise marked for her to read, and told her to get down on her knee's right now and ask God if it was true. She did so right there in front of us and again started to cry, at the end she just looked at me, and said you're right, it is true, but I must ask God if he wants me to leave my church, because the Catholic church is my life. I told her it was true, and I understood that she would have to leave everything behind, but that she could not deny God and pretend she had not felt the truth of our message, I told her we'd be back tomorrow, when she had had a chance to talk to God about it. Then we left. It was not my area, I was out there helping out the Assistants, the only two missionaries in this mission who's lives are even more chaotic then mine haha, so I didn't get to see the results, but I'll be following up with them today on what happened. It was a good experience. I have many like that actually, I just normally don't have time to write them down, I wish I did, because my memory does not hold details as well as I'd like, it all just blurs together and I lose track of precious memories...
This week otherwise has been mostly all hubbub and such. I've been dealing with a lot of stuff all week, I don't think I've gotten more then 6 hours of sleep in a night this week, it's been a rush at every moment, even P-day, I was asked to put on a missionary activity day, so I had like 20 missionaries playing Mofia, while I had like 20 more playing fools bell, which is a game where everyone except one person is blindfolded, and the one who is not blindfolded has a bell that they have to ring non-stop, and all the blindfolded people have to try and catch the one with the bell! Oh it's madness but it's hilarious to watch 20 blindfolded people in a gym chasing the sound of a bell as the bell person dodges about between them trying not to get touched.
Any how, I gots to get going. I hope all is well in the world beyond, I'm still going, and I might just live to see the Christmas lights at the temple here! They are putting them up as we speak! TOODLES!!!Love,Elder Fortie




From Michelle:

Dear ma familia,
Again, we have a quite insignificant week… I worked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (at Kneaders), so I have no big news for any of those three days. So here we go on an update for everything else that did happen!
Tuesday we had Young Womens in excellence. We displayed a project that we had been working on, mine being my room. Don’t worry, I didn’t attempt to bring my whole room to display, I only brought some of the paints that I used, some pictures that I am hanging on my walls, and some other cute crafts that I’ve made to match my room! I also had to give a talk that night, and I gave one on the prophet Moroni and the life that he lived. I talked about how he had to stand up for the beliefs that he had, and how we can go by his example today. I didn’t quite get in all the things I wished I could have said, but it wasn’t too bad.
On Thursday I had Special Needs Mutual with my little friend Celeste. Most of the night went fairly well with no horrible incidents, until Celeste had to go to the bathroom. As she was closing her stall door, I saw a lighter on the floor in front of her, and tried to quickly stop her, but to no avail. She had locked the door, and seen it. She grabbed it and just wouldn’t let go! I was so worried and afraid that she would get hurt. I couldn’t get it away from her, and tried for at least twenty minutes. Finally, her mom came to pick her up, and I ran to tell her what was happening. She told Celeste very excitedly that someone had been looking so hard for that lighter and that Celeste was now a hero. Celeste got really excited that she was a hero now, and gave up the lighter without a fight. I guess after 16 years of experience you come to know exactly what will get your kid.
Friday I went to UVU with a few friends during the day to watch our school volleyball team play. They made it to state, so we were excused from part of school to go watch their game! We played fairly well, and won one, and lost another. But one of the most exciting parts for me was watching Lone Peak high school’s team. (We didn’t play them, but they were on the court next to us.) They were all amazing and looked like professionals out there! That team is going far, I’ll tell you that!
After we got back to school that day, we had our school Spirit Bowl!!! Our school has a week every year called Spirit Week. Monday-Thursday you all dress up like they tell you. For example, there is Mustache Monday, Twin Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday…etc. Then at lunch, we have lunch time activities that you can participate in to earn points for your grade level. Then on Friday, each grade level is assigned a different set of colors based on the Spirit bowl theme. This year, the theme was medieval times, so the Seniors were in purple and gold for royalty, us juniors were in sky blue and white/silver for knights, the sophomores were in green and brown as peasants, and the teachers and faculty were in red and orange for the dragons. Then we have a giant assembly that is a battle between the classes. Each grade has representatives that compete, and it is SO funny to watch! They have dance offs every year, this year we had a joust, and then they have an obstacle course. For most of the competition, juniors and seniors were neck and neck for the lead (even though seniors always win no matter what.) and on the obstacle course, they were supposed to be climbing up a big, slippery, blow up slide. The senior and junior competing in that event kept pulling each other down and wouldn’t let the other get anywhere. They are good friends and on the football team together, so they were just laughing about it for a while, but finally the junior tackled the senior off the slide onto the gym floor! They were both laughing about it, but because of the event, juniors were disqualified. None of us really cared though. We get out year next year, and it made for a really good story! :]
On Saturday, we went to Wheeler Farm with Chad, Alicia, and Spencer so Dad could take some of their family pictures! It was really fun to see Spencer’s reaction to some of the farm animals and to play with him and try to get him to smile for the camera. I love that little boy so much! He’s just a funny little ball of fun! I don’t know what we’d do without him in our lives!
After Wheeler Farm, we went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to watch the BYU game!! We only made it there as halftime was ending, but it was still cool to see the last half! BYU dominated the game and won 54 to 0!! I just love my team!
We left Grandma and Grandpa’s at the end of the game and we were forced by Mom to get… dun dun dun… a swine flu shot. Now, I’m not sure why, but I seem to have a really bad reaction to shots, which has seemed to instill in me a fear of shots. With my Tetanus shot, my arm swelled up where I got the shot and it looked like I had a baseball in my arm. It was hard like a baseball too, so needless to say, I’m not a fan of needles anymore. The shot wasn’t so bad at first because I had people distracting me and I didn’t have him tell me when he was going to do it. The aftermath however, still hurts. Jennifer and Mom can’t even feel theirs today, but mine now hurts worse than it did yesterday. I have slight bruising around the area, it’s really tender, and the pain from it even goes up my neck. I have to keep taking Advil to make the pain a little more dull. Stupid shots.
Then today, they changed my Young Womens leaders. I got really attached to my leaders again this time, and so the tears were flowing all over the place today. I know that these new leaders will be good for me, but it’s still hard to watch my old leaders go. I’m pretty sure I am really terrible at change.
So that has been my week. I hope you are all doing well and that things are going as they should! I love you all and wish you the best of luck!! Goodnight yall!
Love,
Michelle



From Jennifer:

Hello Family and Friends!-
This week the boys were on vacation and I didn’t know what to do with all the time on my hands! I was bored to death mostly but I got a chance to relax from life!
On Thursday night we had young women’s volleyball (P.S. we made it to regional!) I played the first game and then on to the second but while going for the ball I jumped into the air and whacked it over coming back down with a smack and my ankle giving out, usually it just gets better after a while (and yes it is usual) and I just deal with it so I kept playing…but that made it worse. So I was hobbling around that night with some of the cursed young women that I love to death carrying me around, I figured it would be fine tomorrow…but no. I was hobbling around school with annoying pain in my ankle with all my friends trying to carry me. Saturday it was stiff but fairly well and then Sunday it was good again.
So random different thoughts from this week- I hit myself with the car door on accident, it gave me a bruise. I was also a little sick but just the sniffles and after a few days I was good again. Michelle, my mom and I got the H1N1 vaccination, Michelle’s arm still hurts badly but my mom and I are fine, honestly I was fine five minutes later because after my stomach illness and getting so many needles poked in me a little shot isn’t a big deal anymore. Our young women leaders were released and Michelle, Rylie another girl in our ward, and I were all in tears. It was sad to see them leave but exciting to meat new ones. On Saturday we went to Wheeler farms to take pictures of Chad, Alicia and Spencer and a little of me to. It was really fun and such a pretty place! We had a stake luau that night which was cool with all the dancers and delicious cake! I think that covered it for this week! See you all down the road! And remember-when life gets to hard to stand, kneel…in prayer.

Jennifer

October 26 - November 1, 2009

Fortie Family Flyer
October 26 – November 1, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,
I missed writing about this week, and am finally sitting down to write a few weeks later. Not much to tell. It should be a week of merriment and family fun for Halloween. Indeed the children were off to parties and activities with friends but I was burdened with money matters to the point of affecting my health and well being. My mood was such that I was not able to get myself to carve pumpkins with the kids on Saturday (a shock to the family as my artistic nature tends to have me doing such things with gusto); better left to them so they wouldn’t have my darkness around them (ah, the mood swings of said artistic personality). Jennifer started carving a rather difficult project and then didn’t have my guidance to help her and the time to finish her modified simplified version so she left it for me to do as she had to go to work (perhaps to help me I don’t know). I finished carving away the sides to make them thin enough for light to shine through leaving a pumpkin face thick in front to stand out against the light background. It turned out fairly well and the carving was actually rather therapeutic. I find that creating something always helps, though when I don’t feel like doing things I don’t think of using it as therapy. Brian carved a jabberwocky that looked very scary (it throwing up on our front porch and all) and Michelle carved one that said Owl City on it (a local group she likes). Chad, Alicia and Spencer came over for a surprise visit Halloween night. They brought dinner with them, which was very nice. We had a few friends of kids here so we put a few things Tami put on the stove for us with their food and were able to feed everyone (Tami worked until 7:00 pm or so). It was nice to see them and it was good for the spirit as well. Of course we took pictures of the little sock monkey they brought along (Spencer). After a while all the kids left and Tami handed out candy while I worked. Last year I got up on the roof with a ghost on a rope that I would swing in to great the kids at the door but I had enough of the parents ask me not to scare their little kiddies that I decided it wasn’t worth it this year (good grief, it’s Halloween), besides I wasn’t quite in the spirit of the holiday (get it – spirit, ghost, haha) so I just went down stairs and worked.
I went to the temple this week and felt a good spirit there that helped me as I grapple with my problems and questions as to what to be, how to overcome fear, etc, etc, etc.
We went to church and they announced that I was starting the Family History class during Sunday School but only one problem, they forgot to tell me this was going down. I raced home a few minutes before sacrament meeting ended, grabbed the manual and a DVD to play and made it back just as it was time to start the class. We watched the DVD and I went through lesson one and faked it fairly well. Our Stake is finally getting on to new.familysearch.org this week. Well see how things go.
Well, that’s it for Halloween week. Perhaps that’s why the demons were after me. Keep the Spirit (the good one).
Ken and clan




From Elder Fortie:
Well World, we go forth, undaunted. I may perish in the dust in the process due to lack of brain tissue to handle all the overloading of brain waves and information being processed there-in, but at least there will be so much on my mind at the time that I probably wont even have realized it's happened yet, I shall just awake in a happy place! Honestly... I have so many meetings this upcoming week that I think I might cry, for my brain shall melt into a pool of grey matter residing within a echoing cavern of emptiness called my head. The only day my companion and I have to work our area is... oh wait... I forgot, I don't get a day to work my area this week! blech! I have no idea when I am even going to prepare half of the firesides, speeches, presentations, conferences, meetings, charts, interviews, reports, exchanges and "fix the dumb people sessions" that I have to do this week. I think half of them I will end up doing off the cuff and just pretending like I know what I'm doing because I just don't have time to prep. for all of them. Wow... Anyhow, I had a meeting with President Packer this past week, that man is amazing, he gets stuff done, he sat me down and said "Elder Fortie, you are the head zone leader, you are the lead representative of the work of the Lord in Oakland, so I want you to tell me, what this stake can do to help you". We had an hour long chat, and I told him what I thought, and in less then a week, things we have been trying to get the stake to do for months happened. It was great, so that was really exciting.Halloween we were on our way home at 6 P.M. because of the madness that happens here at night on Halloween we missionaries aren't allowed out. And even at 6 I was amazed at the things I saw as I drove home... I'm not going to share, but oh how wicked and abominable this world is becoming. I can see why they had us go in at 6. Be grateful for Utah! People may make fun of it as a little bubble. But heck, I say give me the bubble if that's what I have to deal with outside the bubble!Anyhow, sorry I don't have much time again, I hope and pray you are all doing well! I love you all!Love, Elder Fortie



From Michelle:
Dear peeps,
Quick letter for you today, (and I promise it actually will be this time). It’s late and I am sleepy, so I will make this short and sweet.
This week was a lot of work, and some more work, then some school, and some staying up late to do homework, and then more school. I bet you are all just thrilled to delve more into the details of my oh-so-thrilling-and-eventful life, so here goes.
There are really only two big events from this week. The first was Bob the Baker leaving work. Bob is the really strange and old big brother that I never had. (I know, I have 4 strange big brothers, but he’s the oldest.) I worked with him at Kneaders, and he was probably my favorite person to work with. He just made me laugh all the time and I loved to come in to see him! He was a spaz and we got along so well. He’s the guy that let me tie-dye his work shirts. Friday was his last day, and he made us special food and snacks as a goodbye, and when he finally, officially left, I cried. He’s moving to Arizona to finish school, and I’m really sad. He and I talked about how funny it was that we had gotten so close in the short time that I had been there and how much we would miss breaking the rules and defying “the man” together. It was a really sad day.
The other big event of the week was Halloween of course! In the morning, I didn’t work, so Mom, Jennifer, and I went in to Kneaders to have breakfast! I always serve the food, but had never eaten breakfast there before! It was really yummy and we had a fun time! Then we went home, cleaned, and got ready for the rest of Halloween. Spencer, Chad, and Alicia came over for a while and it was really fun to see them and to see little Spencer in his sock monkey outfit! He is so cute, I can’t even stand it. I never thought I could love a little kid quite so much, and he’s not even my kid! I can’t wait to be a mommy and have little kids of my own! :] Don’t worry, I won’t try to speed the process alone or anything! After we had some dinner with them, I headed to my friend Dallin’s house for a Halloween party! We ate more food, played outside, and then went inside to watch a scary movie in his basement! The guys said they were there for comfort after the scary parts, but I think they spent about half of the movie scaring me even worse, and then calming me down just to scare me again! I guess I bring it upon myself with my jumpy nature though. After the movie, it was time to head home, but I was so freaked out, I made my friend Dallin go check my car and make sure that there were no murderers in my backseat or anything. He laughed at me, but did it willingly, and then told me to call him when I got home so that he knew I would be safe. I love my guy friends! As cruel as they can be sometimes, (they remind me a lot of you Jas) they are sweet and super concerned most often. Every little scrape I get, they freak out over, and if I shiver once, all of their jackets fly at me at once, and they insist on me taking them all. They are really funny and gentleman-ly, and I am glad I have them around! When I got back to my house, I was still a little spooked, and everybody here was starting another scary movie! Well, naturally I couldn’t turn it down, so I watched that one as well! We were all up past 2 in the morning watching the movie! It was crazy and we’ve all been super tired today.
Speaking of super tired, I really REALLY am, so I think it’s time to wrap this up! I love you all and hope all is well! Remember the season that’s coming up next and try to keep gratitude in your hearts! It will make a huge difference.
“The key to individuality is to get rid of that I’m-afraid-of-looking-stupid line of thought”
Love,
Michelle