Our Christmas...

We had such a fun Christmas!! Kernan was just so into every gift he opened! He couldn't just unwrap them, he had to have them opened completely! Kids make Christmas so much better!!

We started off the morning with our tradition of reading the story of the birth of Christ out of Luke.




Then we made the kids wait at the landing while we got the last minute things set up. Maci just wanted to see what Santa had left her, she didn't want to pose for a picture!


Here is our loot...


Maci was so excited for her DS!! Can't you tell?! :)



And Kernan got his share of Wall E toys!!
Here he is expressing his LOVE for him!! He was so excited!


Daddy teaching Maci how to use her Nintendo



Kernan got an electric "PUH" we're all in trouble!! It shoots 20 darts!!


Here are the video camera operators!



Kernan is showing off the gift my Dad made me...


Uncle Kolby got Kernan a remote control Hummer, they're trying it out...



And now Kernan's at the wheel!! Watch out!



The kids got stilts from Santa, Maci couldn't do it without Grandpa's help. She has now mastered them!



And then Grandpa took them for a spin!!


After we saw what Santa brought us we got ready to go out to breakfast, another tradition of ours...
But first Grandpa needed to feed his fish in his pond and Kernan got to help!!





Giving hugs to Stockton at IHOP



Maci was glued to her DS!



Grandma is trying to steel a drink of Kernan's chocolate milk but he wasn't sharing...
Here he is saying "HAHA" because she didn't get any! Stinker!


And Kolby's stealing some kisses!



When we got back to the house after breakfast we realized we had forgotten to get Kernan's bike out from the side of the house!! So we made him cover his eyes and Daddy brought it in!!
He got right on it and started pedaling!


He rode it from the backyard around the house to the front and then him and Stockton rode around for 30 minutes! He loves it!!



Then we were off to Brian's Mom and Dad's house for dinner and gifts...
The DS was a big hit everywhere!! Emilee and Maci were chatting on them to each other!



Here is Lisa cooking dinner with Julianna's help! It was SO Yummy!! Oh and Nancy washing dishes, she is an excellent dish washer!!! :)


Kernan believes in Santa!! He can hear the bell!


Here are Trevor (or Rever as Kernan calls him) watching Poppy's train...





After all the excitment had passed Kernan went in and laid on Poppy's tummy while he watched the basketball game and fell asleep, it was so cute!!


We had a great day!! Got awesome gifts and were thankful to be with family!
Hope you all had a wonderful and Merry Christmas!!
Here's to 2009!

Merry Christmas!!

From our Family to Yours!!






These are pictures taken Sunday before Church in their Christmas Outfits....
We're loving Christmas! It's so much fun when you have kids!! Kernan is just so into every gift he opens!! Lots of fun pictures to come... Right now, I'm off to play with my kids!!!

Merry Christmas!

Arizona HERE we COME!!

We're off to AZ today!! I'm so excited to get out of the snow!! I shouldn't make it sound to bad, I don't mind the snow from my window I don't even mind being outside in it. But I can't handle driving in it!! It scares me! If we could make it easier to drive in it wouldn't bother me so much!! The other thing is we've gotten record amounts! I'm sure you've all heard about Vegas getting hit well so have we!! I've heard several times that this is the worst storm and the most snow anyone has seen in 10+ years! So that is reassuring, at least we won't have to expect this every winter!!
Here's what the freeway looked like headed to Cedar from St. George on Monday...


And here is the view out of our bedroom window!! That is a whole lot of snow!!!


So we're saying goodbye to it and headed to warmer areas!!! Arizona here we come!! Kernan has a little cold so I'm hoping it'll clear up as soon as he thaws out down there!
Last night we had a dinner down in St. George and my Grandma and Grandpa watched my kids... THANKS! :)
On our way home we went by this house down in Hurricane (where my grandparents live) where thier Christmas lights dance to music you listen to over the radio! Brian happened to have the video camera in the truck so we recorded a couple songs with it, here's the video. Watch it! It is so cool! I could have sat there for hours watching it! To find out more about the house and how they do it visit their website at listentothelights.com

Ok, so the video is taking forever!! I've tried now for 3 hours! I'm ready to walk out the door, so I'll try once I get down there and post it then!! :)

Speaking of videos... Go check out Natalie and Jason's blog for the video of Kernan and Kolsen shaking their booties! It's adorable!
OK, so I want to get a vote from my blog readers... I'm going to get a personalized license plate on my Golf... I have 3 choices..
N2PEPSI -In to Pepsi
LVMYGLF -Love My Golf
DMCMTRU -Dream Come True (since it's my dream car!)
So which do you like?? Leave me a comment and we'll see which one wins!! :)
One last thing and then I need to go load the car... Everyone in AZ, Brian's bringing his tint stuff with us again. If you or someone you knows wants their car or house or business tinted let him know!! It makes a good Christmas present!! ;) You know what else makes a good Christmas present... A photo shoot! If you're interested in either email us at
mandiles[at]mac[dot]com
And we'll work something out!! Also, to check out some of my latest photoshoots, go to my photography blog and take a look!! I've been busy and am loving the scenery up here!! Although the shoot I did of the Thornocks down in Arizona turned out awesome too!!
OK, enough rambling!! See all you warm Arizonians soon!! And don't forget to vote for you favorite plate!! :)

My Mom came!!!

It was a big joke between us that because we hadn't gotten any snow all season except for the little bit we got last Monday, that it was just waiting for my Mom to come!! She hates the snow! Well she came!!! And so did the snow!!!

They got to my Grandma's house on Friday, ok Saturday morning! haha! And the kids and I drove down first thing to see them! Maci asked if we could take the shortcut to my Grandma's house! There is no shortcut, but for her we just couldn't get there fast enough!!
It was a nice day, but the weather was supposed to dump on us Sunday... So we did some shopping in St. George, went and showed her my cousins and aunts houses they just built and then the weather started to look bad!! Well I still needed to run to Costco and pick up some pictures for my Aunt to have them for Logan's farewell... So we all decided to head out, Mom and I ran to Costco and then Dad met us at the on ramp of the Hurricane exit. Well that's where our drive home turned to HE#$!! And I'm not kidding!
Let's all remember that I have never driven in the snow... And my first time was the worst!!!! We got on the freeway and the drive home that usually takes us 45mins took us 1 hour 30mins!!! It snowed the entire way home, and I don't just mean a light dusting I mean a BLIZZARD!! I can't even describe what it was like, and I didn't have my camera to document it but just trust me, that was not the way to learn to drive in the snow!! My Mom and I watched 5 cars spin out into the ditch and one car spun out in front of us, got control and then started back on the freeway behind us! I was so thankful my Dad had my kids in the Tahoe, bigger, safer car and he grew up in this kind of weather so he has experienced it before!! And I'm glad my Mom was with me so that when I started to freak she could tell me I was doing great!! Now, she was defiantly the last person I thought I'd ever share that experience with but I'm so glad it was her!!
We finally got home, and wanted to go to dinner. Well I wasn't going anywhere again out there so we ordered Domino's, they deliver!!! :)
While waiting the kids were playing... Kernan's favorite thing is to "puh" you. He has his nerf gun and he goes around shooting people. While we were in AZ he was getting Stockton over and over... Kernan would say "I puh the boy"! It was the cutest well Saturday night no one was safe!!

Check out Dad and Grandpa... They were scared!!


The next morning when we woke up it was a white morning!!! Pretty from the inside and then I remembered my drive home the night before and it's not so pretty anymore!!!

Why do I have a flag with these words?!? In AZ it was ok, but I'm thinking I need a new one! ;)


Here is our rental Sunday morning...


Looking up our street...


My parents poor Arizona car!!


Can you even tell what's under there?! Brian's truck!!


Then the kids wanted to get bundled up and go play in it!! They all started by making snow angels!








And of course Kernan had to get in on the angel making... He just wouldn't lay down!!





Stockton pulled an icicle off my parents truck! Pretty big!


Kernan caught onto the snowball making and throwing thing pretty fast!!





Look out!!


Oh this face just says innocent! I think not!! :)


All the kids showing me their gloves...


Cute snow picture... Why did I already do my Christmas cards?! I could have totally used this one!


And then Brian made it snow on them! I love Jaxin and Kernan's faces!


Maci showing me her clump of snow...


The snow didn't stop Kernan from riding his bike!!


And Brian was experiencing the joy of living in the snow!! Doesn't that just look like "snow" much fun?! Not!!


This is what my Dad did while we were playing outside... He did come out for a bit to take a few pictures. Where was my Mom you might ask?!? She was inside taking a nice HOT shower!! Wimp!!


Then it was off to church to watch my cousin give his farewell talk. He did SO good and I'm so excited for him!! I know he'll be a great missionary!

That night my parents headed back down to my Grandparents house and we kept Jaxin. She had never been sledding so we decided it would be fun to take her!! So we all got bundled up and headed out.
Kernan was all ready to go!!





Here goes Jaxin!!








Then off went Maci, she looks a bit worried! haha! Do you like her rain boots she's using for snow boots?! Our entire family is asking Santa for boots, gloves, pants and beanies!! :)





Then it was Daddy and Kernan's turn...





Brian put both the girls on at the same time... Jaxin wasn't to sure about that but afterwards she thanked Brian for just pushing her because it was really fun! :)





And then I took Kernan down...


As you can tell after that it was getting to dark to fast so we headed home to watch Horton Hears A Who, eat popcorn and drink Hot Chocolate.

So what started out being a terrible snow storm ended up being some fun... As long as I don't have to drive in those conditions again!! :0) And I was ready for my Mom to go home, if that meant the snow was going to stop! But it hasn't, it's snowing as I type! I'm staying inside today! :)
Sorry for the picture overload, there were just so many cute ones and I know that our parents, grandparents, and I (when its summer) will enjoy them all!
Thanks Mom and Dad for coming up! We sure had a good time!! See you on Friday! Love you guys!!