Fortie Family Flyer: June 28

Fortie Family Flyer

June 28 – July 4, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

What a busy week! Well, at least to the best of my knowledge it was. I am still in the catch the family history up mode. Yes, I’m still a half a year away from when events actually happened so things are a bit foggy (at this point I’m not sure if I will ever catch up). Hopefully I can put together some resemblance of what really happened back in July. I recall that a few of us went to the dentist that week but I don’t remember who (anyway, not that important).

Nathan and Paige invited us up to their home in Washington (state) for Wyatt’s baby blessing on the 4^th of July so we readied the cars for the trip and put together as complicated a trip as possible (seemed like it anyway). Jason wanted to return to his mission for that weekend (something he does often since we fly free) so he flew there and we later drove to San Francisco to pick him up (Brian didn’t want to take so long so he went with grandpa and grandma and Chad and Alicia went up on their own as well). On our way we stopped at Lake Tahoe on Thursday the first of July. We stopped there only long enough to take a few pictures then headed out again. We met Jason and the Metute girls in China Town and after hitting several shops along one of the main streets and getting a few souvenirs, we followed Jason to the Matute family home where he was staying. They were very kind and let us stay there that night as well. They fixed us a nice dinner of papusas then we talked for a while and I went with the men across the street to see their garden in the Stake President’s empty lot. They had planted a very large garden with all kinds of vegetables. They really have a green thumb and I enjoyed the tour (wish I had their ability to produce such an amazing garden). We learned a lot about that humble family and their journey to America from El Salvador where they were very successful at making cheese but because of the terrible government there they left their livelihood and all their possessions in hopes of making it to American. It took them several years but they finally made it. We who have been born here sure do take this place for granted. Well, we enjoyed our visit there but finally had to hit the sack and rise early to get ourselves headed north towards Washington.

We tried driving highway 1 along the cost but it was such a winding road that we realized it was going to take us forever, so we went up highway 101 for much of the trip. We stopped at the redwood forest and hiked through the trees taking pictures for a while then headed out again. It took much longer than I had expected and we took our last daylight picture on the beach in Oregon and drove the rest of the way (what would have been a beautiful drive) in the dark. We got to our motel in the wee hours of the morning and got a little sleep before meeting with grandpa, grandma and Brian for breakfast at the motel.

After breakfast we went out with Nathan, Paige, Scott, Kim and Scott’s kids to see Seattle. We hit the market place wandering amongst the booths there for a while then stopped for some fish and chips for lunch. We then went up to a park above Seattle to get some good pictures of the city from afar and then headed for their place to chill and eat dinner at the large party room in the center of their apartment complex. We played games on the Wii and had some great fun.

The baby blessing was on Sunday and we took pictures afterwards then ate and had another fun time just chillin’ and playing. We then headed over to a large hill and sat on the grass to watch the 4^th of July fireworks over the harbor. It was a great show.

It was hard to say goodbye as we really enjoyed our visit with everyone but Monday morning came and off we all went to our various homes hundreds of miles away.

Our car dropped Brian off at a members home in his mission in Salem Oregon so he could visit some of the people there then fly home. The rest of us (Jason, Michelle, Jennifer and of course myself) went to see Silver Falls outside of Salem (Tami went with my parents in their car). We got some good pictures and had a nice walk down behind the falls then headed for Salt Lake. It was a long drive but we finally made it safe and sound and have some great memories to tuck away in our memory books with pictures galore.

Well, unless one of my kids reminds me of something I forgot I do believe that covers the week in a nutshell. I think pictures will do a better job so I will include plenty of those in my blog.

I hope you are all as close to your family as I feel to mine.
Love,

Ken and clan