New Car

We replaced the alternator in Lila (our car) a couple days before we went back to school. We didn't even make it through the first week of school before our alternator was burning up AGAIN! It was a very snowy day, and smoke was spewing into the cab through the vents and billowing from the hood of the car. Colton had to drive with the windows down so he could breathe and got plastered with snow.
(This was the day Lila broke down again.)

 So, given the fact that we had repaired the same thing twice in one week, we were advised by many and heartily agreed that it might be time to get something new.

(Another week passed)
Many, many, many hours were spend researching a new car throughout the week.

After hours of searching and comparing cars online, we headed to Utah over our four-day weekend to try to find something that would work for us. We visited several dealers and drove a hand full of different cars. Jan. 18th turned out to be the start of the end of our search. This is our last farewell to Lila.

Our triumphal return!

"Old and busted..."

"New hotness."

Waiting to sign our first-born child away in return for a new ride.

Avery (our sales person), Colton, and I.

Is that really ours?!

Proud new owners of the 2013 Honda Civic LX.

Colton gets the "Haggler-of-the-year" award!

We just had to drive our car a little more, so we took Ma n' Pa Potter to the BX. We found a huge sale on nail polish, so Malea had to see if there were any colors worth having.

Trying out a few new colors.

Making sure we got all our discounts.

The receipt was a mile long (but it wasn't all nail polish...)

Baby Blessing

Jeff and Chelsea Whitehead (Our cousins on Colton's side) bless their first baby on Jan. 5th. Her name is Eliza Marie.

Her adoring aunts (Chloe, Emma, and Claire)!

Luncheon.

Uncle Rick mans the drink station.

Proud father calls everyone together for prayer.

We had dinner and a show. Brittan (the little guy in the blue plaid) had us all entertained.

Happy New Year 2014

A few sparklers to bring in the New Year.

Andrea was the pyro-tech for the evening.

On New Year's day, we headed up Nephi Canyon to set off some explosives.

The colors where so vibrant that day.

Happy New Year! Thanks for letting me borrow your hat, Andrea.

Let's blow something up... :)

Light me!

Blast off!

Who's up for round two...?!

The smolder...

Colton and Papa K. make one last attempt to create a sparkler bomb...

Andrea volunteered to be our pyro-tech.

Let's get ready to rumble!

Plenty of flames... not so much on the explosions...

Papa K. pops open the bubbly.

Bubbles!

Hooray for the New Year!

Out with the old, in with the new. We made predictions for the new year as we drank our sparkling cider. Colton and I decided to illustrate one of our predictions: pictured here is a portrait of Andrea's future husband. :)

Ice Castles and Trains

After Brian and Darcy's sealing, we went to Heber and Midway to do some site seeing.

Papa Kenison is telling us how the mechanics of this coal car work.

All aboard!

We're just happy to be here.

There goes the Heber Creeper.

We still had some time to kill before the Ice Castle opened up so we took a stroll through a little country store. They had some wild, hand-made stick horses. "Giddy-up!"

Outside the Midway Ice Castle.

Maintenance man ditching his tiller-thing by the icicle nursery.

Our tour began here. As you can and will see, the architecture of the castle is fabulous!

"Fancy seein' you here. You come here often? "

Andrea's legendary hair swoosh!

Andrea admires the decor. 

"You said what?!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought you said."

Narrow passages make for some close encounters...

Looking up through on of the arch ways.

Chandeliers overhead.

Admiring the natural lighting.

Cutest little frozen boy in the whole castle!

Colton didn't say he was taking a panorama, so Malea was looking around as he was taking the picture. Hence the reason she has a gopher nose...

The big court yard area inside the Ice Castle.

Malea's little handsome ice Prince!

Icicle nursery from inside the castle.

The icicles from the nursery are taken and grafted into to the existing structures or put together like this to start the formation of another wall to add on another wing.

It was a wee bit nippy...

As you can see, Colton was freezing his buns off!

However, the Ice Castle was equipped with and in-house waterfall.

Andrea is a regular little model...

The castle tour was loverly, but our final decision was that it's probably not the castle we'd want to live in. In short, we are still in search of a suitable castle. ;)