Thornton Mom

Our sweet Elizabeth is amazing.  Her dad and I went to her 6th grade awards ceremony.  She was given an award for High Honors, having a 3.7 or higher GPA.  She was also given the Most Outstanding Math award, an award only given to one student in the 6th grade.  I am so proud of her.  It was a delight for her father and I to watch this beautiful young woman succeed and see the joy shining from her face.  I am so impressed with her.  She works hard to excel when even her friends don't.  She stands up as an example of goodness and righteousness despite the difficulties of middle school life.  What a blessing she is to our family. Power in the Priesthood Neil L. Andersen, October 2013 General Conference "While there are many things we do k...

Maddie still wants to be the baby. "We are a happy family"  Coming back from a visit to Lake Gaston.  "We love that place." It is fun to be together as a family.  I am grateful for a wonderful and loving husband, a daughter who is so mature and such a good girl, another daughter who's smile infects the whole family and who loves to help and take an interest in whatever someone is doing, a son who loves to make us all laugh and keeps us all moving, a daughter who has such a tender heart and loves to be with her brother, a little boy who loves to laugh and brings the family so much joy.  I am blessed!!   D&C 29:27-29 "27  And the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal life; and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the Father; 28  Wherefore I will say unto them— Depart from me, ye cursed, into...

You got to love it when your kids give the baby cream cheese and a rice cake in the car.  Got a wipe anyone? Last night I had the privilege of going to a Bishop's Youth Discussion. (A meeting with the youth in our ward ages 12-18)  My husband (the Bishop or leader of our congregation) asked me to tell the youth about how we met and married.  What a delight to remember how the Lord shaped my life.  How I didn't get to fulfill the dreams I had wanted of going to BYU and fulfilling a mission but instead was given the perfect husband for me.  The man who excelled my dreams.  Now as I look at my life and the things that are not working the way that I desire I am reminded that I am still in the palm of my Heavenly Father's hands.  He has a plan greater than I can even imagine.  I know that if I don't question His plan and follow Him with all my heart the blessings will be greater than my greatest dreams.  I am grateful to the Lord for this remi...

As we arrived at swim team the rain started to pour down.  It was team picture day.  On a typical week day we leave our house at 3:15 (if all the planets are aligned :-) and pick up Elizabeth from school then drive to the pool and arrive before 4:00 for the oldest girls practice.  Maddie practices at 5:00 and JD at 5:45.  We then leave after his practice at 6:30 (again if all the planets are aligned :-)  But this day was different.  We were early and arrived at 3:30.  As we drove into the parking lot it started to pour down rain.  We waited in the car for about 15 min. when the storm lightened and everyone decided to play in the water.  It rained off and on until 6:00 when the picture was finally cancled and we all went home without anyone entering the pool.  The Infinite Atonement (Illustrated Edition) by Tad R. Callistar Pg. 264--"One element is yet lacking for a fulness of freedom.  It is the power to execute or to carr...

I was cooking granola and really trying to get it done before the other kids got home.  Maddie so wanted to help and was great at mixing.  When Michael woke up I put him in the high chair and gave him raw oatmeal.  He and Maddie had the best time playing.  It was a stupendous idea.  It mad an amazing mess but was easily cleaned with our wonderful wet/dry vac. The Infinite Atonement (Illustrated Edition) by Tad R. Callistar   Pg. 263--We can accept the Atonement, a choice that leads to eternal life (the ultimate in freedom); or we can choose the way of the Evil One, a choice that leads to destruction, chains, and captivity (the ultimate in bondage).  As we choose the Lord, he gives us more ropes' as we choose Satan, he tightens the noose until we are in his grasp.   Satan would have us believe that keeping the commandments is a restriction of our agency and a type of bondage.  But I know how free I feel as I come closer to my Sa...

Oh the joys of the dollar store.  Samantha bought play dough and enjoyed instructing and nurturing her younger brother and sister.  John Derek bought camouflage sun glasses and stick on mustaches.  Can you imagine anything else more fun? The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood Dallin H. Oaks, April 2014 General Conference "“Our Church doctrine places women equal to and yet different from men. God does not regard either gender as better or more important than the other. … “When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which is priesthood power. … Access to the power and the blessings of the priesthood is available to all of God’s children.”" This truth was blinded to me...

Derek got a new truck as an early Father's Day present.  He is quite excited.  But his excitement is only magnified by how much Michael loves the truck.  When Daddy comes home Michael immediately darts out to the truck.  He complains when Daddy gets in the truck and Michael has to get in my SUV.  This one is all boy.       Book of Mormon, Helaman 14:30 "30  And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free." God is not compelling us to choose His will. That freedom to choose is a gift He has given us, another example of His love for us. He is not seeking power nor is He puffed u...

Elizabeth and Samantha performed in their Piano Recital on Friday.  They did a great job.  What a treat it was as a mother to see their hard work on display.  They both did a beautiful job.  It was one of those moments as a mother that you get a taste of the fruit you are ripening.  That maybe those days of driving the whole family to and from piano, and all the background noise of wrong notes being played are really making a difference.

I love to see Michale laugh.   His whole face lights up and brings laughter to the whole family.  What a joy he is.  What a blessing to be his mom. Chapter 10: Our Search for Truth Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, (2013), 139–50 “You have been blessed with ability to comprehend, to analyze, and defend the principles of truth above many of your fellows, and the time will come when the accumulative evidence that you have gathered will stand as a wall of defense against those who are seeking and will seek to destroy the evidence of the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph; and in this defense you will never be confounded, and the light of the Spirit will shed its rays upon your...

We need a rug for our family room.  I have scowered the internet with little luck and finally went out with Maddie and Michael all over Raleigh to look for a rug.  I finally found one that has the right colors and will work in our space.  After purchasing it we were driving home and things got very quiet.  I looked back to find Maddie fast asleep, and Michael quite comfortable, holding his ear, blanket, and passy.  Aren't they cute? To me Maddie is expressing her gratitude and being done with shopping.  They are troopers. Book of Mormon, Mosiah 12:15 "15  And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into bondage, or be taken captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast prospered in the land, and thou shalt also prosper." I feel like this is the pride that is growing here in America. I hope that there are enough good people to keep u...

I went to the grocery store.  It is so easy for me to spend money at the grocery store.  I have gotten into the habit of praying before I go to the store, that I won't buy stuff that we don't need and that I will use the money wisely that my Heavenly Father has given our family.  As I prayed I asked that I would spend around $150.00.  I did not have time to add things up as I went along.  I had to grab what I needed and then get to preschool to pick up Maddie.  I rushed through getting most of what I had planned and a few extras that I felt we needed.  When I got to the register to pay the cashier said: "That will be One Fifty and Twenty One."  I looked at the register in shock.  Sure enough the total was $150.21.  I felt so blessed.  Just another miracle that God is there, He is listening and I am important to Him as are YOU!! About fifty years ago, Mr. F. M. Bareham wrote the following:  "A century ago men were follow...

 We love going to the pool in our neighborhood.  One of the best parts is riding in the back of daddies truck. The Infinite Atonement (Illustrated Edition) by Tad R. Callistar Pg. 247--Elder Boyd K Packer tells of coming home one day and being met by his little children, who were anxious to show him some newly hatched chicks.  As his little four-year-old daughter picked one of them up Elder Packer said, "That will make a nice watchdog when it grows up, won't it?"  His daughter looked at him with an expression that suggested he did not know much.  So he said, "It won't be a watchdog, will it?" She shook her head and replied, "No, Daddy."  Then he added, "It will be a nice riding horse."  His little daughter gave him "that 'Oh, Dad?' look."  Then he said, "Even a four-year old knows that a chick will not grow to be a dog, not a horse, nor even a turkey. It will be a chicken.  It will follow the pattern of its...

Friday evening we found ourselves next to a field.  As we gazed out on the field we saw flashes of light illuminating the night.  I showed the children how to catch lightning bugs, fire flies, whatever you want to call them.  They had so much fun catching them and letting them go.  Samantha named one she caught Kevin.  It brought me back to my childhood and catching fire flies at my grandparents home in Tennessee.  There were so many bugs I thought I could gather them all and make a lantern.  Such a joy to see my children enjoying such a fun activity. Book of Mormon, Mosiah 5:7-9 "7  And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughter...