Blackberries Abound!

Paige has always had a green thumb when it comes to gardening. But with this year's bumper crop of blackberries, that thumb may be turning a different shade of purple! A few years ago Cody found a wild herd of blackberries while mowing the west side of the property. Then another bush was found ... and then another. Knowing what to look for, the family started finding them all over the yard. In fact, this year Paige found a new outcropping down near the creek. After Kallie scouted out the best path to the berries, Tyson fired up the lawnmower and mowed a path through the weeds to give Paige better access to the harvest. The result? Tonight's fruit salad was divine. Here's to batches and batches of blackberry jam on the Edwards farm!

Fuel for the Next 51 Weeks

Cody and Paige enjoyed 5.5 days of solitary bliss while the boy was off at Scout camp this past week. It felt like Heaven. Really. It was relaxing, rejuvenating, and even energizing as the two refueled their parenting souls in anticipation for the next 51 weeks of life with Ty. There were all kinds of hopes and plans of what could be accomplished during that time ... but it really came down to a lot of R&R. Some of that R&R took place up in Nebraska City, NE at a local winery and bed-and-breakfast. Ahh ... The boy had a good time at Camp Nash too though. This year's camp was just shy of a week and was held nearby in Bonner Springs, KS. He earned 3 merit badges (automotive repair, weather, and leatherworks). Most importantly, there were no trips to the ER or urgent calls home to Mom and Dad (but there were a record number of text messages). Family night was Friday night at camp and Paige and Cody had an opportunity to see just how hot and humid Scout life could be. But boy did the A/C in the car feel good on the way home ... he he. Two major thunderstorms this week - one happened at camp when all the boys had to rush to the dining hall to take cover. The other rushed them out of camp ahead of schedule on Saturday morning. That was the same storm that hit just after Cody's first ever 5K trail race (read here for more info). With the family back together, life is good ... and with greater appreciation for one another.

Never Together

Our family is in the midst of a couple of weeks of upheaval. Cody just returned from a week in Charlotte, NC on business ... and now Ty is leaving for Scout Camp in the morning for the week. To make matters even more interesting, Cody has this next week off from work! Hooray for Paige (we think). We'll have a full recap next weekend ... stay tuned!

Show Me State Vacation

The 2010 edition of the Edwards family vacation took them to the Show Me State of Missouri, our neighbors to the east. Even though St. Louis is located a short 4-hours from Kansas City along I-70, this was our first trip to the city outside of church temple trips. We scaled back on our vacation this year and were only gone for 3 days (1 day too long for the dog we left behind) but it was a fun time, memory filled family vacation where we:

• were were educated through hands on exhibits at the St. Louis Science Center
• walked through acres of flowers and beautiful landscapes at the Missouri Botanical Gardens
• ascended 630 feet to the top of the St. Louis arch despite the anxieties of our 13 yr. old
• cooled off from the unseasonably warm temperatures in the KOA swimming pool
• learned about the history of Missouri at the state capital in Jefferson City
• enjoyed famous ice cream at Capital Dairy also in Jefferson City

So another state has been crossed off our list. Next we look forward to traveling to ...

Night at the Ballpark

It was the perfect night for a ballgame. The Kansas City Royals were in town for some interleague play against the Colorado Rockies. The temperature was a pleasant 72°, the humidity low, the smell of a 101 flavors of baseball could be smelled in all directions, and there was the promise of fireworks after the game. Jose Guillen hit a couple of home runs to help propel the Royals to a 9-2 victory and we were celebrating with the other 24,000+ fans in attendance. We had a great time and yes - the fireworks were spectacular too.

If A Tree Falls ...

So much for the excitement of living in "Tornado Alley" here in the Midwest. We can count on one hand the number of emergency trips we've needed to take to the basement due to a tornado that has Tonganoxie in its sights. Some people would say "better safe than sorry" but where's the excitement in that? Sigh. But on occasion we will get some good thunderstorms that will rumble through the area. Earlier this week we woke up from a night of storms (why must we sleep through them? WHY?) to find a fallen tree along the west side of our house. It was a dead hardwood (Osage Orange or "hedge apple") tree but the real exciting part is that it's enveloped with poison ivy! Leaves of three, let them be ...

Buffalo River Canoe Trip

Two years ago, Cody and his friend Nate Beyeler set out to canoe the Buffalo River in Northern Arkansas, only to have their trip ruined by thunderstorms, a capsized canoe, and missing gear. (Relive the memories here.) That left a score to settle and a river to conquer. So the two headed back to the river that got the best of them and this time, they came out on top! That is, the weather was beautiful, the scenery was incredible, and good times were had by all. They couldn't put in at Ponca like they did last time due to low water levels, but the scenery from Pruitt to Woolum was just as beautiful. Swimming holes and rope swings were plentiful, as was the wild life and the good times. For an entertaining video of the 2-day event, click here. A slide show below will also show some of the grandeur of the trip.