caroline's quote of the day

caroline: where is daddy's tuck, mommy?
mommy: remember, it got sick and it can't be fixed.
caroline: oh yeah. well, take it to the doctor and then it can have a popsicle.

**last time caroline got cathed at the pediatrician for her uti, they gave her a popsicle :)

family visits!

at last, kaitlin and caroline are together again!!

kaitlin and caroline in their dora pj's

going for a ride with their baby dolls

kaitlin getting caroline dressed

this task is harder than she thought!

all finished and sealed with a hug

shopping in jeff foxworthy's store at the outlets...by far their favorite store!

taking a break b/c shopping does wear a toddler out

making a wish...make that three wishes!

multi-tasking...talking to mommy and hugging caroline

now just concentrating on hugging

guess who can't swing on the big girl swing yet?

here is a better angle!

okay, caroline, you follow me

this is how you do it

looks good, katie, but i'm sitting up

bff...all we're missing is abby!

this is how caroline's room looked AFTER she and kaitlin claimed they cleaned up!

beach time...one of their most favorite things in the world!

looks like a deep conversation

how cute is she???

hunting for shells

eating dinner together...literally!

teaching each other some new art techniques with crayons

it's time for kaitlin, grandma and grandad to go home

uncle john is always handy for a ride

caroline is not into this leaving stuff

this is one way to make grandad feel bad about leaving me!

family visits are the best! john's parents and our niece, kaitlin, came in town last wednesday and stayed through sunday. we had such a great time! we literally ate out every single meal, which is easy to do in charleston. who wants to cook when there are so many restaurants to try? we went shopping on thurs at the new outlet malls very close to us and caroline and kaitlin got some fancy new shoes for fall/winter. on friday, we played at the james island county park playground, which is awesome. that is, if you wear the right shoes. we had on sandals and the playground is "pebbles" so i will be better prepared next time. saturday, we went to the beach and the girls played like crazy. i seriously think they ran 10 miles or more. running back and forth to the ocean and playing in the sand. we also got to see 2 weddings on the beach, which joyce and i thoroughly enjoyed even though we weren't officially invited :) we had to say goodbye on sunday, but thank goodness, it's not for long. i'll be going to ga with caroline in 2 weeks for the birth of my newest nephew. we really are loving charleston, but nothing beats family time, that's for sure!!! thank you to grandma, grandad and kaitlin for coming to see us, it meant the world to us :)

continue to pray for my sweet baby...got a call from the dr and based on tests from her appt this past friday, she still has a urinary tract infection. it looks like it's a different bacteria this time. she's been dealing with all this since august 19 so it's been a VERY long time to be in some form of pain/discomfort off and on. she's now on her 3rd antibiotic and will see a pediatric urologist in a few weeks to check for a bigger problem with her kidneys like reflux. i'm hoping that isn't the case, but the bottom line is to figure out what's causing it and take care of it. i feel very confident with our pediatrician. pray for caroline and wisdom for the dr's to figure it out. caroline, as always, has dealt with it like a champ. she's a tough little thing!!

attached are lots of pixs from our family time....enjoy!!

caroline's quotes of the day

quote #1
caroline: once upon a time, there was a little girl named mommy. she lived in charleston with dora, boots and diego. the end!

quote #2
mommy: you're so smart, caroline!
caroline: i'm not smart, mommy. i'm caroline. i'm not smart, mommy. i'm happy!

it's so hard to say goodbye - lauren's tribute to 'ole red

it's hard to see, but this is a full length shot of 'ole red

here is a better shot of 'ole red with me and john on the day we moved to charleston

i really was going to refrain from blogging about 'ole red (aka john's '93 ford ranger), but i just can't help myself. i truly loved 'ole red. on saturday, when she finally gave out, john and i kept trying to joke about it for fear of crying if we really thought too hard. seriously, i had tears in my eyes. it may sound crazy, but i don't care. that little red truck (honestly, i always thought it was more pink/burgundy/some other color than red) has been through so much with john and consequently with me since i've been a part of his life for all of the ranger's life. john said 10 yrs in his post, but it's been more like 12, almost 13 yrs. it has been the setting for many fights, lots of kissing, many adventures, many dates (a lot that didn't include me), many college parties, and lots of other things i don't know and don't care to know :) i remember vividly when john brought it over to my house in high school when he first got it. he was so proud and i thought he was very cool. especially since the ford tempo he'd been driving was rusting and peeling paint. we'd look so much cooler in the truck :)

john and a truck just seem to go together. and, the fact that 'ole red was simple fit john perfectly, too. no power windows, locks or power anything for that matter. no fancy radio and definitely not a cd player. in fact, it had a large black button that you pushed in to make the tape come out and it popped out, old school style. i'll always remember climbing over, in and through trash trying to fit myself in the passenger seat. for those of you who know john well, he hasn't always been the neatest of men. much progress has been made in that area over our last 6 yrs of marriage and for the past year and a half, 'ole red stayed mighty clean. i tried and tried the past few years to get john to replace 'ole red's muffler. it literally has been hanging on only by a thread of rust. john didn't see any need for that...he'd just wait until it fell off. also, in the past few years, ole' red began to squeak a lot. you could tell she was stretching out into her sunset years. i could always hear john coming home in our macon and birmingham houses streets away b/c of the squeaking. all of the neighbors got to enjoy the sound, too. caroline would even say last year, " i hear daddy's truck coming, mommy!". actually, caroline loved 'ole red, too. i don't know that she will recognize her daddy in something different. she kept saying on saturday, "daddy's tuck is sick?" with a sad look. 2 years ago, in macon, we thought we were going to lose her. she needed a new transmission and being very poor, we just didn't see how we could keep her going. God stepped in and the auto mechanic had pity on us and found us a great deal on a transmission. we were so happy and our final goodbye to 'old red was again delayed.

in the past, john and i have talked about his dream truck and what all he would want. almost every single time we're on a highway, he'll point and say, there's one. i've even started picking out trucks and asking if that's it. well, i honestly think 'ole red was THE perfect truck for the perfect time in john's life (and mine). no matter how fancy of a truck he gets one day down the road, 'ole red will always remain his first love in the truck world. we'll miss you, 'ole red. thanks so much for all the memories!!!

A Sad Day (aka the truck is dead)

Today was a very sad day...

My day started early at 6am, which is typically when I start most weekdays. But, today was different. I was headed to the river, a new river, to enjoy some adventure with a friend. The Nolichucky River is located in Erwin, TN and seemed to be a perfect place to meet my friend Chad for some kayaking action. I left the house and headed to the storage facility to pick up my kayak. The cobwebs in my head were lifting and I was pumped about spending a beautiful weekend in the mountains. Once I arrived at the storage facility, I was unable to unlock the shed. I tried and tried and even beat the lock with a hammer to no avail. The "attendant" arrived 2 hours later to inform me that my lock was broken (thanks for that info) and that I would need to call a locksmith. There was no time. I called Chad, who had driven from Birmingham the day before, to consider backup plans. He had two kayaks with him! I was in luck and decided to head on to Erwin.

About thirty miles from Charleston, I heard my muffler begin to drag on the ground. Many of you may wonder how I knew the noise was coming my muffler. Others of you who have had the priviledge of viewing my beautiful '93 Ranger would understand. I pulled to the side of the highway and preceded to extract the rusted muffler from under my truck. No one really needs a muffler, right? Back on the highway, I preceded to drive as fast as the always present SC State Patrol would tolerate, but not for long. Suddenly, I felt a slight jolt and a sick feeling entered my stomach. My truck was not acting right. Having had the beautiful red truck for more than ten years, I knew her pretty well. Once again I pulled to the side of the highway. As I came to a stop, I noticed smoke coming through the floorboard. Granted, I am by no means a mechanic, but I was pretty certain that this was a bad sign.

Two hours later, after a kind tow (thanks to triple a) and meeting up with my beautiful wife and child, I am delivered the horrible news. Big Red will ride no more... The mechanic very gently and almost tearfully explained that my clutch had failed and that a bunch of other stuff that I don't understand had gone wrong. The bottom line - for big red to make it would cost more than $3000. I love my Ranger, but I love to eat as well. Therefore, today September 16, 2006 will always be remembered as the day I lost my trusty old truck.

I would like to take a few moments to remember Old Red. She always served me well. I have only had a few problems with her over the years, and most will agree that she did not live a pampered life. She required little maintenance and probably received even less. We traveled to the ends of the earth together often carrying boats, bikes, rowdy fraternity brothers, and even huge loads of sod that made her tail almost drag the ground. She never complained. She was so striking, that twice she was broken into by criminals seeking to rob her of her owners possesions. She never let them have much. Never did she ever fail me in a situation where we could not get help, and believe me there were plenty of opportunities. Today was the first, last, and only time she ever needed to be towed. Thank you Big Red for the memories and the adventures. You will always be my first and most loved truck. I pray you rest easy in the great junkyard in the sky.

Obviously, some of this is in jest, but I truly will miss my beautiful '93 Ford Ranger. Today gave me a chance to reflect on the past ten years and all the great experiences I have had. Furthermore, I was reminded how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family. No matter what befalls me, I will always, God willing, have my beautiful and precious family to return home to. Life is a great adventure with many ups and downs, gains and losses. After all the dust has settled, the only thing that is truly meaningful is family, friends, and hope for future adventures.

John Fortney

one day at at time

picture courtesy of aunt connie who has a fancy camera!

sometimes, i feel like i'm spinning my wheels when i'm parenting caroline. whether it's trying to teach her manners or to make the right decision or to be obedient or just eat the right food. i would say caroline is a fairly compliant child most of the time, but b/c of her cole and fortney genes, she is not a pushover. she can be passionate, opinionated and downright stubborn. all traits i believe my parents would have used to describe me as a little one. well, today i experienced a minor victory and confidence booster in my parenting. caroline wiped paint in her hair today at school so i told her we would need to take a bath before dinner. well, bathtime came and she took off running. i gave her two choices, get in the tub or sit in time out by herself. well, needless to say, she didn't make the right choice so off to time out she went. after a few minutes, i went back in and offered the same choices. she again made the wrong choice. so, she stayed in timeout again. after a few more minutes, i went back and for the third time presented the choices to her. hallelujah, she made the right choice and actually did it with a good attitude. i picked her up and praised her for making the right choice and she grabbed my face, looked in my eyes and said "i'm so sorry mommy". our goal is first time obedience and often we get it, which is great. but, i was so happy to see that she realized she needed to apologize without me specifically saying "tell mommy you're sorry". now, maybe next time she'll make the right choice a little bit earlier in the game. maybe not, but that's okay, one day at a time :)

caroline's quotes of the day

mommy: mommy loves you, caroline
caroline: mommy and daddy love me!
mommy: yes, mommy and daddy love each other, too!
caroline: yeah, daddy loves lots of people

caroline: look at all those cars, mommy (a junkyard/impound lot)
mommy: i see them
caroline: what they doing?
mommy: well, they're sick and hurt so they're going to get fixed
caroline: that's where daddy works

cole cousin photo shoot

click on the picture link above to see some awesome pictures of caroline and her cousins, sarah and luke. mandy robinson came to my parents' house when i was home in august and took these for us. she's so gifted and she just so happens to also be my new boss...yes, that's right, i am gainfully employed for the first time since caroline was born and it has been great! i'm working part-time from home for mandy robinson photography. her business is growing so fast and she needed someone to help her take care of day to day stuff...emailing, scheduling, checking print orders, maintaining her online calendar, etc and b/c of technology, i can do it all from charleston on my laptop! it has been a blessing and an answer to prayer to be working with her. she's an amazing photographer and more importantly, an awesome person!


**instructions for viewing the picture slideshow...there is an arrow on the very bottom/far right of the slideshow program. if you press this arrow, the slideshow will play. to stop
the slideshow, press the arrow again. when the slideshow is stopped, just click on one of the thumbnail images to view each photo for as long as you want. there's a song that plays, so you may want to adjust your volume up or down. all images are copyrighted and property of mandy robinson.

caroline's quote of the day

after waking her up to get ready for school...

caroline: wach ya have on, mommy?
mommy: my nightgown
caroline: it's so petty....what's that? numbers? (referring to the "VS" logo on the top)
mommy: sure (too tired to explain what letters they are)
caroline: you look so cute, mommy!

nothing like a sweet 2 year old to build your self-confidence early in the morning!

this was one of mom's gifts to dad - very subtle!

my precious baby girl!

having some help blowing out the candles

the b'day boys' cake

the three amigas, abigail, caroline and kaitlin at "kangaroo bob's" jumpy place

baby david and his gorgeous momma, garrett

david frasure hunter, III

grandma drying caroline and kaitlin off after a dip in the lake

the beautiful b'day girl...inside and out!

bekah's two very eager helpers!

blowing out her candles

Rebekah's 10th Birthday

this is what caroline looks like with a 104 temp

the fortney family - minus daddy who had to work

the shaw family - #3 will make his debut october 12th!

daddy/uncle david swimming with the kids

the kids checking out the horse before the carriage ride

papa, lauren, caroline and sarah's sand castle

what is so funny, caroline?

playing in the sand

caroline

luke in swim googles

caroline and luke

sarah enjoying one of her very favorite things in life, chocolate ice cream

john reading to the little ones before naptime

caroline and john on the cole family vacation

caroline and john strking a pose on the bike

the view while biking

we've had a great weekend! yesterday, we went out to folly beach and ate at one our favorites, the lost dog cafe, and then went biking on the beach. i've been wanting to get a bike so we rented some for me to try and it was a blast! my thighs felt like they were going to explode when we were going against the wind, haven't worked those muscles in a long while. caroline loved it and looked especially cool in her helmet, hot pink with bunny rabbits on the front. we worked up a sweat and then played in the ocean for a while. this is the life!
we visited an awesome church for the second time this morning. it's really close to us and the praise and worship is awesome! our first visit last week i knew i would like it when i could hear the music from the parking lot. the pastor is really good and very easy to understand. he's from boston and i love the way he talks! it's diverse and we love that. last week, after the service, i felt a tap on my shoulder and there was our neighbor susan. she's been going for about a month. we sat with her today and worshipped together. we signed up for a small group, which we're excited about. john and i have missed having that deeper connection with other believers consistently on a weekly basis. i think this might be where the Lord wants us, but we'll see.
oh, on another note, one of our very favorite restaurants, anchor line, has moved from it's location on the river at folly. our families will be sad. we drove by last week and they were putting up a sign about it. this past saturday, we drove by and it was completley deserted. no sign, no tables on the screened porch area and the big wall near the parking area with the fish on it is no more. apparently, they're moving farther inland on james island. not sure if we will still love it as much. it won't be the same for sure!
caroline has been struggling with a urinary tract infection for a month. she was diagnosed at the end of our vacation in august after a trip to the pediatric er with a high fever and being cathed to get a urine sample...no fun! well, she went on antibiotic and it seemed to go away, but last week she started showing symptoms again. i took her to the pediatrician and they had to cath her again and sure enough, it was a uti. they've started her on antibiotic again so pray it works well this time. she's a trooper and has been great through it all. the nurse at the pediatrician's office said it was the easiest cath she's ever done on a child. that's my girl!!
i'm attaching a few pixs from biking and a ton of random pixs from vaction with my family in august and my trip home to ga in august, which included lots of b'days. enjoy!!