Thornton Mom

For Christmas Santa gave Elizabeth a ticket to Disney's Beauty and the Beast the Traveling Broadway Musical.  Santa arranged to go with our cousins, aunts and uncle and sister and spend the weekend with them. Friday I picked Elizabeth up from school and raced to Virginia to beat a storm that was blowing in.  I was nervous that it would interfere with the show.  On the way we listened to the Broadway Musical Alexander Hamilton.  Elizabeth and her cousins are obsessed with this musical and listen to it constantly but I had never listened to the whole thing. The musical was a fun idea and very creative in its use of words and music.  I had to ask my aunt lots of questions to be able to understand exactly what was going on, but now I do know more about our Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. We LOVED Beauty and the Beast.  The best part was seeing Elizabeth's jaw dropped through the different scene.  When it was over she said, "That is exactly what I want to do,

Elder Todd D. Christofferson wrote an article published in the June 2001 Ensign entitled Justification and Sanctification.  Near the end of the article he addresses the topic of perfection.  I have a desire for everyone and everything to be perfect.  I have this idea in my head that if I just did everything "right" then things would be perfect.  I wouldn't have kids who act like kids, I wouldn't have PMDD, my house would always be clean, etc.  I know this idea is wrong and I am working on changing it.  I really enjoyed Elder Christofferson's article.  He reminds me that we can only become perfect through Christ and even then not in this life.  Here are some quotes I really enjoyed: This personal persistence in the path of obedience is something different than achieving perfection in mortality . Perfection is not , as some suppose, a prerequisite for justification and sanctification. It is just the opposite : j ustification (being pardoned) and sanctification (

After my "time out" the previous evening we watched a movie entitled Mom's Night Out , produced by the same people as Courageous , and War Room .  The movie was delightful.  It made me laugh so hard, touched my heart to it's core, helped me ponder and realize some of what my perfectionism is, helped me feel loved.  I felt like the writers of this movie reached into my brain and my life and portrayed it on the screen.  It was truly delightful. The following scene was the most poignant in the movie.  I sat there with tears streaming down my face as I realized that the reason I had had such a bad night was being discussed and a new way of thinking given.  I highly recommend this movie to all mother's out there!! As I listened to his words I was reminded of the words I was told in the temple, that I am enough! I was reminded that my Father in Heaven is not expecting me to be like the other mothers I think my kids need but to be me, that He gave them to me kn

Maddie and Samantha stayed home from school the other day because they were "sick."  I had them spend the day in their bedroom.  I think they had more fun than I realized they would have.  With Legos, Paper Dolls, and lots of Stuffed Animals they were quite entertained. Last night was one of those nights.  The greatest blessing is that Derek was there and helped me through it.  After dinner he could tell that I felt out of control and overwhelmed.  He held me while I cried, told me how wonderful I was, that he loved me, that I haven't done anything wrong, and that he is not disappointed in me.  He then did the dishes and I went upstairs and read a talk given by Elder Holland entitled "The Atonement and Missionary Work."  It was so sweet to read the words he spoke and to feel the love of my Savior and Heavenly Father.  The talk was addressed to missionaries but I applied the words to me and my depression and really got a lot of the comfort and support I ne

Nephi Derek was asked by the primary to dress up and talk to the children about Nephi.  I was glad that I got to be in there for this.  He did a great job.  My favorite part was that he brought his bow to show the kids and talk about how Nephi's bow broke and he prayed and made a new one.  He is so cute!! The kids really wanted to "prove" that he was their bishop not Nephi.  Maddie and Michael got quite a kick out of it. Michael at one point said, "My, daddy so funny!" John Derek could not stop saying, "That's my dad, that's my dad!"  Samantha marched up there to make sure Nephi knew he was loved.  The kids made it fun! Later I was told by one of the mother's that her daughter comes home every Sunday and tells her what John Derek did that day.  That he is so cute!  I didn't know if that was a complement or something I should address.  He enjoys being the class clown. Of Regrets and Resolutions Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Octo

Michael is obsessed with vehicles.  Anything with wheels.  It is so cute to see him line them up and play with them.  Riding in the car with him is a blast because if he sees a big vehicle he calls out at the top of his lungs with great excitement in his voice.  Like he just discovered a diamond mine.  "Look, an am-blue-lans," "Fiwer Truk!!!," "Itz a powis caw."  John Derek had the pinewood derby this past week.  He made a UNC derby.  He also wore all this UNC clothes and received the award for the "Most Team Spirit." Chapter 6: The Significance of the Sacrament Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith , (2013), 94–103 "We  have  been  calle d  upon  to  commemorate  this  great event  [the  Atonement  of  Jesus  Christ]  and  to keep  it  in  mind  constantly." We need to go to church each Sunday and partake of the sacrament to remember Christ. It is this constant remembering that keeps us close