November Pictures at:
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 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
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