A Spider and a Mouse

So I got an email today that opened my eyes to some things and I had to have a little chat with my sweet daughter this evening. It was a fun father/daughter discussion and part of it included a chat about Joseph who ran from Potiphar's wife, who ran from anything that would destroy him. Because we had our little chat privately I didn't plan on reviewing more of this in FHE but happened to hit it anyway.

For FHE I pulled a book off the shelf called Unto the Least of These by Jack Christianson. Some of you faithful readers may recall that I wrote about Jack a few weeks back. I was ill prepared on a lesson and knew I could pop open this book and pick out a story or two that the kids would enjoy and that would teach a powerful lesson. Well, we read four. The one that relates to the topic was the second one that we read and deals with the topic of tolerance without compromise.

Jack tells the story of a spider that is in bed with he and his wife. It wakes his wife, he gets a little frustrated by the loss of sleep, shows her there is not a spider and they go back to bed. A few minutes later it is back and he is again frustrated. He shows her again that there is no spider, grabs his pillow and there it is. He talks of jumping into the corner of the room and yelling "kill it, kill it" at which point his wife laughs and gives him a hard time. Jack was a macho football player but wanted nothing to do with this spider.

The mouse story he tells is of a dirty kitchen that he is cleaning a few weeks after the spider situation. His wife and daughters had been out of town and he had been lax on cleaning. The time comes for him to clean and in doing so he sees something big and hairy run behind the cookie jar. He thinks it is the mother of the spider. Anyhow he gets all prepared to kill it, moves the jar and a mouse comes running out on the counter. With nowhere to go it jumps on his shirt and he goes crazy trying to kill it, beating his chest and what not. The mouse ends up under the fridge and he catches it later with a trap. That is the sweetened condensed version.

The next day he was driving to pick up his family and is pondering the matter and trying to figure out why he, this big strong football player, was so afraid of spiders and mice. He was trying to find a spiritual parallel. He does and this is what he shares:

What if all of us feared evil as much as we fear spiders or mice? If we were as fearful of sin and wickedness as many of us are of these small creatures, we would not only "shake at the appearance of sin" (2 Nephi 4:31) but we would also run! Joseph of Egypt ran from Potiphar's wife because he could not bear the thought of doing a "great wickedness" and sinning "against God" (see Genesis 39:9). What an example for us to follow! Joseph not only ran from evil but also "he hearkened not unto [Potiphar's wife], to lie by her, or to be with her" (Genesis 39:10). He took no chances. He wouldn't even go near the wickedness.

Some of us, as mentioned earlier, wouldn't get near a "jumping" spider. And the thought of a snake, rat, or mouse disgusts us. But what happens when someone suggests we watch an R-rated or X-rated video? What happens when alcohol, drugs, or spiritually degrading music are part of a party? Do we run, as Joseph did? Do we flee and get ourselves out (see Genesis 39:12) when an opportunity for immorality or dishonesty arises? Running from sin can literally be a life-saving measure. We should try to remember the stirring words of Elder Glenn L. Pace: "You will remain much safer and infinitely happier if yo will place your energy into current obedience rather than saving it for future repentance" (Ensign, November 1992, p. 12). Jack R. Christianson, Unto the Least of These, pages 71-72.

I have no idea if I referenced that right but I am sure it will suffice. So anyway, I read this story that was rather memorable because of the humorous way in which he tells it and then I continued on with the lesson he learned. I had a daughter who was listening intently and I couldn't help but think that sometimes we are given in the very hour exactly what we need. I remembered the stories about the spider and the mouse and thought the kids would enjoy them - they did and I had to read a couple parts twice so they could laugh at it all again. I had forgotten that the gospel parallel was Joseph running from that which would destroy him and, anyway, small gift to a dad that needed a little back up tonight.

I went on to cry through the next two stories I shared. What can you do?

A Sabbath Snow Fort

Okay, building a snow fort on the Sabbath is probably not the best way to keep the day. When we got home from church Natty and Jack only wanted to go outside and play in the snow. I let them. I looked out after a while to see how they were doing and they were struggling with constructing a wall. Well, I had a wild idea to get out this board and show them a few tricks. This was a trick I learned from Matthew Wooley back when I was in fifth grade at Silver Mesa Elementary School in Sandy Utah. We're talking winter of 84 and 85. Holy smokes that is a long time ago.




I think it important to note that I am not a snow cave guy. I love getting up and shoveling snow but I don't necessarily like to play in it. I no sooner typed that comment when the thought of one of the greatest snow ball fights comes back to my memory. 2004, Clear Creek Ward in Carson City. I was the Scoutmaster and Adam Gilbert and I had the boys out on a winter camp at Grover's Hot Springs. The snow was deep, the camp was excellent and we were all looking forward to hitting the hot springs. We had broken down camp but before making our way to the hot springs we started a phenomenal snow ball fight that went on for a good hour or two. Some of my favorite scouts were there including Scott Biddle. That kid was a riot and we had some great camps together. I remember this one well because on our way to the hot springs it occurred to me that I forgot to bring my swim trunks. I went in with my pajama pants on. Still have those pajama pants today. They are no longer pants but are shorts and I actually wore them to bed last night. Funny these little things that one remembers.

Back to the story, I am not one who enjoys playing in the snow much. As a scout and later as scoutmaster I avoided building snow caves. Just saw it as a very cold activity for something I wasn't going to sleep in anyway and why bother. Great attitude Fontano. So there are my kids struggling with this wall, I've got 20 minutes before I have to leave for a meeting and I decide to help them out real quick. Here is what we had when I had to leave.



My meeting was cancelled so the kids were excited to have me back and helping - I was still wearing my suit pants, white shirt,tie, and dress shoes. This is a great outfit for building snow forsts. Will do. We added the third wall and then crafted the front entry. It was coming together pretty nice.




Finally we added the roof - look, I cheated a bit and used the board for the base of the roof. It worked. The kids love it.






The kids just had to eat lunch inside the cave. What better place is there? Really.





The fun didn't stop and after dinner, after the sun went down, the kids were back at it again, playing around on their little snow fort.




It was not that difficult to construct and everyone participated. Each of them was very excited about the project.

Fortifying our Families

Okay, said in yesterdays post that I would put my talk on the blog. I guess it went okay. Wasn't as comfortable speaking as usual but it was okay. I actually was concerned about time as I was the first speaker and didn't want to go over. I spoke as a member of the Elders Quorum Presidency and wanted to make certain that President Fawson had ample time as well as Brother Brown. I had timed it out last night at 10 minutes and did so at a pretty decent clip so I tried to maintain that today. I normally don't get up and read my talk but I pretty much stuck to what I had written today. I did have a few of the older sisters in the ward come up and talk to me a bit about it, not just the good ol "nice talk" but they told me that it really meant a lot to them. One sister had tears in her eyes as she spoke about it and she told me how proud she was of me. I wondered afterwards if these sisters had a history that included divorce. I don't really know. Anyhow, it was kind of sweet. So here is the talk. It is a little long but oh well. Read it if you like.


A young father was home with his kids alone one weekend while his wife was out of State at a Temple Sealing of her younger brother. Despite being a little nervous having his wife away from their youngest child for the first time, everything had gone quite well. At about 3 in the morning the father awoke with a very powerful impression and very clearly in his mind he heard these words “There is evil at the door that is trying to get in and if it gets in it will destroy your family”. His first thoughts were of some immediate danger in the home. He had the baby in bed with him and after a quick examination he knew the baby was fine. He then hurried and checked on his other two children and they were both sleeping soundly. He went on to check the rest of the house and made sure that all of the doors were secure and the home was safe. All was well and after a time the father returned to bed but could not sleep. The impression still lingered in his mind and he wondered what it meant. He began to review his life spiritually and look at things that maybe needed to be improved. The family was diligent in reading the scriptures and saying their prayers. They attended church regularly and served faithfully. Ahh, Family Home Evening could be improved with greater diligence he thought. He also pondered other things, what evil was at the door? What was trying to get in? What were things that the family was doing that would allow that spirit in their home and what could be done to further safeguard against it? Over time changes were made to music, movies and television programming that was coming into the home. Greater emphasis was placed on Family Home Evening. Family scripture reading and prayers continued to be a daily priority. The father felt like he had heeded this prompting from the Lord, his home was strengthened and his family was blessed.

As parents we may not wake up at 3 in the morning with this type of impression. We can however look at the world in which we live and see that the adversary is at work. He does not rest. Much of what he does is loud but his craftiest work is done quietly, subtly. Nephi describes it in these words:

2 Nehpi 26:22
And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder, and works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.

We must be on guard at all times, not only on guard but moving towards the Savior and fortifying our lives. This principle is beautifully taught in Alma Chapter 50:

Alma 50:1-6
1 And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.
3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.
4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.
5 And they were prepared that they could cast stones from the top thereof, according to their pleasure and their strength, and slay him who should attempt to approach near the walls of the city.
6 Thus Moroni did prepare strongholds against the coming of their enemies, round about every city in all the land.


What are the things that we need to do to fortify our homes? Are there things, like the young father, that need to change? We may find it difficult to get some of our family members on board. Our kids may not appreciate our counsel relative to music or tv programming, certainly not video games or computer habits. Making these adjustments may be extremely challenging for many and it will take faith. I am sure that there was some grumbling about crazy Captain Moroni making us dig up earth but look at what happened over time in verse 12, people got on board:

12…Moroni, with his armies, which did increase daily because of the assurance of protection which his works did bring forth unto them…

Moroni pressed forward fortifying the cities with his armies and they did increase daily, why? Because of the assurance of protection which his works did bring forth. As we go to the Lord and seek his direction we will be strengthened.

President Monson said the following which should be remembered as we press forward

May we also demonstrate kindness and love within our own families. Our homes are to be more than sanctuaries; they should also be places where God’s Spirit can dwell, where the storm stops at the door, where love reigns and peace dwells.

The world can at times be a frightening place in which to live. The moral fabric of society seems to be unraveling at an alarming speed. None—whether young or old or in-between—is exempt from exposure to those things which have the potential to drag us down and destroy us. Our youth, our precious youth, in particular, face temptations we can scarcely comprehend. The adversary and his hosts seem to be working nonstop to cause our downfall.

We are waging a war with sin, my brothers and sisters, but we need not despair. It is a war we can and will win. Our Father in Heaven has given us the tools we need in order to do so. He is at the helm. We have nothing to fear. He is the God of light. He is the God of hope. I testify that He loves us—each one.

In the Church Handbook of Instructions Book 2 we are taught the following relative to Strengthening the Home:
Followers of Christ are invited to “gather,” “stand in holy place,” and “be not moved”. These holy places include temples, homes, and chapels. The presence of the Spirit and the behavior of those within these physical structures are what make them “holy places.”

Wherever Church members live, they should establish a home where the Spirit is present. All members of the Church can make efforts to ensure that their place of residence provides a place of sanctuary from the world…

A Christ centered home offers adults and children a place of defense against sin, refuge from the world, healing from emotional and other pain, and committed, genuine love.

“We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility.

“We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform” (First Presidency letter, Feb. 11, 1999).

Family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities; these are the duties we have to perform in our homes. In them is strength and protection from the adversary.

As many of you know I am a single parent. After 13 years of marriage my wife and I went through a divorce and it was the most difficult thing I have ever had to endure. If ever there was someone who felt completely inadequate to be speaking about strengthening families it is me. I am the young father that I spoke about earlier. That experience took place three and a half years ago. I thought that I was doing well and then my life turned upside down. I had received that prompting from the Lord and for a long time I felt that I had failed my family but I have learned some things. When my life was in turmoil and everything seemed to fail the Lord did not fail. All I could do was cling to my children and cling to the things that I knew to be true. There were times when that was extremely difficult to do and there are still difficult times. The things that fortified our family, the things that fortified me and continue to do so are the very things the prophets have counseled us to do: family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. As we learn these duties and perform them to the best of our ability we receive strength. It doesn't mean we are exempt from challenges and times of trial but we receive spiritual power to press forward and make it through.

The Lord loves each of us. As we heed the counsel of the Prophets in strengthening our homes our lives will be fortified and our families blessed. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Tomato Couch

So I have to share this Andy moment. We were standing in the kitchen. I was getting Andy a fruit snack and he was telling me all about Jack playing the Wii. He pipes off: "Jack has been playing the Wii too much. He is going to get fat and turn into a tomato couch." I started laughing and he started laughing and I suggested that maybe he meant couch potato. Then he really started laughing and agreed. So he repeats it with the corrected verbiage and adds "fat like you". I took him outside and gave him a snow bath. Only joking of course. We just joked back and forth for a bit and laughed. The kid is a riot.

I am speaking in church tomorrow. This is the first time in over 2 years. As I think about those years and what has happened in my life I find it funny that the topic given is Family. No other direction given, just Family. Well, the assignment came the day after the Worldwide Leadership Training on the new Handbook of Instructions. I thought about the instruction that was given in that meeting. There was emphasis on the family in the meeting and also in the handbook. The first section of the book deals directly with the family and so I decided I would go there. I have narrowed the topic some to the section on Strengthening the Family and will discuss more specifically fortifying our families. I spent a few hours this evening preparing the talk and I feel pretty good about it. Timed out okay at 10 minutes so hopefully that is the amount of time expected. We will see how it goes. I think we should be okay. I may post the talk tomorrow evening.

It snowed today and the kids have enjoyed some time outside playing in it. Natty asked if we could go midnight sledding and I had to turn her down. That may be a fun activity some day but not today. I had not been out in the snow and didn't really look at it until I had the kids down for bed. I thought that I wouldn't worry about it and just get up and shovel in the morning. Well, I will probably have to get up and shovel in the morning anyway but it should be much easier because I went out and shoveled it anyway. I am making a trade off of running tonight for shoveling snow. It was actually around 6" deep already and it is still coming down. If it keeps coming we could have quite a bit on the ground in the morning. I will get up early and check it again. I do love the snow. You know, if I am going to live here and be cold it might as well be snowing. What is the point otherwise?

All the kids are camping in the living room tonight. They were really excited about it at their cousins house and wanted to do it here. They forgot last night and were bummed but they are lovin it tonight. If Andy pulls through I may actually make it a night without my little bed buddy. I guess we'll know soon enough.

I am grateful for the day, for the snow, for the kids and for the fun.

Train Man

I never saw the movie Rain Man. It is rated R and never made it on my list of sneak into rated R movies. Now that I am well beyond that short lived phase of my life it just hasn't ever been one that I have concerned myself with. It may be an interesting movie to watch as I have my own little Train Man here at home - perhaps that clear play or whatever it is called would be a good thing. Actually, I heard of another movie two nights ago that is supposed to be incredible. It is the true story of an autistic girl named Temple Grandin. The movie is of the same name. It came out about a year ago but I never heard of it. There were a few things happening in my life a year ago that took me out of the loop on a lot of things. Well, we watched a clip of it in the parent training I was at and I'll be if I wasn't a bit emotional. As I consider Jack and the special little boy that he is I am so very grateful for the impact he has had on my life. I am very grateful for the progress that he has made. Here is my little first grader in his 4th year of attending school full time. He is only 6. I must give kudos to his mom who has done so much in getting him and us on the path we are on. I know that it wasn't easy and she did a tremendous job fighting for our little boy.

So Train Man. From the time Jack was just a small boy he has been into trains. Naturally Thomas the Tank Engine has been a favorite as well as Geo Traxx. Some of the things he would do included lining up just about anything he could. When we got him some actual trains, especially the Geo Traxx he would sit and play with them for hours. Don't mess with the order though and do not stick a second train on the track. We used to build this amazing train tracks together and then he would man the controller and send his train around the track always with a smile. He used to lay down close to the track with his head on the floor, strategically placed at a curve on the track and he would watch the train come right at him and then turn. His eyes would be big and his face full of joy. He has always loved trains.



A year ago when Jack and I would go and work on his homework he hated (I know, strong word) to draw and do anything that required holding a pencil. Thank heavens for the discovery of sliced cheese and Jacks love for it. That was the only way I could get him through his homework that included drawing and labeling pictures. That and writing were his biggest dislikes. Well, I am glad to say that Jack has really taken to drawing. Appropriately one of his favorite things to draw... trains. Here are a few pics that he has drawn. They reside on our refrigerator and I don't know that I will ever take them down.

At Christmas I gave Jack his first Hot Wheels train. It is called Steamin Demon. Here is Jacks original drawing of Steamin Demon.



For Valentines day the Hot Wheels train known as Rocky Mountain Rail made its way into Jack's collection. He loves it.



Two days ago Jack walked in from school and pulled out this picture of a train pulling a passenger car. The coloring is fantastic.



I know these drawings are not the most amazing things in the world but they are amazing to me. The amount of growth we have experienced over the last year has been tremendous. These pictures would have never happened a year ago. This is only one of the areas in which Jack has grown. Singing, forget it a year ago but now he loves to sing, going to primary was a definite no. Now he goes in with out a problem and participates. Very grateful for the progress he has made.

Here he is again with Andy and Clayton posing on the caboose. A good pic to end on.

Let's Hear it for the Quickies

What the heck are the quickies you may ask. Well, let me explain. As has been previously documented on the blog I attended the LDS Singles Conference in Las Vegas last weekend. One of the events that I mockingly hyped in my discussions on the matter was none other then speed dating. I had visions of the movie Hitch in my mind but didn't exactly know what to expect. I made a half hearted attempt to make it to this activity and in doing so arrived late. Shucks, I didn't make it in. Well, not to dissappoint those who were looking forward to my report on this activity I actually did attend speed dating. Yes, it happened. On Saturday evening there was two hours of waiting between the dinner and the dance and nothing on the schedule. Somebody improvised and next thing I knew they were advertising speed dating followed by karaoke. Karaoke, that is doable - speed dating, ummm. Dang it.

So there I was in the band room of Basic High School in Henderson Nevada and I was getting some serious dating done. Yes indeed, the ladies just couldn't turn me down. The room had rows of chairs lined up facing each other. The ladies remained seated and the guys would slide down a chair every time a bell rang. We walked in a few minutes late and if there were any specific instructions we missed them. The bell rang and we were live. Amy had suggested I take a list of Would You Rather questions with me for speed dating and if I ever find myself doing something like this again, I think I am going to do something like that. It was interesting to say the least. I started at the top of a row that only had a few ladies in it and most of them were the ladies I had been hanging out with. That was okay. Everytime I looked up though the line got longer and there were more and more women joining. I probably dated 20 to 25 ladies that night. I know, that is pretty dang impressive. Out of that number I remember about 6. There were 4 of the ladies that I had been hanging out with and then two additional ladies.

So why do I remember the other two? The first was named Erica. She was from Las Vegas, probably in her early 40's. She actually was quite nice - sorry, they were all quite nice. Anyway, she somehow ended up sitting behind me a few minutes later at the karaoke event. She asked me if I would sing karaoke with her. I know, she has good taste and knows a karaoke champion when she see's one. Unfortunately she mistook me for Mike. She clearly developed strong feelings for me after our 60 seconds of pure romance. But who wouldn't, really. So what does one say to such and invitation? "Uhhh, what song?" She loves U2 and wanted me to help her pipe out With or Without You. All I could say was "wow, there are a few high notes in that one. Not sure I could manage it." She quickly offered a Chicago song that I never heard of before in my life. My next out was the fact that the people running Karaoke had put a freeze on people submitting songs. They had way to big of a stack already and there was simply nothing I could do. Besides, the dance was starting and I was anxious to get back to that. There was this girl I wanted to go on a 60 second date with but she didn't stay for speed dating. She said she was coming back for the dance and I didn't want to miss it. Anyway, my apologies to Erica for ditching her at Karaoke. Had she asked me to join her in singing a Neil Diamond song fireworks would have likely erupted and I would have known that this 60 second romance was for real. Regardless, I will always remember our date. It was magical.

My next 60 second fling is also rememberred because of Karaoke. Her name is Linda. I'm pretty sure she was somewhere around 67 years old. It was awesome. In our date we discussed our favorite class of the day - we both like Kevin Hall, the word guy. She told me that he inspired her to move forward on a book she had been planning to write. I would tell you more about that book but the bell rang and my date with Linda was cut short - well, not really, that is how long they all were. As mentioned there was a Karaoke connection with Linda as well. She didn't try to cuddle up with me and ask me to join her for a song. No, I think Linda knows a thing or two, perhaps even three or four about singing Karaoke. I wish I could remember what song she sang but alas, I cannot recall. I just remember them calling up Linda and there she was, my 18th date of the night getting ready to light it up.

So what can we learn? Combining Karaoke and Speed Dating helps people be rememberred. Sorting by age groups might be helpful. Having clearly defined rules for the date could help some of us through the process. Arm yourself with a few Would You Rather questions. One minute goes by very quickly. There is a lot of power in one of those little bells. I seriously walked out of that room thinking I need to get me one of those. Wouldn't it be great to simply walk up to some random couple on a date, ring the bell and say, "sorry guy, it's my turn" and cut right in? I think it would be kind of fun. Then after a minute of the guy scratching his head wondering what the heck just happened ring the bell and step away - important note here: if the impomptu date goes quite well and you are interested be certain to invite them to karaoke - might as well seal the deal.

It should now be abundantly clear that I have no idea what I am talking about but I will suggest this in my almost closing comments - Butter Pecan ice cream is delicious.

In closing, I left a little cliff hanger in there relative to a certain lady that I wanted to 60 second date. She did come back to the dance. She has sweet dance moves and though I didn't get the 60 second date with her I did dance with her for the last dance - slow dance people. I even asked her out. Well, turns out she is leaving the Country. It's sad but true. What is my deal with women? Alright, so she had the trip planned before she met me, I'll give her that one. She also suggested we pencil something in for April when she returns. I've got to come up with something amazing so she remembers me as John and not as Pete's Brother. I'm thinking karaoke...

Life Seasons

I was driving home tonight from a parent development meeting that my friends at South Elementary and the Iron County School district put on. This is open to all parents but there is only a small group of us (3 regulars) that actually attend which is really rather sad because the information is so very good. The special needs teachers from South and Iron Springs (I think)Elementary schools work together so it alternates between the two schools. Tonight was out in Iron Springs. Anyhow, I was walking out to the car after the meeting and just felt so much gratitude for these teachers who have become my friends. These ladies love my little Jack and I feel that love every time I meet with them.

I must confess that I was not particularly involved with the school in Florida or the school district. The little interaction that I had with them came in the last few months that we were there. They were good people, of that there is no doubt. I knew Jack's teacher Mrs. George loved him and worked very hard with him. I never experienced that same overall love from the others there. One of the hardest things I ever had to do as a parent came the day that I attended an IEP meeting for Jack and listened as every challenge that this little 5 year old boy had was outlined and detailed. I heard about his disrespect for women and all of his other failures. It was painful to me, my heart ached for my little boy. When they asked if I had anything I wanted to add I said yes. I pointed out that this was a little boy with a very loving heart. There were other things that I said as well and you can be sure that I did it with tears in my eyes and a voice that cracked. Can't help if that is who I am. Anyway, I had a few apologies from some in the group after that and some acknowledgements that in fact Jack was very loving. In contrast I have never experienced anything negative from my friends at South. As I mentioned they love Jack. Certainly they are aware of his challenges but they keep it in perspective and focus on love. I hate to use that word so loosely but that is what it is and it is a completely different feel from what we experienced in Florida. There it seemed that Jack was an interruption to their job and here it seems that understanding Jack and then helping him learn in a way he is receptive to, loving him all along the way regardless of his challenges is the priority. I appreciate that so very much.

Jack has had a rough couple of weeks as he has been in skills more then he has been in class. When you hit another student you go to skills for 3 days to learn about social behavior skills and to earn your way back to class. He still gets his work. He has been in a cycle of being in skills for three days and in class for 1 for the last 10 days. We have two more days of skills this week and then back to regular class starting next week. You never want to hear this about your child. I had opportunity to discuss it with the teachers tonight and expected them to be a little put out by this recent pattern. Mrs. Coonan assured me that he is doing great and that he will be fine and then she went on to share a story about him and how bright and cheery he was. The other two teachers also went on to tell me their own stories about Jack and all three of them talked about how much they just love him and how loving he is. It does my heart good to know that this loving boy has not gone away somewhere. He is still there and he still touches hearts by who he is.

I walked out to the car to drive home and was very grateful for where we are at right now. I don't know that I could have found a better place for Jack to be or for Natty, Andy and myself. We have been loved, we have been cared for and we are a pretty happy bunch. I am grateful for that.

There are seasons in our lives when we get to experience different things. I think I learned growing up what it was like to have years of feast and years of famine. I think we all learned that our value was not based on material possessions or what we could acquire. Lest I am misunderstood, I don't think having things is bad but if our own self worth is determined by what car we drive or the house we live in then we could be in for a rough time and need to take another look at what the priorities of our lives should be.

I am in a season of my life where I have had to learn to stretch some. I don't know how flexible I have become with all of this stretching. I usually find that I lack the time and the ability to keep it all together and to accomplish all that I must. In fact today I spent an unplanned hour and a half with Jack who was having a melt down because of the new Wii rule I laid down. He was arguing the rule and was not happy about it at all. I finally had to send him to his room so he could settle down. I then had to go back and meet with him some more so that we could gain some understanding and clarity on our choices. Anyway, this season isn't one of ease. We have had to make some tough choices. Throughout the experiences I have felt the love of the Lord and I have drawn closer to him. Also in this season I have had times of difficulty and great struggle. Some days it is hard to focus on the blessings. It isn't always easy to remember the lessons taught the Prophet Joseph that these things are but for a moment and will give you experience. Alas, I am grateful the the Lord has patience with me. I hope that I can conduct myself in a manner pleasing to him regardless of the challenges that come forth. Those challenges, whatever they may be, are only for a season.

11 years of SueBug

Today is a very special day - yes it is George Washington's birthday but that is not the only reason it is special. In addition, it is the birthday of Natalie Susan Fontano. That is right. My sweet little girl was born 11 years ago on the 22nd of February 2000. I told her she has a great birth date with four 0's and four 2's - 02222000. I thought it was cool anyway - I am easily impressed however so I may stand alone in my excitement over this. She also has it somewhat easy when it comes to remembering how old she is. All she has to do is look at what year it is and she is there. That is pretty fantastic. Yes, once again, easily impressed.



We had a bit of a rough start this morning with kids dragging out of bed after a busy weekend and late night last night. Nobody seemed to want to get moving but we managed to roll out of bed and we got ready for school and out the door on time.



Natty went with treats in tote for her class to help celebrate her birthday and all was well. There were 3 boxes of 12 Swiss rolls (not my first choice but it is what Natty wanted). There would be enough for each of the students with a few left over. All was well until Natty opened the boxes to hand them out and there were two treats per package. Crap. Glad I took a close look at the box. The birthday girl went without a treat so she could share with her classmates instead. I am proud of her for that. She could have very easily been a little snooty about it but that really isn't her nature - no, instead she was sad that not everyone got one. These are things that make you happy as a parent - not that everyone didn't get one but rather that your child thought of others before herself.



Last night Natty and I went to the store to pick out her cake. She chose a red velvet cake saying that she loved them. I had no clue. Today I made that cake and all went well until I tried to get fancy with the frosting and tried dumping the cake out of the pan and onto a sheet that I could then frost it and what not. Natty happened to be watching this process and I gave the cake a little shake only to watch it collapse on the plate. That was not good. With a little quick thinking I determined to make it work and used frosting as glue and put that thing back together. In the end, we had an okay looking cake that I think tasted good - I didn't eat it but those who did seemed to enjoy it. Natty Sue seemed fine with the cake though she enjoyed telling the story of the cake flop to everyone. What can you do? I am just very grateful that we managed it. It didn't look all that good and I am not so sure I will continue to brave this cake making thing. The train cake for Andy looked horrible and this one for Natty, well, it isn't winning any awards for looks. The Sue Bug enjoyed it though and that is what matters.




I love this little girl. She has been one to take the lead ever since she was born. She isn't shy about that. She also tries to remember the one. There have been moments when with a soft heart she has done much to make sure her brother Jack is okay and taken care of as well as Andy. She is a good little girl - no way she is almost a teenager. That is scary.

So Natty, directly to you I say thank you. Thank you for being a wonderful daughter. Thank you for standing up for what is right and for your desires to follow your Heavenly Father. Thank you for those tender moments when you look out for the welfare of others, especially your brothers. Thank you for loving your dad no matter what mistakes he makes and thank you for loving your mom the same way. You are a daughter of God and he loves you. He wants you to be happy and blesses you each day with a multitude of blessings. Look to him, follow him, do the things he has asked and will ask you to do through his Prophets, through the scriptures and through personal revelation. In this there is safety, peace, and joy. It does not mean that all of life's challenges and struggles will go away. Believe me, they do not. It does mean that the Lord will strengthen you and help you through the hard times. He also rejoices with you during the good times. Find those blessings each day that come from your Heavenly Father and live a life filled with gratitude and thanksgiving.



I love you Natty Sue. You are a beautiful girl and I am so grateful to be your dad.

Late Night

Not sure how it got so late. I haven't even worked out yet. Yikes, time has gone by quickly tonight.

I need to say a word or two about our visit to Vegas. I am very grateful that Clorinda called me a couple of weeks ago. She told me about the conference that I would have never heard about otherwise. She also presented a great little plan that they would take Natty, Jack and Andy so that I could attend. They really wanted to have us down so that they could spend that time with us. When she called I have to say that I was less then enthused at the idea of going to a singles conference. This type of event is almost more then I can stand and going in alone to something of this nature is overwhelming. I have a hard time being with a bunch of strangers. I tend to stay to myself and probably don't come off as being very approachable. It is easier to avoid these types of situations all together. Anyhow, I had spoken to Clo on the phone and then a few days later an envelope arrived in the mail with a card from Clo talking about the conference and the kids. I determined that I would go despite my fears.

I won't rehatch more about the conference proceedings as i think I hit that well enough over the last couple nights. I do have to say the chain of events there was interesting and I am very grateful that I went. It was a lot of fun for me to watch Jack and Andy with their Aunt Clo and Uncle Jim. They were having a great time with them. Natty Sue was also in the middle of terrorizing her uncle. I was so grateful to see the bond and the love that existed there with my kids. Sometimes it is difficult to relate the amount of gratitude one has and I have to say that I am extremely grateful for the tender moments when Clorinda would hold and kiss the little boys and just love them. Andy would grab her hair and just play with it in his hand. That is a major comfort thing for him and my lack of hair makes that tough at home. What a wonderful time it was together.

We went out to the Clark County Museum in Henderson and the kids all enjoyed runnning around. The kids had a good time. There were some old trains. Okay, I am falling asleep and need to close.

I love my sweet kids; Natty, Jack and Andy are wonderful. Grateful to be home and am looking foward to heading to bed now. Cheers!

Single Accomplishment

This was the third and final day of the singles conference. Despite the challenges of Friday night and Saturday morning I am very glad that I came to this. I was much more comfortable after lunch yesterday even more so when I met Karry Rathje and had a connection as being Pete's brother. It just made things easier.

I was hoping to pop into my friends today for the morning meeting but missed them so I sat alone. At first my row was empty and I thought that they might see me and sit with me but it filled in quick enough. Actually, I had seats open on either side - yes, I was flying solo. What is new? A single gal, funny, they were all single, this gal came and asked if seats were open to which I said yes and she sat on the end of the row, two chairs away from me. After the meeting I asked her name, just trying to be friendly and brave. Her name was Karen and we chatted a bit and then went to the lunch together. I found my other friends in our normal sitting area and Karen came up and joined us there. She lives in Vegas and has had to work for most of the conference. She has been able to attend the dances and then the meeting today but had to leave after the lunch to go back to work. She was very nice and I was glad she came to join us for lunch.

I wanted to say a few things about the Sacrament meeting. There was a host of brethren preparing and passing the Sacrament. I thought of a story President Armstrong told about how to catch a monkey. The monkeys hide up in the trees and watch the hunters come in. Usually four hunters go in together. The monkey sees this and counts one, two... many. After going in the hunters turn around and go out leaving one hunter in the forest. The monkey counts again as they go out; one, two... many. With this the monkey believes the danger is gone and comes out of hiding not realizing that there is one hunter still there. As I am typing this and pondering it a bit this may not have been monkeys but baboons. Monkeys may be the banana in a jug. Regardless the point here is the same. I started to count the number of brethren passing the Sacrament and essentially said one, two... many. There was somewhere between 35 and 45 brethren. It was rather impressive. Not only was it impressive but it was peaceful and rather spiritual for me. It was a nice meeting.

Elder and Sister Costa were great. They are from Brazil and they spoke with accents but had great English. They reminded me of Anna Patton in Florida and I thought about sweet Sister Patton who was such a great neighbor and friend there. Anyhow, I mention quickly that both Elder and Sister Costa mentioned the importance of Teachings of the Presidents of the Church President Kimball book, chapter 20 was very important and should be studied. I will have to find it. Perhaps I need to look that up soon as I have to speak in Church next week it may be a good one to go over and see if there is something there that relates. Elder Costa shared an amazing story. He joined the Church when he was 28. There are details of his conversion that I will not try to recall here as I will probably not get them right. Anyhow, he joined the Church, 2 weeks later he received a calling as Stake Singles Rep and was given an assignment to but on a singles conference. This included transport, housing and food as well as all the other activities. The conference was only two weeks away. Elder Costa talked about learning that things in the Church happen in two weeks It was pretty funny. Well, that is where he met Sister Costa. It was a neat story.

Another thing Elder Costa spoke about was some of his heroes. He spoke about Moses when he left Egypt. He spoke about Joseph running from Potiphers wife. He discussed Nephi saying he would go and do the things the Lord commanded. He spoke about Ammon and his missionary work amongst the Lamanites. He spoke about Mormon being called to lead the Nephites and a very young age. Then he said: "Do you know what the common thread is between all these men? They were singles when they did these great things. Elder Costa shared that the Singles are spoken of often by President Monson and the quorum of the twelve and other General Authorities. Singles do a great work for the Lord. It was a great point and it is one that certainly counters the adversary who would have me believe that I am not worthy to be there and that I am not good enough to participate. Not saying that I have had those feelings recently but they certainly did exist over the last couple of years of my life.

I have really enjoyed the weekend and being here with Jim and Clo. Natty, Jack and Andy have loved being here as well and they have really had fun. They have all tormented their Uncle Jim with noogies and other things. He has taken a few head rubs. I have enjoyed watching the kids play with their cousins and their Aunt and Uncle. Jack and Andy have both enjoyed a little snuggle time with Aunt Clora (Jack calls her that). Andy of course ran his fingers through her hair. What a wonderful time and blessing this has been for my kids. I am grateful for Jim and Clora watchig the kids and taking care of us while we were here.

Pete's Brother

So last night when I got home from the conference Jim asked me if anyone had referred to me as Pete's brother. There wasn't anyone there that I really knew though a couple that I had recognized and no one that I had any conversations about Pete or anyone else for that matter. Today was different. Last night on the dance floor as I was dancing randomly by myself there was a small group that I was dancing near and they allowed me to hang with their group. I saw them at lunch today and decided I would join them. While sitting there a girl sat down with the group who I had seen somewhere before. I had no idea where and then determined that I must have known her at the University Ward. We didn't talk. Later in the day I was with the group and I asked her if she ever went to the University Ward and mentioned Bishop Van. She said that she did attend over the summer and then asked what my name was. I replied John Fontano - wait for it... wait for it- "Oh you re Pete's Brother". Why yes, yes I am. Proud to be Pete's brother at that.

Her name is Karry Rathje and she said that Pete made the summer that she was there very enjoyable. She talked about a leadership conference where she told Pete he should hide in the freezer at the store (I guess they went shopping). So the group was walking around the store and through the freezer section and there was Pete standing behind the glass. Karry said she just laughed. I sent Pete a text about it and he told me he was doing a fish stick impersonation for her. Classic Pete. Sweet Pete the Ladies treat - ooohhhh so smooth.

So it was nice to meet someone that knew the family. It was nice to have a group to hang out with. It certainly made things not so lonely and weird. I am glad for that. the classes were all really good - some were better then others but still verry good. Very grateful for Jim and Clo for the birthday gift and for entertaining the kids while I go.

Be Not Afraid

Be Not Afraid - this is the title or theme of the Singles Conference that I am attending right now in Las Vegas. Yeah, I am very much afraid.

This is the first time that I have been to an official singles activity. Ummm, yikes. I was at the opening concert and the lady sitting next to me was probably 70 and the lady she was with was probably 80. This is not an exaggeration either. Until the dance got underway I was thinking that I was in trouble. I could have been at a conference for ladies the age of my mother - no offense ma. There were just a lot of older ladies. There are also a goodly number of 40 somethings trying to look 20 something and it is a little hard to take.

I know it will be disappointing to many to hear that I failed to attend the Speed Dating. Sorry that I missed that blessed event. Just rolling up to this conference took me out of my comfort zone. Speed Dating would have been over the top for sure.

So it has been years since I have been on the dance floor. Years I say. I was a wall flower to start and found some comfort there and then I decided I needed to get out there. Not knowing anyone and being way to shy to ask someone to dance I just moseyed on out to the dance floor and started dancing in the middle of a couple of sets of ladies that were all dancing with each other. Well, all was good until slow songs then I hightailed it off the floor. I kept waiting for Amber Jo Duvan to show up and tap me on the shoulder. Didn't happen though, what a shame.

I am completely wiped out and ready to crash. Looking forward to another exciting day tomorrow. Jim waited up for me and said the kids all did really well. Glad to hear it. There were all very excited to come. Grateful to Jim and Clo for the invite.

Blessed Mario Kart

I invited Jack to give the family prayer tonight and as usual he refused. Well I have learned that it takes a little persistence and a little encouragement to get him to say the prayer. I used to give up pretty easy but now I find that if I ask him twice and give him the old "you can do it buddy" he usually responds. I remember well the first time that strategy worked for me. Jack simply said a prayer with all the correct elements and without any assistance. It was awesome. Mind you, he had given prayers previously but always with assistance then he just refused to do it. It had been a couple of years of trying before he finally did it. Now we coach on reverence and a little on content now and again.

Back to tonight's prayer. Jack started in and immediately thanked the Lord for Mario Kart. He then went on to pray for help when facing Bowzer on DK Mountain because he throws snowballs and you need to hit him with a turtle shell when he does that. With that he closed the prayer. I told him what a great prayer it was and asked him to pray again and to remember the thank the Lord for the blessings we received today and to pray that we can sleep well and be healthy. Without any arguing he said he would start a new prayer and so he did. This time he gave the same prayer as before with the addition of three things: thanks for the blessings we received today, help us to sleep well and to be strong.

After he finished he hurried over to where I was kneeling and asked if I heard what he was talking about. I said I had. He then went on to explain it all to me again. It was fun to see his excitement and to simply watch him. This little boy with his challenges never ceases to amaze me. We had read a book earlier tonight called The Little Bear Treasury. We read the middle series of stories about Little Bear finding a friend. Her name was Emily and she had a little doll named Lucy. After reading we were out in the garage and I was doing to painting on some shelves. Jack stood there with me and told me all about his friend Lucy and how wonderful she was. He also told me about his other friend Emily. He carried on with his imaginary friends playing in the garage and having fun. The funny thing is, he doesn't miss a detail with them. He has a very quick mind and a very sharp mind. He also has a very honest heart. I am grateful for the things he teaches me and grateful for my two other amazing kids as well.

Getting Into It

Video games can be quite the adventure. I don't think there is a need to discuss my video game anger issues as a child especially the fact that I broke the TV screen when I threw the controller at it as a young boy. I am sure there are a lot of people that have done that. Look I even saw a commercial for one wear a guy chucks his controller at a large plasma and blows it up. See, it happens. Anyway, I find simple pleasure in watching the kids get into the games. As a family we have played our share of Super Mario this year. It was a surprise Christmas gift and the kids have really enjoyed it. We have all played together and have experienced the challenge of working as a team. Natty has to sit away from the rest of us, not because we bite but because Jack really get into it. I am sure there are many of us that lean into a turn or bounce a little while making a character jump. Jack does this also but he takes it too a higher level.

When he is playing he likes to sit on the couch with his legs not touching the floor. He runs in place the entire time he is playing. It gets a little bouncy sitting next to him. The only time he isn't running and bouncing is when he is jumping in the air in an effort to help his character leap a little further. Not to be any different then the rest of us he gets the full body leans going on. Here are a couple of pictures. You may catch a slight lean in one - I attempted to capture it in the shot The one thing you don't really see is the running legs. Believe me, they are moving. I didn't manage to capture the giant smile that frequents his face when he is playing.





Super Mario was replaced this week with Mario Kart. This is a game that Jack excels at and he loves it. Andy has also quite enjoyed Mario Kart and they can both navigate it pretty well. Not to leave Natty out of the conversation I am happy to report that she still has her live audience in Jack and Andy who both like to sit and watch her play her lego character games. The latest in the series - Harry Potter.

I hate to admit that the Wii has done a little bit of baby sitting for me. It has been a big help on occasion when I am trying to get dinner on or trying to work when Andy is home. I think there could be worse things. I did manage to do a family movie night tonight as homework got done early and I kept dinner simple with French Toast. Sorry, no Wii tonight. We tackled the Fantastic Mr. Fox which was a fairly humorous movie. Good times had by all.

Marmaduke or Jack Black

Last night I failed to add a couple of kid things to the blog. I needed to get them down before I forgot them, not that I forget everything but since it was on my mind...

Okay, we got tagged last night. Someone put a plate of valentines cookies on our door step, rang the bell and ran. Well, they didn't run far. I went out and found the cookies, Natty came to the door as well and then we heard stirring in the bushes. She said she saw a boys face but couldn't tell exactly who it was. I told Natty that we should go inside so that they could get away without being caught. I didn't notice the tagging on our front door at first. There is a host of hearts taped to the door with little sayings on them. One of our favorites:

Merry Chri, oh, wait,... never mind

There were a number of others like LOL, You're a Sweat Pea, Love You, Mad 4 U, Soul Mate. Here is a picture.



I told Natty she must have a secret admirer.

I know what you are thinking, what the heck does this little story have to do with Marmaduke or Jack Black. Absolutely nothing. We were discussing dogs last night and Natty asked if I liked Kipper or Brutus better. That is an easy one - definitely Brutus. First, he was just a great dog and you couldn't help but laugh as he would walk around with that full size soccer ball in his mouth sounding like Darth Vader. Second, he was really obedient. When I had the garage open and he would stand behind the 10" high make shift fence I just laughed. He could have easily taken off and roamed the hood but he didn't. He did what was expected. Third, he was an outside dog. That is how I like them.

Now, Kipper was and is a great dog but there are a few major issues that I have with him. He is a Black Lab and when I was a young boy I got chased by a black lab that jumped up as I was approaching a house trying to sell a newspaper subscription. It scared me big time and I associate that experience with black dogs. Kipper is an inside dog and cried like a baby when you put him outside. Drove me nuts. He snuck up on the couches when people were not looking. He tap danced on the hardwood floors in the middle of the night and I could here his every move. I think it also important to mention that he stole 1/2 of my birthday cake - come on, that is just not called for. I am really happy that Kipper is in a great new home with my new friend Wendy Mosely up in Alaska. He scored big time living on 9.2 acres with a lake and a girlfriend named Aurora. He did get attacked by a moose though. Not sure about that trade off. When the kids go up in the summer they have an open invitation to go and visit Kipper at his estate. Lucky.

Okay, that was a bunch of rambling and still leaves us wondering about the title. Well, Jack says in the middle of this dog conversation:

"We should all get Great Dane's and we could name them Marmaduke and Jack Black and..."

He trailed off and joined us in laughing. I know where Marmaduke comes from as he recently saw the movie - it is about a Great Dane named Marmaduke. Where did Jack Black come from? Just thought it was funny.

Another fun moment came yesterday morning when there was a nasty stench coming from Natty's room. My first thought was the turtle so I told her to get him out so I could clean his tank. In doing so George (that is the turtle) got a little upset and bit her finger. I don't know that it was anything severe, she had on her big yellow gloves and she didn't mention any pain. Jack piped up:

"George could bite my fingers too but he couldn't bite your fingers because they are too fat."

Appreciate my boy that just says it like it is. One of my friends referred to shaking my hand being like shaking a baseball that has sausages hanging off of it. I think I am starting to get a hand complex. That settles it, I am putting my hands on a special diet. I have no idea what that might be but clearly they need to lose some weight.

To finish the stench story - it wasn't George. I cleaned the entire room and found the source of the stench right at the end. Natty went to the pool on Friday night for a birthday party. She left a wet towel and her bathing suit stuffed in a back pack. I thought I would die. A load of towels in the laundry and the house is back to smelling, well, normal I guess.

The Infinite Power of Hope

I have spoken previously about the talk that President Uchtdorf gave on hope in which he spoke of his mother moving her family during the war. I love that little story. Anyhow, the title of the talk is The Infinite Power of Hope. It is one of my all time favorite talks. There are some points that President Uchtdorf makes in this talk that hit home to me very powerfully and that I relate to. Click here to link to the complete talk. I just read it myself, it is so good. I will also add a couple of quotes that stood out to me as I read it this time.

Hope... is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear.

The things we hope in sustain us during our daily walk. They uphold us through trials, temptations, and sorrow. Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed, there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in can uphold us and carry us until, once again, we walk in the light.

We hope in Jesus the Christ, in the goodness of God, in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, in the knowledge that prayers are heard and answered. Because God has been faithful and kept His promises in the past, we can hope with confidence that God will keep His promises to us in the present and in the future. In times of distress, we can hold tightly to the hope that things will “work together for [our] good” as we follow the counsel of God’s prophets. This type of hope in God, His goodness, and His power refreshes us with courage during difficult challenges and gives strength to those who feel threatened by enclosing walls of fear, doubt, and despair.

Hope is critical to both faith and charity. When disobedience, disappointment, and procrastination erode faith, hope is there to uphold our faith. When frustration and impatience challenge charity, hope braces our resolve and urges us to care for our fellowmen even without expectation of reward. The brighter our hope, the greater our faith. The stronger our hope, the purer our charity.

The things we hope for lead us to faith, while the things we hope in lead us to charity. The three qualities—faith, hope, and charity —working together, grounded on the truth and light of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, lead us to abound in good works.

At this point I could have just copied the entire talk and included it in my blog. Only kidding, there is still much more. I don't know how many times I have listened to this talk. When I read it I hear President Uchtdorf's voice. I think if I had to pick a theme talk for my life over the last couple of years this would be it. I have experienced the despair that President Uchtdorf discusses. I have felt myself on a stairway that points forever downward. I have experienced moments of great sadness and yet through it all I have found strength through hope, specifically hope in Christ. I am grateful for the infinite power of hope in our lives.

I am pressing forward with another hope in my life right now. I am lonely, I feel that loss of companionship and that is difficult. I recognize that there are a lot of things that I lack that my children need. I am not a fan of dating. If you thought it was hard before try it with all of the stresses involved with kids and the need you feel and have to protect them. Try it with a good size helping of self doubt and a battle with the fear of rejection. It takes faith. It takes trust. It takes hope.

On Saturday I went out on a date. This was my second date in 2011 the first was with Natty and that was a little easier. Anyhow, the date went well. The gal is very nice and we have chatted a couple times since then. I am going down to Vegas this weekend and am going to attend a singles conference. I keep joking about this speed dating thing that is on the agenda Friday evening. I don't know if I will make it for that or not. It is probably way out of my comfort zone. Anyway, I have to show the Lord that I am willing to try. I cannot sit back and hope for the Lord to bless me with companionship if I am not willing to go forth and do my part. That means overcoming fears and pressing forward with faith.

Valentines Day 2011

Here we are at the close of Valentines Day 2011. It has been a full day of Valentines fun starting first thing this morning. Amy had brought home some Valentines for the kids and I last night. When I woke Jack up this morning I wished him a happy valentines day and told him of the special valentine from his aunt Amy. That got him moving. The morning went rather well as far as getting both Natty and Jack up but getting them to get their stuff together and to be ready for school on time was another story. They loved their KoolAid Squeeze and Hershey's Kisses from Amy and they quite liked their Justin Beiber valentines cards. Andy didn't wake up this morning until after 10:30 and he thought his Beiber Fever card was funny - "he is kneeling" laughed Andy when he showed me the card. Andy loved his squeeze and kisses so much that he also partook of my squeeze and kisses. Glad to share it.

The kids all seemed to have fun with their classes and the exchange of valentines at school. Andy was really excited to show me his bag of goodies when I went to pick him up. We saw Collette on the way out and she took a little time to talk with Andy and he had a good time telling her all about his stuff. His favorite valentines card has a little cat in a handbag. He told Collette all about it. Later he told me that Collette is a nice brother. I asked him more about that and he told me "she's awesomer". So I passed that info on to her and she thought it was rather funny.

I tried to do some simple things for the kids. I found these big fish chocolates that I thought were pretty funny and then got them a little toy to go with. A little-ist pet shop for Natty, a Hot Wheels Train for Jack and a Monster Jam Monster Truck for Andy. They were all pretty happy. I had just enough on a gift card to cover it. That was perfect. The kids also got a special valentine from their Grandma and Grandpa complete with a variety of coupons good for a number of different activities. That should be lots of fun. They are actually quite funny because each coupon includes a different picture of Grandma and Grandpa making a variety of facial expressions that sometimes look a little less than enthusiastic - well, just one or two of grandpa's anyway. They seem to fit the coupon oh so well. Funny stuff. Aunt Sara popped in with a fantastic Halloween cookie as well and the haul was complete for the day. I think it all went pretty well. They were not forgotten by their mother who had send a big package last week that they enjoyed when it arrived.

Grateful for a day of fun. Grateful that the kids really enjoyed themselves and grateful for those that did a little something for us.

I sanded edges and buffed up the red entertainment center, the little red stool and started on the little red coffee table. I need to pick up some shellack tomorrow and hit them with that and should have them out the door on Wednesday morning. I think each peice will look really good. I am excited about that. Then there will be more peices to work on. There are a couple things that I still need to hit with the green - a little table, one of my shelves and my picture frame. I also have two peices that will not be painted but need some repair, sanding and refinishing. I am looking forward to getting those going.

Started on my taxes today and they may not be so bad. There are a few things I still need to figure out on income and then we will get into deductions. Hope to get something back. Not quite sure how we made it through the year based on the income but we did. I thank the Lord for helping dollars to stretch and blessing our little family with the things we needed. There was a lot of help with the move that carried our family through and I am very grateful for those that helped in that regard.

Well, I may be starting P90X tonight with Amy if she get home sometime soon. I have owned the series for quite some time but have never done it. I bought it one day when Natty was watching the infomercial with me and was relentless. "You need to do this dad. Dad, you need to get this. Here is the phone dad. Dad you have to do it. Call dad..." Oh my goodness she just doesn't quit sometimes. I purchased the thing. I think Rachel did a couple of the workouts just to see but I never did it. Not sure if I can start tonight as i am not feeling all that well. Little head cold hitting me at the moment. I will either be starting it or on the elliptical and simply fight the cold but we will see which one prevails - maybe both.

Earning the Right

10 years ago I started on a new career path in sales. It was scary to say the least. One of my good friends since that time taught me something back then when I first started. The sales process is a building process and before you can ask someone for their business you essentially have to earn their business. Asking them for their business without first earning it tends not to work out so well in sales. Anyway, my friend Bernie Bank always said that you have to earn the right to proceed. That right to proceed comes through building a relationship of trust. In 1 John 4:19 we are taught a significant truth in a few simple words:

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

I believe that. I believe that in every aspect of our lives. I was afraid when I got into sales because I had this mental image of a sales person that was negative, used car salesman type of guy, dirty, cheat - not a real pretty image to say the least. I was determined that I would be different. I would be the opposite of those things. My mission was to love the people and sell them an air conditioner. Well, I loved the people, I became their friend and by doing so I earned the right to proceed. I went in believing something profound - I believed that if I told the truth the spirit would testify of that truth and they would feel it in their hearts. You don't typically here this message from sales trainers. It was the message I always shared though. Love the people, tell the truth, the spirit will testify of truth. When that happens you have earned the right to proceed and to ask them for their business.

I have reported previously on my home teaching adventures with the Smiths. I mentioned that she loves to talk and he always seems to want me gone. Well, tonight I finally felt like we had a breakthrough. It wasn't anything overly amazing that I did. We just chatted and I listened to her stories like usual and then through conversation Roy started talking it up quite a bit. Through the course of the conversation I worked in the First Presidency message - How Great Shall Be Your Joy by President Eyring. I was humbled there with the power of the words of a Prophet. I almost couldn't say them because the spirit was strong there but shared with them the promise that President Eyring gives at the end of his message.

Be a witness at all times in what you say and do that Jesus is the Christ and that God answers prayers.

I testify that the Holy Ghost will direct you to those who seek truth as you pray and work for that guidance.

Just typing them out they seem rather simple and perhaps not so special. Tonight during our visit they were alive and powerful and the three of us felt the spirit and that was wonderful. Brother Roy who has been a challenge told me how much he enjoyed my visits and being able to talk with me. I was grateful to hear that yet know that it isn't me but it is the Lord.

There is a great responsibilty in Home Teaching to be about the Lords work. My hope has been to do that and I think tonight we had success. I believe that we earn the trust of those we serve as we are consistent in our efforts and we love the people we are called to minister to. I think we also earn the trust of the Lord when we are consistent in those efforts and as we pray and work for that guidance. What a wonderful blessing it is to be a home teacher.

I must say a few things more. We have turned our focus to helping the brethren in the quorum learn their duties. I was so happy today as I saw multiple members of the quorum participating in home teaching. One of the messages of the training yesterday was that the bar was being raised on leaders and all members of the church. It is an exciting time right now. I am very grateful to be able to serve and very grateful to be serving with a tremendous Elders Quorum President as well as other great men. I think the Lord knew that this was something that I needed in my life right now and it has been a great blessing.

Come Thou...

I am sitting here listening to MOTAB sing Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. I think this has to be one of my favorites. I had occassion to sing this in the choir of the Highlands Ward in Lakeland and it was one of the songs I struggle to sing because I get choked up during it. "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, oh take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above." As the struggles of life are upon me daily I feel myself wander on occassion and I don't want to. I think it is that daily struggle, the battle we have with the natural man. Prone to leave the God I love is one of those things that I find makes me sad. I don't want to and yet I am weak and I struggle to be perfectly obedient each day. I am grateful that the Savior knows this and has taken upon him my imperfections and provides a way for me to be clean.

I went to the Worlwide Leadership Training with mom this morning. It was a great message regarding the new handbook in the church. There is much that I need to learn. I need to immerse myself in the handbook. It is powerful. It is doctrine.

Had a date tonight with Lisa. It went pretty well. She is quite a nice lady and we had a plesant conversation on a variety of topics.

Okay, I am falling asleep here so I am going to close. Sure love Natty, Jack and Andy. They are tremendous children.

Math wiz.... or not

I got an email update on breaking news from the 5th grade at South Elementary in Cedar City, Utah today. Mrs. Little is on the case and providing me with much needed information on the status of one Natalie Susan Fontano. She had a big math test and managed to squeak out a 35% on her test today. Look here, I was never a math wiz but I don't know of too many occasions where I scored this low on a test. I still believe that my math challenges are a direct result of being the only bottle fed Fontano baby. Anyhow, up to date information from Mrs. Little is great. I learned that Natty squeaked by with a 35% grade and so we have a take home makeup test and I get to help on this one.

We went through the test tonight and either I am really consistent at doing things incorrectly or the person correcting the test didn't do a good job. Because my confidence in math is wanting I am looking for a little help from an expert in the field. It has been a long time and though I think I am right I don't know for sure. Oh the joys of math.

Well, I am completely beat. My normal blogging time was pushed back because Natty and I were working on the math test. I cannot keep my eyes open at the moment and need to sleep. I am done for the day.

Wrong Balloons

I was out doing some visits tonight with President Fawson and we had a good time. Visited with Sister Barrett and her daughter Lexi who was very excited to have us there. Also visited with the Starr family. Very nice people. They have not been real active for a while and tonight was the first time I actually met them. Anyhow, they know Jay and saw the family resemblance. They did have a hard time believing I was older. Not sure what I did to capture such a young look but I'll take it. Sheesh, I find it hard to believe that I am going to be 38 this year and that I have a daughter that is going to be 11 in a week. Crazy stuff.

Yesterday Jack taught me how to make a perfect cut out heart. You fold the paper in half and then draw a half of a 2 on the fold. Then you cut out the half 2, unfold and there it is. I just mentioned that I am going to be 38 this year. In all the years of my life I have never heard this simple pattern for the perfect heart shape. The next thing Jack wants to do is hang the square paper with the heart shape cut out of it on the window so that the sun will shine through it and create a heart pattern on the wall. I find so much joy in listening and learning these little things from sweet Jack. I realize that this heart thing was a rather simple thing but sometimes he comes and talks to me about random and deep thoughts. There was one from a couple of days ago that I intended to record and thought I would remember it but know that I am trying to remember it I cannot. Go figure. Anyway, it is fun to watch him develop and grow.

Yesterday my post was title schoolio and I boasted the fact that my kids were all in school. Well the pleasure was short lived as I had Natty home today. No fever or anything like that. She has just been a little stuffy in the nose. I think she just really wanted to stay home. At first I was not real happy about it, well, I don't know that I was ever real happy about it. I did think about the many times I faked sick in order to get out of a day of school and I had to laugh at myself some. I was talking to ma about it for a few minutes and she reminded me of the day that I hid on the side of the house and then snuck back in when they left for work (back in the days of AJ Copy shop by Dans in Sandy). All was going so well until the old man showed up at the house unexpected. I think I had even snuck in a little MTV - dang that was back in the corded remote control days and Michael Jackson Thriller. I even owned my own pair of penny loafers. Stud. I had no idea that the school called home when kids don't show up. Here again I had to laugh as none of the schools my kids have attended have ever called because my child wasn't in class that day. Odd practice to get rid of. I also have never sent a Dr's note or an excuse note with them upon their return to school. Weird some of the things that have changed. Okay so back to the point on Natty. I eased up a bit, made her some lunch and let her watch a movie. The wii was definitely out and she did have to read for a couple hours today. There is a birthday party that she has been invited to at the new aquatic center tomorrow night. She knows that in order to go she has to be in school. Don't be surprised if Natty is well enough to make it to school in the morning.

Have you seen this before? Not so sickly Natty doing one of her favorite things.


When I got home after the visits Jack came in and started playing karate kicks with a balloon. I joined him for a few kicks and craziness and we were laughing pretty good. Andy came in to join the fun and he really wanted to kick the balloon. So I hooked him up and his coords were just not there. He couldn't get his foot to connect with the balloon. Then we had a slow motion moment when the balloon was coming down, Jack was looking on and Andy came in with almost impeccable timing - the leg swept forward in kicking motion and he nailed Jack right square in the nuts. It is a good thing Jack isn't a little older cause he would have been down for the count. I candidly told Andy that he kicked the wrong balloons. They got a little chuckle out of it. Oh well, not the most interesting story but what the heck, I will title the blog after it.


The Balloon Boys.



I was in the middle of something today when I had this realization that Saturday evening is the broadcast of the Worldwide Leadership Training. As any faithful reader will note, I scheduled a date for Saturday evening. Well, that is no good. I figured I would have to cancel as I am supposed to be in this meeting. I was telling ma about it and she mentioned that their broadcast is at 10 AM. Well, I cleared it with President Fawson this evening and am lined up to attend the early morning broadcast. Sooo, there you have it, the date is still on. Crazy stuff.

Well that is all. I will note that I put my head down for a bit and when I woke up I had drooled all over the place. Always good info to have. Cheers!

Schoolio!

Today I enjoyed some sort of miracle. I had all three kids in school today for the first time in over a week. Andy has been home since last Tuesday and has had a runny nose that just hasn't quit. Today it was good - for the most part anyway. We had a couple of snot runs this morning but nothing deep and green as it has been and certainly not constant. After school they said he was a little tired now and again but no complaints about his nose. Jack had been home two days last week and again yesterday. He did fine today and that is also a big relief. Natty has been whining every morning about not feeling well and wanting to stay home. She is not sick, she is fine and I just don't give in with her. I can't really. She had a bit of a stuffy nose tonight so she got a dose or meds and a little vicks on her feet.

The Vicks on the feet has been an excellent remedy in our house since Heidi mentioned it to me a couple months ago. I love it and the kids seem to as well. I laugh because I took off Andy's shoes an hour or so ago and they smelled of vicks. Hey, I needed a little assistance to get him through the day so I put it on his feet before taking him to school. Did I mention that I love it? Well, I do. It is also very easy to know if you should put it on or not. Simply hold the jar of vicks up to your nose, if you fall backwards put it on. If you fall forwards there is no need. Okay, that is simply a bad joke on mom who use to take all these minerals that way. Paalease. Can I get a little colloidal silver? I am not quite looking smurf enough. Love you mom.

So this lady that the folks and Amy know wanted to sell them her salon at some give away price. It sounded to good to be true. Not to be a glass half empty guy but when something sounds to good to be true it usually is. As cool as everything sounded my thoughts were why? Why does someone just up and walk away from a thriving business and take a loss on it at the same time? You don't. If you are tired of running it bring in a manager. If you want to sell it then you do so for what it is worth. Another red flag for me was that she was going to move her operation to a smaller location - this place was just too big and too much work and she was trying to simplify things. So we went over to take a look at the books to see if there really was this amazing opportunity. Today we discussed some things after pops had an opportunity to dive into the numbers. As we ran those numbers it was obvious why she was getting out and it was equally obvious that this was not a business venture that would make any sense for us. It all sounded very exciting and quite enticing but ultimately we would be paying to take over a money pit and a headache. I am glad that we all felt the same after looking at the numbers. I think it lends confirmation of the value of councils. Also glad to see that Amy is gearing up for her test anyway and we are going to work on some stuff for her anyway without the huge operation and the debt that would come with it.

Lots to do. Lots to do. I have several pieces in the garage still and hit a couple with the first coat of red tonight. I am excited for them - sure that sounds funny but I really like the way the red pops with the black undercoat and then sanding down some edges and getting some wood peeping through. One of the pieces is this little coffee table that I thought was fairly disgusting when the folks brought it over on Monday. Well, I love it now and am looking forward to getting the next coat on it and then hitting it with the sander. It has some great lines and they are really popping at the moment. I love art, always have and this is my way of using my creative side and I really enjoy it. There are some tricks that I still need to learn with all the refinishing stuff but that will come. Also look forward to maybe a skosh more space at some point in the future.

I have failed to mention that Jack has gotten 100% on his last couple of spelling tests. We are reading together everyday and we do work on the spelling words some but probably not as dedicated as I need to be there. His success in that is more on him and I am really happy about that. His handwriting still stinks but we can deal with that. Look, I wrote in a journal for 16 years with never missing a day and my handwriting remains terrible to this day. I am sure he will be using a computer before too long anyway. Look at what that has done for my journaling. You can actually read it now - heck, I can actually read it now.

Final note. I actually have a date scheduled for Saturday evening. It is a girl that Laura worked with at a salon a number of years ago. Laura and Amy both like her and thought she would be a good date so why not. I talked to her on the phone this evening and I think it went okay. I was nervous as could be just because I am but we will see how it goes. Umm, dating. Yeah, not the easiest thing in the world to do.