Pajama Day
They wanted it as tall as Nick, but settled for their height since the snow wasn't very sticky. Good thing it wasn't very cold, they dressed themselves for the cold while I was making lunch. 
They were proud of their snowman and couldn't wait to show it to Trevor after school. Sage asked if I would watch "Frosty" while they were gone and make sure he doesn't melt, saying I could stay inside by the window so I don't get cold, but don't do anything else, not even the computer. I failed, he was half the size when they got home. She must think I control the sun ;). 
Sophie- red tie, Sage- silver tie, aren't they handsome? 
Good job color coordinating.
The other morning (like the bead head?) I heard giggling in the other room and knew they were up to some kind of mischief, the next thing you know two handsome young men came walking in, all dressed for work. They announced "we're off to work now, we'll be back soon".
Too cute, they play dress up in my clothes often, but this was a first in Paul's clothes. Shhh, he'll never know after a quick ironing :)
They love their dad.
Do I have enough m & m's on my temple cookie?
We had an all green dinner tonight 
It was delicious, if I say so myself. The kids helped me make our green cuisine- Pasta w/ Pesto yummy recipe below, all green salad, green parsley garlic bread, fresh squeezed limeade, and lime sherbet w/ kiwi for dessert. It was a hit, even with my picky eaters.
The best part of today is being the first day of the year warm enough to wear these.
Because last week we had a day like this. (This is what happens when you have big brothers, they dare you to run out in the snow barefoot for a full minute. They dared Trevor but Sophie and Sage couldn't let Trevor have all the fun. Brrr)
Pasta with Pesto
from Family Fun
1 1/2 cups of tightly packed, washed and dried basil leaves
1/2 cup of walnuts
2 chopped garlic cloves
2/3 cup of olive oil
2/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1 pound of spinach linguine or fettuccine
Parmesan cheese to topping dish
Directions
Chop the basil leaves in a food processor or blender.
Add the walnuts and chopped garlic cloves. Process until finely ground.
With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil.
Next, pour in grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Mix and then set aside.
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Drain and toss with the pesto in a serving bowl. Top with more Parmesan cheese. Serves 4 to 6.
I used Farfalle (sm. bowtie) noodles instead of fettuccine, and I would add only 1 large garlic clove instead of 2, too strong for the kids. It's delicious for anytime of year!
Our little readers- Sage won't put down a book until she's got it.
Funny how she's dressed just like the girl in the story she chose, not planned
btw, If Ihad read this book before hand, I probably wouldn't have bought it (no offense to the author). The illustrations are great and the story is funny, but the disobeying part, my girls thought it was a little too funny. I'll post our favorite books sometime soon.
A true athlete, a little dusty w/ cute windblown hair, my brown eyed girl. She just came in from beating Nick at basketball ;) I should've taped it! Nick was so good to help her score.
Her poses always crack me up.
Sneak peek, getting out my favorite dishes for Nick's B-day. 
Before... Not bad, but boring and wanting a change. The honey Alder cabinets are outdated and sunbleached, I would've liked them better if they were Knotty Alder. I picked these out almost 7 years ago while our home was being built.
And After... Ta, Da!
my mostly white kitchen.
It makes my kitchen look larger with a classic charm and brightness I was after. 
I heart my new kitchen! I might add stainless steel appliances down the road, but I'm happy with the white ones we have now, so I'll wait until they need replacing. I also have some white subway tiles picked out for the back splash, and some clear glass doors for the cupboards above the cooktop. Then a few hanging lights over the island for that final touch. I'm thrilled how the pewter hardware, light porceline tile and Avonite counter tops compliment the white & green cabinets.
I went back and forth deciding whether to paint the island white or the "Lemon Pepper" color I chose (grayish green). I like the green, it breaks up the monotony and gives it some character and a focal point. We had fun antiquing /distressing it then gave it a Polyurethane gloss finish. All the natural light from the breakfast nook makes it stand out.
It's a messy job. This was truly a labor of love for Paul! He was fine with the Alder cabinets and probably thought I was crazy at first for wanting to paint them white. Isn't he the best? Thanks hon for going w/ me on this and help making it look fabulous! It was a big job and as picky as you/we are, it took awhile. But we had fun working together and combining our ideas, even if we stayed up way too late and was ready to be done, it was fun and all worth it.
Our garage turned into a work station.
It was cute watching Sage peek around the corner, waiting for Trevor & Sophie to come (top right)
Showing off our February "tans"
Sophie & Josh making a splash, so great having big brothers!
Trying out some effects, I like the B & W & Sepia
We've been known to drive half a day for these breadsticks & pizza
I'm so thankful for temples and my forever family! I'm especially grateful for a loving Father in Heaven that blesses me every day. I won't say it's always easy raising a big family, but the rewards are great, I wouldn't trade it for anything!
