McKay turned 6

What a guy. We love this boy. He is the perfect mister to have 4 little sisters. Although he would love a brother he does so so well with his sisters. McKay is 6 years old, can read anything, and really enjoys school. He is in a second grade math book and is on a second grade level in most subjects. He is very good and doing the chores his mom asks him to do such as empty the dishwasher, take out the trash and put bags  back in the trash can, make his bed.  He also helps Avonlea make her bed while she is still learning how to do it on her own and he sometimes will surprise Gensie by making her bed for her. He has even made my whole bed all by himself to surprise me. He does a pretty good job too!

He clears and washes the table, empty's the dirty clothes, sweeps the front walk, cleans the living room, and cleans up his own room. He also baby sits the twins for me while I am taking a shower, trying to finish a job, or taking a cat nap. McKay loves animals and prays that his Daddy can get a better job so we can move and get a puppy, cat, bunny, and a farm so we can get all the animals in the whole world. He rides a bike without training wheels. We took the training wheels off his bike to teach him and he took off. He could just do it without any teaching. He has lost two bottom teeth and was pretty excited and interested to learn about the tooth fairy. He says when he grows up he is going to change his name to McKay Pearce so he can be a cowboy just like Grandpa Pearce.  He also has 8 Articles of Faith memorized (he is passing them off to earn a prize from our Primary Presidency) and seems to take to memorizing things pretty easily in general.

A few of is favorite things:

Favorite color: black because of Zorro
Favorite food: lasagna, fresh berries, deviled eggs, corn on the cob
Favorite thing to play or be:  Sheriff and he loves to ride his stick horse
Favorite animal: Great white shark, Komodo Dragon, and Rattle snake
Favorite book: I don't' know if he has one.  He loves anything about animals.
Favorite movie: This goes in shifts, but right now it would be The Andy Griffith Show and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman  :)
Favorite days of the week: I know it's random but he tells us this often. Saturday because Daddy doesn't work, Sunday because he gets to go to church, and Monday because he loves Family Home Evening.

Thanks to Uncle Devin for this hat!  He loves it.

Check out the belt. He asks every Sunday if he can wear it to church. We don't let him and he just doesn't understand why. We tell him that it's the Lords house and we only wear out very best clothes to church. He says "Well Mom and Dad, this is my best belt and my best gun and cowboys wear these to church."

Best Friends

He wanted a doggie cake this year.

For his party we had our good friends the Claus family over for a bbq. The kids played and played. We ate hamburgers, hotdogs, watermelon, deviled eggs, cake and ice cream. McKay opened gifts from us. He got a sheriff's badge, Davey Crockett book, and Davey Crockett's rifle Old Betsy (pictured below).

Big April Trip

We took a huge trip to Idaho in April. We were there for about 3 1/2 weeks. We had a family reunion with my family and spent time in Rexburg with Quinn's family. We had a wonderful time. Even after that long on the road with 5 kids, we still weren't ready to leave when the time came. While visiting my parents the kids got to see and play with animals animals animals. They LOVE the animals. They spend most of their time outside with them. They even got to ride horses a couple of times. McKay is all ready to go ride up on the mountain with Grandpa. Grandpa says McKay can go when he is 6.

Grandpa killed a rattle snake and cut off the rattles and gave them to McKay. Talk about a boys most valued treasure! I tried putting them in a zip lock bag for him so they wouldn't get his hands and clothes all stinky because snake REALLY stinks but that didn't' work. He kept them right in his hand or in his shirt pocket and oh boy was he in love with them.

There are so many pictures with my family and not with the Eastins because I never remember to take my camera with me when I'm out and about. It spends most of the trip packed in a bag. My sister took it at my parents house and went to town taking pictures so that's why there are so many more from being there.

Riding before they could walk.

Two cowboys shootin the breeze. This horse is just a yearling and has never been saddled or ridden before.

Aunt Nan breeds and sells rabbits. She had a litter of bunnies that were the perfect age when we were there and Avonlea learned how to go out to the cage and help herself. If you notice her shoes are not velcroed  and are on the wrong feet  because she put them on herself and came in the house with the bunny. I'm just grateful she put them on at all.  More often than not she is trotting around barefoot.

She would hold the bunny up like this and googoo with it like it was a baby. If it scratched her and tried to get away she would shake it and get after it. She knew how to keep them in line.

Lele and Cam Cam are just 6 weeks apart in age and they played quite well together. It was fun to see these two little blondies together.

We told Cam to kiss Lele and he was very obedient. She didn't care for it.

Aunt Millie reading a bedtime story to the cousins.

Uncle Andon and 9 of the 10 grandkids. Dajah was gone with her parents.

Missing Kayslee, she was napping.

Great Grandpa Washburn took us all out to eat for my Dads birthday.

We went to the park with some of my cousins and their kids.

So my parents have this tiny little ditch that runs through their back yard and the kids were outside playing.  The next thing we know they are telling us "Avonlea did it first. She took off all her clothes and got in the mud."  They never said it was her fault but it was their way of excusing  what they did because Avonlea (the 2 year old) did it first. They had such a grand time. They did it two different days. The second time they asked first. McKay comes inside and says "Mom and Dad I was outside playing and I saw the mud and it just looked so good it just made me want to take off all my clothes and jump right in! Can I  please?" How do you say no to that?

Cadence

The dish bench. We grew up without a dishwasher. My dad built this bench for us to stand on while we washed the dishes. I got it out and put my kids to work. They loved it. What kid doesn't want to play in soap and water?

McKay dressed Bowie up in his cowboy clothes. This boy needs a dog.

London getting a ride.

Aunt Autumn with London left and Cadence right.