Seriously...the Thorntons

New Blog

2010-12-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

Our new blog:

http://thethorntonfive.blogspot.com/

Let Them Eat Dirt

2010-09-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

It started with a little taste...

Then the realization that this was not the expected taste.

There really is no way to backtrack a mouthful of dirt!

First Day of School

2010-09-01T14:33:00.001-07:00

Yes. I am still documenting Madison's first day of school, much to her chagrin. She is much happier looking than she probably was feeling about posing for the first day picture. Notice we no longer photo op outside in case of any possible fellow middleschooler sightings.
Middle school....and so it begins!

Random Photos

2010-08-20T18:52:00.001-07:00

Snuggle buddies

A new "do"

Playing in the dog bowl

Our girls

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

It's a healthy, baby......

2010-06-16T04:53:00.000-07:00

BOY!
Yes, the arrow is pointing to his jewels. Of course, they she could have told us he was holding an umbrella and I would have said "oh, I think I see it!"
For those of you who are familiar with Matt's facial expressions...he was holding Harper and when our nurse made the announcement he looked like a five year old on Christmas morning. Priceless.

Here is his profile...already a looker!
Note to those who are as sonogram illiterate as me...this pic is on its side and he is facing the right hand side of the screen. So his head is at the bottom of the picture and then it goes up and shows his belly. Just turn your head a bit to the right and don't try so hard or you won't be able to find him!

Splish Splash

2010-06-16T04:47:00.000-07:00

Harper Belle played in her splash pool this past week. Of course, in typical Thornton style the food came first...

This is about as close to the water as she was willing to get. It was a little chilly (cut us some slack...we are still getting used to this northern weather!)

The rest of the time was spent dumping the bubbles and playing in the mud puddle (gingerly.)

The Beach

2010-06-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Weekend we went to a Lake Erie beach, Mentor Headlands was in full swing! The water was surprisingly warm and the sand was hot and Harper thought delicious...
She wasn't quite sure of that first step into the water, but eventually got used to it.

The wistful teenager

156 Months

2010-06-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 156 months this past weekend. That sounds a lot better to my ears than thirteen...time surely flies.
We celebrated with new friends, a late night, and a whole lot of giggling.

New Bed

2010-05-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

Madison and I recently drove to IKEA in Pittsburgh to get her a loft bed for her bedroom. It was a great girls day with a big thanks to Gram for making the bed purchase happen. It only took us a week to put it together...much to Madison's dismay, but the results were awe inspiring.

Madison's room looks so much bigger and she has rearranged and decorated it fabulously. She only has about 15 inches between mattress and ceiling. Her bedroom ceilings were a little lower than we anticipated...oops.

1..2...and Introducing 3!

2010-05-05T05:26:00.000-07:00

The first picture of all my kiddos, minus one face. Yup, I'm pregnant!

I am sure you have all been wondering why the blog has lagged in photos and humor lately. Blog time i.e. Harper Belle's nap time has become my "restypoo" time so that I actually see my family at night and don't konk out on them at 6:27 in my chair.
Hopefully with the recent completion of my first trimester I will have more energy and can get some pictures of our Texas trip on the blog.

Thornton #3 is due on November 17th and we look forward to welcoming our bundle in time for Thanksgiving. Maybe we will name it Squanto....

Yikes!

2010-05-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

Throughout the winter months Matt has been growing out his beard. At first it was a test to see how long it would actually get (which was at least an inch and a 1/2 in all directions) then it became a necessity because of the absurdly cold weather. The results were the pretty hairy face above, or as my brothers referred to it, "he looks like one of those anarchist mountain extremist men from Montana." Wow, now if that doesn't make you want to repeat a look for a second winter I don't know what will.

We knew he was hiding some face behind all that thick, red, curly hair! The cutting of the beard was Matt's gift to Harper Belle on her birthday. Yes, many moons ago, but I finally got this posted on the blog! Here's to my smooooooooth baby faced man. Love you!
Now you just have crazed look in your eye of a vagabond with no gnarly beard to go with it. Yikes!

1st Birthday Party

2010-03-22T05:47:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday we celebrated Harper's 1st year with a birthday party. It was a day of family, friends, sugar and kids romping around.
Harper loves her new tunnel that her cousins from NYC gave her! Talk about a hit with the tykes! I love those little dimpled hands!

Harper playing with her bestie friend, Collette!

Harper playing with the Fadel boys. She really loved trying to keep up with the big boys!

Birthday Family Photo

Harper enjoyed us singing to her....

and then the cake...

a messy success (or serious sugar rush)!

I'm One!

2010-03-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

A year has flown by!
Our photo session went well...

then Harper started to get a little tired...

and then she was done!
Happy Birthday sweet girl!

The Sun...

2010-03-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago it snowed...again. Gray skies, cold wind, snow and more snow piled high. My excitement about our first winter and the wonder of the beautiful white blanket of flakes was quickly coming to an end. And just when I wasn't sure if I could stand it any longer...

The sun shone brightly and blissfully!

It was a sunny, warm, beautiful day with the sound of melting icicles dripping in the background as us girls sat outside and enjoyed the fresh air and soaked up the sun.
Harper had little interest in her toys and instead she only had eyes for what Madison was playing with.

Madison introduced Harper to a snowball...

Which, of course, went immediately in the mouth.
It was my favorite day in quite a while. The icing on the cake...the silver lining...it was a day in the sun, literally.

Fancy a Blueberry...

2010-02-25T16:28:00.000-08:00

Anyone?

The Gus

2010-02-22T09:59:00.001-08:00

Yes, that's right, Gus came to visit. It was a glorious President's/Valentines Weekend spent laughing, playing in the snow, perusing rock memorabilia, and did I mention laughing.

Every night Madison and Gus went sledding at our local park and then would come home to the fire, roasting marshmallows and gabbing. I loved hearing the giggles and seeing the mischievous grins as I would pass through.

Harper enjoyed The Gus, too!

On our way to Cleveland's lake shore to visit the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Along the way we stopped by this itty bitty boat to see that the lake had frozen over.

TaDaaaaaaaaaa....the girls had a great time looking at Jimi Hendrix's flamboyant threads, early Beatles everything, the giant Phish hotdog, and Elvis's purple Cadillac. It truly is an amazing museum with so much interesting rock history.

A day well spent!

All my girls! It was a beautiful weekend with a lot of memories and smiles. It warmed my spirit to see Madison so happy, not only to see her best friend, but to also show off her new hometown. There was a sense of pride and acceptance that felt good. Although we were sad to see her go, it won't be long until we are in Austin....and reunited once again for more giggles.

Bangs

2010-02-09T19:39:00.001-08:00

Madison went with Sage and Auntie Anna to get haircuts this past weekend. Judging from the pictures I am sure that all would agree it was a successful trip.

Getting a little tired of the photo session, but just one more...

Beautiful with Bangs!

Snow Bunnies

2010-02-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

We had the pleasure of enjoying the Thornton-Taylors this past weekend. It was cold and glorious! Madison and Sage bundled up and braved the weather.

Sugars

2010-02-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Harper Belle has reached a new milestone...she now gives kisses i.e. open mouth face attacks. Madison is her favorite victim and while sometimes there is a little bit of biting the end result is a sweet sugar!

Living Room Redux

2010-02-07T09:25:00.001-08:00

The past couple of weeks we have been sprucing up our living room with blue paint, new curtains and a new arrangement. Above is our "before."

And the "after."

I sewed some new curtains and added a little color with rosettes. Matty was a little worried that the flowers might girlify his man room, but the overall effect turned out great.

It is a work in progress and we hope to get some shelves put up in the office area in the near future. Now the vibe is much cozier and livable/lovable.

10 Months on Earth

2010-01-21T12:56:00.001-08:00

Monday marked 10 months that Harper Belle has blessed our Earth. I thought that I would let her tell you some "ten monthisms" about herself.

Madison is probably one of my favorite people. She can really make me laugh and smile the most.

Even when I cry my mama thinks I am cute. I am talking more and will let everyone in the house know what I like and don't like with sounds and shaking of the head.

I can get places...fast. I am also an incredible dancer. Imagine Chubby Checker and The Twist, its my signature move.
I am also trying to walk. I can pull up the furniture and walk around holding things and am very close to taking the plunge and really making my folks baby proof the house.

I really like chasing my shadow. It is how my mama entertains herself on sunny days. I also enjoy playing with my toy drumsticks. They taste really good.

I "help" with the laundry i.e. take all the clean clothes out of the basket and put them on the floor. I also really like this game called "I drop it, you pick it up." That's right, they fall for it all the time.

I love to eat. At the moment some of my favorite dishes are peas, blueberries and carrots.
I am most definitely blessing my family with my smile and beautiful, happy spirit. In a nutshell, I am very loved by all both near and far!

The Escape Artist

2010-01-09T11:57:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Madison stayed home from school with a tummy ache. Harper was thrilled to have her around even though they were quarantined from one another for a while. We have a new system where we put Harper in the family room with her toys and then barricade her in using the playpen. This has worked like a charm because she is still able to play and move around, but we can manage where she is. That is until yesterday when I went up to check on Madison and came back to find that....

Harper had shed her diaper, found her way to the kitchen and was eating the Cheerios she had thrown on the floor during breakfast. Surprise!!! The Escape Artist is born! It is still unclear how she got out, but we are starting to put some clues together.

Snow!

2010-01-03T18:51:00.001-08:00

We wanted snow and we got it!! This was during the downpour we got this afternoon. It is suppose to keep on coming the next couple of days.

Our back steps after shoveling. About a foot of snow total!

We went sledding with Madison's friend, Ramona, this week. It was our first night out and it was so fun!!!

Matty especially loved it!

The walk down our front steps. I have now officially shoveled a bunch of snow. It is a beautiful powder that dusts everything. Luckily, they salt and snow plow our roads throughout the day so it is much easier to get around in. They definitely have the process down and people are out and about constantly. We are getting used to the new climate and conditions and becoming official "Clevelanders!"

Christmas

2009-12-25T13:57:00.000-08:00

The girls waiting to come down the stairs to see what Santa brought them!
Harper looks pretty pleased, especially because she is sitting next to big sister!!

Madison and her Dad enjoying the early Christmas morning.

The girls in front of the tree.

Harper checking out her new musical instruments.

Christmas Tree

2009-12-08T09:20:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we went on a hunt...for our Christmas tree. It began on this platform in 30 degree weather where we loaded a horse drawn hayride and were "let out" in the wild to find, chop down, and drag back the perfect tree.
* Note the scary saw*

Getting bundled up!

My girls

Trekking through the fields on the hunt...

We found it!!!! A blue spruce...which actually once home was A LOT more prickly than first thought.

Matty and Madison cutting down our tree.

Now it is time to decorate and what a great helper!

Ta Da!!!!!!!!

Another First

2009-12-03T05:27:00.001-08:00

Here we go....

Firekissed flushed cheeks

Madison roasting marshmallows

December 1st 2009 has been my favorite day at our new home so far. We built our first fire and spent the whole evening laying on blankets, listening to Christmas music and being mesmerized by the flickering flames. I made a beef stew and we roasted marshmallows while intermittently talking, laughing, crawling, wrestling, and reading. Because of the flash on the camera the pictures don't really capture the dark, warm, firelit feeling of the atmosphere. It was the perfect night.

What a Great Trip, Part V

2009-11-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

Abilene!

We love Wade!

Harper, Kyle, Erica, Madison and Me

Me and my girls

One last photo to remember our trip by!

So our first trip back to Texas was filled with family, friends and memories. It was hard to leave, but also so good to be Home again.

Friends, Texas Trip Part IV

2009-11-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

Me and my gals

Madison and her gal

Our incredible kids!

Friday was very specifically set aside for friends. I was able to spend a lovely, laugh filled day and night with Jill and Sarah, two of my best friends. Their presence made my trip and it was such a special time. Luckily we were able to see Megan the night before so I didn't miss out on any of my gals!
Madison was able to be with one of her best friends, too. I loved watching all the kids play together in such creative and rambunctious ways! It was such a fun, fast and furious 24 hours.

Abilene, Texas Trip Part III

2009-11-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

Upon our return to Abilene we enjoyed the familiarity of home. We had a whole crew over to visit and play on Thursday and it was so lovely to see all of our friends and family.

Visiting with Uncle Matt, Lily and Grandma Jilly

Lily and Harper

Madison and the kids

Loving on some Uncle Dee Dee

Lucy Jane, Texas Trip Part II

2009-11-30T08:25:00.000-08:00

The proud grandparents!

Harper loves Lucy, but really, really loves her bow

Madison and Lucy

One of my favorite pics of the whole trip!

Kickin' it with Uncle Kyle

What a crew

A day at the Falls

After the big D we next traveled to Wichita Falls to visit Cody, Emily and ta daaaa Lucy Jane. She is so precious and tiny and beautiful! Harper looked like a beast sitting next to her. I can't wait to see the two of them grow up together.
We took a trip to "the falls" of Wichita and walked around with the fam. Kyle and the folks, and Mamaw came up to visit us too and we had such a wonderful visit. It felt amazing to be with my family again!

Texas Trip, Part I of Many

2009-11-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

Giving Some Sugars

Delicious!

Last week the girls and I went home to Texas for the first time since the move. It was glorious!

Harper was pretty spectacular on her first plane ride much to the delight of our fellow dubious passengers, who had probably seen the same article I had about the baby and her mama who were kicked off the Southwest flight the week before. Success with no tears or tantrums!

Lauren picked us up from the airport and it felt great to be back in the Lone Star State! Madison was able to stay with Grandma Jilly and Papa Ben while we spent the night with the Devenys and Harper and Nolan got to know each other a bit. He was a doll to her, so gentle and sweet. They shared baby food and his puzzles. Mason came over to visit and have dinner with us and by the end of the night the Thorntons were pooped. I think I was out by 8:45!

The next day we were off to Lauren's baby shower for sweet Clara. It was a great time to see some more folks and catch up. Mason was incredible enough to take us to Witchita Falls for the next part of the adventure!

Here's to Fall Ya'll

2009-11-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

Enjoying one of the last sunny days

Patterson Fruit Farm doing some pumpkin hunting

Autumn

2009-10-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

I have never seen colors like I have this fall. The pictures I have taken don't portray the vibrancy of the golds, oranges and reds of the leaves.
Yesterday was the picture of autumn-the contrast of the fall colors of the leaves against the crystal clear blue skies. The warmth of the sun complimenting the chill in the air so that laying a blanket in the sunshine feels like heaven! We all took a walk after Matt got home from work and took in all the beauty, from the smells to the colors. Since we moved here it could be my favorite day in Cleveland.
Madison's favorite climbing tree has begun to change color and I couldn't resist snapping some photos of her surrounded by golden light.

Cheeri-O!

2009-10-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Harper enjoyed her first experience with cheerios today.

She started out using her two fingers to pick one up at a time, check it out, suck on it and then make it super mushy.

But by the end....handfuls, stuffing like there was no tomorrow!

Costumes!

2009-10-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

The girls had a pretrial run of their Halloween getups at a party this past Friday. Madison dressed as a gal from the 50's and Harper was an octopus. I have some sewing adjustments to make to both costumes I made...thank goodness we have a little more time. Enjoy!

Harper's New Digs

2009-10-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

I have been on a home improvement kick lately, unfortunately for my hubby this has not included obsessively cleaning the house! Instead I have been focusing on more cosmetic issues. One of the rooms on the "to do" list was Harper Belle's room/workout dojo (yeah, don't ask.)
Harper has recently begun sleeping in her own bed in order to sleep more than two hours at a time since she liked to just make sure we were still right in the bed next to her. Thankfully it worked! I thought that we should reward this new blissful sleeping behavior with a proper room. We had to get pretty creative in order to stay in our tiny budget, but Madison and I were definitely up for the challenge. Our results are documented below....

Before...

And...

TA DAAAA!

Madison and I made the mobile using sticks, paper, ribbon and beads

I love my new bed!! The banner my mom made describes my personality to a "t"

Harper in front of the toy chest we decorated with paper and paint

A huge thanks to all who contributed to making Harper's (all home made) room feel a bit more comfortable...
*Grandma Vicki for making the baby bedding blanket and hanging accessories holder that makes my mom think of her every time she sees it!
*Libby Latta for making the bedding bumper and pillow and for providing the color/fabric inspiration!
*Aunt Dana for passing on the toy chest and the many memories it holds!
Love you all and thank you for helping make this such a special place to be.

Introducing...

2009-10-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

My niece, Lucy Jane Blair! 6 lbs. and 12 oz. 19 inches long. Blonde hair. Beautiful!
We are so happy she is here and can't wait to meet her and hold her and kiss her. I will post pictures soon...

For Papa

2009-10-02T12:22:00.001-07:00

All cozied up!

Rainy Day Project

2009-10-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

This week it has been rainy and cold and so I have had to come up with an activity during Harper Belle's nap to keep me from going stir crazy.
I decided to spice up the dining room.
Obviously, I have included before and after photos for you to enjoy.
Matt found the painting in the trash in Austin and it is the inspiration for the room. I painted the frame black to give it some pop.
Running up the doorway is one of my favorite parts of the room. I found some old photos of Matt, Madison and I eating when we were babies and I had them reprinted in black and white to go along with the new one of Harper. Now we can all not only enjoy dinner, but have hope that eventually Harper will improve her eating technique and stop grossing us out with pea/banana smear.
The color in person is a little deeper than the flash is allowing it to be in the picture and I look forward to you all coming to visit and seeing it in person.

First Fall Coat

2009-09-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Beautiful in Red

Today Madison had a holiday so we spent the day together. We have been in search of the perfect fall coat for Madison and for the first time since our move she really needed it! The weather was very windy and the high in the 50's. Now...us Texas gals are not use to this yet, especially in September. All I can say is that although it is colder than we are used to the beauty of the falling leaves is worth an extra layer of clothes.

Wedding Weekend

2009-09-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by Grandparents and toys

Harper and her Uncle Jake

Madison and her Dad at the picnic

Recently we celebrated Matt's friend since kindergarten, Parker's, wedding to sweet Julia. It was a beautiful weekend with friends, family, and dancing!

What a Half a Year

2009-09-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Today Harper Belle celebrates six months of life on this earth. Many things have happened to her already...being born, growing, and moving (both across the room and across the country.)
After an extensive (some might use the word obsessive) and over the top photo session Harper and I talked about the list of accomplishments she wants me to share with all of you. So, in her own words...

*I have an incredibly infectious smile
*Of all my toys I love to put other people's shoes in my mouth the most
*I love mama's milk
*I love bananas
*I love peas
*Actually I just love eating
*I weigh 16 pounds (please see above)
*One of my favorite games is hide-n-seek-n-scare because my mama puts me down in one place and within seconds I can magically be found somewhere far away (like under the coffee table or behind the couch) and cause her to panic
*My sister,Madison, makes me laugh like no one else can
*I think gas is something I am exceptional at, as well as, hysterical
*Being swaddled puts me to sleep every time
*I have two teeth
*I like to use these two teeth on anything I can put into my mouth i.e. again other people's shoes
*I have an affection for my daddy's face and can pinch the bajeezees out of his cheeks and nose
*When I knock all of my toys off of my high chair tray I squeal loudly in delight at my accomplishment
*I have two dogs who I love, but for some reason keep there distance (again, please see above)
*My family is so blessed to have me in their lives

My Beautiful Girls

2009-09-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Seriously...this picture speaks for itself.

Our Blissful Retreat...

2009-09-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ah...our backyard. This is my favorite part of our new house. I love waking up in the morning and setting Harper in front of our picturesque window. She has started trying to "catch" the sunlight that filters in. When Madison gets home from school we sit out on our back patio, have a snack and visit about our day. I will have a permanent memory of Madison walking around in the lushness of the grass in bare feet picking berries off the trees.
As many of you know I am not known for my green thumb. I guess we would call it more of a dirt brown kind of finger, BUT seriously...I am turning over a new leaf and trying to keep my plants alive for more than the first week they come home from the nursery. Luckily I have a rainy, cool climate on my side and thanks to my new housewife gig a bit more time. Plus a positive attitude and wishful thinking never hurt a brand new plan.

Seriously...We Have Arrived!

2009-09-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

We made it!

After a l-o-n-g two day trip from Texas and a l-o-n-g-e-r two month move in we are finally settled into our new life in Ohio. Of course, I use the word "settled" loosely. Starting school has helped us get into a routine, but there are still a few boxes straggling around our home.

We look forward to watching our family grow up in this home and seeing what is in store for our lives in this incredibly new place. I hope to share with you all our monumental achievements i.e. consistently finding the grocery store and our not so monumental achievements i.e. first true fall, first snow, you get the idea.

So, enjoy our life as you stalk us on the internet!