Berried Alive

It's been awhile. I've been busy. That title is not a typo. I have been picking raspberries.

I like raspberries....well, I used to like raspberries. I had these meek little bushes for a couple years and they gave us enough to eat fresh - right off the bushes. I never even needed a bowl. This year I'm living my own version of Little Shop of Horrors. Those things went berserk! I have picked tons of berries. What on earth does one do with eleven gallons of raspberries?

In between picking, Jamison turned ten. Friends and cousins came to help him celebrate. They did a treasure hunt. (I enjoy setting up treasure hunts. Done right, they take forever and are loads of fun.) This one included codes, invisible ink, clues frozen in ice, riddles...and after all that work they each got a sucker and a squirt gun. Guess what came next? Of course, their supper included fruit salad with...yep, you guessed it, raspberries.

Jamison loves Adventures in Odyssey. His came without raspberries.

Megan's herd doubled. Her heifer Crown had a calf named...Cookie( I bet you were thinking Raspberry, weren't you?)We added a new little pest to our mix. It's like deja vu. Pepper poops in the path between the house and the car and tries to sneak in whenever the door is opened. The other day I was working in the flower beds. Honestly, it was like a Disney movie. If I set my trowel down, he ran off with it. I'd give chase, he'd drop it and circle back to grab one of the flower pots. He'd grab weed clumps, shake till they were properly dead and I was covered in dirt. He is a nuisance. Although...he eats raspberries off the bush...so I guess he has ONE redeeming quality.


The cousins are here until the end of July! We've partied, gone swimming, painted the pasture fence(think: Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence) paraded and picnicked, and done VBS. Here's Jenna with Kaitlyn. Next, we're going to pick raspberries.


Raspberries. Any suggestions?

Please keep remembering Kim.