Happy New Year!

... and that's a wrap! 2007 is in the books and we welcome 2008 with all that it holds in store for us and our family out here in the Midwest. With the completion of another year, we've posted our family's scrapbook for 2007 on our online photo album. You can view it by clicking here. No big plans to ring in the New Year - we truly miss our annual get together with the Kinneys and Jones. Tomorrow marks day number 11 of no work for Cody and number 12 of no school for Tyson and time for a sanity check for Paige. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas from Kansas

The chances of having a white Christmas in Kansas is slim to none. This year fell on the slim side as we frolicked in the snow and enjoyed the start of our Christmas holiday. But we're not the only ones who had snow ... in fact, hearing of the snow and weather conditions out West, we're glad that we we ended up spending the holidays at home rather than in a snow bank along I-70 somewhere in western Kansas. But we miss our families and think of them and our friends and wish them all a Merry Christmas. Holiday pictures located here. Tyson's holiday eGreeting can be viewed here. Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Blizzard

Snow! Wind! It's a blizzard! There was more white out than an office supply store! Snow blew in from the north and swirled around and around till it piled on the south side of the house. It drifted here and it drifted there but on average there was about 7" of the fluffy white stuff decorating Tonganoxie in a winter wonderland. View a dozen snow pictures by clicking here. Looks like it'll be a white Christmas in Kansas after all.

Water, Dripping & Freezing

First there was dripping, then there was freezing. After putting up with a consistent (and expensive) drip in the kitchen sink, Paige was able find a new facet off eBay and then install it over the weekend. The Little Plumber Girl (rum-pa-pum-pum) did a dandy job and not only is the drip gone, but it looks fabulous.
Then the water froze - outside. We witnessed our first ice storm since moving to the Midwest and were fortunate that the temperatures warmed up just enough to avoid a major storm. As it was, we had tree limbs snapping and breaking throughout the day but we had power the whole time. Exciting weather year round - and picture worthy too! See the photos here.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk - KU!

Nothing beats watching some KU basketball on a cold Saturday afternoon ... especially when you're home teacher and friend invites you to see a game live! Cody and Derek Lundberg headed over to Lawrence (20 minutes from Tongie) to the Allen Fieldhouse where they joined 16,000 other Jayhawk fans to watch #3 KU take on DePaul University. There was history and nostalgia everywhere and of course, there was the infamous Rock-Chalk-Jayhawk chant.

Honda Milestone

We don't have a Home Depot next door ... nor do we have a Wendy's that sells Frostys near by. Yes, living in the Midwest and Tonganoxie in particular has created a need to drive ... and drive we have! In fact, just this week our '84 Honda just hit the 190,000 mile mark. Now we'll keep it around just to see it hit the big 200. Shouldn't take long ... here's some common one-way distances we drive:

• Church: 16.9 miles (28 minutes)
• College: 21.4 miles (30 minutes)
• Middle School: 1.3 miles (4 minutes)
  
• Work: 20.2 miles (27 minutes)
• Walmart: 12.4 miles (14 minutes)
  

Thanksgiving Celebrations

We've found one reason after another to celebrate lately ... for starters, we had a five-day weekend from work and school. That alone would be a reason to celebrate. But in addition, we had a birthday in the house on Wednesday. We also had our first snowfall of the season the same day - although the lone snowflake melted the same moment it landed. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner amongst the three of us in our home with Paige's traditional Pumpkin Pie Cake rounding out the meal. But perhaps the most exciting thing to celebrate was the ten minutes we caught Tyson reading ... on his own! I guess that's what happens when you go without electronics for over a week.

Pumpkins and Sugar Highs

He wanted to be Charizard for Halloween - a fire breathing Pokeman character. So Paige labored for hours on end and into the wee hours of the night sewing a fabulous costume for the boy. One party later and he decided he wanted to be a pirate. We'll see how much she can sell it for on eBay next year. As for the trick-or-treating, Tyson and his friend Cody raided the neighborhood for treats and sugar-highs. Despite setting out tombstones and pumpkins, we failed to attract even one little hoodlum at our house. Their loss - now no one will get the $25 Blockbuster gift certificates we were handing out (okay, they were just Butterfingers).

Derbies & Pumpkins

In his 3rd and final Pinewood Derby, Tyson placed 4th out of 12 Cub Scouts Friday night. Sneaky Snake ... as his car was named ... was sleak and fast but not fast enough to beat Tyler Jensen's Lightning McQueen. All of this was preceded by a trunk-or-treat in the church parking lot. What better way to enjoy a Pinewood Derby than with kids jacked up on sugar! On Saturday, we picked up our family pumpkins and Indian corn from a local farmer outside of Lawrence before joining the Fletcher family for an evening of Halloween activities over at the Tonganoxie Historical Society. Spooky hayrides, old-fashioned Halloween games and of course, hot chocolate & hot dogs! How festive!

KC Up Close

Tonganoxie is a small town. Our tallest building is only two stories (although our fire department ladder reaches four). But we're a hop, skip and a jump from the big city, which is where Cody and his friend Nate spent a good chunk of a beautiful Saturday riding their bikes. With skyscrapers looming over head and the smell of barbecue in the air, they cruised from one end of the city to the other. It wasn't an easy ride though - there were marathon runners to contend with and tourists to out maneuver. But when all was said and done, it was a great time with some cool pictures (click here) and it ended with some good ol' original KC barbecue at Winslows. As for small town Tonganoxie, local politics surrounding the 4th Street project continue to dominate the headlines - this time with Cody being quoted rather than Paige.

Hometown Football Game

The Friday Night Lights were on in Tonganoxie and we were there at Beatty Field to watch the Tonganoxie Cheiftains take on the Perry-Lecomptan Kaws. From the opening kickoff the Cheiftains were ... well ... let's just say the band was more entertaining to watch. But the atmosphere was fun ... the cheerleaders were spirited and of course it wouldn't be a football game in the Midwest without a little barbeque. Final score was something like 33-20. See photos from the night's events here.

Pioneers & Historical Figures

When Columbus Day keeps Tyson in school and provides Cody with a holiday day-off, it creates an automatic date for Cody & Paige. After the morning rain moved out, a beautiful fall drive ensued along the Glacial Hills Scenic Byway en route to Atchison, KS (pop.10,000) where they visited the following sites:

• Amelia Earhart's birthplace
• St.Benedictine Catholic Church
  
• Mormon Grove Historical Site
• International Forest of Friendship
• Long John's Silver

NOTE: Pictures included ... click here!

Annie's Country Jubilee

In a couple more decades, Paige and Cody will fit right in with the rest of the crowd at Annie's Country Jubiliee. By all accounts even Grandma Shirlene seemed like one of the youngins on hand. Entertainment on a Saturday night in Tonganoxie means heading down to Annie's Country Jubilee, a Branson-style show of entertainment and country music. One can see a variety of country acts every Saturday night, including Bart O'Neal and Johny Hudson from Rogers, AR! Okay so no one's ever heard of them but it didn't stop all the old-timers in the crowd from clapping and having a great time ... and even us youngin's joined in for some hoopin' and hollerin' ...

Farmers Market in Downtown KC

It might have been unseasonably warm with highs 15° above normal for this time of year but fall was in the area in the River Market district of Kansas City. With Grandma Shirlene in town to visit for the weekend, we headed to downtown Kansas City to sample some of the finest fall harvests that Kansas and Missouri farmers have to offer this time of year at the local farmers market. Strawberries, melons, flowers, mimes and other fall harvests were on display. Although there was a fine selection of restaurants in the area, we settled on a local barbecue joint away from the Kansas Speedway - where NASCAR nation has descended for the weekend. (see photo album here)

Camping at Perry Lake

We have a family tradition: If we do anything twice, it becomes a tradition. Therefore, the Edwards and Beyelers now have an annual tradition to head to the lake for a fall camping trip. This year we had the Shady Point Campground at Perry Lake all to ourselves as the cooler temperatures and good friends made for an ideal camping excursion. The cooking was exquisite, the fishing was sub par, the late-night visits were entertaining, the scenery spectacular and the memories will last forever. As for family firsts, Tyson slept through the night in his own tent away from mom and dad. See 19 camping pictures here.

An UnSleep Over

It had all the elements of a real sleep over ... minus of course the actual sleeping over part. Tyson's friend Cody came over and joined us for pizza, shot some hoops with the bigger Cody and of course, worked to conquer the mystery of Zelda with Tyson on the Super Nintendo. We dropped him back off at his house later that night ... and then he called at 7:30 am the next morning to make sure he hadn't missed Paige's pancake breakfast.

Sea of Red at Arrowhead

No cough, no sore throat and no sinus infection could keep Cody and his friend Nate from visiting Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas Chiefs taken on the New Orleans Saints in a little pre-season football action. Unfortunately, no Chiefs player could stop the Saints either. Nothing like a little hometown booing to make for an interesting quarterback controversy. But a great time had by all ... for who could argue with $2 tickets to an NFL game? Just don't ask how much the drinks cost. Go Chiefs!

A Ride on the School Bus

... and with the ring of a bell summer vacation was over. It was back-to-school for Tyson and the rest of the Tonganoxie USD 464 school district kids. Could that explain Paige's smile that spread from ear to ear? Sure it was only a half day to start with over at the new Tonganoxie Middle School but it was a day back nonetheless. Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and now a ride on the school bus! I guess we're rural enough that Tyson gets to ride the bus, but not the short bus. 5th Graders only get one recess now though ... which was a good thing today considering it was 102 degrees outside. NOTE: Cody & Paige resume studies next Monday (see courses at right).

A Show Me State Fair

There are few things in life that are fair. But one of the best is the Missouri State Fair located in beautiful Sedalia, MO (pop. 20,000), about two hours from our home ... and Paige and Cody enjoyed date-night amongst the pigs and sheep on the opening night of the fair. Oh it was hot ... hotter than blazes! But that didn't keep the throngs of visitors and FFA members from judging the livestock and taking in all the sights and smells the fair has to offer. Then came the concert that night ... Jason Aldean! Thousands of country music fans crammed the Grandstand to take in an awesome performance by one of country music's rising stars. But boy did we feel old when we started jamming out to his renditions of Guns N Roses and the high school cowboys in front of us just stood and said, "Guns and who?"

... and check out our weather blog to see our recent storm damage from earlier this week!

A Dip in the Pool

We kicked off the start of our first official heat wave of the summer by taking a dip in Chief Tonganoxie Pool in downtown Tonganoxie. Where else can you go and swim with grain towers in the background? It was also a good time to get a swim in before the 82 year old pool is closed for the season and the construction begins on the new (and improved) one for next year. It was impossible to dry off with a heat index of 104° and high humidity. Paige has always said that she likes the humidity in the Midwest ... she says it always feels like you just got out of the pool. I guess tonight we did.

Garden Harvest

It's been hot and dry which has slowed down the garden harvest, but to date, we've harvested ...

• Summer Squash (3)
• Pickles and Cucumbers (8)
• Lemon Cucumbers (6)
  
• Tomatoes (2)
• Corn (4 ears)
• Green Beans (2 qrts)
• Peas (quart)
• Zucchini (more than we can count)

Still on tap to harvest includes:

• Cantaloupe (1)
• Watermelon (3)
• Miscellaneous/Mysterious Squashes
• Peppers and Jalapeños
• Carrots
  

The black berry harvest is all but over too ... hmm, with this kind of harvest, it sounds like it must be fair time!

White H20 in a Dry Heat

While Paige was home picking black berries off of our newly discovered black berry bushes, Cody was at a summer meeting at a resort in Midway, UT. When meetings weren't in order, he and some co-workers floated the Weber River on Saturday morning. What a fantastic way to beat the "dry heat" that filled the air. Nothing like the humidity back home that's for sure ... but at least we know that a couple dozen black berry bushes sure like it!

News From Around Town

Life in a small town is never boring ... sometimes you just have to read the weekly paper to see how exciting small town life is! We love life in Tonganoxie ... we are continually grateful for where we live and the community we decided to call home a couple of years ago. Here's a few interesting tidbits of information from around town:

• The Pleasant St. bridge has been deemed unsafe for large vehicles (buses, firetrucks, etc.) and will be demolished and rebuilt. Whew! Inadequate bridges scare us all!
• How rural are we? Rural enough to have a farmers market now every Saturday at 7 am. Vegies free from pesticides - how novel!
• Plans for the new Chief Tonganoxie Swimming Pool were unveiled! Construction should begin in August. The original pool was built in 1925 ... yup, time for a new one.
• How popular is Tongie? It was the 3rd fastest growing city in the state of Kansas last year, growing 9.19% to around 4,100 residents. Mike Yanez, city administrator put it this way, "People in the Kansas City market are looking for affordable housing and looking for a quieter atmosphere, looking for a better school system. Then people are coming to Tongie and realizing we have a pretty good package."

Yes, Tongie has the total package and is a great place to put down some roots and call home - a little patch of heaven in the Great Midwest.

4th of July Weekend

It was a weekend ... a long, six (6) day weekend at the Edwards' home. What do you do with so much time on your hands?

• Three rooms were painted "henna glow" ... namely the two bathrooms and study
• We safely blew up milk cartons and the like on the 4th ... after Mother Nature displayed hers (see our weather post here)
• Spent some time fishing at Leavenworth Lake where Tyson caught his first bass
• Endured the warm weather with a home made mister
• Enjoyed summer slushes at Sonic drive-in

See more entertaining weekend pictures by clicking here ...

A Phone with a Plan

He's had over a dozen of 'em since he was old enough to hold one. But Tyson's latest cell phone has something different ... service! He sold an old one on eBay for $20 and then bought his latest from Dollar General. It's a Motorola phone with Tracfone service ... which means that each month he needs to prepay for his minutes and phone number. So the other day when Tyson wanted to go to the library, Paige said yes ... and he hopped on his bike (with helmet) and rode a mile into town to the library and then sent a text message to Paige from his new phone letting her know he was safe. Ah ... the freedoms of being 10.

The Other White Meat

Not only do we live in the Heart of America, but we live in the BBQ capital of the world too! Every year at this time, bbq aficionados gather in Lenexa, KS for the Kansas State BBQ Cookoff! Hundreds of contestants grill slabs of beef and pork using family recipes and top secret techniques as they compete for ribbons, money, pride and fame. As if the smell of bbq in the area wasn't enough, the taste samples were divine. Paige bought some of the "other white meat" on the way home and we'll be having bbq pulled pork tomorrow after church.

Hot Dogs & Cotton Candy

'Cause it's 1 ... 2 ... 3 strikes you're out at the ol' ball game! That's what 6,775 fans sang at Community America Ballpark on Friday night as they watched the Kansas City T-Bones take on the Redhawks from Fargo, SD. It was a thrilling ball game that went into extra innings where the T-Bones ("family fun well done!") prevailed in the bottom of the 10th! We were dancing in the outfield celebrating the win. What a gorgeous night for hot dogs and cotton candy! It was also Shirlene's birthday (Cody's mom) who was celebrating with Kristy and Amy and their families at a ballpark 1100 miles away. See more ballgame pics by clicking here!

A 6" Anniversary

A baker's dozen. That's thirteen (13) years of marital bliss for Paige and Cody. It also means it's another trip to Subway to celebrate with a 6" sub ... veggie for Paige, steak & cheese for Cody. This year they visited the Subway in beautiful downtown Tonganoxie, close enough to let Tyson self-babysit himself with some Sprite and a video game.

He Shoots... He Scores!

The Utah Jazz made a good run ... and the NBA Finals may be over ... but they're still shooting hoops in the Midwest! We purchased our first basketball hoop a few months ago (with Christmas gift money no less) and finally got around to installing it next to the driveway. We dug the hole very cautiously knowing the gas line was only 18" from the driveway. Fortunately, we didn't need to make any 9-1-1 calls though we had the phone nearby. We poured 6 bags of cement (and etched our names) and waited a few days to complete the installation. Since then, it's been one shot after another (and an occasional dunk) in the driveway at the Edwards home. See the photos by clicking here ...

Also ... Tyson attended his final year of Cub Scout Day Camp (Paige too?) this week and escaped with no ticks, much to his relief. Watch for an extra blog update on Monday as well :)

You're Benched!

The family project is finally finished. We built a custom bench to enhance our viewing pleasure of south-west approaching thunderstorms in the front yard. We cut the boards to length by laying a tape measure across our laps to find the perfect length. Then Cody added a Midwest scene with wood burning skills acquired from his dad, then Paige finished it with a varnish and sealant. Tyson assisted in the final assembly and general leadership skills. Now we have a place to watch the thunderstorms and the lightning bugs. Oh, and Tyson's fishing count is now up to 8 blue-gill for the summer.

His First Fish & More

Cody & Tyson went fishing over at Leavenworth State Fishing Lake Thursday night where Tyson caught his 1st fish ... and his 2nd, his 3rd and 4th. Little blue gills ... but it was fun nonetheless. He now states he likes fishing more than electronics.

Family Summer Vacation

There wasn't a beach or a fancy amusement park, but the Edwards family enjoyed a fabulous, albeit short, vacation to the Heart of America ... literally! Here's a run down of what we did ...

• In between rain showers, we visited the City of Rocks outside of Minneapolis, KS. Here we climbed among the largest collection of sandstone concretions in the world! (... and had lunch).
• Tyson added 150' of sisal twine to the World's Largest Ball of Sisal Twine. Now it's even bigger!
• Feeling a little more balance in our lives, we stood in the exact center of the United States. Well ... okay, the center of the lower 48 states.
• Visited the Higley Cabin where the official state song of Kansas was written. The song? Home on the Range (where the deer and the antelope play).
• Stayed at the US Center Motel in Smith Center, KS ... and they had a pool to boot!
• Got to know the Kansas Highway Patrol just outside of Manhattan, KS.
• Created memories to last a lifetime ...

To see 25 entertaining photos in slideshow format, click here!

Asleep at the Wheel

It was as if the sun came up at 1am in the morning. A bright light filled the room but the birds weren't singing yet ... no, the sound that we heard came from the dozen or so fireman at our neighbor's house. Seems that a young man had fallen asleep at the wheel, jumped the curb and drove through the side of their garage before coming to a stop. Thankfully no one was hurt. Curiosity (and the desire to help) led Paige and I to the scene where we talked to Charles and Kristen and offered our assistance. Otherwise, it was a quiet Memorial Day weekend ... we're off on our overnight family vacation next Friday (and of course, we'll have lot's to blog about!).

Quick! Escape to the Lake!

With an attempted murder suspect on the loose in Tonganoxie, we picked Tyson up from a locked-down elementary school on Friday and headed to Perry Lake. Well ... that really wasn't why we went to Perry Lake. Truth be known, it was the perfect weather for some camping by the lake. Highs in the 70's ... ah, it was beautiful. And we didn't have to go far to get to the lake ... it almost came to us! Many of the campsites were still flooded from the flooding earlier this month. But we found the perfect, secluded site in the Slough Creek Campground on the east side of the lake (about 30 minutes from our house). We used the overnight get-away to go through our emergency preparedness kits and evaluate what we're missing and what needs rotated (including the MREs we had for dinner - simple to prepare and mighty tasty!). Tyson also completed his Outdoorsman pin for Webelos! The camping spirit lived long into the day as Tyson built his own tent with his new Cub Scout knowledge in the backyard - tick free!

[NEW pictures added to the photo album ... click here!]