Mar 18 2020

Extended Spring Break!

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Karin

With the craziness that is happening lately I thought it would be good to keep track of what we are doing to keep busy. My kids school got cancelled yesterday for the COVID-19 pandemic. So far the plans for reopening are March 30th but who knows if we will actually send kids back by then. My mom who lives in Oregon told me their schools have planned to stay closed until April 28th! I choose to believe it’s an extended spring break for us in hopes that school will start up again by the end of the month.

This is what I’ve started to keep us busy. My kid’s first day without school was yesterday. I had them clean their bathroom and pick up their rooms. I spent the day scrubbing and oiling cabinets. That’s right we started spring cleaning a little early this year! I figured each day they are home we could do a little spring clean up and hopefully our home will be sparkling in time for them to get back to school. My kids aren’t excited about this little endeavor of mine but I figured it would be good for them to spend a couple hours cleaning instead of playing video games. Plus this will teach them to appreciate their home and maybe take better care of it. Who am I kidding they probably view it as slave labor.

Yesterday while doing the cabinets my back and wrist started hurting. I find that when I start a project I often overdue it and end up hurting myself because I don’t stop until it’s done. So today I enlisted the help from two of my three kids. We did something a little less intense. We cleaned all the doors in the house. It doesn’t seem like a lot but when you have 29 doors in the house it can be when you have to do it by yourself. Having my two helpers really made a difference.

The worse doors to clean were the doors to the outside. Go figure I mean that is where our homes meet the world right!? The interior doors were better and took less time to clean. To clean the doors all I used was a wash rag, bucket with hot water and some dish soap, and a magic eraser. The wash rag and soapy water help to get the dirt and grime off and the magic eraser is for the finger smudges and black marks. It takes a little elbow grease but we were able to accomplish the task in a little over an hour. It would have taken me twice as long by myself. Once we were done all the doors look amazing!

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

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

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.

Feb 19 2016

Arrow of Light

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Karin

Last week our son Levi earned his Arrow of light. He has worked really hard to get all of his requirements fullfilled to earn both his webelos and arrow of light. He actually earned both in December but due to time constraint for pack meetings he wasn’t awarded them until January for Webelos and February for his Arrow of light. This program is actually a 2 year program but our church has the boys accomplish it in 1 year. Levi went above and beyond and finished it in 6 months. He has now graduated on to regular boy scouts and is now participating with the other 11 year olds in our neighborhood. The past 6 months has been a struggle for him. We moved a week after his birthday and as a result had to switch troops. His old troop had around 8 boys who met together all of which were good friends. This new troop only had 3 boys, he being the youngest. The other two boys turned 11 in November leaving Levi a lone boy in his troop. It fuelled his desire to finish and move up with the other boys. He doesn’t turn 11 until June but is enjoying scouts again with the other boys. I love this little guy of mine. He wears his heart on his shoulder and he is always concerned for others. He is always the one who asks me if he can help. He loves to read with me and his sister and genuinely loves spending time with other people. He is my social butterfly. I’m happy to be his mom and I love him dearly.

Levi receiving his arrow of light award.

group photo afterwards

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.

Jun 27 2014

Happy Birthday 9 year old

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Karin

Wow! 9?! I can’t believe it. Levi is so sweet. He loves to help me out around the house and be my helper. If I give him a list of things to do he does them without hesitation. He is a very active boy. Has been since he was a baby. He started walking when he was 9 months old and hasn’t stopped moving since. He is very sensitive to what is going on around him. When we watch movies together he will often get really upset at the sad parts and I’ll have to sit and hug him until he calms down. His little sister looks up to him and most of the time he teaches her some really neat things. Other times he can be a little mischievous and get his sister to do things she knows she shouldn’t, like jumping on the furniture. He loves to camp with his dad. When we go hiking as a family he is always in the front leading the way. When he gives me a kiss on the cheek he makes sure it’s nice and slobbery. I love this little guy (who isn’t really little anymore). Happy Birthday Levi!

L- Loving

E- Energetic

V- Valiant

I- Imaginative

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.

Sep 4 2013

Last summer Hurrah

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Karin

Family Photo at Harriman State Park

For the Labor day we went for a hike at Harriman State Park. This is the last fun thing we got to do before school started the next day. It was beautiful. My friend told me that I was pretty much guaranteed a moose sighting. Well she was wrong we didn’t see any moose. We did however see a lot of moose scat but no moose. We did enjoy the water fowl that we saw. There were a lot of geese, a few swans, a pelican and a couple of cranes. We did the golden lake loop which was a very easy hike. We hiked in total 4.5 miles. The only person who seemed tired of walking was the littlest. It’s the longest she has hiked without having to ride on daddy’s shoulders. It drizzled on us off and on throughout the day. It was never enough to soak us through but enough to keep us cool. This area is also one of our favorite spots to cross country ski. They groom the trails in the winter and it is so beautiful covered in snow.

The trail through the meadow

Stopping to look into a pond.

One of the winter warming huts.

Taking a break.

A Couple of swans.

Our destination Golden Lake

In A Nutshell

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

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