The way it is at our house . . .

Click on the picture to see a more clear view.

I am so tired of . . .

day after gray day of no sunshine, not even a peek of sunshine. Doesn't a living thing die after going too long without the sun?

well below freezing temperatures!!

warranty calls. I get way too excited when there is a real person on the line, especially friends.

that dumb box of cute clothes that will someday fit me. Yeah, right. Oh, and also the few outfits and shoes that are hiding in my closet, which actually fit but are not intended for 4 feet of snow and a city with no pavement or sidewalks. Thank goodness for my comfy, stained maternity hoodie that I am wearing today.

white. I'm really in the mood for greens, reds, oranges, yellows, more green. I even look forward to the black of nighttime. At least I can't see white and it means we are one day closer to summer!

exercise and diet. Not that I'm on some fad diet, just trying eat better and firm up/get rid of about 15 pounds. Today it feels like so much effort for so little return. Rolo's sound good, and I don't mean the ones around my mid section.

musty, stale winter smells. I'm fighting urges to open up all the windows for even a few minutes of fresh air. Of course that would be freezing fresh air, which is hard to take a deep breath of.

toilets and diapers. They just add to the smell. And why hasn't someone invented a self cleaning toilet? Who cares about an oven that will clean itself for the one time a year that I might actually clean it, toilets need to be done almost daily.

all coversations initiated by my children that begin with "Can I".

6:00 am. I swear it comes earlier every day. And also 2:00 and 5:00. Why won't this baby sleep???

teething. Poor little man has 4 top ones coming in all at once. Yeah, ok, so that is why he isn't sleeping.

whining. That of my children and now myself.

Civic Dance Recital

It was a spectacular night! I might have been consumed by the aweful head cold that I was trying to pretend that I didn't have had it not been for Levi and Chad going with me. They were almost as entertaining as the dancers.

Chad, Erika, Chelsea, Levi

Lance and Erika (dance partners)

Good thing we had Chad to pack around her half ton girly bag! And notice: no shoes. According to Erika "shoes are only for dancing".

Due to the random breaking out in air guitar and head banging (yes, even with ballroom dance music), I had to remind these two that we were at a dance recital, not a rock concert.

And of course we ended up with the 4th annual 10 pm run to Subway after the recital. I have a couple of pictures of that too, but there is food hanging out of mouths and some not so pretty, though side splitting funny, moments that we will keep to ourselves.

The videos actually weren't that bad but after loading them on blogger they are really fuzzy - sorry about that.

This is an awesome dance to see and hear on a gym floor - it's just to crowded and quiet on stage.

Strange background color choice by the lighting guys, I know.

Back to the 80's

We've been having trouble finding TV shows that we feel are appropriate for Derek and Justin. Levi and Erika never watch it and Nathan has his favorites but the middle boys are stuck between 'baby' shows and all of the stuff out there that isn't meant for pre-teens (at least in our mind). We own 3 seasons of MacGyver and they have loved those but they've been through them several times. They want shows with a story, a little detective work, a fancy car or a hero. Ok then, Netflix here we come.

Yea, it's not HD clear, the songs are "old sounding" and the acting a little, well, not quite academy award winning. However, language is at a minimum, girls are dressed and they have the car, hero and mystery.

Now admit it, who had a crush on David Hasselhoff?? I did. I loved his wavy hair, which in my adult opinion looks more like an Afro on a white guy but hey, I was 12 at the time.

Ha . . I know some of you broke out into some sort of middle school swaying dance moves while that was playing! And how many of you can sing every single word of the theme song? LeRoy and I did a great job embarrassing our kids as we belted it out in complete 80's fashion. Cheesey, you bet. But great family entertainment!

* Ok - so after I posted this I looked up what years these shows played. I am now hoping that at least a couple readers of this blog will have heard of them. Most of you were probably born in the early 80's so at best it might only be a vague memory. Trust me, listen to it a few times, you'll have it stuck in your head all day!

Sunday 8:05 pm

Ahh, the little boys are in bed. Everyone else is doing something quiet. Finally, I can take my throbbing sinus headache and aching body for a nice vapor bath.

Wait! What is that "ahh uhhh ahhh uhhh" bouncy sound coming from the boys room??? They should be going to sleep.

For a few minutes I didn't even notice my throbbing head. How could I not take a break from all worldly cares or pains to record this moment in brotherhood bonding? Little stinkers.

The Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching,

Stuffy Head, Fever, Sore Throat and Nose Club:
LeRoy, Kimberly, Erika, Derek and Hyrum.

"A nose in need deserves Puffs indeed."

Let the Races Begin!

Justin took full advantage of Levi and Chad's customizing abilities to get his Pinewood Derby car finished. The final product left paint stains in the sink, black hands from all that graphite, and one pretty happy scout.

I don't want one comment on the lack of patches on this kids shirt. That's what comes with being the 3rd scout in the family.

Alma 26:27

What Ammon and his fellow missionaries experienced:

Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Personal translation for me, the wife and mother:

Now when your heart is depressed, and you are about to give up, behold, the Lord will comfort thee and say: Go amongst thy family, the Edwards-ites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Just what I needed to get me going this morning!

It's Dance Season

This week the crazy schedule of Ballroom Dance officially begins. Erika will be performing almost weekly through the rest of January and most of February. There are 2 competitions (one in Rexburg, one in Provo), numerous half time shows, the adult Valentine dance, visits to schools and there's usually an enrichment night tossed in there somewhere.

At our ward Christmas party, Erika and her partner Derek spent extra hours choreographing a dance for the talent show. I recorded this at one of their practices. I love watching her dance. I'm not sure where she got those long legs or the coordination and grace, but I love watching it.

**Erika wants me to make sure and tell you that she wore black leggings, not the "hideous white ones" that she practiced in, and did her hair for the Christmas party.

My favorite night of the whole dance year is coming this Saturday. It is a big area wide recital held in Idaho Falls for all the ballroom dance teams ages pee-wee to adult. It is a night of talent, gorgeous costumes and musical energy! If anyone wants to go with me, or take your potential dancers, send me an e-mail and I'll give you more details. Or if anyone has a good digital video camera I could borrow, I'd take you up on that too.

Home Sweet Home

On my get-a-way noon ride to St. Anthony (taking lunch to Levi and LeRoy) I came upon this wonder of nature. When LeRoy gave me directions to the house they were working on it went something like, "you'll pass a herd of cows on the left, go over a bridge that has a huge eagle's nest on it, turn at the next left". With directions like that I knew I'd need a camera, and I was not dissappointed!

My first time driving out to this house was actually last fall. It was on that trip that the kids and I first saw the nest and we even got to see the eagle that nests there. It was gliding in a spiral pattern around the nest, looking majestic and graceful. Today I did not see the eagle but was still left in awe at the sight of this well constructed home. As you drive under it, you can see the twigs and twine that hold it all together. It looks really pokey, rough and a little like a ball of daggers from the outside. The kids and I were so interested in it that we looked up eagle nest contruction when we got home and found pictures of the inside of a nest. Home Sweet Comfy Home, as long as you're not afraid of heights.

I'm so amazed that it can withstand the winds that blow through this area.

Behold the wonder . . .