Merry Christmas!

and a happy new year!
Love, t. a. b. b. & t.

2009 Christmas Letter Excerpt

" The most shocking moment of the year was discovering that Amber is pregnant AGAIN! Our fertility problem is the opposite of most (we’re now sleeping on different floors and I’m suing Trojan) but sometimes the Lord has his own plans – ours certainly didn’t include another kid in 2010! However, it looks like we’re destined for another dynamic duo – Taz won’t be a solo artist – and now that 6^th Christmas stocking that Amber bought 5 years ago is coming back to haunt her! So May 12th, 2010 our lives will REALLY get crazy with the arrival of a new little baby GIRL. (for those of you counting, yes it’s almost 14 months… holy #$%^!) Heaven help us!"

Love, Tyler, Amber, Brooklyn (5), Boston (4), Taz (8.5 mo) and ??? (are we being Punk’d?)

We have a new NEPHEW!

We have a new NEPHEW!!

Jack George
8lbs 14 oz 21 Inches Long

Congrats to Tawny and Andrew!
We love you and can't wait to meet Jack!

(10 minutes after Andrew took off for the BYU/New Mexico game in NM, Tawnys water broke and she headed into the Emergency room... This made for quite an entertaining story as Andrew landed in NM, jumped on the first flight back to SLC and walked, no scratch that, SPRINTED into the delivery room when the doctor said Tawny was at a 10 and ready to push... Jack had impeccable timing... I was on pins and needles the entire night!)

A Dragon, a Pirate and a Fairy Princess!

After sitting on the runway at DIA for 2.25 hours in the de-icing line we finally made it to Phoenix for some warmer Trick or Treating fun! We had so much fun and lots of tiny tears yesterday when we had to leave Bop Bop and Grandma at the curb... Thanks for everything, we miss you guys (and your warm weather!!)

Our Princess, Dragon and Pirate...

My 24 pound 7 month old... Daddy carried him trick or treating for 4 houses before we decided to head back for the stroller...

The most beautiful fairy princess we have ever seen...

All the pirates... Boston, Maddux and Uncle Joel.

We're alive....

In October:

Mom and Dad went to Provo for a long week so Daddy could teach a few lectures at BYU and managed to squeeze in a Football game to Cheer on Uncle Andrew! Go 88!

Boston turned 4 with a Dr. Seuss party....

Taz turned 6 months old! Time is flying by!

Brooklyn has learned a few tricks from her Mother... Yes, Tyler found her lights out, lying down in the shower, shampoo bottle for a pillow and washcloth over her eyes.... I was so proud!

And we went to the botanical garden pumpkin festival!! The kids loved the Corn Maze, I think we could have played in there for hours!

Blast from the Past!

Uncle Clay has been compiling old family videos for Christmas this year and he came across some classic footage from the Thornton archives of my baby blessing. Below is some awesome footage of the "Golden Child" in his infancy in front of mom and dad's old house in south Provo!



TC

Trip to Cali!

This past week we packed up our small Russian army and headed to California to see Great Grandma and Grandpa Craig! We had so much fun and I can't believe we fit it all in... We managed to fit in a trip to Fairytale Land, Apple Hill, a Jelly Belly factory tour, a San Francisco Bay Harbor Cruise, a little trout fishing, a quick lunch with Aunt Debbie, Brandon and Josh, and ate at some of Mom's favorite restaurants... In-N-Out & Skates on The Bay... Our kids were amazing well behaved and were such troopers throughout all the long car rides! Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for making our trip a memorable one! We love you!

Waiting for their bag, ready to go! Tyler with his giant baguette from BoudinMr. McGregors Garden

Apple Hill

Shark Tunnel @ San Fran Aquarium

Best Buddies

San Fran Aquarium

Golden Gate Bridge

Alcatraz Cruise

The Craigs

pier 39

Mr. McGregors Garden @ Fairytale Town

Jelly Belly Factory Tour

Fishing at Apple Hill
Boston eating his trout.... yum!

Our Gospel Doctrine teacher read this quote in Sunday school yesterday and it struck me, thought i would share....

Life isn't always easy. At some point in our journey, we may feel much as the pioneers did as they crossed Iowa- up to our knees in mud, forced to bury some of our dreams along the way. We all face rocky ridges, with the wind in our face and winter coming on too soon. Sometimes it seems as if there is no end to the dust that stings our eyes and clouds our vision. Sharp edges of despair and discouragement jut out of the terrain to slow our passage. Always, there is a Devil's Gate, which will swing wide open to lure us in. Those who are wise and faithful will steer a course as far from such temptation as possible, while others - sometimes those who are nearest and dearest to us- succumb to the attraction of ease, comfort, convenience, and rest. Occasionally, we reach the top of one summit in life, as the pioneers did, only to see more mountain peaks ahead, higher and more challenging than the one we just traversed. Tapping unseen reservoirs of faith and endurance, we, as did our forbears, inch ever forward toward that day when our voices can join with those of all pioneers who have endured in faith, singing: "All is well! All is well!"

Elder M. Russell Ballard

Surprise, Tyler turns 30!

Happy Birthday to you...

Launching off the rope swing

This was definitly a fun year for Birthdays around our house... After Ty surprised me and flew me to Vegas for my Birthday, I had to step up to the plate... So I threw a surprise "Birthday Cookout" for him at the family lake... I went back and forth about where to have his party and I knew nothing would make him happier than a day full of water fun, food and friends... He was actually surprised... sometimes it pays to have a less than attentive husband... Just kidding... I was just so happy to pull it off! Happy Birthday Ty! A

Heritage Square!

A few weeks ago ( i know, i have been a major slacker blogger this summer) we took the kiddos to Heritage Square in Golden, with the worlds greatest neighbors, Regan, Scott & kids. That place is a total kid dreamland! We rode all the rides, ate yummy food and all took our first rides on the alpine slides! Brookie and I rode together nervously and both ended with giant smiles! We had such a fun time!

(is anyone else sick of my apple green juicy sweatshirt.. wow.. i think i need to retire that treasure!)

Big Girls Don't Cry...just moms!

Today my baby went to Kindergarten! I still can't believe it, seriously nuts! She looked beautiful and was much more independent than I thought she would be, I guess all that Montessori paid off... It definitly helped that her best buddy & next door neighbor Cole is in her class... Pretty amazing considering there are 7 kindergarten classes at her school! Her mother on the other hand was a bit of a mess! Wow!

Chunky MONKEY!!

Our little ChUNkY MoNKeY @ 22 Weeks!

Weighing in at an amazing 20 lbs...

teething drool monster(Naturally, Tyler had the kids put strainers on their heads and walk around the store after I forced them all against their wills to go into Sur La Table... Those rebels!)

Like Father, Like Son.... Guess who? Tyler 1979