April 19 - 25, 2010

Fortie Family Flyer
April 19 – 25, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,
A half a page filled with words to describe my week didn’t happen this time around. I spent too much time in training for the Census Bureau instead. As a Crew Leader I had to learn how to fingerprint so I went to a large training session at the U of U where I fingerprinted several people, then another session down town and, you guessed it, more fingerprinting. Then, to top it off, a few small training sessions, once again getting my hands covered in black ink fingerprinting dozens of people to make sure they are not criminals or nutcases trying to get a job with the government. I remember one moment of revelation as I went into the restroom at the Herriman City office building, after doing some fingerprinting, to wash my blackened hands off. After pushing on the soap dispenser I looked up and saw a nice fingerprint on the push bar of the dispenser. It’s funny how I had never thought about it before but it hit me like a ton of bricks that we leave our fingerprints everywhere we go and because we can’t see them we don’t think about them. I guess that isn’t that important (to those of you who are saying, “so what”) but it was a strange thing to see my fingerprint there (I suppose because you always associate fingerprints with crime).
Anyway, I am writing this several weeks late and the memory of any non census stuff is gone. I read my manuals all week in preparation of next week when I will be teaching my enumerators from a rather large manual (that I have to read verbatim) for an entire week. Most of the other Crew Leaders are getting their classes combined so they can team teach but my group is large and my room as small so I am on my own. I have to say that usually I don’t have a problem teaching a class in church but this is all new to me so I am a bit nervous. Hopefully all will go well (as long as my voice doesn’t go out).
Well, since I failed to write when this was fresh I am all done and I’m sure it is none too soon for all you poor, poor readers who have put up with this so far.
Well, you don’t have to start wearing gloves everywhere you go, just remember to keep yourself clean so you don’t have to worry about where you leave fingerprints.
Ken and clan

P.S. A few weeks into the census, word came out that there were two people who didn’t pass the FBI fingerprint check and they were going to be let go. My crew got word of this and one of my guys (one of my best enumerators), said, when I called him about something else, “it’s me isn’t it.” I said no, then he told me he did some dumb things as a teen that he regrets and thought the FBI was on to him. We had a good laugh about it and learned a great lesson about how dumb things you do when you are young can haunt you all your life and sometimes catch up with you. It was obvious he was a changed man now and we became good friends.

April 12 - 18, 2010

Fortie Family Flyer
April 12 – 18, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,
We have been busier than a raccoon in a garbage can full of leftovers and no doubt you are felling the same way. It’s been crazy this week with all the training and what not. For the next two months I work for the government and it is everything they say it is. So many forms to fill out and policies and procedures to read and understand, it’s crazy I tell you just crazy. And the acronyms had my head just a spinning whilst I was trying to figure out who my FOS was and which form D-582 EXP stood for and which manual LPR stood for and where the LOR was and who the NRFU is, etc., etc., etc. We also had to get fingerprinted and then learn how to fingerprint so we could fingerprint the crew we will manage. All those get sent in to the FBI for background checks and sent back if they are not done right. All of this at great expense of course. Yes, about 1/3 of Americans didn’t turn in their census papers so I will be in charge of a crew of 15 people who will go out and knock on the doors of those who were too lazy to send their papers in so we can get their information the hard and expensive way. It costs something like $30.00 (I can’t remember exactly) to process a mailed in census form and something like $2,700.00 to go get the info from them. What a waist of tax money these lazy people cause. This has been required by law since George Washington so suck it up people and help us save some money by making it easy to count you. Besides your descendants in a hundred years will be grateful there is a record of you so they can do their genealogy. So, where were you on April 1, 2010? Wherever it was that will be a marker for your descendants to know a little bit more about you and your life and travels. Well, to make the training fair they had to read to us from a book for almost 40 hours this week. Wow, my brain is mush. We practiced fingerprinting in our class then went up to the U to practice some more. They paid for my travel and my miles and my time there so I was thinking we should have just practiced more in class in Herriman to save the travel and miles but they don’t ask me how we should spend my tax money. Anyway, if you need anyone to fingerprint you I should be able to do it now. Well, I passed the tests and I have 40 hours this week to study on my own so I can train my crew in a week from today to get them ready to knock on doors and know what to do if someone comes out with a shotgun to get them off their property. I have seen a few emails from anti-census people saying don’t answer private questions. I don’t get it; we don’t really ask personal questions that would be a problem. One thing I thought was funny is that we actually have to ask the person we are talking to if they are male or female. I suppose there is a certain percent that are hard to figure out. So we get name, gender race and if you own, are buying or rent the place you live in. I think that’s about it. Not sure what the big hoopla is. So if you didn’t send yours in and we knock on your door be nice and help us save a little money by getting us the info so we don’t have to come back 3 times. Well, enough about the census.
They asked me to try out for the Horace Vandergelder part in Hello Dolly and I have really struggled with that. I enjoy the activity but something keeps bugging me, telling me that I’m trying to juggle too many things right now and it could all come crashing down on me about mid summer. But then maybe I’m just having some jitters because this is such a major role. Not sure what to do, hoping Moroni will come down and give instructions soon. I prepared for and went to the tryouts Saturday night instead of plow my garden (perhaps a sign of too many things). There were a few people I knew there but not many (another sign?). We (Jennifer and I) went through fast so Jennifer could get back to work. I got called back for the tough part this next week, reading the lines with others and trying to act like you are comfortable with the part while reading. I can still get out (what to do, what to do).
Anyway, Sunday was busy with David’s homecoming and all. I got someone else to teach Priesthood finally and I gathered some quotes for him to use and took them to church to give to him. My genealogy class was different, couldn’t get a substitute, but I decided to send the family on to Mounteer’s church and I stayed and taught a little over half of my class then turned it over to Sister Johnson, one of the other genealogy reps. After dropping things off at home I jumped on my scooter and raced down Bangerter and up the hill to Sandy with my tie waving in the wind and made it just as David was starting his talk (that was close). We went to their house after church and had some good eats and good conversation; lots of people there and a good time was had by all. Brian and I rode our scooters home together. I saw Brother and Sister Bush (I used to be their home teacher way back when) out for a walk. I stopped to talk to them and catch up on things. I was very tired after we got home so I dropped to the floor and rested until scripture study and bed.
Well, that is the way this week went for all you people who might be reading this in 100 years or so. Hopefully this will give you a bit more information than the census but it’s good to have both.
Stand up and be counted,
Ken and clan



From Elder Fortie:
Okay, I don't need ANY MORE reminders that today is my one month to plane ride day okay? I really am freaking out here. I have SO much to do. I just can't imagine that it's going to end, I just feel like it's just going to continue on... but it's not. I think it's finally hitting me as president is asking me to train one last missionary to replace me, or fix one last district before I'm gone, or give one last training, or one last talk, one last fireside etc. everything suddenly has become "one last", and I'm not a fan. I think the hardest part is going to be the last talk I give... I'm supposed to decide what to talk about to all the missionaries to tell them how to love their missions as much as I have loved mine, how to dedicate themselves, how to work, how to testify, how to be the missionaries they need to be, how to love the people, how to prioritize their time, how to be obedient, how to lead, how to do everything, how to live their mission out like I have... that's what I've been asked to do. How do I say that in one talk? How do I get all I want and pray that these missionaries would learn from me in just one last stand at the pulpit? I'm overwhelmed. Give me a difficult task and I will laugh as I go to work, give me a simple one, and I don't know where to start... wow...
Anyways, things are starting to pick up here, it's been hard, this area was pretty dead, but this week we tripled what had been done the week before. So we're at least making progress, the problem is it still needs to triple again before I will be satisfied... I feel sick to my stomach thinking about it.
So this Saturday we volunteered to help the city, and we were planting trees and hauling 80 lbs. bags of wood chips out to a little mini island in the pond of a park by loading them onto a little boat and rowing them out to it and repeating the process over and over again for like 4 hours. Then we helped a member of the ward move, so we were carrying couches and stoves and etc. up 4 flights of a little apartment complex windy emergency exit staircase... gosh it was ridiculous, by the time I was done, I felt like I could not bend my knees or back or I may just collapse on the floor exhausted and not be able to move. So now I am SO SO SOOO sore, but it felt really good, I haven't done any real physically challenging work in probably like a year, so that felt so good, but at the same time it hurt so bad haha. But it's a good sort of pain.
Unfortunately I have to run though, I have to go organize a community park activity thing, so I'll talk to you all soon, by the way, on Mothers day where will you all be so I know where to call to?
Elder Fortie



From Michelle:
Buongiorno amici!! (I’m getting started on my Italian! :]
This week was pretty awesome! Not too boring, although the school part of it went very slow. So I’ll do my best to skip over the slow parts and just keep you up on the exciting stuff!
Monday nothing happened.
Tuesday I worked, which was actually pretty crazy and I’m pretty sure Mia (the night manager) and I scared off the new boy with all of our insanity! We have WAY too much energy on Tuesdays!! Haha.
Wednesday we had young womens activities to help our mothers get involved in personal progress, and we got to eat there, so that is always a bonus!
Thursday day, I went to school for a field trip! I went with my French class down to BYU for the language fair. We had to speak French the whole time we were there or risk being thrown in “jail”! It was actually pretty cool to see how much French I really knew and understood when the people were talking to me or asking me questions! It just goes to show that my four years of French haven’t gone to waste! Haha. Then we finished up and headed over to the BYU book store to just look around for a minute! While we were inside, we were looking at some of the photographs of temples and such things when my French teacher said to me, “Michelle, isn’t Ken Fortie your dad’s name?” And I said “Well yes it is! And those are all his pictures!”, to which he replied, “So your dad is a photographer?”. I paused, looked at him funny, and said, “yes… hence the reason that all those are his pictures”. We all laughed, and he just said, “Right, stupid question.” It was pretty funny. Then we went to lunch and had dessert at BYU creamery, which has the BEST ICE CREAM IN THE WORLD!!!
Then Thursday night I had Special Needs Mutual, and we all went on “missions”! We got called with our special needs friends to serve “missions to different areas” (of the gym). It was fun to see how some of them lit up when we asked them to knock on a door and bear their testimony when someone answered the door. It wasn’t real, and yet they were so excited to tell you what they know is true. I love Special Needs Mutual for that reason. Their testimonies are simple and to the point. There is no complex story that they have to tell you in order to testify that the church is true or that the Book of Mormon is true. They just tell it to you straight up and it helps me remember to get back to the basics of why I know this gospel is true. I know that my Savior lived, died for me, and lives again. I know that God is my father, and that he is watching me from heaven and that he loves me. I know that Joseph Smith brought this gospel and the light of truth to this world. I know that President Monson is our prophet today and he leads us by the power of God. Simple as that. I think this calling has been such an amazing experience for me and I’m so glad to have it.
Friday I worked. Exciting, I know.
Saturday I worked in the morning, and then came back to the house, did some cleaning, and got ready for my Saturday night! First we went to the black light stomp that our school was having for the SBO elections! It was a TON of fun!!! All of us were wearing white so we could glow, and we had highlighters that we were drawing all over ourselves with so that we were just glowing all over!! There were lasers shining all over the room and this fog/smoke stuff in the air so that you could see the laser lights passing through the air! It was really really REALLY cool! Then after the stomp, some of my close friends and I headed over to my friend Dallin’s house to hang out, where his parents had Olive Garden food waiting for us to eat!! It was delicious!! Then we went out for a ride in Dallin’s new car because I asked him if I could drive it and he was kind enough to let me! Yay!! It was really fun! So we ran to the store, got some treats and soda, grabbed a few things for his mom and headed back to the house! Some of the guys wanted to watch the Jazz game, so we turned it on, but they were loosing badly, so we turned it off again! :] Then we went to the park, goofed around and just had a blast! After that, we came back to the house, danced around to music, played a little hide and go seek in the dark, and just had an awesome night! It had been a long time since we had all hung out together, so it was WAY fun to get back to old times!
Then today (Sunday), we went out to Sandy for David’s homecoming! He gave a REALLY good talk, and even though his talking was a little speedy (haha) I really liked the message he shared about the restoration and us spreading the gospel ourselves! Then we went back to Mounteer’s house for some food and fun! :] It was good to talk to cousins and see everyone and catch up!! It has been really fun to have David back home and it’s cool to see all the changes that his mission made in his life!!
So anyways, that was my week! I hope all of yours was as good as mine!! Avere una buona settimana, ciao!
Amore,
Michelle!!!



From Jennifer:
SO much to tell, so little time!
It seems like that is the new theme to my life, so little time. I have been busy like crazy with Beehive presidency things’, babysitting almost everyday, young women’s, cramming school work in, chiropractor appointments etc. etc. But life amongst the sleep deprived chaos is fantastic! I had a meeting with the bishop then shortly after set up a day for my patriarchal blessing. June something or other, he’s a busy man, but I’m way excited. My testimony has been building so greatly in the littlest things through daily life, and it’s given me a new look on all things around me.
Last quarter I was really excited when I got my report card and I had nothing but B’s, even math! That’s one example of prayers being answered! My back has been gradually improving, very very gradually, but then once in a while it will freak out on me, but hey, no surgery so I will take what it throws! Now, to the reason you have not heard from me in a while, our AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL VACATION!!!!! Here we go, prepare to read, sit back, relax and grab your popcorn while you can! Ha-ha.
We flew out at 6:30, Friday March 19th, having a fun time in the plane watching the two youngest boy’s amazement with their first time on a plane. We landed quickly in Long Beach after a short hour and a half and went to rent a white van that was our car for the next while. We then drove to our hotel in San Diego and all crashed on our beds. We woke up nice and early the next morning (Saturday March 20) getting ourselves and the boys ready for day one at Sea World! We ate breakfast at the hotel then we got to Sea World and went to Penguins, the cat and dog show, (which was hilarious!) petted stingrays, saw whales, fed Dolphins, rode journey to Atlantis over and over (which we loved!) And ate dinner with dolphins! The food was delicious and we got really close to the dolphins watching them in there training. It was all so cool! And so was Shamu rocks! It’s like a Shamu rock concert! We got home at about nine, put the boys to bed and then Michelle, Sis. Arnold and I watched New Moon for a little girl’s night thing; we went to bed at two thirty after much confusion with lamps and such, ha ha.
The next day was Sunday (March 21) so we didn’t go to any amusement parks but we had a REALLY fun day at the beach! We buried Sammy, Adam, and Michelle in the sand and chased the waves, we got pretty deep into the ocean and Joe had some sea weed rub against his leg and he started screaming cause he thought it was a shark; we all got a good laugh. Then we went to a Sizzler’s for dinner which was unlike a Utah Sizzlers, it was very odd! But very delicious! Then we went to the airport to get the bag that we left there, we had so many, they were hard to keep track of! Then we went back to the hotel and went to bed, prepared for another early morning to hit us.
We woke up nice and early ready for our last day at Sea world (Monday March 22). Went to see the starfish, went to the Seal and Otter show, which was my favorite thing there! I loved their personality and how funny and smart they were! One of them Tangoed with the trainer, another did an obstacle coarse, they did hip hop dancing and lots of other funny things! Then we went to the Shamu show Believe and had lunch at a pizza kitchen. Petted manta rays, and did much souvenir shopping. It was a really fun day! We packed up as soon as we got back and then drove to Anaheim, off to the big D!
This morning (Tuesday March 23) was especially early; we had to be in downtown Disney by seven, making us get up at five, fun! We walked there which took about twenty minutes and then had a character breakfast with Stitch, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto and the big Mouse himself! I danced with stitch after he came and played guess who with my eyes, and we ate some really good food from the buffet there! Then we hit California Adventures. We went on the Grizzly river run thing, Soaring over California (in my top 3 favorites), Mickey’s fun wheel, Malliboomer, Tower of terror, (really fun!) screaming, and saw the Pixar parade! It was all really great!
Well, I’m rather tired, so there is the vacation so far but I’m gonna continue this next week, good luck to you all. Promise I’m going to get caught up with writing soon! Bye! Jenny Fortie! <3

April 5 - 11, 2010

Fortie Family Flyer
April 5 - 11, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,
Definitely busy, very busy, definitely very busy; no time to waist must report the important things and be off and running.
Monday we finished up our Easter weekend with family. We stayed at grandpa and grandma’s again Sunday night and chilled in the morning. In the afternoon we all went bowling which hasn’t happened in like decades. My knee was still bothering me so I took it slow and steady. Sometimes the ball went where I planned and sometimes it forged new paths where no bowling ball has ever gone before. Chad came in as the winner of the bowling trophy and the rest of us did hit the pins a few times. Spencer even got to try his hand at rolling the ball down a ramp and on to the pins in slow motion. After dinner we played a bit of golf and had 2 corners in one game (haven’t seen that before).
The rest of the week was work and more work. I worked almost every night so didn’t do much with family. It did warm up enough that I could take the scooter to work on Friday. Chad needed the truck to buy wood for scenery for Hello Dolly so I took the scooter in the truck and dropped the truck off for him then I headed to American Fork on the scooter. It was a nice drive and I am glad to be back on that thing. On Saturday I went in early to administer the ACT test. Everything went well then I headed up to the fairgrounds to get some ski poles and a bag for my snowshoes. I then went to the downtown Deseret Book store that just opened up to check it out. It is a very nice store. Holy cow they went all out on that thing. Through the week I could feel the jealousy in the voices of the people in our little store in American Fork that the downtown store was so much nicer than the rest of the stores. Hope those downtown folks don’t get big heads over it. After a few minutes in the store and a short visit with the manager (he recognized me from when I used to work downtown) I headed for grandpa and grandmas.
Chad and I have been trying to arrange schedules to go up in the canyon together but I wasn’t sure what my schedule and the weather were going to be like on Saturday so I didn’t say anything to Chad about trying to get up there Saturday afternoon, so when I talked to him on my way there he and Alicia were going to the park with Spencer so I stopped by the house to change clothes and get an address put on a package I was sending to Nathan and Paige then I decided to go up on my own. I called Nathan and talked with him for a bit then headed out. I was only going to spend a short time up there but once I got the snowshoes on and headed out through the pines along the dark cold stream I had to keep going. I didn’t really find any earth shattering pictures to take but the joy I felt walking through the trees across 5 feet of snow was amazing. It was so rejuvenating that I felt my spiritual batteries being charged with every step. I said several prayers of gratitude as I slowly and quietly (bad knee and ankle and all) meandered through the pine trees along a quiet stream that would sometimes disappear under the snow and then pop out again for 30 feet or so weaving it’s way between 5 foot high banks of snow. I would stop now and then to take a picture or just smile with childlike joy at the beauty at every turn. I can’t for the life of me see how people can sit and watch TV and never get out and see such beauty that is within an hour of their homes in the valley. Well, after a while I started noticing that it was beginning to get dark so I headed back, this time along the hillside about 50 feet above the creek bottom for a different perspective. I did take one tumble down the hill for a ways and it took me a few tries to slide to the right place so I could get up using my ski poles that would sink almost to the handle in the snow. As I neared the parking lot I didn’t want to leave but the sun sinking behind the mountain told my I must go, so down I drove into the smoggy valley, what a drag. I must get back up there this next week after the Tuesday snowstorm so I can check out a new place and see what wonders I can soak in.
Well, at home, wouldn’t you know it, I sat down with Jennifer and we watched a Psych episode on Hulu.com. The girl’s love that show so we had a brief together time (while Tami and Michelle were working), me eating dinner and Jennifer and I watching Psych (such a crazy funny show). When Michelle came home I had everyone all help me clean up the house for Sunday and we got to bed late.
Sunday was the normal church thing. Michelle was running late so Jennifer went with me to church on the scooter and we got some smiles as we came into the parking lot in our Sunday clothes on the scooter. Tami waited for Michelle and they came in a bit late. I taught my genealogy class for Sunday school and helped Tami with her Primary lesson by telling a story about when I was driving in the jungle in the Yucatan Peninsula late at night and I heard a voice tell me to slow down. The second time was much more urgent so I obeyed and just in time. As I rounded the corner on this narrow winding road in the thick jungle there was a fairly large monkey (about Jennifer’s size) sitting in the middle of the road. Had I been going 50 or 60 mph as before I would have hit him or hit the trees trying to dodge him and been seriously hurt in the process. Because I listened and slowed down I was able to get around him without incident. It was amazing how quick that whole thing happened and how close I came to a major problem. Anyway, after the story I headed to priesthood. We talked about emergency preparedness after the mock drill we had in the community a few weeks ago. They are really focusing on that major earthquake that is coming our way soon. I think we need to update our 72 hour kits. We have had them for such a long time that I don’t think things will fit anyone anymore; perhaps next Sunday.
Well, after church Bro. Mueller and I went out and visited a few families to help them get on the new family search site and that took us a few hours. When I got home the family was ready to head out so off we went for a picnic at a park near grandpa and grandmas. We took a vote as some where not too excited to get out since the weather was turning a bit cloudy and windy but we finally decided to try it and I’m glad we did. New and different things are always a good idea. We had jackets on and had a good meal Alicia put together then we tried to get a kite going but the wind stopped right when we finished dinner so we played with Spencer on the playground then headed home for dessert. Tami made a Pineapple Sunshine cake and some brownies. We ate them with ice cream (of course) and they were good. After that it was late and the kids have school in the morning so off we went. I took the truck that Chad had borrowed and the rest went in the car.
A nice week to be sure but I must get to bed now so have a great week and keep trucking though the forest to recharge your batteries.
Ken and clan



From Elder Fortie:
OH my goodness, I've been thrown to the wolves! President wasn't kidding when he said he had "a job for me to do" I'm supposed to fix this place in five weeks? Oh good heavens, maybe if I had 2 transfers I could get it moving, but I don't, I've got 5 weeks to fix a totally desolate area... and turn a brand new missionary into what President Wade expects him to be. We quadrupled how many people we're teaching this week... we went from 0, to 4. Good grief eh? Wow am I in for it... But! We shall press on!
My new companion is great though, he's from Orlando Florida, his names Elder Williams. He's been a member for less then 2 years, he's the only member of his family that is a member, his Mom tried to convince him not to go on his mission, and he came anyways. What a stud! His girlfriend that he met in the singles ward, and him both left on missions at the same time, both arrived in the feild this month, and Brian guess where his girlfriend is serving? Eugene Oregon! (Small world eh? ) haha, I'm having fun with these new smiley face things they have on here! Anyhow, so this week was the slowest week I've ever had in my whole mission. There was absolutely nothing, I didn't know where we were, where to tract, where our boundaries were, where our members lived who was active, who wasn't etc. etc. So I just threw all caution to the wind and just started driving till I saw something that looked Spanish, and got out and started knocking. We got one investigator out of that. Then I went into the area book and looked up formers, I prayed and picked one and went and talked to her, she said she had come to church for a long time but didn't feel ready to be baptized, I don't take that kind of answer very well... So I didn't buy it, I started teaching her and testifying till I was blue in the face. Fifteen minutes after meeting her, she is now preparing to be baptized as soon as she can talk to her family about it. Then that night when we got home and finished planning, my companion went to the room to read, I just sat there at the kitchen table staring at the fireplace thinking I need help, I need to get the work moving here and fast, what can I do, I've read through all the former investigators, and the potentials, and the recent converts, we're knocking all over the place, asking every member we can find who we can teach, what else can I do? So, I did the only thing could think of left, I prayed, I told heavenly father I was going to work hard, I was going to do everything in my power to get both this area on it's feet, and my new companion taught on how the work should be done before I leave, but if I was going to be able to accomplish it I needed his help. Then I had a thought, what about the area book? I thought, I've read through the whole thing! Then I thought, check the little pouches in back of the book. So I did, I found a list, of all the referrals the area had received for like the past year... I stared at it for a second thinking, then I grabbed the phone and called the referral system of the church, I entered in every single one of those referrals for the next half hour or so on the phone, listening to all the information that they had about each one, till I had written down the 5-6 that had not been marked as dropped. Then the next day, (yesterday) we went to work. The first one, no one was home, the second was from like back in August, of 2009, a long time ago, but I went anyways, a lady saw us coming through the window and smiled and turned and said something to someone in the house. Seconds later a man came quickly out the door smiling and extended his hand to us. I asked him if he knew who we were and he said he did, he said he had taken his wife up to see the Mormon temple in Oakland like 8 months ago, and they had loved it, they thought it was beautiful and they had gone in to the visitors center and loved it as well and had asked the missionaries to come and bring them a DVD, but they never came. He said finally, like 2 months ago, some missionaries came by the house and he told them that, and they said they would come back later in the week with the DVD, and again, they never came... I told him I would not do that to him, I told him I would be back tomorrow night with the DVD, and asked if we could come in right now. He readily and happily brought us into his tiny little home, where his wife and 3 sons were talking with his brother in law and sister in law. We taught with them all and set up an appointment to go by tonight, the brother and sister in law live in San Jose, but they said they would look up the missionaries there, I gave them a card and they left. We taught this happy humble little family, and they just were all smiles, as if we were old friends and I was telling them a funny story. They were so happy to see us (and believe me, I was happy to see them too). As we left my companion, still fresh in the field said to me, "was that good?" I laughed and said "Yes, it was very good" Then he said "I thought so, I wasn't totally sure what you did, but it was good, very good." So we are going back tonight! We will get this place going if it kills me! (which it very well may haha). Well, I have to get going, keep the faith, stay strong, I love you all, you are all WAY WAY WAAAAAAY more trunky then I am, you're ridiculous! But I love you anyways. Keep on smiling!
Love Elder Fortie

March 29 - April 4, 2010

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Fortie Family Flyer
March 29 – April 4, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,
Easter week with Rauckhorsts visiting is always full of fun and games. So much done and so little time to tell about it. Of course we took a few hours to color Easter eggs and some turned out well and well, some turned strange colors. I hid about 1.2 million plastic Easter Eggs filled with candy for the Easter egg hunt so the kids could overdose on sugar, as usual. Now we get to deal with their withdrawals. It was conference weekend so we got together and listened and ate and listened and ate some more. A good time was had by all.
I went out with my new snowshoes and had an interesting time getting used to them; took a few pictures. I sure enjoy getting out in the mountains to enjoy nature; wish I did it more. The girls wanted to go with me so we went out again and since I only had two pair of snowshoes I let the girls use them and I sank up to my knees with each step while we wandered about the canyon laughing at the girls attempt to use the snowshoes. We had a great time and of course got pictures.
Well, I am trying to catch this week up and I don’t have good notes so I don’t remember much more. See you next week.
Ken and clan