Did I mention my brain is RANDOM??

Just so you know.............

I created this blog to journal memories, for the most part. I am a scrapbooker, but never can seem to find the time to DRAG IT ALL OUT and get the stories with the photos. So...... since a picture is only worth 1000 words IF you have the story........ my goal is to go through my photos, and write (type) the memories that the photos bring to mind.

So, if people with ADD drive you nuts........don't read my blog.

It's TOTALLY random and not in ANY kind of time line order.

Seriously, I can't fix that.

Christmas Milestone

Well, I just realized today, (after doing a little math) that this Christmas is a milestone for me. It will mark my 20th Christmas as a Thornton, passing up the 19 years I spent as a Garrison before marriage.

I grew up in a small farm town in Alabama, not even a mile from at least 3 sets of relatives. I spent time at my grandparents every week. And we had a "Waltons" style get-together to celebrate family birthdays and holidays. Christmas was HUGE, I mean, not tons of presents, but tons of people, food, and fun. When I think back, I am actually amazed at the folks that my Papa and Granny packed into a modest size home. My grandmother always opened the door to greet you with a smile, ready to feed you and make you feel welcome. I remember my parents, aunts and uncles playing games and laughing for hours. I don't have a SINGLE memory of watching TV ......not because I don't remember, but because we just didn't watch it. WE PLAYED.......what a concept!

Last but not least, it would be time to sing. I don't know if it's an old fashioned tradition, or if it just comes from a family of music lovers.........but old church hymnals would be passed around, someone would sit at the piano and another person would call out the number of their request. We usually started with Christmas songs, but ended up with good 'old hymns of any kind. Everyone sang along and all harmony parts were represented.

I don't think I really understood the value of family and my upbringing until I married a Navy man and moved from home.

I remember being shocked at the people we met that didn't go to church, not regularly, not ever.

"I will never fit into this life", I thought, and I begin to get homesick.

I was 19 working at a grocery store.......
too scared to "run home" and with a car that wouldn't make it even if I got up the courage.

At some point, an older, wiser military wife took me under her wing.

She told me, "Mike is your family now, those other people are just relatives."

I was actually offended by her comment, and deeply hurt.......she doesn't know me, my family, they will ALWAYS be my family!

Genesis 1:24 "for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife"

She wasn't right, was she?
Was God telling me to stick it out?

What I knew in my heart was that my family was close. We had always been there for each other. Things weren't perfect........ but we loved each other, before, during and after the hardships that had come our way. Hadn't the good outweighed the bad? What had I learned from my small town life that could possibly help me here in this mess?

I realized that having a great family is a wonderful blessing from God. But what got my family through hard times was not just leaning on each other. It was a faith in THE ONE that is strong when we are weak. It was a trust in THE ONE that will never let you down. It was standing on God's promises, when nothing else seemed clear.

I am thankful for my family this Christmas. My husband, my children and my extended family (relatives?) I am thankful for the lessons learned, (even the ones learned the hard way) and I am most thankful to a God that has held me in the palm of his hand every Christmas of my life.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(Garrison family photos - Thanksgiving 2007, Cullman Alabama)

l-r Zion Thornton and Caleb Garrison (my "little" brother) playing football

Derrick Garrison (my other "little" brother) with Isaac Thornton on the 4-wheeler

last but not least...........

............the Z man. (Zion)

Zion is the creme filling in our family OREO. (if you don't understand that, well.........)

He is the baby, but does his best to keep up with everyone. Even in attitude. He has a little of both brothers in him. He can be quiet and shy or loud and funny.

He falls into the "All-American Kid" category I guess. He wants to do everything his brothers do, plus his own thing. He has played soccer, (like Michael) football (like Isaac) and did T-ball on his own.

He is in the first grade at the Language Academy and is speaking Spanish well. He seems to have quiet a knack with the ladies, and even cut his hair this year because one of the girls in his class said she didn't like boys with bangs. (the buzz cut that followed is finally growing back out).

He took drum lessons for a while, but didn't want to practice. So we will see how the "inner musician" comes out later. He is hoping to be in the church musical this year. (he does sing at the top of his lungs from time to time).

His name means, "God's dwelling place" and our prayer is that God will always dwell within him and he will be a man after God's own heart.

and this is.........

Isaac.

Isaac is almost 9 and was born in Houston, Texas. His name means, "laughter" and it is perfect for him! We adopted him at 3 days old and took him straight out of the hospital. (I looked over my shoulder wondering if anyone would stop a white woman with a black baby, but no one seemed to notice).

His glass is always 1/2 full and he makes the most of a situation.

He defines himself as a bookworm and it's about the only thing that can keep him still. Think about the news on CNN, the main story on the screen, the little box up in the right corner with another story and then the ticker running across the bottom..... (got that image) that's Isaac's brain! He is always processing at least 3 things and at ANY SECOND there can be a LIVE BREAKING NEWS FEED that is more important than the other 3 things going on. (but don't worry, he will come back to those eventually).

He has taught me the most about myself, (we are really a lot alike) and even share most of the same faults. It's not so cute to hear your child repeat your words spoken in anger back to you. (painful in fact), but we are growing and learning together.

Isaac will try just about anything. He has played football and soccer and takes swimming lessons at the YMCA in the hopes of being good enough for the water polo team. He also like a wide variety of food.

He is my special boy, I always wanted an Isaac.

Introducing............

Michael.

My oldest son. (okay, our oldest son)

He was adopted from Haiti in November 1997. He was 4 months old then.

He is now tall and skinny and shy and motivated by food and little else. He is homeschooled and loves Legos. He wears glasses, runs fast and is starting to get armpit hair. What happened to the baby??

He wears size 9 men's shoes and likes to play soccer, (those feet do come in handy there).

He is a good swimmer, loves the ocean, and is somewhat of a loner. He can entertain himself for hours, which I didn't realize was a blessing to a busy mother. (at least until #2 and #3 came along).

He thinks stupid things are funny (like most teenagers) and likes to tease his younger brothers.

He is the little boy that made me a mother, and I love him with all my heart.