Mariah is 12!

Twelve years of Mariah...our oldest who has wisdom beyond her years, the most amazing belly laugh, a creator of endless stories, playmate of her younger siblings, lover of music, and the best friend to others.  

I'm just going to start with her interview, because it shows how much she has grown and changed this past year. 

1. What do you like most about yourself right now?

I like my growing ability to be able to better see other's needs and try to fill them and to be a        peacemaker. It's not perfect yet, but I'm working on it. 

2. What do you think your future job will be? 

I definitely am going to be a mother; I was wondering if I could earn some money by writing books because thats what I love. I've also been considering being an Orthodontist. 

3. What do you love to eat? 

Alfredo pasta and homemade pizza. 

4. How do you like to spend your time? 

Reading, playing with my siblings and practicing instruments, mostly piano, but I do like the violin too. 

5. What are you good at? 

I'm pretty good at piano and I feel like I have a talent for singing. 

6. Who are your best friends and why do you like each other? 

Probably my whole family, extended too. They're my best friends because they always are trying to be kind and patient with everybody and they make you feel special. They're just good to be around. 

Mariah loves her cousins. She is always asking when she is going to get to see them again, the ones in Missouri and the others all over the country. 

7. Who is someone you look up to? 

I really look up to my mom and dad. I also look up to my grandparents a lot. I have a good family so it's hard to decide. I feel like I'm looking up to different family members at different times because they're all good people and I can learn different things from each of them. 

8. What makes you sad? 

When I can't perfect a piano piece, when I compare myself to others and when I'm unkind to someone. 

9. What is your favorite outfit to wear? 

I love the color blue so I love my new blue (gingham) shirt. I also like to wear jeans, but thats just my fancy outfit. Usually when I'm playing I just like my jean shorts and a t-shirt. 

10. What makes you really annoyed? 

When mom makes Spaghetti and when Chet or Austin tease me. (Nothing puts her in a greater state of depression than finding out that I'm making spaghetti for dinner.)

11. What makes you feel proud? 

When I perfect a piano piece and play it in front of lots of people. Also when I perform in front of a lot of people or when I accomplish something. (Mariah is always willing to sing in church and is so grateful to our friend Elizabeth giving her so many opportunities to do that.)

12. What makes you happy? 

Reading a good book. 

13. Which of your nicknames do you like the most? 

One of my cousin's Aunts called me Ry-Ry and I really liked that. I sometimes like to be called MJ too though. 

14. What's the best thing thats happened to you lately? 

Performing in my local community talent show and playing a piece that I arranged all by myself while singing as well. 

15. What do you do when you feel sad? 

Sometimes I just need emotional therapy so I do something calm like sit and read a book or just have some alone time in my bedroom. But sometimes I need to go and tell someone why I'm sad like my mom or dad and that helps me to feel better. 

16. What's your favorite thing to do with mom? 

I like to talk with her about things as we're driving to orthodontist appointments. Thats just really fun; I enjoy listening to music with her and how she sings along to the songs and tries to sound like the singers, even though she doesn't at all. (I think I do a mean Alicia Keys impression...)

17. What's your favorite thing to do with dad? 

Go to Young Women's with him and listen to Audiobooks and go to Walmart and hear him ask, "What do you need?" and I'll say, "I don't need anything, but I might want something." and then sometimes I get to pick out a little treat to eat on the way home. 

She has such a special relationship with her dad. 

18. What's your favorite thing to do with Chet? 

I like to play games with him and see all his new projects that he's done and show me how to do certain things. It's also really fun to play Pickle ball with him. 

These two are constantly teasing each other and it usually ends in laughter. 

19. What's your favorite thing to do with Austin? 

Gently tease him and then he'll tease me back. Sometimes throw a blanket over his head or something. I also like to draw things for him and we'll draw together and its really fun to see what we end up drawing. 

20. What's your favorite thing to do with Eliza? 

I also draw some things for her and I like seeing her excitement over the things I draw and it makes me feel special and good at drawing. I also like to talk with her before we go to bed. She says some silly things sometimes and she'll sit on my bed and watch me read. She has a habit of asking, "Can I have this?" And its one of my random belongings that I've had for a long time and I let her share it and we do something with it. 

Mariah is so good to Eliza. She has never complained about sharing a room with two much younger sisters. 

21. What's your favorite thing to do with Vivi? 

Chase her around the house and catch her to tickle her. I also love giving her a piggyback up hills or when her feet are hurting because it makes me feel like a good big sister.

22. What's your favorite thing to do with Asa? 

Watch him learn and grow by giving him different toys to explore and play with. I also love making him laugh.

23. What do you want to be when you grow up? 

Some of my two top priorities are: 1. To become like Jesus Christ. 2. To become a kind and loving Mother, Aunt, and Grandmother

Mariah was the reason I started this blog twelve years ago. I wanted to be able to document all the things I never wanted to forget about that sweet, baby girl. And now she is so grown up and such a delight. Time just keeps marching on!

8 Months

Asa had a whole month without sickness! Which meant he started sleeping like a normal baby (good naps, only waking up two-three times in the night), which meant I felt like a normal person, which made this month so much more enjoyable. It's amazing what sleep will do for ya.  

He has got the rolling thing down and enjoys rolling around and finding things to chew on. He still kicks his feet all the time; it looks like he's swimming. He also slams his heels down on the ground while laying on his back. The boy rarely holds still. 

He got to wear his Steelers shirt some friends got for him. He is still a big momma's boy, but he now pushes my face away when I kiss him...rude. 

Mariah is such a good helper with Asa and he gets so excited when he sees her. He is starting to get more wary about Vivi...but he is learning how to express his annoyance with her, and she is maybe starting to read his cues...maybe. 

He went through a shrieking phase, and now he is working on his evil laugh. 

He is such a happy baby that loves being with people. 

We're still working on food...but he still isn't a huge fan. Except for potato soup, he never turns that down. 

While I'm the favorite, Dad is a close second. He gets so excited with any attention he gets from Dad. 

How is this baby 8 months old?! 

Our March Madness

 Things were getting just too quiet and calm around our house...well, as calm as a home with six children and a dog can be. So we decided to start some more construction projects. Tanner started on his dream rock wall/bouldering cave in the basement. 

The kids have loved the wall that he put up so far and can't wait for the dream to be completed. 

We also put new doors upstairs and have started on our much-anticipated office/murphy bedroom. We hired someone else to do it, lest you think we are that crazy. Whenever we're in the middle of a home reno project I swear we're not going to do anything else ever again, we'll just stay in an outdated house with a non-functioning fireplace and itty-bitty rooms; but then we go a year and I forget and we start another project. So I'm sure we'll eventually have a functioning fireplace, thanks to my short term memory. 

We celebrated Vivi's birthday at the beginning of the month. I love birthdays for my 1-3 year olds because the expectations are so low. 

Vivi just told me she wanted a pink cake...last minute Eliza started asking her if she wanted a bunny or kitty cake and I had to put the kibosh on that real quick. Mommy was tired. Vivi was just thrilled with pink thankfully. 

We had the opportunity to hear from Elder Cook from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles speak at a special Stake Conference. He answered some questions that had been on my heart for quite some time and the spirit was so strong during his testimony. I am so grateful for his sacrifice of time and effort that he has consecrated to the Lord. 

March came in like a lamb and we went on some wonderful walks. 

Some of our neighbors have some cats that get so excited whenever we walk past their house. They try to rub on the kids' bikes until one of them stops and pets them. 

We also admired our other neighbor's adorable new baby calves. Spring is just the best. 

Vivi has always enjoyed sneaking outside, but she has started venturing out to our timber, often barefoot and very underdressed. She always claims that she is "looking for the kids." It's a problem, but I thought this picture of Eliza walking her back up to the house was so sweet. 

Tanner tweaked his back the Friday before Easter week but we still tried to make it a good one. We took the week off from school and tried to focus on the last week of the Savior's life. 

We tried to dye eggs during Vivi's nap to avoid too much stress for me, but she must have sensed the fun she was missing out on and came out when there was just one egg left to dye. So she was able to dye one egg, which was more than enough for my anxiety over dye and a three year old who doesn't follow orders. But she seemed satisfied. 

I also was able to pull off a pretty successful Passover meal, considering Tanner was out of commission. The big kids helped me a lot and even though we were done before we could welcome Elijah in, I'm going to call it a success. 

Easter Eve was spent in Nauvoo. I was able to do a session and then Tanner went in with the youth to do baptisms. 

After my session I walked down to where Tanner was and I felt so full of God's love as I enjoyed the warmth and the sound of the birds. It was a simple yet beautiful experience I don't want to forget. 

Tanner's back was still really bothering him but with lots of prayers and some medication he was able to go all day. I'm so grateful for his desire to help others get to the temple. 

We loved this little bat hanging out right by the temple door. He just wanted to be closer to Jesus...can't blame him. 

Easter morning was a little different this year after getting home late the night before, but we made it to church early so Tanner could get things set up and Mariah practice her song with a group of women. We enjoyed a really special Easter program that Tanner put together and then headed down to Brittany's for dinner. I made a bunny cake that looked more like a pile of mashed potatoes, but it tasted good so thats what is most important. We enjoyed seeing Aaron and Jaycee and their sweet family for a little while before they had to head home. 

And this was the only picture I took on Easter Sunday. My little sister sent a picture of her two littles pouting in a picture wishing us all a happy Easter so we all sent grumpy faced pictures back. But I am so grateful for the Easter season and the assurance it gives me that I and everyone I love will live again, because of Jesus Christ. How grateful I am for that knowledge!