Last spring we put all of our digital pictures on our external hard drive to create more space on our computer, so my 6th folder, sixth picture was just last June. A time I don't mind forgetting... look at those bangs! Kate went through a spell last spring when Bradley was her beautician (twice). 
Kate all packed and ready to go to a friend's house.
You know how you spend all of this time and money buying Christmas presents and the novelty has usually worn off before school even starts back up? So you put the toy in a bin and store it for a few years because you just spent a bunch of money on it, but it's hardly ever played with again? That is the usual story at our house (unless is just the right video game). Not this year.
For once we got it right. Bradley got the ODYSSEY III globe by leapfrog and I'm telling you, it's awesome. He plays it everyday (and it's almost March!). I've seen him laying down in bed at night playing it. It has several categories that it will give information about different countries/continents and games for up to four players. Bradley can find 18 continents/oceans in 45 seconds.
My favorite part is that he has started to apply what he's learned. One day he was looking at something that said it was made in Korea. He said "was that North Korea or South Korea?" Last week while we were reading the Book of Mormon it referred to the Red Sea. He said "I know where that is, it's by Egypt."
Last night Tyson won the "Pyro Award" in the cake decorating contest at the Blue and Gold Banquet. He was awarded a silver cup that he can put on his trophy shelf. It was a fun little project.
I was cleaning upstairs, so I let Kate get in Paige's bed with her. She decided to read her some stories.
I hope Kate continues to love to read books to Paige, especially when she can really read. Although her made-up stories are quite intriguing.
The latest vinyl I put up, there are white flowers around her name, you can't see them very well in the picture. Thanks Michelle, I love it!
The flowers were a little plain so I decided to add a jewel, it turned out great.
I also put up some Hawaiian flowers in Kate's room.Rick doesn't always put the kids to bed
when I'm gone for the evening, but they're usually asleep when I get home. This was Kate's latest. Can you tell she's been winning the war of what to wear lately????? Actually she's usually dressed up like some sort of princess or ballerina. Sleeping Beauty being her favorite because of her pink dress and 'blong' (long blonde) hair, like Kate's. At church today Kate pointed out "There's the princess" during sacrament meeting. A neighbor girl that wore her homecoming dress to church last year. And last night she found the Lawrence Welk show on TV and loved watching the princesses and their princes, as she called them, dance and sing. (Gotta love those matching peach tuxes!) I hope she never leaves the princess stage, it's wonderful.
The kids mostly played, played, played with the neighbor kids during the break, which they loved, but Tuesday we had a day out. We had to sign papers in Bellevue to refinance so we took the kids to see the temple afterwards. It was great. They haven't been there much. It was a pretty nice morning. We walked around, took some pictures, and answered their questions.
Afterwards, we had lunch from Burger King in the car. Kate spilled water on her lap. Then while I was buying the tickets Bradley fell in some rose bushes in the parking lot of the dollar theater. So when I got back to the car, Kate was naked and Bradley was crying and dripping blood. So I took Kate to DI and bought to buy her a new shirt. We ended up with a ballet costume, which I intended to have her wear with some pants from the car. But of course once she got that on who needed pants (middle of February!)? So we went to the movie BOLT with Kate in her leotard and skirt. Later during the movie I felt like my leg was wet. Sure enough Paige had peed through her clothes and mine! What a day out.
Maybe that's why we stayed in the rest of the week!
Paige hasn't been sleeping as well through the night so I decided to try feeding her some rice cereal. That night she slept longer than she had in a couple of weeks! (I think it may have been a coincidence though, since I had fed her the cereal in the morning!).
Our 12th Valentine's Day together. It was a low budget one, but no less wonderful. I love you Rick.
For the second year in a row, Tyson participated in the Meridian Elementary Science Fair. He did a project about taste. He learned about tongue mapping, and taste perception. It was a fun project (for me too, I love food science and anatomy). He had a great display describing his project including red/green french fries, a blue hamburger, and blue milk (showing how the color of food effects our perception of food).
Kate and Tyson enjoying a 'green smoothie' (which happens to be purple). For those that are unfamiliar, a green smoothie is basically a fruit smoothie with a green vegetable (most commonly spinach or kale). I've been enjoying adding A LOT of fruits and vegetables to my diet. I feel so healthy, it's awesome. We love our new Vitamix. I use it a couple times a day for smoothies, vegetable juices, cooked pudding, nut butters, ice cream, etc. I can't wait to make baby food for Paige. Unfortunately I can't get the kids to drink many of my concoctions (don't let the picture fool you), but Rick and I can't get enough.
Paige at 4 months.
Mom and Paige on a Sunday afternoon.
They love her more than she loves them, can you tell? 
Paige had her 4 month well-child check-up and that's when her nickname changed. She seemed like she was big, but I was suprised when the numbers came in. She is 15# 70z which is the 86 percentile (Kate was 13#) and 26" which is the 95 percentile (Kate was 23"). She's about the size Bradley was, and a little bigger than Tyson at the same age. She's been growing out of clothes quickly, basically skipping 3-6 months. I'm sure her large size won't last (I was big too, and look at me now), but we're enjoying it for now. (We love chub).
Rick's Mom and Paige
Kate and Aunt Dar Dar (Darla)
Enjoying food and family
Paige showing off her chub
Paige loving and the love from her aunts and grandma.
I couldn't help but take a picture tonight during FHE. It was picture perfect. Tyson gave an awesome lesson on Joseph Smith (to pass off one of his Faith in God achievements). Bradley and Kate listened. Kate held the pictures. I just sat there feeling very blessed with a wonderful family. It was a sweet moment.
Earlier today I caught Paige showing off her chub. I can't believe she's growing up so fast. It's so cute watching her start to grab for toys.
Paige loves her bows..
She somtimes tries to eat them. Not only is her bow falling off, it looks like she is falling off, of the couch! She's such a good, sweet baby. She sleeps through the night, rarely cries, doesn't spit up, and my favorite parts: she lets me dress her in anything I want, and she doesn't talk back!
Because Kate is turning 4 this year she became a Sunbeam the first Sunday in January. She gets to go to Primary with the big kids. The looks adorable in her crown that says "I am a Child of God" You're growing up sweetie, we love you.
We went to the open house at the new Kent arena. They will host the Seattle hockey team and other events. It's a nice facility. We saw the hockey team, had some hotdogs, and danced with the Disney radio station.
Glass Museam in Tacoma. It was a beautiful crisp day. We enjoyed watching a demo on how to blow glass. It was neat because the boys are studying him in art this year at school.
I love skiing and I love roller coasters, why don't I love sledding?
I was the chicken of the group, but we had a great time sledding Carmichael Hill, in Richland, like we always did as kids. It was fun to take our kids and reminisce.
Luckily we didn't make a trip to the ER, but others there did, including our friend's little boy, Luke, who got 7 staples in his head!
We celebrated Christmas in Richland, with the entire Hoyle family. We went the weekend before Christmas and helped Brian and Jessica buy a new house in Pasco. The roads were good for us, we went between storms. We weren't sure if the Hatch's and Jeff (who flew in from San Antonio on Christmas Eve) would make it, but they did, seven hours later. 
I like this picture, because I think it makes Paige look like she's doing a dance, maybe a hula!
"The children were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads."
Bradley got just what he asked for, chocolate donuts in his stocking, and he couldn't have been happier (he wised up from last year when he asked for a burrito).
Tyson and Jeff looking at a new video game.
Kate was happy with everything...dress up clothes, Littlest Pet Shop, a hair and make-up set, a doll, and a huge container of hair do-dads.
The kids got to go sledding twice, we visited with the Stanfields, and ate a lot of great food, including lots of smoothies from our new Vitamix blender, thanks Mom and Dad! 
