Thornton Mom

 Maddie Celebrated her 8th Birthday on Friday!  She had a Shopkin Party and had so much fun!! Elizabeth Made the Cute Cupcake Ice Cream Cones Daddy helped with the Pinjata, photography, and mom's sanity. Elizabeth also made a punch out box for the girls to punch and then get prizes.  It was a huge hit. Samantha painted a "Pin the Sprinkle on the Shopkin." Mommy Made a Strawberry Shopkin Pinjata.  It reminded me of when my mom would make us pinjatas at almost every party. Samantha instructed the girls on painting a letter.  They all wore garbage bag smocks and had a delightful time. Elizabeth and Samantha really put the party on.  We got the house decorated and then the girls took over.  What amazing daughters I have. On Monday for Family Home Evening we talked about the 5 Love Languages.  I had us all take a test so that we could discover what our love language is and be able to help each other feel loved. ...

I have been doing a lot of contemplating lately.  To begin with I am experiencing some PMDD so this may be some of the reason for my mood.  I have been grumpy with my children and they can’t seem to do anything right and are a huge annoyance.  I know that when I feel this way it I am not fully myself.  But I have also learned that this is the time the Lord uses to teach me. Monday my Uncle and Aunt and two of their kids came to visit us.  I was a little frustrated and overwhelmed that they were coming at such a busy time when I should be getting ready to drive to Utah and buy a new car.  But once they arrived I was reminded how much I enjoy my uncle.  A lot of my child hood and teenage memories are with him especially when it comes to water.  He and my Aunt Ruth were almost like an older brother and sister to me.   John Derek played hard, we all did, it was nice to relax and watch a movie together. When the family did arrive I...

It really was delightful to be with my family for Thanksgiving.  Aunt Mary and Uncle Kyle were so sweet and kind, so accepting of our little kids.  They seemed to bask in the joy of family and that was contagious.  We felt a huge outpouring of love from them and felt so welcome. As we visited with cousins and my sister that we had not see for a while my heart grew and desired even more to be around these wonderful family members more.  My testimony of families increased.  I realized that it is so important for us to get together as families and strengthen this bond. It amazed me that here we were a pocket of family scattered over the East Coast but united in love and friendship.  We all wanted to be together for Thanskgiving to bask in the love of family.  This year I truly was thankful for family. One of my cousins had just moved to the east and had a 9 hour drive to come to Thanksgiving with all of us.  But he and his sweet wif...

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 conversatio...

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 Confer...

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 tr...

This was by far my favorite day on our trip.  It was a tender mercy from our Father in Heaven and we really enjoyed it.  We started off on the Jungle Cruise and laughed at all the corny jokes. When we had been in Adventure Land the first time the kids saw Aladdin's Magic Carpets and really wanted to ride them.  My favorite part of the ride was wen we flew by a camel and got wet.  "Watch out, they spit!"  He spit at us.  It was awesome!!  We were told that the best place to get a treat was the Dole Pineapple Stand.  Wow!! Amazing!!  It was pineapple ice cream put in pineapple juice for a pineapple float.  Or you could just have the ice cream.  Derek and I were in seventh heaven.  The kids got slushies and we all loved it!! Aren't they just so cute?  We went on the new ride the Seven Dwarfs.  On our previous visit we had been blessed when an employee just handed us some fast passes which w...

This past week for our marble jar activity we had a Minion party.  I knew that one way to spent time with my children would be to make food into Minions.  And so we created Minions out of bananas or twinkies.  It was a lot of fun.  We used yellow and blue melting chips and black frosting for the details.  The kids favorite part were the edible eyes.  Michael came over as I was finishing the first Minion and sat on my lap.  Once I got the eyes and the mouth on he screamed in delight, "Minion!!"  Then every 2 min. he was asking if he could eat a Minion.  He just did not want to wait until the party.  We did Pin the Goggles on the Minion and Minion Bingo.  It was so fun to see everyone so happy. The Power, Joy, and Love of Covenant Keeping ...

 This past week I went to lunch with the Elementary kids.  It is amazing that just me coming to lunch with them, sitting at a special table, and picking two friends to eat lunch with can make these kids feel so special.  I really think I need to do this more often.  It is good for them to feel special. Hanging out with John Derek and his friends made me realize how "normal" John Derek is.  When I was trying to get a picture each of the boys took turns making weird faces and of course trying to photo bomb the picture.  Just like my John Derek does all the time.  He is awesome.  I got to see Maddie in a setting I don't usually see her in.  She was happy and confident.  I got to meet friends of hers and was told what a good girls she was by her teacher and how much they enjoy having her in their class.  She really is a good girl. It was fun to see Samantha truly enjoying her friends.  I met girls I had never met bef...

We celebrated John Derek's Birthday this past week.  He has been so excited for it.  He reminded us for at least two weeks how long we had until his birthday.  We took him to Mellow Mushroom for dinner and then on to a toy store where he bought a Spinner.  It has been fun to see him play on it. John Derek is a good kid.  He truly tries to do what is right.  After we got his toy we picked Elizabeth up from the airport.  John Derek and I dropped Daddy off at the counter and we parked the car.  He was a perfect gentleman.  Helped me pull into the parking spot, opened the door, and even pushed me in a wheelchair (It was fun he went as fast as he could go down this long stretch.  I laughed and giggled it was fun to move so fast.  When he came to the end he said, out of breath, "Mom, your heavy!")  I am grateful to have him for my son. Chapter 1...

  Again, I am so blessed with good in-laws.  Yesterday I had volunteered all day watching little kids in the nursery of the church.  I had forgotten that I needed to stay at the church until 4:30 and that the girls would be getting home at 2:30.  I called my mother-in-law that morning and she went and picked them up and took them to her house.   When I called to tell her that I was finally on my way to get the girls she invited us over for dinner.  It was so nice to not have to cook when I was so tired.  I just felt very loved and taken care of last night.      Book of Mormon, Alma 53:20-21 "20  And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. 21  Yea, they were men of t...

Maddie, Samantha, Michael, John Derek As a child I remember going to my Grandparent's home in Tennessee.  One evening Grandpa encouraged me to look outside.  There I saw tiny lights flashing all over the field.  It is my fist memory of "fireflies."  I spent the week running after them and caching them in a jar hoping to make my own"firefly" lantern.   Not to long ago I introduced my children to catching fireflies.  They loved it.  When we arrived at the Lake House Friday it was evening and the kids saw the fireflies.  They ran inside asked for a container and began catching fireflies.  Samantha took Michael by the hand and I went with Maddie and we caught several.  Put them into the container and hoped for a lantern. We finally decided to let them go.  It was a sweet moment for me to see them all huddled around the container, enjoying a piece of nature that Heavenly Father made for them and me.  I am so ble...

I had a fun visit with some of our friends yesterday.  We talked a lot and I learned a lot.  At one point she said that she has to rely on the Savior and the Atonement to make up for the love that she cannot give her children.  She loves them but her weaknesses do not always show that and she prays that they will feel loved through the Atonement.  I loved that idea.  In my life right now I am functioning good but not perfect.  I need the Atonement to make up for what I cannot give my children right now.  She also talked about how important siblings are.  That in China one of the problems with only having one child is that there are no aunts, uncles, or cousins.  The family network is gone.  How as parents we may not be able to give our children all the love that we would like but they are still getting loved from their siblings.  That as children we fought with our siblings but now as adults we are closest to our siblings. ...

Today testified of the power of scripture study.  In my lesson Sunday a sister mentioned that she gets up every morning at 5:30 and reads her scriptures, this is the only quiet time she has.  But this always makes her days go better.  Things run smoother and the unimportant things pass by the wayside.  I have tried to do this off and on for many years.  I had recently gotten back in the habit only to find myself nauseated and not able to get up last week.  So this week I resolved to begin again wondering if it would really make my day go better.  I did great until this morning when I realized that I had forgotten to turn on my alarm.  So I missed my opportunity.  I knew I would take the time later today and got my children up for scripture study.  Our friend comes over twice a week and watches the kids while I teach JD.  They love it!!  Yesterday Michael fell asleep on her lap.  So cute!! Well one thing after anot...

Family Home Evening was on keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.  We started talking about what toppings we like on steaks.  I then pulled out a bowl of ice cream and tried to convince them to put the stake sauce on the ice cream.  Then explained that there are some things we like on a Sundae and some things we don't.  Just like there are some things we do on Sunday and some things we don't.  We then labled each of the Sundae toppings with things we can do on Sunday.  Daddy ended by giving everyone a whip cream nose.  Book of Mormon, Alma 13:4-9 "And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren. 5  Or in fine, in the first place they we...