Mariah is 7

Seven years! I'm so grateful for this sweet girl and the joy that she brings to us. It's crazy how I can still see that little baby in her even as she grows. Here's her interview:

Mom: What is your favorite color?

Mariah: Blue and white

Mom: What is your favorite food?
Mariah: Pizza (while we rarely have meltdowns about food anymore, if Mariah were able to pick her food it would mainly be pizza, mac and cheese, and hotdogs)

Mom: What is your favorite animal?
Mariah: Horse (She now pretends to be a horse and it takes me back whenever I watch her. The tossing of the "mane", pawing her "hoofs". It's me as a child all over again.)

Mom: What is your favorite book?
Mariah: The Black Stallion. For now thats my favorite book, but the Hobbit might be my favorite. (A few weeks later while reading the Chronicles of Narnia series again, she let us know that those are actually her favorite books. She has read all the books at least twice now. There are days where I have to tell Mariah that it's time to get up and do something else besides reading.)

Mariah really wanted to go to the library one day and when I told her we couldn't she said, "But new books are my life!" 

Mom: What is your favorite movie?
Mariah: The Swan Princess 

Mom: What is your favorite song?

Mariah: Thunder, Hello, This Girl is on Fire (Mariah loves any song "with a beat". I love watching her belt out songs. She also creates her own original lyrics and those are my favorites.)

Mom: Who is your scripture hero
Mariah: Esther because I like how she is brave

Mom: What is your favorite dessert?
Mariah: Ice Cream

Mom: What do you like to do for fun? 
Mariah: Read, play outside, make up songs (Mariah loves to create scenarios on paper. She makes creatures and their homes and the process takes way longer than the actual playing.)

 

Here she is decorating for a spa day. She had so many cute pictures for hair, makeup, and nails.

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?
Mariah: Snuggle

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Dad?
Mariah: Wrestle

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Chet?
Mariah: Play monkeys

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Austin?
Mariah: Pretend he is my baby

These kids play hard all day and for the most part, get along so well.

Mom: What is your favorite thing to do with Eliza? 
Mariah: Hold her

Mom: Who is your best friend?
Mariah: Savannah (This is a girl who moved into the ward a while ago. Mariah has made it her duty to take her to primary every Sunday. As soon as the prayer is over, she jumps up, grabs her hand and off they go.)

Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Mariah: A Rodeo Queen/singer/scientist 

Mariah is girly, as long as it is comfortable. She never wants me to fix her hair and she usually is in sweat pants and a t shirt. But she loves wearing makeup and pretending that she is a princess. Although one day she was telling me how much she loved playing outside and said, "I'm so glad I don't live in a castle. What would I do? Just stare at jewels all day? That's boring." 

Here she is with her doll Chelsea after a makeover session. 

Mariah is such a wonderful little girl (I'm not biased in the least). She is a light to so many people. She loves to leave notes in our neighbors mailboxes and the cute elderly lady across the street has written her notes back and even put her pictures up in their window. She will talk to anyone and wants to be everyone's friend. She is still happiest when she is giving gifts to others. She is a wonderful big sister and tries her best to keep her siblings (and her mom) happy. I don't know what we would do without this girl.