This Christmas Blows

This Christmas blows ... I mean blew. For starters, Kansas City got it's first Christmas snowstorm in 50 years and not only did it drop about a foot of snow, but the wind blew and blew some more. Blizzard warnings were posted and there was no traveling on Christmas Eve. No traditional looking at Christmas lights and our friends had to cancel dinner with us. But what a cozy night at home instead. On another note, we made a shift in Christmas gift giving this year - all gifts had to be homemade. Fortunately for Tyson, he has a birthday in a couple of weeks that he was able to rely on for the good gifts ... or at least that was his mind set to begin with. Then the other day he was quoted as saying, "I thought that this homemade gift giving thing was going to be really lame ... you know, cutting out paper stuff and then wrapping it. Then I learned you could buy the stuff you needed to make things and I'm excited to give my gifts!" That's the Christmas spirit! When all was said and done, one of his favorite presents was his marshmallow guns made from PVC pipe. A day later and a bag of miniature marshmallows have been blown from one end of the house to the other. Kallie (the dog) has cleaned most of them up. Yes, Christmas blew this year, but in a great way. It was the best Christmas that any of us could recall.

No Mouse in the House

His tenure in our home was short, but Mousey died this morning from toxic fumes. It's presumed that those fumes were from his cedar chips and not Tyson's room where Mousey spent his two weeks with us. Mousey was delivered to Tyson by the neighbors cat, an early Christmas present if you will. He was quickly welcomed into the home, especially by his new siblings (the cats and the dog). Kallie took a special liking to Mousey and would follow him around wherever the pink ball would go. Should Mousey stop rolling, Kallie would provide an encouraging nudge to propel him on his way. Kallie would scratch at our door at night and we would get up to let her out - but it wasn't to go outside and do business - no, it was a bee-line for Tyson's door. Mousey did escape once ... but was found a day later behind the printer. But this time there's no coming back. But perhaps the neighbor's cat will bring forth another present in the days to come.

Swimming in Leavenworth

Thank goodness for indoor pools! Our temperatures may have plummeted like the rest of the country, but Tyson is still taking to the pool every week up in Leavenworth (and no, not at the prison). At his mother's insistence, he will continue to do so until he's able to pass off his Boy Scout swimming requirements as well. Take for instance the time that Tyson was convinced that he would drown in the deep end when asked to swim a full lap. He argued with Nate, his instructor, but to no avail. That's when Paige threatened, "Tyson! I will come in there if I have to!" Do you think he believed her? After all, she didn't have her swimming suit with her. Didn't matter. She jumped in, fully clothed and Tyson DID swim the lap he was asked to. We're now "that much closer" to him passing off his swimming requirements. As a precautionary note, Paige brings her swimming suit with her each week.

Full Steam Ahead!

"Full Steam Ahead!" Unfortunately those were some of the last words spoken aboard the Steamboat Arabia on September 5, 1856. That and probably "Uh-oh!" We had an educational experience in KC today learning about the Steamboat Arabia and its fateful sinking just north of KC along the Missouri River. Miraculously over hundreds of tons of cargo was preserved for over 132 below a cornfield. Once excavated in 1988, the largest pre-Civil War steamboat cargo collection was put on display. Absolutely fascinating! Not only was the museum incredible, but they had a on-site lab where they're still restoring and cleaning the collection. They taught Tyson how to clean a copper penny with an eraser and our pennies at home have never been shinier! Oh ... and we had some good authentic KC BBQ at Winslows. Some of us will be having bbq sauce on our turkey tomorrow too.

Thanksgiving Haikus

It's a few days early, but we wanted to share with you a few haikus (poems based on a 5-7-5 syllable format) in the spirit of Thanksgiving. To all our friends, neighbors, loved ones, and acquaintances, we wanted to let you know that we appreciate all of you and are grateful for the relationships that we share. We hope you and your families all have a great Thanksgiving holiday.

Indian Summer Canoe

It's not every day during the month of November that the temperature soars into the upper 70's. It's so hard to write an essay for school when it's 75°. It's hard to fulfill your family's commitment to clean the church when it's 76°. It's even hard to watch a little college football when it's 77°. Yes, it's hard to do a lot of things when an Indian Summer has its grasp on the area. So what's a boy and his dad to do? Head to the lake for a little late summer canoeing action (and a little quite time for the misses in the house). Ah ... the serenity of the lake when the sun is setting. This kind of a fall can hang on as long as it wants to.

Lights, Noise & Tickets

Chuck-E-Cheese all grown up ... kinda. That's what Dave and Busters felt like last night as our family enjoyed a night out on the town. Except instead of pizza there was real grown-up food. Oh there were lights too. And there was lots and lots of noise as well. And in the end there were enough tickets for Tyson to get some baseball trading cards (does he even collect them?). We raced cars, shot hoops, did the skeeball thing and anything else that grabbed our attention ... which was ... just about everything else.

Shrooms in the Yard

There are mushrooms all over the yard! Like anything else, Paige hit the books and the Internet to find out what all she could about them and discovered that they are of the Shaggy Mane variety. Needless to say, the harvest was on and they've found their way into our meals. As of this posting, no one has died. Tyson also came across a mushroom of the ceramic variety that was discarded at a service project last weekend. He cleaned it up and broke out Paige's paints. It's always nice when we can bring a part of the outdoors inside the house.

26.2 Miles Is a Long Run

26.2 miles ... that was the distance to finish the marathon and there were times when Cody didn't think he would make it, but he did. It wouldn't have been a bad run had it not been for the wet roads. It was the wet roads and the hidden puddles that did him in. Half way through the run the wet socks and shoes started taking their tole and the run became more difficult than it needed to. But a finish is a finish and there will be more runs. We still had a lot of fun and regardless of anything else, Cody's first marathon time was his personal best.

Discovering NW Missouri

Many, many years ago today Christopher Columbus set out to explore a new land. Today, the Edwards explored northwestern Missouri in search of a few ancestor's final burial spots. The drive took us through hundreds of miles of farm fields as we ventured within a stone's throw of the Iowa-Missouri border. Alas, we finally found the headstones of Ann Hammer and Isaac Benedict, Cody's great-great-great grandfather (on the Hull side). After years of scouring for family headstones across the country, this might be the last one to find on the Edwards and Hull side of the family.

Plucking Sunflower Seeds

Living in the Sunflower State provided us with a bounteous harvest of two sunflowers this year. Moles and other sub-subterranean seed stealers probably had a more prosperous harvest (per capita at least) than we did. But that didn't keep Paige from plucking the seeds out from the giant heads and turning them into nummy morsels. The rest of the harvest is coming to an end after what many are calling the most successful garden the Edwards have ever sown - all 750 square feet of it. In fact, it was doubly successful in that we didn't need to weed or water thanks to a cool and wet summer coupled with four wheelbarrow loads of grass clippings each week. That's garden living at its best!

Power Pole Erected

One might think that another blog post about a power pole would mean that there's nothing going on in the Midwest life of the Edwards. That would only be partially true. While it is exciting to see that the power pole is now upright and that the guy-wires are in the neighbor's yard (sorry Millers!) there are other happenings to take note of ... like the opossum that made a daytime appearance Saturday evening or that the moles in the yard are running rampant. Exciting stuff. As for the family? Beautiful fall weather (22 out of the past 24 days the temps have been in the 70's) had kept Tyson in the swimming pool on Fridays plus a Scout campout last night. Paige just completed a record setting canning season filling over 35 jars of garden produce ... and Cody's nursing 2 sore knees with a couple of frozen bags of peas.

Lincoln Logs in the Yard

The City of Tonganoxie decided to lay some logs in our front yard this week. A few years ago the city went through and widened 4th street and put in some curb and gutter as well - but only up to Tonganoxie Creek. That was Phase I ... a phase that only impacted a couple of corn fields. Phase II meant dealing with property owners. Heaven forbid that it should be an easy process. After years of city council meetings, lawsuits, bickering, name calling, easements, right-of-ways, and every other hindrance known to man, the project is ready to roll forward. At least that's what we assume the large utility pole in our front yard means. All the other neighbors along 4th street got one too! As for the people living along 4th Street ... Cody's done with 6 weeks of travel, Paige is making salsa, and Tyson's running into parked cars with his bike (a story for another occasion.)

Court of Honor

All that hard work at Scout Camp this past summer paid off on Wednesday night at Tyson's first Scout Court of Honor. Tyson was award four (4) merit badges: pottery, wildlife, riflery, and archery. He then got his Scout, Tenderfoot, and Second Class rank advancements. He's close to his First Class advancement as well with a big swimming requirement standing in the way. We're proud of Tyson and his Scouting accomplishments!

Soggy Football

There was a 20% chance of rain this evening. There was also a 100% chance of watching the Kansas City Chiefs out at the newly renovated Arrowhead Stadium. Albeit a pre-season game against the Houston Texans, tickets were cheap and easy to come by. Sure, they were on the 50-yard line but they were also up where the ozone layer was starting to thin. It wasn't long after the national anthem that the 20% chance of rain turned into a 100% chance ... and it didn't let up all night. Whether it was a light mist, a steady rain, or a heavy downpour, it was soggy and wet. In fact, half of the game was watched in the concourses where it was somewhat drier. In the end, it was a memorable night of football, rain, and good times with friends.

Business & Pleasure

Business trips are often meant for business ... but now and then the opportunity arises to mix "business with pleasure." This past week Cody was able to take Paige with him to the WIndy City for a meeting with other yearbook professionals. While Cody was in meetings on Wednesday, Paige kicked back in the 29th floor executive suite of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. She eventually ventured out to do some shopping along Chicago's Magnificent Mile in search of "re-sale" or "thrift" stores. Unfortunately, the only one she found amongst the Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue had price tags that competed with the family grocery budget.

Thursday was a free day ... so after Cody got back from a 7-mile jog along Lake Michigan, he and Paige took to the streets of Chicago. Breakfast at an outdoor cafe, the "bean" sculpture and Crown Fountains at Millennium Park, deep dish pizza, the Navy Pier, and anywhere else that 6-miles of walking would take them.

Dinners were succulent ... with Paige's favorites being the halibut and creme brulee. Wednesday's dinner was at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building. On the final night at the Service Awards Dinner, Cody was presented with a gold-and-diamond HJ ring for 10 years of service. Bling-Bling!

Tyson meanwhile was kindly adopted by the Fletcher family (to whom we are forever indebted) where Tyson was able to experience life with siblings (5 of them). His eyes were opened to a life he hasn't known at the Edwards home and he will never be the same again.

Where's the Heat?

There haven't been too many like them ... in fact, this past month of July was the 3rd coldest July on record for the Kansas City area. What pleasant and enjoyable summer weather we've been enjoying! Great for running, great for gardening, great for ... well ... just about anything outside. We haven't had our air conditioner on for a week and we've had the windows opened most of the time. Ah ... refreshing! In fact, there were only 3 days last month that climbed above 90° ... so why are we still going through the ice cream like it's going out of style?

Baseball and Birthdays

In an attempt to rescue his friend from a household of women, Cody invited his friend Jason to a Kansas City Royals baseball game out at the new Kauffman Stadium Friday night. Not that the Royals are playing great baseball (they've lost 10 in a row), but it was still great to watch Zack Greinke fan 10 batters and the firework show afterward was phenomenal.

Paige celebrated her birthday on Saturday, but the highlight of her celebration this year came on Friday when she got to have her first ever mammogram. If they were open on Saturdays, she would have scheduled it directly on her birthday. But that's just Paige being "Paige" and why we love her so much. Tests came back okay too ... just a precautionary measure recommend by her doctor based on family history.

The Green Thumb Returns

What a difference six weeks can make! Once doubting her green thumb, Paige has watched her garden blossom into a daily harvest of vegetables and herbs! There's no telling what vegetables will make their way to the dinner table ... from zucchini and summer squash to potatoes and tomatoes. They might be fried, they might be boiled, or even made into brownies! Corn, beans, and melons aren't too far behind. There's no telling what Paige will do with this year's bountiful harvest. Earlier in the season, we moved the garden further back into the yard to avoid the toxic soil from the nearby black walnut trees. Needless to say, it's been a great move with over 700 square feet of successful gardening. Our dinner table and food storage have truly been blessed.

Rocky Mountain High

Cody had his outdoor itched scratched briefly this past week when he got to travel to Estes Park, Colorado for a business trip. Ah ... to be at 12,000 feet above sea level again! But the time spent in Rocky Mountain National Park felt like nothing more than a teaser though, since there was no time for hiking, camping, and the like. If anything, the itch just continues to grow and grow to be back amongst the mountains again.

Swimming in the Heat

Life in the Midwest has been blistering hot as of late. Sure, the official temperature may not have hit the century mark, but when you combine it with dew points in the 70's, you've got sticky, oppressive "feels-like" temperatures that soar to 115°! What do you do? You head to the lake! And "buoy" was it fun! We soaked in the sun at our favorite beach at Clinton Lake (about 45 minutes and a 40 cent toll each way on I-70). We picnicked, helped Tyson improve his swimming, partied with the college kids,... and did our best to keep sand out of our swimming suits. We failed.

The Scout Returns

It's amazing what ten days can do to a 12 year-old boy. Something about it ... goes out a young boy and comes back a young man. After spending 10 days in the Missouri wilderness, Tyson came back smarter, stronger, slimmer and completely exhausted. In fact, he slept most of the afternoon. That's what happens when you swim, shoot rifles, perform rope tricks, launch arrows, and achieve 2nd Class Scout status! We're proud of the kid ... er ... young man and we're glad that he survived some wild storms(slight damage to camp, one leader taken to the hospital), extreme heat (115°heat index) and terrible food (beef stroganoff). Truth be told, he probably just missed Paige's home cooking.

Anniversary in Nauvoo

While Tyson was off in the backwoods of Missouri at Scout Camp for 10 days, Paige & Cody conveniently celebrated their 15th Anniversary in historic Navuoo, IL. A more romantic trip couldn't have been scripted any better. We stayed at a cozy bed-and-breakfast built in 1840 called the Ellis Sanders House. The owners, Diane and Dave felt like old friends and treated us as such. The accommodations were beautiful. We were able to enjoyetime in the same parlor where Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball preached, we were treated to a special romantic dessert in another room, and we enjoyed a magnificent breakfast the next morning.

We were also able to spend some time at the Navuoo temple. It was absolutely beautiful on the inside with a special spirit that could be felt throughout. We were able to go back the next morning as well to do some sealings for some of Cody's ancestors. It was time well spent and a nice reprieve from some oppressive summer humidity!

We also enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the Mississippi River ... drove around the historic district of Nauvoo ... and met some neat people, including a couple of far-distant relatives of Cody. All in all it was a wonderful getaway and a romantic way to commemorate fifteen years of marriage.

PS: We ate at Subway for lunch (and again on Saturday to make up for last year when we chose BBQ over Subway.) Some traditions never die.

Scout Camp in Missouri

This should be interesting. Tyson was shipped off this morning to Scout Camp for 10 days. Yes, 10 days.

• 10 days of merit badges
• 10 days of severe thunderstorms and humid temperatures
• 10 days without his laptop or any electronics
• 10 days without cats, 10 days with ticks and chiggers
• 10 days with other scouts from all over Kansas and Missouri at Camp Bartle in the Lake of the Ozarks (south-central Missouri).

It will certainly be quiet around the Edwards house hold. Even his new scooter that he traded for (see picture) will sit silent for a week and a half. Life will never be the same.

Meetings in the South

Not every business trip gets its own blog post, but Cody traveled down to Montgomery, AL last week for his annual week-long meeting with his fellow cohorts that work in technical support. Good times, good meetings, and definitely a lot of good Southern cuisine. They toured and dined in an Antebellum home, floated down the Alabama River on a dinner cruise, ate at Cody's 2nd favorite BBQ restaurant ("Dreamland"), and oh yeah - had good, productive meetings as well.

South Dakota Family Vacation

Ah ... the family vacation. Time spent together mingling together as family amongst the deer, the antelope, and the buffalo. The Edwards just got back after spending a week in South Dakota on their annual summer vacation. What can be done in South Dakota?

• We visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD.
• We were educated about the Cold War as we toured a Minute Man Missile launch site.
• We got free ice water and a homemade donut at Wall Drug after being enticed by 4,239 billboards on I-29.
  
• We stood at the Center of ALL 50 states. Our trip to north-central Kansas a few years back was only to the center of the lower 48 states. Now we've made things right.
• We hiked around Devils Tower before watching "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" that night from our KOA campground with Devils Tower looming in the background (in40° weather no less ...)
  
• We drove through scenic Spearfish Canyon which felt like we were driving back in Logan Canyon.
  
• We walked through a park with a statue devoted to each of our US Presidents. The 44th statue was yet to be displayed.
• We went horse back riding through the hills of Deadwood. Cody's assigned horse had "special needs."
• We felt patriotic watching Mt. Rushmore illuminated at night.
• We admired the unique formations of Badlands National Park and avoided any snakes.
• We swam in warmer weather at our final KOA and at the Hampton Inn in Sioux City, IA on our way home.
• Found the graves of ancestors in Magnolia, IA and Yankton, SD.
  

Being in the Black Hills, surround by the Ponderosa pines, mountain lakes, and the like was a much needed reprieve from the prairies of Kansas. There's nothing like being in the type of mountains you grow up in, but at the same time it felt good to return home to Life in the Midwest.

Click HERE for a link to our photo album or click on the slideshow below.

Delayed Camping

Last weekends torential rains (it hasn't rained since) moved our church's Father-and-Son campout to this weekend. We scampered over to Wyandotte County Lake Park in Kansas City for a quick overnighter. We roasted some dogs and had a delicious breakfast before heading home Saturday morning ... after all, we've got our family vacation to get ready for!

Reaching New Heights in Topeka

A change in weekend plans ... what to do? Head to the capital city! The city of Tonganoxie sits conveniently half way between Kansas City and Topeka, about 45 minutes away. So what does one do in Topeka?

• We hiked 296 don't-look-down steps to the top of the 3rd highest capital building in the US. What a view! If you've ever heard that it's flat in Kansas, the view from atop will testify that it truly is!
  
• We sold a book back to the Washburn University bookstore (which later paid for lunch). It was Cody's first time on campus, despite having taken classes there for a year now.
• Visited the Old Prairie Town at Historic Ward-Meade Park where we enjoyed cold treats at a working soda fountain (before lunch ... dessert came first today!)
• Adding a little history and educational value to the day, we visited the Brown vs. the Board of Education National Historic Site where we learned to truly appreciate the desegregated world that we live in today.

What a great day spent together as a family in perfect Spring weather. Perhaps it was a preview of our upcoming family vacation.

4 Yrs in the Rectangle State!

It was four years ago yesterday that we thought we were about to see our first Kansas tornado as we drove across the state line leaving Colorado. It was therefore four years ago today that we signed on our house making us official residents of the state of Kansas. Hooray! To celebrate, we always make a family dash to IHOP (where we had our first Kansas breakfast). We love living in the Midwest and enjoying all that it has to offer - tornadoes, fireflies, good bar-be-que, friendly people, and a laid-back, enjoyable way of life.

Planting by the Moon

No matter what kind of weather was flung our way, Paige was able to be faithful to her lunar planting schedule of the garden. Based on the phases of the moon, certain vegetables went in at certain times of the month. Will it work? We'll see ... but we had some neighbors in Utah that grew some of the biggest carrots we'd ever seen using this method. We had to move our garden this year due to the lesson we learned last year to not plant your garden next to a black walnut tree. That's a no-no. So we tilled up nearly 1000 square feet of new gardening space for our family, and all the critters that live in our yard. Oh ... and after years of talking about building a pond, so one day we decided to dig an "experimental" hole and we'll see what happens. It only took one Midwest storm to fill it up. So far, two frogs have moved in.

Missed Us By That Much

This was going to be a blog about the garden and the pond ... but then the wind blew around and around and around. After a hard day of work in the yard, we were cleaning up and getting ready for some of Paige's yummy homemade pizza while keeping a close eye on the weather. Cody always keeps an extra eye on Dopplar radar when there's a tornado that has its aim set on Tonganoxie. The timing was good though - we had just finished dinner when the sirens went off, the weather alarm sounded and we rounded up the animals for a trip to the basement. We were safe, but some folks just 3 1/2 miles from us weren't. An F3 tornado [click for video] destroyed some barns, homes, and flipped over some cars and semis. After it passed, we played in the water in the yard and marveled at the beautiful sky all around us. A couple of hours later, it was back down to the basement for round 2. This one was even closer ... I'll update the blog later as more information comes in. Tomorrow they're calling for even more exciting tornadic weather. Tis the season!

UPDATE: Here's another link with some great pictures and videos. Click here.

Pokes and Programs

During the fall months, we're tormented with the fruit of a hedge tree. You may recall previous posts talking about the peculiar, soft-ball sized fruit that weighs as much as small bowling ball. Known 'round these parts as hedge apples, Osage oranges or even monkey-brains, these nemesis wreck havoc on a lawnmower. We found out today that their thorns aren't much fun to work with either. We cleared, cut, pruned, whacked, and cut back several of them from the west side of the yard. What was left was a beautiful collection of trees and some hands and arms that look like we stumbled upon a litter of kittens.

When he's not grounded from the computer, Tyson's been teaching himself the language of Microsoft Visual Basic. He even checked out a few books from the Tongie Library (yes, books! ...bound books with paper and no circuitry!) on the subject. He will happily distribute his first program to anyone who's interested.

The Driveway Was Crushed!

... well, at least the gravel that was delivered was crushed. After 4 years of driving up and down and down and up the driveway, it was time for another ton or two of gravel to be laid down. Someday we'll upgrade to a real driveway but in the meantime, the long gravel driveway will do. Besides, it makes it feel more "rural" ... sorta. At least there's no more puddles, mud holes, and other peculiar places to lose small animals ... like Kallie.

13.1 IN 1:58:53

The goal? To run a 1/2 marathon in under 2 hours. The bib number? 2262. The weather? Better than it was last week. In fact, it was so bad last week that the Olathe Marathon was postponed till this weekend. Despite some high winds, it was certainly better than running in last week's snow and freezing rain. Having set his sites on the 13.1 mile run, Cody started training in January and accomplished his goal ... and with a time of 1:58:53. Not bad considering the hip injury he sustained a couple of weeks ago. Good thing Paige knew of a local chiropractor. Next up? The KC Marathon in the fall.

Ice, Ice Baby

After the "big storm" was done, we didn't quite get the amount of snow that the prognosticators were calling for, but we did get a nice little ice storm out of it! Ice would form on the trees, twigs, and branches and then the wind would blow them off and whirl them at the house. It sounded like we were in a war zone! We had ice shrapnel everywhere ... but no casualties. The weather was bad enough to cancel Cody's race (who wants to run in freezing rain anyway?) and strand our friends the Fletchers in Missouri. So we took in their "orphaned" son Andy for the night, much to Tyson's delight.

Wii-Haw!

Back in December, the Edwards started their Wii Savings Fund with a couple of Christmas donations. Little by little, extra money found its way into the account until their were enough funds to purchase a Wii. The surprise look on Tyson's face was priceless. A similar look was just as entertaining when Paige beat him in some cow racing game. There will be many fun Wii moments to come in the Edwards household.

Camping on the Vernal Equinox

We commemorated the 2009 vernal equinox by camping-and-canoeing with the Beyelers at Leavenworth State Fishing Lake just up the road from our place. It was perfect Spring camping weather too ... highs in the 60's and lows in the 50's. Elise Beyeler was sportin' a cold and couldn't spend the night ... but she didn't leave till we had all enjoyed some banana boats cooked amongst the coals. Nummy! Rough night sleeping though ... there was a brief rain shower, wooting owls, helicopters with spotlights ("I didn't do it"), too early in the season for fleece sleeping bags, and a few other surprises. Max and Tyson had a great time and together with Nate and Cody, they set sail the next morning for a morning canoe outing. It was camping at its best.

Lady Bug, Lady Bug ...

"Ah! Look how cute! It's a little lady bug in our house!" Upon further review, that's not a lady bug. And there's not just one but an entire flock of the little Asian Lady Beetles. Gross. What once was a cute little bug that had a cute little childhood saying ("Lady bug, lady bug fly away ... your house is on fire ... etc.") is no longer a welcomed site in our home. They're not just on the bathroom mirror (see photo) but in the window sills, on report cards, and crawling on your face at night. Okay, so there's no proof to that last statement, but it could happen! They can leave a small yellow, stinky odor if agitated (much like Tyson) and we've found out that the cats and dog don't care for their taste. However, the vacuum doesn't seem to mind. Whooosh!

Spring Is In the Air

Spring is in the air! Last Sunday we had temperatures around 7° with a few inches of snow. Then by mid-week we were enjoying the mid 70's and even hit 82° one day. What a splendid time of year! The "official" start of Spring may not be for a few weeks, but in our family March, April and May means Spring ... and Spring means garden preparation time! Due to last year's poor garden location (thank-you Mr. Walnut tree) we moved this year's garden further back in the yard. Paige tilled and tined and tilled some more till 750 square feet of fresh garden space was exposed. Based on the lunar planting schedule, we'll get the crops in and begin enjoying our harvest in no time.

Trips Completed

Whew! After six weeks of business travel, Cody is home for a few months - just in time for tornado season. Hooray! His last trip was about as complete as they come as well. Aside from visiting the Logan HJ plant, he also:

• Had a late night dinner with Kyle Loosle at Cafe Sabor
• Attended the Logan temple with Joe Ames (then had another late night dinner)
• Hung out for a day in Idaho with his dad and step-mom
• Had lunch with his high school friend Nate Nelson
• Chilled with long-time friend Chris Jones
• Traveled with his mom to visit his sisters Kristy & Amy and their charming families

Whew indeed ... but it's great to have the Edwards family-of-three reunited again where they can enjoy the Spring storms together as a family.

School, Camp & BBall 4 Ty

Even though Tyson only visits the Tonganoxie MS for "elective" classes such as art, band, shop, etc. he still made the 1st semester honor roll (see newspaper article here). He continues to enjoy his virtual school too ... where he takes his math, science, history, etc. on the computer at home. If he could do his schooling on a mobile phone he'd probably do that as well.

The Boy Scouts try to shoot for one camp out a month ... even when the wind is blowing. Friday night was one of those nights. Despite 40 mph wind gusts, Tyson and a few other 12-13 year old scouts camped in the backyard of one of the leaders. Enough marshmallows were consumed to weigh down the tent.

The next morning, they joined several other 12-13 year old boys and girls from the church for a basketball clinic and tournament. Three exhilarating hours of watching uncoordinated, vertically-challenged youth shooting at a 10-foot hoop. If you want proof of the excitement, check out the one minute clip below. A one time viewing will probably be sufficient. For reference purposes, Tyson wore a blue #14 jersey.

The Dog Bloweth in the Wind

After going almost a month-and-a-half without any moisture, we got pelted today with a morning storm that brought with it the first severe thunderstorm warning of the season. Hooray! Even though we're still a couple weeks away from the official start of severe weather season, today's blast of wind and rain was enough to excite all of us ... well almost all of us. Kallie still had to go outside and take care of business amongst the falling branches from the giant sycamores. No tornados to speak of ... but the season is still young.

Family Night, Cats Included

Our Family Home Evening got off to a slow start tonight when Jeffery decided to join us in a game of apologies (aka "Sorry"). The tubby cat who has a secret passion for butter was reluctant to move. We had to rent a forklift to move the rotund pile of fur so our game could begin. The rest of family night was without further feline incidents and even came complete with oatmeal cookies. Nummy! Haven't had them for awhile!

Temple Trip to St. Louis

Seventeen youth, parents, and leaders made the trek from Kansas City to St.Louis on Saturday to attend the temple and work therein. For Tyson and Cody, that meant getting up at 4:15 am in order to meet over at the church just after 5am. Yaaaaawn! We added a few more riders in our carload and headed across I-70 for a special day at the temple - including Tyson's first. We didn't get home till later that evening but it was worthwhile knowing that we were serving in the House of the Lord. Despite the long drive, Tyson is already looking forward to his next trip back ... and we're all anxious for when a temple is built here locally in Kansas City.

Explosive at School

It's not every day that you take your child to school and find the bomb squad parked out front. Such was the encounter Paige and Tyson had on Thursday. Come to find out, one of Tyson's fellow 6th graders had brought a homemade explosive to school. That's against school policy round here. The story was covered by all the KC news stations (see list with links below), one of which caught up with Paige in the following video. Glad to know that everyone was safe in the end.

Fox News coverage
Lawrence Journal
Kansas City Star
NBC Action News

Grandma's Winter Visit

She said she wouldn't have it missed it for the world. So in leaving Maggie and Grey Kitty at home, Grandma Shirlene came out to Kansas to help celebrate Tyson's ordination last Sunday. She made it just in time for Tyson's shrimp dinner (his favorite cuisine ... tails and all) ... and then on Saturday, we drove out to the Independence Visitor Center and then up the road to the Far West Historical Site. It was special having her here for Tyson's special day ... as well as to have someone else join us for a game of MIlle Bourne before she had to leave on Wednesday.

A Special 12th Birthday

Tyson celebrated his 12th birthday this past week ... and as far as birthdays go, it was a very special one. Turning 12 and having been found worthy by our church's bishop, Tyson received the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday. He was sustained by the local members and then received the Priesthood by the laying on of hands from his Dad. Needless to say, he's excited to have the Priesthood in his life - an opportunity to serve. He's already looking forward to passing the Sacrament this next Sunday. It was exciting to see his excitement too in receiving a new set of scriptures from his parents and grandparents. He got a "quad" that includes the Bible and the Book of Mormon and has already begun to mark his favoritte scriptures. We couldn't be more proud of him.

Home Remodeling on the Home Front

Normally the end of December is a great time to put the family scrapbook together, compile the annual DVD of home videos and more ... but with our computer still out-of-commission (since Thanksgiving), we put our efforts (and checkbook) towards some home remodeling projects that have been on the back-burner for some time. Since Cody had almost two-weeks off from work, it was a great time to buckle down and accomplish the following projects:

• Painted the living room ceiling (and finally cleaned the blades ... yuck!)
  
• Painted Tyson's room (one wall red like mom-and-dad's) and the rest "Family Legacy" brown
• Painted both the "little" bathroom and the "master" bathroom
• Re-painted the area over the fireplace
• Added wood planking along the hall-way
• Added wood planking in Tyson's room (he loves his "new room)
  
• Created a family display over the fireplace, complete with our 08 family picture and Family Proclamation
• Built a mirror-shelf-shutter combo for the living room - we finally have something for the big wall
  
• Built 2 smaller shelves - one for the dining area and one for the entry way
• Installed a chandelier in the living room
• Installed a new outlet in the food storage room
• Began building new self-rolling shelves in the food storage room
  

Whew! Now we're ready to celebrate a special birthday later this week ...