Thornton Mom

When we were planning our vacation to Disney we planned it around the idea of keeping the Sabbath Day holy.  The plan was to leave early Monday morning after General Confrence and then come home the following Monday so that we would not travel on Sunday.  The weekend before we were to leave brought a huge storm with lots of rain.  Most of the storm hovered over South Carolina for several days.  We felt an urge to get packed in case we needed to leave Friday night.  By Saturday we were almost ready to go and felt good going into conference.  We went back and forth hourly about when we should leave.  We didn't want to travel on Sunday but were worried about the roads in South Carolina. Conference was just like it is every year with children.  They are excited about the candy (this entices them to listen to the speakers) and then there was a bonus candy if they listened to a member of the 12 and wrote what they had learned on a sticky note....

I was able to go to Samantha's school the other day and see some of the work she has done.  It was so cute to see that she wrote a letter to BYU Admissions telling them why she wants to go there.  Samantha is a good girl.  She tries so hard to please others.  She is having a very difficult time right now.  I finally uncovered that her teacher is yelling at the class and she is taking it personally.  She is also does not have the best self estem right now.  We have talked with her and feel that it is time to find a new therapist.  This was a hard thing for me to deal with.  Thinking that I should be doing more, that if I was a better mom she wouldn't need therapy.  But my sweet Heavenly Father let me know that I am a good mom and that this is beyond me and I need help.  Just as I would seek help for JD's reading I can't do this by myself.  I have faith that she will become the Young Woman the Lord wants her to be. Hig...

Elizabeth is now in love with Doctor Who.  She watches it every chance she gets.  I saw this picture at my friend's house and knew that Elizabeth would love it, which she did.  It is tough to be a teenager.  I remember not liking it.  Good friends are hard to come by, school can be overpowering and exhausting, Your family is not what you think you want.  You are constantly changing your perspective and your feelings.  There is so much unknown and yet so many important decisions. Elizabeth is doing well despite the pressures put upon her.  For the most part things are not going the way she wants, but she tries to have a good attitude.  She reads her scriptures and writes in her journal every day.  I am so proud of her.  This was a decision she decided to make without my influence.  She tries to do what is right, does well in school and is good at Church.  I am thankful that she is my daughter and hope that I can he...

This week was pack meeting.  John Derek got his Wolf so he had to "wolf" down a whipcream cake inorder to find his badge.  It was really cute.  He loved it. That evening the pack had a "hike" for the boys and their families.  We all walked around the park and towards the end got really spread out.  I ended up having to wait for Michael and took a shortcut to our meeting place.  I watched everyone come in and saw Maddie, and JD (Dad and Elizabeth were at other activites) but no Samantha.  I stood up and started looking for her and worried that she may have followed someone else down the wrong path.  As I looked at this huge park and all the possible places she could be I hoped that she had sat down and prayed to know where to look.  I felt that I should ask the group if anyone had seen her.  As I did many of the parents said they would start looking.  We all fanned out and within 5 min. she had been found at the bathrooms (whe...

   We went for a walk the other day.  I was proud of the kids and how well they did.  Once it was time to turn around John Derek wanted to run ahead a play on the toys.  I said that was fine but as he started to run little Michael called out to him in desperation running as fast as his little legs could carry him.  The sweet brother that John Derek is, stopped, walked back, took his hand and went together with him to the park.  At one point I almost caught up with him ans JD was placing Michael on his back as Michael was getting tired of walking.  JD is such a good kid.  He has a heart of gold and I love seeing that heart shine through. For Family Home Evening we watched a message from Elder Nelson about making the Sabbath a Delight.   As I watched this video I reflected on the numerous articles I have read concerning the Sabbath Day.  Any of them that were written after this last general conference mention Elder Nelson's tal...

The other night I was laying in bed having difficulty going to sleep.  I was thinking about my kids, about exercise, about spending more time with them.  I have been listening to a book and the author said that "if your family is fighting it is because you are not spending enough time together."  So I have been wondering how we can spend more time together. I thought about how every day when I go to pick up Elizabeth I leave the 4 younger ones at home to watch TV while I am gone.  By the time I get home there is contention and frustration.  I haven't felt like this is a good practice for our family but was not sure how to change it. I was reminded that in the spring we are able to go to swim practice for 3 hours and still get homework and things done.  Then I was reminded that almost next door to Elizabeth's school is a wonderful park with a play ground, trails, paths, etc., that we have never explored.  So I decided that I would take the ...

 Michael wouldn't take his nap the other day.  By dinner he was so tired but so hungry.  He kept asking me for food and I kept giving it to him but each time it took him longer and longer to eat it until . . . Mormon 4:5  "5  But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed." The righteous don't punish the wicked. It is not their place. Good will make sure the wicked are punished but we must learn to forgive forget and seek the good. We will only hurt our souls of we try to punish the wicked.