Thornton Mom

Michael had me make a truck. (I have to say I was impressed with what we created.)  Aunt Annelise brought us stuff to make Gingerbread Houses with.  It was so much fun.  Elizabeth got to use the frosting tools she got for Christmas. Samantha was able to put more candy in hers than anyone else. John Derek stuck as much candy on the outside as he could. Maddie's came tumbling down but she still smiled. Today as I was making my bed I was pondering on a statement that frequently runs through my head when I am depressed and frustrated. "This is not what I wanted my life to be!"  I was reminded of a talk I gave years ago after studying a lot about Christ.  I learned that life was not easy for Christ.  That even He didn't have the life that He wanted.  That He may have know about what was going to happen but He was not prepared for His Father's comforting spirit to leave Him.  But God knew He could do it and He had faith in His Fa...

 Happy Birthday Uncle Will, Cousin James, and Grandmommy!!  It was delightful to celebrate their birthdays as a family.  We have a crazy bunch of people and yet it is so enjoyable. Angela always gives Mom T. a photo calendar for her birthday.  It is the highlight of the night.  It was fun to see everyone crowding around trying to look at it. A couple of weeks ago we went as a family to go caroling.  That is a tradition that started many years ago in the Thornton Family and we have continued to do it.  Not everyone could be there, we had sick kids that needed to stay home but my sweet husband knew I needed to get out so he stayed home and let me go.  We hit a few houses but several were not home.  Our last house was the home of Grandaddy's sister who is going through Chemo.  That was truly a delight.  To see their happiness and joy at receiving carolers.  It truly made my heart sing and filled me with the Spirit. ...

Today is Christmas Eve.  Michael woke up so happy to know that he could take off one more ring and that there was only one left. Aunt KoKo invited all the girls to spend the night at her house last night.  They made cookies and watched Anne of Green Gables. Ammon also invited the boys over to his house for the night.  John Derek was so excited that Monday he packed his bag and put it in the car so that he would be ready. Aunt Annelise arrived just in time for dinner and volunteered to put Michael to bed so that Derek and I could run some last minute errands. It has been nice to have the kids taken care of. This morning my thoughts are turned to that First Christmas Eve.  To Mary, new at motherhood and marriage and being called to carry the Son of God.  What an amazing responsibility she had.  She must have been an amazing woman. To Joseph who stood in the background. Here was a man who did not seek praise, did not seek attention, who hum...

Making Cookies with our Friends  We had some friends over the other day after church.  Their mom was at work and we ended up spending the day with them.  We made cookies, had dinner, played together.  Later that night I was feeling like we haven't been doing any service, but then He reminded me of what we had done that day.  It was nice to see that as a family we incorporate service into our everyday lives. Great Granma and Granpa Christensen sent us a  wonderful fruit basket.   Michael   was so excited. He opened every piece of fruit like it was a treasure. Then he would cheer in delight because  it was an apple or an orange. I have never seen someone so excited about fruit. Michael had also gotten a birthday present from Great Granma and Granpa.   We had gotten it mixed up with some Christmas gifts and when we put them under the tree we found it and let him open it. But then he thought he should be able to open all t...

  Every year our Stake does Creshe.  They gather nativities from around the world and display them over a weekend.  They also invite groups to come and sing.  My children's favorite part is dressing up in Nativity costumes.  This year we all go into it.  It was adorable.  No one complained. They were all happy and excited. Elizabeth brought her good friend with us.  Aren't they beautiful! The Lord Is My Light Quentin L. Cook, April 2015 General Conference "President Kimball challenged every family “to be on their knees … praying for their sons and daughters twice daily.:"" My patriarchal blessing promises me that if I will have family scripture study, prayer, and FHE all my children wil...

Decorating the tree John Derek's Creation Grandmommy and Michael John Derek had a Christmas concert at school.  He had practiced hard for it.  Even staying aftershool once a week to rehurse.  He was so excited for this performance and talked about it all the time.  He wanted everything to be just perfect.  He got the "part" of Donner (he got to put on raindeer antlers and stand in front of the group with the other raindeer.)  I had to leave to take kids somewhere and Derek was going to pick him up and go to the concert.  On his own JD took a shower, got dressed and did his hair.  It was fun to see him excited and he did a good job.  What a good boy. Grandmommy and John Derek at his Christmas Concert The Sacrament—a Renewal for the Soul ...

Everyone loves to decorate the tree.  We picked it out for Family Home Evening on Monday and then decorated it on Wednesday.  John Derek happened to be playing in the garage when we started.  I went out and asked him if he wanted to help.  He leaped into the air and said, "Oh Yeah!"  It is fun to see everyone so excited and happy. The next day me and the girls and Michael took the gifts my mother had left here and put them under the tree.  One of Michael's birthday presents had gotten it mixed up with some Christmas gifts and when we put them under the tree we found it and let him open it. But then he thought he should be able to open all the gifts under the tree. He says it's Christmas now.  We keep telling him it is not Christmas but he sees the tree and the stockings and the gifts and can't understand why we are waiting to open the presents.  He asks me daily if he can open them.   It may be a long month. . . . My grand...

My son the pyromaniac!!  He LOVES all the candles we have around the house.  One evening it was just him and I at home so we went around lighting all the candles, (even the ones just for decoration.)  He loved it.  His second favorite part was jumping up and down trying to blow them out.  Got to love him!! The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: Prince of Peace "“The Savior is the source of true peace,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Even with the trials of life, because of the Savior’s Atonement and His grace, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace.” 1 Understanding that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace can help us find inner peace and increase our faith in Him." ...

Gingerbread Houses Elizabeth loves to put furniture in her house. John Derek made a home for candy worms. Samantha made a 4 story house. Maddie just added more and more candy until the walls could not contain it all. Every Christmas we have a tradition of making gingerbread houses with all of the left over candy from Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This year we did not get to it until April.  The kids had a blast adding frosting, eating candy, making tables and chairs or just dumping it in as Maddie did.  All have the philosphy more is better. Omni 1:25 "for there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord:" I remind myself of this over and over. That the good I see in the world around me is a reflection of God. As I see my neighbors out helping each other, as I see people hold the door open for me as I push a stroller through, as I see children hand their mothers a dande...

Today is Fast Sunday.  The first Sunday of each month our Church holds Fast Sunday.  We are encouraged to go without food or water for 2 meals and then donate the money we would have spent on those two meals to the poor.  Fasting also allows us to come closer to the Lord, to show our devotion to something important to us.  We are encouraged to fast with a purpose.  Today I am fasting for Charity towards my family and others.  I want to be able to love all those I interact with, to offer forgiveness to those who have offended me and to love everyone. We took all the decorations down yesterday.  Derek was great and helped me get the decorations down and put in the attic.  Even my son and his cousin helped us put the boxes in the attic. Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 1:1 "having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the...

Merry Christmas, here are a few highlights of our Christmas Eve and Christmas . . . Making Cookies Christmas Eve Daddy diligently making sausage balls Waiting to come down the stairs Christmas Morning.  We are so excited!! Michael would not get off his car all morning.  He kept grunting at anyone near him in hopes that they would push him around the room. Samantha got an art easel, she also got 3 rainbow looms, we are going to have quite the collection of bracelets at our house. John Derek got a new bike and didn't want to stop riding.  As soon as the sun was up he was off. Elizabeth and her new phone.  She now feels that she is the coolest thing out there.  Which she is!!! Maddie and her pink kitchen with a washing machine.  She took all of her gifts and stuffed them in all the shelves. So I have been trying to understand the scripture in Matthew 18:5-- “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name...

Maddie had her Christmas Program at preschool.  As we got ready for the program she put on a red velvet dress and we did her hair in pigtails.  She then told me she had to put on her cute eyes so she fluttured her eyelashes and then looked up at me.  She is adorable and loves to use that to her advantage.  She is the beautiful one on the top row far right. After the Program Grandmommy took us out for lunch.  She went into the play area while we waited for our food.  When we all sat down to eat she told us that there was a boy in the play area who told her that she was beautiful.  He made quite an impression upon her.  Boys always have a great influence upon us women even when we are only 4. We Are a Covenant-making People , Elder Joseph Anderson , of the First Quorum of the Seventy "However, Israel of old failed to keep the covenants, and as a result the Lord was displeased with them and calamities befell ...

Every year we make chocolate covered pretzels.  I love white  chocolate covered pretzels.  When I was a teenager I would make them and remember deciding then that this would be an activity I would do with my children at Christmas.  So they are now quite experienced at making them.  We then give them to their teachers as a gift.  The kids have fun making them and we all have fun eating them.  Sometimes the teacher's amount is small but this year they did good and each teacher got a good amount. Witnesses for God Henry B. Eyring, "Witnesses for God", Ensign, Nov. 1996, 30 "Again I have a caution and a promise. The caution is that sorrow will come from failure either to love or to bear witness. If we fail to feel and show honest concern for those we approach with the gospel, they will reasonably distrust our message. But if out of fear of rejec...

My fabulous kids put together an assembly line and got our Christmas Cards ready to mail.  I now have a huge stack of cards to send out.  I hope they get there in time for Christmas. Last night our ward had a talent show.  I signed our family up to do a lip sync.  Here it is for you to enjoy!!  Elizabeth and I did the choreography to an upbeat rendition of Popcorn Popping. I was reminded this morning as I tried to get ready for Primary that I need to focus on Christ this Christmas.  It is a lot easier said than done.  We ave been too "busy" to do our secret elves this Christmas so I decided to start that again.  The kids have been excited.  An elf polished daddy's shoes, put out Samantha's clothes, and even put up Christmas lights in Maddie's closet since her lamp broke.  I hope we can do service in our family as well as for others to help bring Christ into our Christmas. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apos...

Derek got me a new cell phone for "Christmas."  It is so fun but I can't get it to display my pictures onto my blog account.  So that is why I haven't done anything for a few days.  I am still working on the pictures. But good news Maddie today started Speech Therapy.  We have had a hard time understanding her for a while now and it hasn't gotten better.  Today the therapist called and we scheduled when she will be coming in.  We even got to start today.  She had fun and is looking forward to next time.  I feel blessed that the School System is paying for it, that we can do it so close to home, and that we got this figured out now and not in Kindergarten.  Also, today I got an email from PNP (Portable North Pole). It is a fabulous website that every year has a video that you can send your kids via email from Santa.  You can customize it to each of your children and even choose if they are naughty or nice.  We love it and h...

We went and got our Christmas Tree.  We always go to the same Christmas Tree lot every year.  They have a rope swing that keeps the kids occupied while Derek and I look for a tree.  This year we invited our friend Keith and his dog Sarah to join us. I usually pride myself in not being picky and quickly choosing a tree.  This year however I had a much more difficult time.  I finally just let Derek and Elizabeth decide and we came home with a great tree.  (It was one of the first ones I picked out but others didn't like it.) We came home and had hot chocolate and peanut butter cookies that Elizabeth had made.  It was a great Family Home Evening. Maddie often has a hard time sleeping at night because of bad dreams.  Tonight she came in our room at 3:30.  Usually she just sleeps on our floor and everything is fine but tonight she didn't got back to sleep.  Finally at 4:30 I had her come in another room with me and I read scri...