Thornton Mom

Elizabeth has had a hard time coming home and adjusting to real life after being at Aspen Grove with her cousins and new found friends.  She really enjoyed it up there.  But as Michael does he can put a smile on anyone's face even for early morning scripture study and jet lag. Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 7:21 "21  And it came to pass that the thirty and first year did pass away, and there were but few who were converted unto the Lord; but as many as were converted did truly signify unto the people that they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God, which was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed." They had to be strong in order to be prepared for the coming of Christ and to stand up in such a wicked world. Much like we are being asked to do today.

Elizabeth is having a blast.  I love this picture of her.  She is so happy, it has been a while since I have seen that smile.  I am so grateful that she was able to go and be with family.  To feel that eternal love and acceptance.  Her own little EFY. Sunday Maddie was taking a bath and turned the water too hot.  Normally you would think that you should just turn the water to cold and cool the bath down.  Well, things don't work like that here in the Summer in North Carolina.  When you turn the cold water on it is cold for a few minutes but then turns warm.  The weather is so hot that the water coming from outside the house is warm.  Only the water that has been sitting in the pipes and cooled by the air conditioner is cold.  So we could not get the water to cool down.  I made Maddie get dressed in one of my shirts and go bring me cups of ice that we dumped in the bath.  She thought that was pretty cool!! ...

Friday Derek and I put Elizabeth on a plane by herself and sent her to Salt Lake City for a family reunion at Aspen Grove.  I was nervous, she was nervous but I also had a great inner peace.  I knew that the Lord was with her and me.  That He approved of what we were doing and that He would watch after her.  I was so grateful.  She had a layover in Baltimore and I planned on talking to here there and making sure she found her gate but then realized that I would be in the temple when the plan landed.  My mom was wonderful and took over this role.  When I called after the temple I found that Elizabeth had found her gate without a problem and that she had gotten on the plane and it was in the air flying to Salt Lake. She arrived in Salt Lake and was greeted by Grandma and Grandpa.  She was so excited and so proud of herself.  I was so proud of her too.  It took a lot of confidence but she did it!!  She will be gone for a week and...

  This weekend we went with our good friends up to the Lake House.  It was such a joy to be there with them.  I loved watching the excitement of their children at all the options for entertainment.  I think my kids are becoming ungrateful for the Lake House.  They take it for granted.  But I think that is to be expected, they are only human.   Saturday Derek had to get gas to mow the lawn.  When he tried to start the car it would not turn on.  So he and our friend drove to Roanoke Rapids and got a new battery, came back and installed it.  The car started.  I felt so blessed that this happened on Saturday.  If Derek had not needed to get gas then he would have left Sunday morning for his meetings and our friends would have tried driving me home but the car would have been dead.  What a blessing that we were all able to make it home safely and in time for church.   New Testament, Act...

Last night Michael toddled over to me with a book in his hand.  He loves to snuggle and read together.  He brougth me one of his favorite books.  Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You Hear?  As we read we came across a frog and made a ribbit sound, when we got to the dog we "barked" and then we got to the Goldfsh.  I read Goldfish, Goldfish, What do yousee?  Michael pretended to grab the goldfish, put it in his mouth and say, "Yum, yum, yum! Mommy some?"  I was taken back, why would he eat the goldfish.  Then I realized that he does not know what a goldfish is.  He only goldfish he knows are the goldfish crackers.  No wonder he wants to eat it.  Samantha, who was sitting next to me, and I got a good laugh! Yesterday I listened to a book trying to learn more about anxiety.  The book suggested over and over again that I needed to listen to my kids.  By the time they got home I had been blessed with incredible patien...

The weather is so beautiful.  It only lasted a few days and is supposed to start raining today.  But I have tried to spend most of my time outside.  Michael loves being outside.  I tried pinning him in on our deck yesterday but you can see how long that lasted.  He and Maddie had so much fun playing outside.  As I think about how much exercise we have not gotten over the last few months.  I am reminded how much we love being outside an are just waiting for the weather to cooperate so that we can move and be free and get our bodies outside.     Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:4 "for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall prophesy according to the pla...