March

We started out the month celebrating our Vivi Kay

She requested, "burritos with the berries, chocolate, and whipped cream." So crepes it was. She made sure we opened presents before Dad left for work so she could enjoy them all day. 

Our dear friends surprised Vivi with horse rides and cupcakes. They even decorated their barn for her. And Ellie was so sweet letting Vivi ride her little pony. 

And the big kids got to ride too! It's always a good time on Redwing. 

Vivi requested a rainbow cake with marshmallows and was super excited to use her new toys that her big brothers made on their 3D printer for decorations. 

My parents stopped in on their way back to Nevada. 

They watched Vivi and Asa while the older four and I went to watch the Missouri cousins in their play. They all did so amazing and we can't wait until the next production. 

Grammie did a fantastic tea party. And Papa Ralph made sure to take them to the Snack Shack every day. 

Tanner traveled to Utah to baptize little Tanner. He had a great time with family and was able to see a few friends too. 

These pictures make me so happy. 

We had a going away party for some dear church friends. The highlight of the evening was the Ranger rides. 

Austin and Eliza enjoyed Marshmallow engineering at a primary activity. 

And Austin made a cake. We all enjoyed eating it. 

Chet made it to state in Archery so there was lots of practice going on. Here he is with his biggest cheerleaders. 

On the warm days there was lots of 4-wheeler, go-cart, and "Asa" riding. Asa calls the Ace the Asa.

Eliza and I enjoyed this beautiful sunset on a walk. T-shirts in March, we loved those days. 

Vivs likes to serenade us on the ukulele. 

We went down to the cousins' for the day while their parents were on vacation to give their Aunt Britta a breather. But the kids played so hard outside that I felt like it was a little vacation myself. 

Elsie really loves Eliza.

We've enjoyed our Easter countdown, mainly because it involves open flames. Asa likes to try to roast the little fake eggs I have for decoration and tries his hardest to sneakily blow out the candles before it's time. But I'm sure he's getting something spiritual out of it too. 

We had another pool day and Mariah got to go this time. 

Asa and Vivi enjoyed the free samples at Hyvee one day. 

We decided to go to State archery as a family and it went really well. Asa was starting to get a little antsy towards the end but we made it! Chet was happy with how he did.

We then went and did a little clothes shopping for Mariah followed by a Costco run

Vivi decided she needed to put all her hair into this bucket hat to help her curls be better. The things we do for beauty. 

We celebrated Palm Sunday with the missionaries, Brother Gilmore and Evan. 

We ended the month at the Alito's pond. It's always a good time with them. 

Vivi is 5!

This girl has been anxiously awaiting her 5th birthday for the last 12 months...It was a long time coming for her. She is still our little ray of sunshine, always saying something to make us laugh. 

1. What do you like most about yourself? 

It's so fun that I just play. But one time Asa was coming downstairs and I heard so I stopped playing and asked Asa if he could play with me.  

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

I'd like going and cleaning up other people's house. If they said, my kids aren't cleaning up my house, can you? Then I'll say yes. 

3. What do you love to eat? 

I love to eat chocolate chips, skittles and marshmallows. 

4. How do you like to spend your time? 

I more like to go to places and ice skate. And also, I really love when I visit at JK's and ride the little horse. 

Best Birthday surprise ever!

5. What are you good at? 

I try to swing, but I'm learning how to swing. But when Grandpa was here he was pushing me so I learned how to swing. Also I loved when rainbows go at the sky and its so fun when a bunch of birds go around the rainbow. 

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

I like Porter and I like Jack, Mariah and Eliza. But this is my two friends that I like even more, Asa and Porter and Jack. 

7. Who is someone you look up to? 

Asa, he's a little crazy and a little mean but he's also cool. 

And that describes their relationship perfectly...

8. What makes you sad? 

When someone hurts me. 

9. What is your favorite outfit to wear? 

My outfit that I got for my birthday and my Minnie Mouse one. 

She loves being fancy

10. What makes you really annoyed? 

When someone is saying "come on to the park!" "no" "Yeah, come on to the park!" "nooo" They were going to go to a boring park that just had a bunch of boring stuff and it just had cars, and it was boring. 

11. What makes you feel proud? 

If I go to another park thats my favorite one. 

12. What makes you happy? 

When someone gives me presents. I'm like Yaaaaay! 

13. What do you do when you feel sad? 

I go in my bedroom. 

14. What's your favorite thing to do with Mom? 

I like to sneak to mom without waking up all of the kids and tell her, "let's go outside and go on the mountains, if we could find some mountains. And so, can I sit up in a big kids seat?" I'll tell you that and then you'll say yes. 

She loves when she's the first one up in the morning and gets to hang out with me. 

15. What's your favorite thing to do with Dad? 

I like to ask him if he could go and play at his friends house, not our friends, his cousins, not my cousins. 

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

I like to punch her. 

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

I like to wrestle him. 

Rite of passage as a big brother, getting your hair fixed. 

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

I like him that when he does do tricks for me and when I'm swinging in a swing he's like, "hey want me to do tricks?" and I say "sure". 

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

I like to draw pictures with her. 

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

I like to go in the roses and also we just pick roses and then I would like to pick off thistles, put them in water for one day and then I make them out of decoration. 

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

I want to be a kitten because maybe the people will say "AAAWWW". 

22. What is your favorite color?

I like blue, pink, purple. 

Vivi is quite the artist and tells the best stories with her drawings. 

This unicorn doing the splits...

"The mommy cat just had the kitten and is crying happy tears." After finding out that the stressed out looking cat was the mommy cat's sister, we all had a good laugh. 

"Hey Pet Store! Don't go too deep because you might give a shot to my baby!" 

For a while there Vivi was always drawing pictures of Eliza and her "husband". She also would draw herself as their baby. Not sure what is going on there psychologically...Eliza is like a second mother to her though. 

The prince is coming to wake the sleeping princess

These people are walking their cat, dog and alligator.

The facial expressions on some of these are just fantastic...

I mean, look at the bad guy mean-mugging it as he tries to kidnap the girl. 

Vivi loves her stuffed animals, she really wanted them all to be at the tea party one day. 

Vivi is so good at getting hauled around for all her older siblings' activities. She can have fun wherever she is and is always making new friends. 

She has become so kind to Josie. She loves "training her" each day and giving her treats. Every once in a while Josie will go down and sleep with her at night and it makes Vivi so happy. 

She decided she was going to organize the pencil drawer one night. She got so far as dumping all the contents out, then left...Just the kind of help I need around here. 

Evan is a big favorite. We are often having to remind her of personal bubbles and how it's important to give Evan some space. He's a good sport though. 

She requested a pink smoothie for her birthday lunch. 

Vivi loves being a chubby bunny, and it makes me laugh every time she's waddling around in this getup. 

Not really sure how the conversation was started, but she was so flabbergasted when she learned that even queens toot. "Do they stink?!"

She came to me with a baby doll and said, "Mom! I just borned this baby!"

One day she had a long conversation with me about how sad it was that Cinderella's step sisters made her do all the work. "I wouldn't do that. I would help Cinderella." Meanwhile, Mariah was cleaning up the toys in the living room. She thought this was the perfect time to ask for Vivi's help. Vivi stared at her for a long moment, and then slowly gave Mariah a thumbs down motion. So yeah...maybe she hasn't quite given up being like the wicked stepsisters. 

She was talking about if someone did something bad, "Then when you died you would go to the boring heaven." 

She often talks about what she'll do when she's a mom. They are often little passive aggressive jabs at me: "When I'm a mom I'll let me kids eat all the candy they want." She also talks about how she is still going to live with Tanner and I so we can watch her kids. She has it all figured out. 

She hates having her throat touched and if there is any kind of slight pressure on her throat she panics. "It's actually choking me!!" 

Grammie got her heels for her Birthday and she was thrilled. She wears them everywhere she goes. 

She loves moving from family to family during Sacrament Meeting. Always checking to see who has the best toys and snacks. She isn't afraid to ask people for gum either. 

We sure love this little firecracker! Life wouldn't be the same without her spunky personality.