Apr 23 2020

18 years

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Karin

18 years ago this little guy, not so little anymore, made me a mom! It was one of the best days of my life. When he was young he and I did everything together. He was my little buddy. He loved going on walks everyday with his mom. He loved waking up at 6 am to watch winnie the Pooh and Totoro. He has always been a smart kid. He learned to sing “I am a child of God” in Japanese by the age of 2. He has always been sensitive to others feelings and gets really concerned when someone isn’t feeling well or is sad.

Preston is a ham! He loves to make people laugh and have fun with them. He has a witty sense of humor. Preston is a good big brother to his little brother and sister. He is always there to help them out when they need him.

When we moved 5 years ago it was tough on Preston. He struggled finding his place. Eventually he fell in love with music and theater. He has been blessed with an amazing tenor voice. He often sits at the piano and plays a song to a broadway musical and sings. I love that!

Preston loves acting in his high schools plays and musicals. He usually gets the part that is hilarious. We love going and seeing him perform. The past few months have been a bummer like it is for most seniors. He was super bummed when their school musical was cancelled. He was going to play Donkey in Shrek the Musical.

Preston’s future is bright. He is planning on going to Idaho State University in the fall. He was able to get a 4 year academic scholarship full tuition. He is planning on being involved in the theater program there. I can’t wait to see him perform there. He is amazing and I hope he has very Happy 18th Birthday!

Dec 24 2018

Merry Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Karin

Merry Christmas from the Edwards

Merry Christmas! Usually I’m pretty good about getting Christmas cards out by the first week of December but not this year. I love getting Christmas cards each year from friends and family. I’ve noticed that over the years more and more people stop sending cards and I just couldn’t understand the reason for it. Well this year I fully understand. I didn’t get cards out this year. First issue we didn’t have a good picture to put on a card. Another issue my husband takes the pictures and I often need to wait for him to upload the pictures before making the cards. I’m still waiting on pictures for our Hawaii trip from June! Last issue, it gets busy this time of year and I totally get why people don’t spend the extra time on cards. I guess this is the alternative to a card this year. Hopefully next year we will be better.

Corey and I celebrated 19 years of marriage this year by going to Hawaii with my parents. This is my first visit to Hawaii and I fell in love with snorkeling. Throughout the year I’ve kept busy with various hobbies like, tennis, hiking, and sewing. Corey is still involved with the Bonneville County Search and Rescue. He has been an active member now for 9 years. Corey has also really enjoyed wood working the last couple of years. He has built many projects for me and a few furniture items for the home. His biggest project this year was building a podium for the Search and Rescue building.

Preston is now a Junior in High School. He is really involved with the music and drama program at Bonneville High School. The school has an amazing choral program and he enjoys being a member of the Bonnevaires. In the spring they went on tour to San Francisco. He is also in a smaller more elite group of apollo 6 a group of 6 young men who sing more barber shop style. This next year the choir is planning on going on tour to Seattle. He also participated in the Drama district competition where Bonneville High School took first place. He then was able to participate in state for his Musical theater ensemble. He’s a busy kid and we often don’t see him until late in the evening most school days.

Levi is now experiencing his last year in middle school. He enjoys playing the cello in his school’s orchestra. He also decided to stick with piano lessons one more year. He turned 13 this year and is looking forward to passing his mom up in height. He is only about a centimeter away! He just returned from a trip to Disneyland with Grandma and Grandpa Tiffany and 3 of his other 13 &14 year old cousins. He loves playing video games with his friends. To his mom and dad’s dismay he has also become an excellent flosser (not the teeth kind of floss but the dance from the game forte night).

Sophia started 5th grade this year. She is involved in the schools drama club. They are working on the lion king jr. musical. She is also taking piano lessons and enjoys trying to make up her own songs. She is always humming around the house often times Corey and I have to remind her that she is humming. She loves anything to do with animals and was able to participate in the the local junior zoo keeper program at the zoo this summer.

It’s been a crazy year and shows no sign of slowing down for the next year. We hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love, The Edwards

Feb 27 2017

Braces off!

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Karin

After 2 years and 4 months Preston is excited to announce that he finally got his braces off! I hope we get to see him smile a little more often now. He is excited to eat some of his favorite things he hasn’t been able to eat. Corn nuts is top on that list along with caramel and raspberries! While he had braces on he ate a lot of stuff he shouldn’t like popcorn and hard candies. I would catch him putting a hard candy in his mouth and he would always tell me “I’m just going to suck on it”. He is getting used to the slimy feeling of having the braces off. He hasn’t told any of his friends. He wants to see how many notice. Once he told me a friend of his got their braces off and he didn’t notice for three days until the friend pointed it out to him.

Before getting them off

After getting them off

Aug 29 2016

First Day of School 2016

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Karin

We did it! We survived the first day of school! All the kids had a good day at school and are excited to get the new year started. Now that it’s the end of the day we are all a little tired but in good spirits. Sophia started 3rd grade this year. I love this little girl. She always has a song in her head and a smile on her face. Levi started 6th grade. This is his last year of elementary school. This guy is my sensitive helper boy. He always knows just what I need and is willing to lend me a hand. Preston started his freshman year in high school. Today he was the one who was the most tired when he got home. He is a very bright boy and loves spending time with his friends. I love these kids of mine.

3rd grade

6th grade

9th grade

Apr 23 2016

How time flies

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Karin

Can you believe it. This little dude on the left is 14 today! He is such a blessing to have in our lives. This past year has been tough for him with the new move and having to start in a new school and making new friends. He has had some pretty big mile stones this past year too. He got to fly in an airplane for the first time to Denver and then again in November to California. He was able to go to Disneyland for the first time too. The biggest mile stone that I think he is most proud of is he is now taller than his mom. It’s really not that big of an achievement because I’m not very tall. I guess to him though I’ve been taller than him his whole life and to finally get to see the top of my beautiful head is pretty cool. When he was little and before little brother and sister came along Preston was my buddy. We did everything together. Everyday we would go for a walk or to a park. He loved spending time with me. Now that he is older he spends more time in his room, playing video games, or hanging with friends. I guess that is part of growing up. He isn’t too old though to tell me he loves me everyday. I even will get a big hug from him. I guess he does hug me before bed every night too. I’m hoping he won’t ever get to old for those things. I love this little dude, who isn’t so little anymore, and I’m very grateful that he is in our lives. Happy birthday little-big dude!

Mar 28 2016

Spring Break 2016

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Karin

We got a late start on our spring break because of the opera Corey and I were in. We left on Tuesday and traveled 14 hours by car to Grandma and Grandpa Tiffany’s home. We spent Wednesday just hanging around with grandma and grandpa. We went to the movie “Zootopia”. Grandpa spoils the kids by getting them their own popcorn treat pack. We wanted to go to the coast for a day but the weather was saying that Thursday was going to be rainy. So we saved it until Friday.

Thursday was another day relaxing with grandma and grandpa. We visisted great grandma Eve. She has dementia and doesn’t remember who we are but it was nice to sit with her for a while and visit. She still sounds like the grandma I know and grew up with she just doesn’t always make sense. She kept singing in my ear “God Bless America” that’s the only words she remembered of the song but it reminds me of how much she still loves this country. When we first came in her eyes lit up. I wish I was closer and could visit her more. She will be turning 91 this year. I helped my mom and dad plant some seeds in their garden. I can’t believe they can start planting already. We still have a good month before we even try to plant anything. We went to the park to let the kids run off some energy. Preston got in trouble for scaring off some greese that someone was feeding. That night we had our Easter dinner since we would be travelling on Easter.

On Friday we left for the Oregon Coast. We traveled through a small portion of California and a little of the redwood forest to get there. It is a really pretty drive. The weather was great a little windy on the coast but it’s not normal if the wind doesn’t blow. We spent the day visiting azalea park and Harris Beach. My dad and I (mostly my dad) build a sand castle and my mom got attacked by a wave while sitting on a log. After the beach we headed to the harbor and bought ice cream cones. Corey had to visit a fish shop and by some fresh clams and crabs. We took those back to grandma and grandpa’s and ate them later.

I always have so much fun when I visit my parents. The problem is the trip is always too short. We left on Saturday and stayed the night in a hotel. Then finished the drive on Sunday. It was a whirlwind of a trip but I was becoming homesick and really needed some time with mom and dad so it was well worth it. Already looking forward to a trip back in August.

Levi loved pretending he was a spy speeding away from people following him.

Sophia doing what she does best, climbing.

Preston speeding away. Yes he is a little old for this.

coming back to Oregon

entering California

Azaleas at Azalea park

rhododendron at Azalea park

Awesome playground at Azalea park

Lunch at the beach

Harris beach

Sophia and her stick. She drew all over the sand.

Levi and Sophia’s attempt at a sand castle.

Corey stuck on a rock

Hole in the rocks

Grandpa’s sand castle

Waterfall on the drive

Another waterfall Preston climbed to see where the water went.

Sep 2 2014

Back to School

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Karin

I know facebook is inundated with photos of kids going back to school. It’s a tradition that will continue here and until there are no more kids going back to school. Today was a milestone in our families lives. Our youngest started 1st grade and is for the first time going to school all day. Also our oldest has started junior high. In years past I couldn’t wait for school to begin but this year is different for some reason. I didn’t want summer to end and I have mixed feelings about my youngest being at school all day. I took the two youngest to school so they would know where to line up. As I saw Sophia leave I tried really hard to be strong and blink away the tears. I didn’t let them come until I was well on my way to the car. I didn’t think I would be one of those parents who couldn’t hold it together but here we are with wet cheeks. The new school year has begun and so has all the craziness.

Preston- Age 12- 7th grade

Levi- Age 9- 4th grade

Sophia- Age 6- 1st grade

How could you not cry after seeing this face leave you.

Apr 23 2014

Happy Birthday Preston

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Karin

Preston on his 12th birthday

P – Polite

R – Responsible

E – Entertaining

S – Smart

T – Talented

O – Obedient

N – Nice

These words are all great qualities that my now 12 year old has. I can’t believe he is 12! I love this young man. He has been such a blessing in our family’s lives. He’s a huge help around the house and a wonderful older brother. He has been asking for me to make him a pound of bacon. So this morning that is what he got. It might sound a little odd but when I was his age that was exactly what I asked my mom for. My mom made me a pound of bacon and I tried to eat it all in one sitting. I didn’t like bacon so much after that. However, Preston is more clever than I. He ate a few pieces for breakfast, put some on his sandwich for lunch,shared some with his brother, and is saving the others for later. I know that as he grows he is going to turn into a great man. I just hope he slows down a little because it’s going a little too fast for me. Love this guy to death!

Dec 12 2013

Thanksgiving 2013

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Karin

Thanksgiving this year was great! Corey needed to go down to Denver for work and so we made a family trip out of it. Since his parents live in Greeley Thanksgiving was the prefect time to plan the trip. He had to work for a couple of days in Denver so the kids and I hung out in Denver during that time. On the last day we had 5 hours to kill after checking out of the hotel. We spent three of them at Chuck E Cheese. This was a first time for my kids and they absolutely loved it. Then we spent and hour in IKEA. It takes an hour just walking through the store. By the end my kids were afraid that we were lost and never going to make it out. After IKEA we went to Toys R Us. This was a good time for me to pay attention so I could get some good Christmas Ideas.

After that we headed back to Greeley and spent our Thanksgiving holiday with Nammy and Nampa. We had some really yummy food and the kids love playing with all the vintage toys that Nammy has. We also made it to the festival of trees there in Greeley. The kids had the chance to see Santa and write their list. It was a really fun week there in Colorado. We really didn’t want it to end. I’m so grateful we were able to spend time with Nammy and Nampa.

Chuck E Cheese! We are ready to have some fun.

Sophia loved the slide.

Roller Coaster Ride

Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner. Even the Guys are in the Kitchen

Ready to eat the feast.

Writing Santa letters

Deep in Thought

Two of our favorite people. Nammi and Nampa.

Two of our favorite people. Nammy and Nampa.

Sophia on Santa’s lap

Levi on Santa’s Lap. Preston didn’t want to sit on Santa’s lap this year.

Nov 5 2013

Catch up

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Karin

Okay it’s been too long since I posted anything. So this is one big catch up post. I’ll post a bunch of pictures with a short description of the event. Hopefully that will get me caught up for the holidays. I like to keep record of all the stuff that happens in our lives and this is sort of a family journal. Not only is it good for me to have a record so I can remember all those great moments but also so we can share it with our friends and family who don’t get to see us often.

First we have to go all the way back to September. YES I said September. That is where I left off. After school started and things start to get crazy canning season starts. This has been great for my family’s food storage but also very time consuming. Corey and I love our garden and we get a lot of produce out of it. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my mom? Well I do A LOT. She came up for a week and a half, despite not feeling well, and helped me can. I put her right to work canning green beans. Everyday we did something new. The biggest thing we canned was apple sauce. We had the apples from my tree and some apples that a friend let me pick. In the end we canned 48 quarts of apples. I really did have a lot of fun with my mom and really do miss her when she is gone.

You’re seeing right that is a 5 gallon bucket of applesauce.

Mom and I with all the applesauce ready to process.

On to the next event. Our camping trip to Craters of the Moon National park. We are fortunate to live in an area where we don’t have to travel far to get to some great camping spots. We said goodbye to our tent trailer and got ourselves a new trailer. We had to try it out the weekend we got it. We joined some friends up at Craters and had a blast. We explored caves and lava fields. This was the first time I’ve been to Caters. I’ve driven past and wasn’t very impressed but once we explored I was amazed. We’ll come back again.

Our new home away from home.

Kids climbing rocks

Walking through the giant tunnel

Exploring caves

Well paved walking trails.

Even here pretty things grow

Group Picture

We have made it to October! This was the first weekend in October. We decided to take the trailer out one more time before we had to store it for the winter. We ended up going to Palisades Reservoir. Again I feel the need to express how blessed we are to live in close proximity to these wonderful places. When we arrived it was snowing. It was a pretty cold night and we only lasted one night before deciding to pack up and head home. It was beautiful. So many fall colors mixed in with the snow.

Our very snowy campsite.

All the wildlife we saw. He didn’t like Corey.

View of the Lake

Family photo

Fall Colors

Being silly on a rock wall.

Next there was a free ice skating lesson at the hockey shelter. We signed the kids up and they had fun skating on the ice. Did you know ice is slippery? It was fun to watch them skate around.

Last on the list and then I’m all caught up. HALLOWEEN! We had a blast this year at our ward’s trunk or treat. Corey and I dressed as Bert and Mary from Mary Poppins. Sophia was a ghost, Levi a zombie, and Preston a nerd. The trunk or treat was the Tuesday before Halloween. That was good because on Halloween it rained and was very chilly. Sophia and Levi went trick or treating but Preston just wanted to hang out with his friends playing games down in our basement. I guess he is growing up. If anyone knows a cure for that please let me know.

Sophia the Ghost

Bert and Mary

Zombie, Ghost, and Nerd

carving pumpkins

scraping out guts

finished product

Monkey see, Monkey do.

All lit up.

In A Nutshell

Take time to listen, to laugh, and to play together– Elder M. Russell Ballard

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