Thornton Mom

My husband is the best!!  When he gets home from work or church all the kids come running.  They love to be near him.  He is fun, exciting, and full of love. I am grateful for the love that we share.  During all the trials that we face our love is constantly growing.  It is a delight and a privalege to be his wife. Your Next Step Randall K. Bennett, October 2015 General Conference "I promise that each faith-filled step will be met with help from heaven. Guidance will come as we pray to our Heavenly Father, rely on our Savior and follow Him, and listen to the Holy Spirit. Strength will come because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 19 Healing and forgiveness will come because of God’s grace. 20 Wisdom and patience will come by trusting in the Lord’s timing

Derek is having a hard time.  Yesterday was particularly difficult.  I was amazed how the Lord worked in both of our lives to help lighten his burden.  For me He helped my mood ant the mood of the home.  I have more patience right now, more strength, stamina, and joy.  Each of the children have had several breakdowns in the last few days but I have not flown off the handle and have been able to be calm and helpful in getting them through.  I can only attribute that to my Heavenly Father.  I am amazed that many times when the kids or Derek are off I am strengthened and not also off. The blessings I received today started with he kids being happy, they played quietly and let me rest.  When I prayed for guidance on what I should do while I sat with my foot hurting I was given the incite to do some work that needed to get done on the computer.  Then with my foot well rested I could go start dinner.  During dinner we had good conversations.  The kids even tried to memorize our "Po

I am trying to have a lot of faith in my Father in Heaven to help me with Sundays.  This past Sunday I went to visit new families that have been added to our ward.  When I came home the children had been watching television and making neckaces.  I have found more and more the benefit of turning off the television.  So we turned it off and Samantha wanted to frost the cupcakes she had made.  I told her she had to let the little ones help. She and John Derek did a great job.  JD helped Maddie and Samantha helped Michael.  They worked together, there were pleasant words being shared.  My heart swelled.  It was so good for me as well as for them.  I was so grateful to my Father in Heaven for helping me know what to do that we could make our Sabbath more meaningful and more of a delight. Your Next Step

JD near the pond with his "walking stick" that he carried all over the property.  Saturday we went to Hope Reins and volunteered.  We began by picking up sticks around the property.  It is so beautiful there.  Michael loved finding a big pile of previously gathered sticks and taking them to the fire pit.  He was a hard worker and didn't want to stop.  Then we began our pooper scooper job.   Doing this job really laid to rest any desires of my children to own their own horse.     All the kids worked really hard.  It was good to go out and get some service done. Maddie would bring me an empty rake.  I would hand her the one that I had loaded and she would haul it to the wheelbarrow and then return for the next one.  Michael would come to me and ask for "meatballs" to put in his shovel.   Learning from General Conference as a Family By Jocelyn Christensen Novembe

Elizabeth works so hard at her school work.  I am so proud of her.  This is her friend.  They both received an award at school.  What good girls. Elizabeth had a big decision to make.  She had to choose between being on the basketball team and being in a play.   I wanted her to choose the play.  We spent a lot of time discussing the two and praying about them.  We worked at how to listen to the Spirit.  She finally made the decision to be on the basketball team.  After tryouts she was chosen to be on the team.  Yesterday she sent me a text with a full page of exercises they were going to do in class.  It was a lot.  I was worried that when I picked her up she would be in a bad mood.  But when I got her she was tired but good.  She felt that she had worked hard and even mentioned that she may keep this up even when she is not in basketball.  I have hope that this will help her develop some good habits. Be

 We got out the game Jenga the other day and John Derek had much more fun building with the blocks than playing with the tower.  He was very proud of his ramp.  I was proud of him too.  He is growing up from a boy into a young man.  His features are changing and he is maturing.  He is still sweet and cute and still my boy.  That I am happy about.  I am excited to see the man that he will become.  Grandma Dew gave Michael a Truck book for his birthday.  He was so excited and makes me read it to him every day.  Then he has to tell me that he wants to buy each one.  Michael also loves the pajamas Great Grandma Christensen gave him last year.  Every night before bed he tells me he wants to wear the doggy pajamas.  He is extra excited when Maddie and John Derek wear theirs. Your Next Step

 The boys and Elizabeth went hunting so we had tea.  It was delightful.  So fun to be with Grandma and Aunt Annelise. Yesterday I had a sweet experience.  I had to get some new shoes and happened to be going by an old friend of mines home.  The thought came that I should go visit her.  I hadn't planned on it and had a lot of errands but felt this was direction from the Spirit so I went.  As I drove up to her house there was a car stuck in her grass.  A woman who had come to visit my friend missed the driveway and was now in the grass with her tires spinning.  She said that my friend was in the shower so the two of us tried to get her out with no luck.  A few minutes later my friend came out with wet hair and tried to help.  She mentioned that someone was coming over and it might cause a problem if this friend of hers was here when they arrived.  We prayed to get the car out but instead I felt that I should offer this woman a ride home.  She accepted with the knowledge th

Samantha started at Hope Reins.  She loved it.  See that beaming face?  She had it the whole time she was there.  I was really impressed again with Hope Reins.  I had a woman sit with me and talk about Samantha and the difficulties that she has had.  She shared with me about her daughter who seems to be very simmilar to Samantha.  We talked about her good heart.  Her ability to see others in a way that no one else sees them.  How she is good with kids and with other people.  It was wonderful    Mom and Dad Dew had arrived that morning at about 6:00.  Just in time for scripture study.  The kids were so excited.  Michael had asked me all day long the day before when they would get here.  I told him it had to get dark, he had to go to sleep, then wake up, and then they would be here.  He kept saying, "Too hard, too hard."  Meaning that he doesn't want to wait he wants them right now.   When they drove up I told the kids and everyone rushed outside.  Michael took a

Elizabeth finished her Middle School Volleyball year last week.  This had been a hard year for her.  New coaches, proud players, not a lot of time on the court, and all that other stuff that comes with middle school girls and life. But she did well.  She percevierd.  Her very last game she was put in at the end a long with all the younger team members and she did great.  She was able to shine, she made the winning shot, she helped the girls and encouraged them.  It was a blessing for me and her to finish the year on a positive note.  I think that Father in Heaven really blessed us to have that opportunity. My sister (who is an amazing mother herself) sent me this article and I really did enjoy it.  Here is a section that really described how I feel about God in my life as a parent and what I am working on daily that I may come closer to Him and have Him involved continually in my life. To moms of one or two children, from a mother of five By Sarah Short It gets easier.

So great to have wonderful inlaws.  My inlaws came over on Halloween.  Mom T. had made these cute little spider cupcakes.  Dad T. had melanoma in his hand.  He had it removed but it was a difficult procedure and is taking a long time to recover.  I love to hear the kids pray for him. Potty Training is going very very slow . . . . The Pleasing Word of God Francisco J. Viñas, October 2015 General Conference "Some examples include arriving late for sacrament meeting without a valid reason; arriving, without previously having examined ourselves, to eat the bread and drink from the cup unworthily (see 1 Corinthians 11:28 ); and arriving without first having confessed our sins and having asked God for forgiveness for them." Some how I need to lear

Several weeks ago Derek was driving to work and saw a new sign for Hope Reins . It in a new ranch admidst lost of ranches along his way to work.  But this one stood out and he looked it up when he got to work and found it is a ranch that uses horses to help children who are struggling usually with a major trama like death or abuse, etc.  He mentioned it to me and I put it in the back of my mind. A few days later I was driving to his work and saw the sign, it jumped out at me.  So I did my own research and felt that I needed to get Samantha into this program.  I wasn't sure if they would accept her as she suffers from anxiety without any major trama.  But I applied and got a call a few days later.  As the woman talked about the program I felt that this is exactly what Samantha needs.  The woman told me to bring Samantha the next day and take a tour and if she liked the horses they would allow her in the program. Samantha loved the horses and was so excited.  They accepted her

A few weekends ago we went to our cousin's home.  They took us up on the Blue Ridge Parkway and then into "Mayburry."  We had dinner in the soda shop that supposedly Andy Griffith worked in as a teenager.  It was so much fun!! New Testament, 1 Peter 3:18 It is humbling to think that I am one of the "unjust." I consider myself a good person but then I remember that I cannot make it back to my Heavenly Father without Jesus Christ. And then I feel gratitude for Him. And stand in awe that He was so perfect and that He went through so much for me. (This is another post that I found I had never posted.  This would have been October 2014)

John Derek was so excited to be a sniper for Halloween.  The one thing he kept telling me over and over again was that he wanted a gun that looked "real" not plastic.  This was hard to find.  Finally on Oct. 30th I ended up at Wal Mart with him to look at air guns.  He had decided that this was so important to him that he would pay for the gun.  He was all about the look of the gun and wanted one that was well over $100, because it looked like what a sniper would use. Then a tender mercy occurred.  A gentleman walked down the isle and got involved in our conversation.  He knew air guns.  He showed JD the one that was just like the one he owned as a boy and still owns.  One that he has used to hunt small animals and that was the 2nd cheapest one at the store.  All this mans advice and thoughts were processed by JD and he decided on the gun this man suggested. John Derek was so excited and carried it all over the Halloween party and trick or treating.  He can't wait unt

The Little Mermaid A Sniper Female Captain America Care Bear Minnie Mouse Witch Reluctant Frog (he wouldn't put his hat on.) Pirate ARGH!! Meeting the Challenges of Today’s World Robert D. Hales, October 2015 General Conference "You may want to conduct what I’ll call a “personal council.” After praying, spend some time alone. Think about what is ahead. Ask yourself: “What areas of my life do I want to strengthen so that I can strengthen others? Where do I want to be a year from now? two years from now? What choices do I need to make to get there?” Just remember, you are a pilot, and you are in charge." Where do I want to be in 2 years? In November

I'm a Unicorn! Celebrating my birthday with my extended family. This is so fun! Peace! I don't want one . . . . I want one. Last Sunday we celebrated Samantha's Birthday with our extended family.  It is so good to be around family.  We love it and them. Shipshape and Bristol Fashion: Be Temple Worthy—in Good Times and Bad Times Quentin L. Cook, October 2015 General Conference "But a true understanding of the Father’s plan reveals that the rewards of righteousness are available right now."