Birthdays

Tanner was able to take the day off for his Birthday and like a responsible adult spent most of the day running errands and working on paperwork. We had the Elders over for Quiche and Strawberry Shortcake. The kids were excited to give Tanner his gift. And Tanner tried really hard to show excitement when he opened it. I don't think he would have had to try so hard if we would have went with Chet's idea for a gift: a new mountain bike, way more exciting than dress shirts. Maybe next year...

Mariah was so excited for her Birthday. She decided that instead of a party with friends we would just do a party as a family and then she could go on a date with mom and dad.

 I had a bunch of her toys lined up on the couch to wish her a Happy Birthday in the morning.

 Mariah picked out this cake on Pinterest and she and Chet helped me from start to finish. It wasn't perfect, but it's the best cake I've ever made and Mariah was pretty tickled with it so I'm calling it a win. 

We went to the library in the afternoon because Mariah was desperate for some new reading material. 

Her new tutu from Grandma and Grandpa Young

Mariah picked homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, we had some cake and ice cream and then watched Tangled. Mariah got to Facetime with her Auntie Em, and her good friends Max, Jane, and Norah. She also talked on the phone with Grandma Young and told her all about how the characters in Tangled "kissed three times!" without being married. "But I closed my eyes each time." 

Later in the week we went on our date with Mariah. A friend watched Chet and Austin for us. Mariah picked bowling which she has never done before.  

 It was so fun watching her lob the ball down the alley and jump up and down the whole time it slowly rolled towards the pins. 

 Mariah was so pleased when she beat me, and that was the first thing she told Chet when they were reunited. 

She also got pizza. When I asked her if she had fun on her date she said, "Yeah, but it started to get a little boring without another kid there." Tanner and I are boring people, plus the girl really loves her brothers. 

It was so fun to make this little girl feel special. 

Easter Festivities

I tried to make Easter more like Christmas this year, with activities weeks before to help my children understand the importance of the day. We made resurrection rolls and celebrated Palm Sunday as well. We spent an FHE talking about Jesus clearing the temple and then discussing how we could make our home more like a temple.

Mariah reminded us that the kids needed to wear their Easter clothes on Palm Sunday because we wouldn't be at church on Easter Sunday.

Chet was so excited to coordinate his outfit with Austin and picked out the shirts himself. Tanner had to work that day so there were a few scary mommy moments that morning, but somehow I still got some good smiles out of them. Thank goodness kids are so forgiving. 

Laying down our "cloaks" and waving palm leaves to celebrate Christ's entry into Jerusalem. Austin saying "Hosannah!" was pretty adorable. 

We did some fun secular Easter things too. One day we had an Easter Egg hunt at our house. It was pouring rain so we had the younger kids collect eggs in the house and then sent the older kids outside for their hunt. I was surprised at how focussed Austin was on getting eggs. 

 Chet wasn't feeling very well that day, but he perked up long enough to get his eggs. After that he went to his room and fell asleep through all the noise of the party. 

I waited for a time when Tanner would be home to dye eggs, that way I could still be a fun mom. 

Easter morning I had a scavenger hunt where the kids found eggs containing different things that represented the last day of the Savior's life and his resurrection. I also bought chocolate rabbits for the kids and they were so excited about that. They nibbled on them all throughout the day and finished them before dinner. 

We were able to get our kids more involved with General Conference this year too. We made sure they were focussed for the Solemn Assembly and sustaining of our new Prophet President Nelson. It was such a special moment when we all raised our hands, even Austin. Even though we were thousands of miles away, the Spirit was still so strong. How grateful we are for a Prophet! 

I am so grateful for Easter and what it means. Sharing this time with our children makes it all the more special. 

Our Baby Girl

Another trip around the sun for our oldest. She has learned and grown so much this past year it has been so exciting to watch but at the same time a little heartbreaking. Time refuses to slow down! Here's her Birthday Interview: 

Mom: What is your favorite color?

Mariah: Blue 

Mom: What is your favorite food?
Mariah: Mac and Cheese (She loves hot dogs and pepperoni pizza too, very healthy palate) 

Mom: What is your favorite animal?
Mariah: Cheetah

Mom: What is your favorite book?
Mariah: My Fairytale Book (Hans Christian Anderson Fairytales, a birthday present)

Mom: What is your favorite movie?
Mariah: Tangled (also a birthday present)

Mom: What is your favorite song?

Mariah: Gethsemane 

Mom: What is your favorite dessert?
Mariah: Unicorn Cake

Mom: What do you like to do for fun?
Mariah: Play soccer and draw pictures

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?
Mariah: Sit and talk with her

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?
Mariah: Play frisbee with him

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Chet?
Mariah: Pretend that I'm a mommy and he's the baby (She really loves being the boss)

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Austin?
Mariah: Make him laugh (Her specialty is making him laugh so hard he gets hiccups)

Mom: Who is your best friend?
Mariah: Chet

Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Mariah: Author and Illustrator 

Mariah truly is a joy to be around. She is always seeking out new friends wherever we go. A big way that she shows love is through giving gifts. She is always picking out toys and treasures to give to her friends and she gets so excited when they are excited with what she has given them. 

Mariah loves babies and helping with little kids. Whenever friends are over she goes right to the youngest kids and tries to help as much as she can. I know that she is going to be such a big help when her baby sister is here. She even wipes Austin's nose, when he'll let her. 

"Taking" a picture. She got them all to sit there, hold still, and smile. I was impressed.

She has done so well with school. She really wants to do everything right so she can get frustrated at times but she doesn't give up. Her favorite thing to do is read. After a trip to the library she spends the whole afternoon reading to her brothers. Every day during quiet time she reads and also spends at least thirty minutes reading at night. She has written a few poems complete with pictures and loves to narrate stories to me. 

She is quite the girly girl; accessorizing her toys and drawing girls in beautiful dresses. She loves to pick out her dress on Sunday and only picks the most fluffy, flowery dresses. She loves reading about boys being gentleman and tries to drop hints to Chet about the right way to treat a lady. 

She loves makeup

Mariah has a strong desire to do what is right and is a great example to her brothers. We couldn't have asked for a better oldest child. We love our little Mariah Jeanne and are so grateful she is in our family.