Casey's Gingerbread House

Tis the season for making things. Sunday we tried out hand at decorating a gingerbread house. I only say decorate because I purchased a pre-baked kit. Not wanted to try and deal with the baking of the gingerbread I decided to take the help where I could. The nice thing is it came with its own frosting. With the help of Casey we put together the house and let it set for a couple hours. That was the longest couple hours for Casey who was very excited to start.


Here we are pre-decorating the masterpiece.



As your can tell it takes some serious concentration when decorating the roof.

And we have the finished project. He was very proud of the fact he did it all himself. And it was mostly by himself, there were only a few helps from mom that he has choosen to forget. :)

With all the snow and cold weather I was a little worried about getting Casey into a nice warm jacket. But as I was going through his closet we found this jacket... It was going to be gift for next year, its a couple sized to big but now its the only coat he will wear. He likes it because of the camo print. He now called it his bird hunting coat. :) Not going to be a hunter like his dad aor anything

Dentists, Baking and Wrapping

Dentists, Baking and Wrapping that pretty much sums up my week. On Tuesday we had Casey's second dentist visit. Not a good time but so much better than the first one. I did not lose any hair this time around and he was able to let go of my neck for more than a second. This time they were able to look in his mouth but sadly a cavity was found. Since he is being so hard at the appointment they have not been able to do a full check on his teeth, no x-rays and no really checking. So now we have the choice of either trying to come back enough to get him comfortable enough to be worked on or something called sedation dentistry. There are two levels of the sedation option, one in the office where the child is just on the end of being aware and one in the hospital where is fully out. Since it takes a while for him to get comfortable in new situations the first option is out. Who knows how long that would take and by the time he was comfortable things would be really bad. The sedation in the office is not a sure thing, there is no guarantee he would be calm enough for the work that needed to be done so... I think we will have to do the full hospital visit. I know that many kids younger than him have much more work done but when its your own child they just seem so small. It will be the best option because we can get x-rays, all cavities take care of and have his teeth sealed. If only he would be willing to have his teeth worked on in the office, it would make life so much easier.

Yesterday I tried my hand at fudge. I though I had everything needed but was missing the most important part, the chocolate chips. For some reason they disappear, mainly Brent will eat them and not tell me when there gone. I did have some peanut butter chips and some Starbucks chocolate bars and truffles. So I figured why not just use those. For the peanut butter fudge I added some raspberry coffee syrup. Not enough to change the color but just enough to make you stop and say whats that other flavor. As for the second pan...I have to get it out of the house before I eat the entire thing. The chocolate bars were dark and coffee infused. Then I added just a little bit of Bailey Irish Creme to the mix. Yummy Yummy Yummy.

I have never been a fan of wrapping presents. Last year I used a bunch of bags and called it good which I would have done this year but just never got around to getting them. So after the fudge making I had Casey give me a hand. Thankfully he did not get into to much trouble. He just had fun taking the left over strips of papper and cut them into hundreds of little pieces. So much fun to clean up. I would have taked pictures but my son had hidden the camera and I did not want to search the house for it yet. :(

Home Again

We had a great thanksgiving this year. I love seeing the holidays though Casey's eyes now that he is able to tell us what he is thinking. We spent this holiday in Idaho Falls with Brent's parents. Wednesday afternoon we headed over and got there just in time for supper.

Thursday turned out to be the only truly nice day, weather wise. My in laws have animals on their farm which makes Casey a very happy boy. He loves being able to go down with papa and daddy and help feed them. Once they got back we did a little bit of this and that getting things ready for the turkey dinner. Turns out Casey loves turkey. After a very good lunch and some light reading with Casey while the others slept we went for a walk. That evening we played a board game and then finally got Casey settled down for bed.

Friday the weather turned cold which was fine since we planned to head to Aberdeen to visit my parents for a few hours. There was no chance of me going out for the morning sales...nothing I want/needed that bad. After lunch with my folks we went to American Falls to see Robb's elk rack and chat with him for a little while.

Saturday was another cold day but Casey still did his morning duty of feeding the sheep and cows. He was more than willing to wear the many layers as long as he could head out with papa and daddy. That afternoon we took him bowling. They only had one set of bumpers for the gutters and they were being used. But thankfully Casey was able to hit a few of the pins, a 40 in the first game. He just had fun with the ball and watching the rest of us try out best to hit a few.

Saturday night we visited Brent's grandparents. They had three little dogs at their house which made Casey so happy. He spent almost three hours playing with the little guys. I think they were happy to see him leave.

Sunday we had breakfast and Casey did his chores and then we headed back to Boise. Its a four hour trip and Casey only slept about an hour of it. Here is the best part he was a happy boy for the three hours he was awake. He just sat in his car seat reading his books and looking for animals in the desert.

So all in all it was a fun holiday but boy it was nice to get home and get back into the routine of life in Boise.

The Age of Why's

Its been a while since I have taken the time to post and there has been a good reason for it...we have hit the age of whys. After spending the day answering all the whys of the world for a three year old writing just seems to much. I love being able to know more of what is going on in Casey's mind it makes for a very interesting day. Everything from wanting to know why its raining to why the lady in front of us at the grocery store is not moving. Sadly he will not a simple answer even if that is all that is required. I don't like giving the answer "because mom said so" but sadly that is all that works sometimes.

Hope all have a great Turkey day and if your one of the crazy shoppers out there have fun shopping on Friday.

Fun in the leaves

Last week when the weather was nice enought to play outside this is what happened.

After working hard to get all the leaves raked into a pile.

Having great fun with the leaves and the dog

Here is my contribution for Brent at the HP potluck. A halloween graveyard cake. A lot of fun to make with Casey doing a lot to help. I think I have made a baker out of him.

10 Things No One Tells You About Parenthood

I saw this a couple days ago and thought it was so true.

1) The way you view the world changesWhen you bring someone into this world, things like global warming, war and women in beer ads have a whole new meaning. You start actually looking at the impact these things have, and what the world will become after you’re dead and gone. Leaving a better place for your kids and grandkids becomes more than just talk.

2) You’ll feel like a failureThere will be times when no matter how hard you try, your kids are never happy. You feel you’re telling them “no” too much, constantly harping on them to clean their room, or dashing their dreams of lowering their brother down the staircase on a rope. While they may complain they don’t have a Wii or that “so and so’s” mom let’s them see PG-13 movies, you need to stick to what you believe in and what you feel is best for your kids.

3) You have no timeThis seems obvious, but you can’t believe just how little time you have. You start to measure things out in minutes and seconds. “If he watches Curious George for 20 more seconds, I can go to the bathroom,” or “If his nap lasts another 10 minutes, maybe I can get in a shower today.”

4) Not going to the bathroom by yourselfWhen your kids are babies, the bathroom is the only place you can get your head together. It’s also one of the only places you can actually read. I read ESPN’s Bill Simmons’ entire book over the course of the week in the bathroom when my youngest was a baby. And then he turned two. If he’s not forcing his way in to watch “how it’s really done” he’s banging on the door screaming “lemme in!” or sliding all his books underneath. There is no peace with toddlers.

5) Parenthood will turn you softThis one hits the guys especially hard. You’ll find yourself tearing up at any dumb movie that has anything to do with parenthood, and if you have a daughter, don’t be surprised to find yourself playing “My Little Pony” before heading off to work. The icing on the cake is hawking Girl Scout cookies in front of your local grocery store annually.

6) They will embarrass youThis is a big shock, and you’re never ready for it. In your mind, they are perfect little angels; in reality, they’re little people trying to figure out their way in the world. Unfortunately, they say what they want—when they want. It can be something that’s funny like announcing to their pre-school class that Daddy farts all the time, or it can be humiliating like a temper tantrum in a grocery store or having them tell your parents to “get me a toy next time” after opening a gift containing pajamas. You’re prepared for the fact that you’ll embarrass them when they get to a certain age, but you’re never ready to be the one that’s humiliated.

7) Worrying This is the one that stings from the day your child is born until the day you die. From the start you worry that they’ll stop breathing in their crib, then you obsess about getting the damn car seat in correctly. They get a little older and you worry about them falling down the stairs or choking on a Polly Pocket. As the years go on you lose sleep about dating, not fitting in, or getting into a situation that they can’t handle. Then there are the worries that never go away: providing enough, paying for college or not teaching them the right things. The list goes on and on and on, and it takes a major toll on you. But you worry because you love.

8) You won’t be the parent you thinkWe all had visions of the kind of parents we would be to our kids. Now, as battle tested Moms and Dads, we’ve heard the prospective parents spouting off advice. Those hollow words of wisdom come even though they’ve never gotten up at three a.m. to do a load of laundry with more vomit on it than a frat house floor. Nor have they tried to cook dinner with a screaming baby in their arms, a toddler doing cartwheels off the couch, and the phone ringing. It usually goes something like this: “I’d never let my kids watch TV before they turn three,” or “I would never raise my voice at my child,” or “My toddler won’t ever eat sweets.” Uh huh, and I said I’d never own a minivan. You have this great picture of the kind of parent you want to be, and how picturesque your family will become. You try to live up to that vision, but you also have to survive. So, snickering at a prospective parent spouting off advice is not only allowed, but encouraged.

9) SicknessLet’s start with pin worms. They are small parasitic worms that live in the human intestinal track. The worms crawl out of the child’s anus at night and lay their eggs in the diaper, pajamas and other areas around the bed or crib. The eggs are then passed to others and ingested unknowingly. The worst part? You have to go in there and grab them while your kid is asleep. It’s a damn horror show. It’s also not something I had any idea about before having kids. Sick kids take a toll on the entire house. Even the typical cold has taken on a whole new meaning, especially with toddlers. It can require being up in the middle of the night for days in a row, missing work and acting as one giant Kleenex. The numerous slug trails across your shirt are always a nice touch.

10) The feeling of unconditional loveYou assume that you’re going to love your kids, but what you end up feeling for them is unlike anything else you’ll ever know. Just a simple smile from your offspring can erase a really crappy day at the office. This is the reason why people rave about having kids while they look exhausted and have a fresh batch of spit-up running down their back.

I've been tagged

Thanks Amber now I have to think of 6 things that people don't know about me. Don't know if I can come up with 6 things but here we go

1. I am awful at small talk, even with people I know I have a hard time with the small talk that seems to happen when I get into a group of people.

2. Icy and snow cover roads make me sick with worry. I have been in a couple accidents with snowy roads being the cause and now I panic when I think about having to drive on them.

3. My fav. junk food is Jelly Belly Jelly Beans. I love all but two flavors and cannot have many in the house because I will eat them.

4. There are times that I crave fruits and veggies.

5. I am addicted to the food network, the game show network and lately listening to books on tape/CD.

6. I have been bitten by the running bug in a big way. I now want to try and do a marathon a year. I also want to really want to run something in every state in the US...either a full or a half marathon.

Now there are 6 things that may or may not be new to you. Now I get to pick a couple people to do the same. Lets try Amber, Sarah and Stacey.

Pictures from the last few weeks

A couple pictures from the Zoo

Running to see the tigers

The Snow Leopard that wanted to play.

The penguins


The best part of baking...the tasting.


My little man getting ready for his day at school.


Casey's new toolbox. It travels everywhere with us. He has also been sleeping with it by his bed, just in case there is trouble in the middle of the night that he needs to fix.


Bike riding at the local park.


Going down the hill backwards.


I thought this was very interesting. This church is located on the corner of Wright and Law.


One of the many trees close to our house.


My little guy loves to bring in the trash cans after being emptied.


My Jack-O-Lantern.


The blue painted ones are Casey's.

Whys of the world

Got this e-mail a couple days ago and it made me smile.

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are almost dead?

Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they already know there is not enough money?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars; but have to check when you say the paint is still wet?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you> throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, 'It's all right?' Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, 'That really hurt, why don't you watch where you're going?'

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

My Weekend

What a weekend. It started on Saturday, as most weekends do, with getting ready to catch a plane and making sure everything with Casey was done. So we got to the airport, checked in and to the gate with no problems. We flew on Alaskan/Horizon so it was a small plane, not bad because it was such a short flight. Landed in Portland with no problems and headed to our hotel. The Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland. Very nice hotel and very close to the starting line...a big plus. After checking in and getting settled we headed to the expo. It was a zoo but we were able to get what we needed and see a lot of stuff. After the expo it was about 4:00 and out dinner reservations were not until 5:00 so with it being Saturday and college football being on we all headed back to the rooms for a little rest. We ate at Mama Mia, which I would love to try again, it was yummy. My meal with of course pasta but it has some of the best meat sauce and the bread was to die for. After dinner and a stop at Rite-Aid for some last minute Gatorade we headed to the rooms.


Sunday morning...Race Morning. My day started at 4:00 a.m. I didn't get out of bed and moving until about 5:00 but I was awake and wondering what I had signed myself up to do. So got up and made coffee and oatmeal, great prerace breakfast. The night before I had my race stuff laid out and ready so I was able to just get dressed and get moving. 6:30 we started towards the race start. For this race they set up pace groups so after a few hugs, good lucks and good byes we found our projected finish times and waited for the gun.


There were 4 from our running group that got in the 4 hour pace group, Trina, Paul, Trevor and myself. For the first mile we ran together...didn't really have a choice. You were trying not to step on people around you. After about mile 3 it started to thin out and you were able to move a little better. Now with this being my first full marathon I had no idea what to expect. I knew I would need to slow down my pace a little and try to conserve energy. I was told the marathon does not start until about mile 18. Which for this race meant the race would not start until after the mile long hill climb at mile 17.

So I am feeling pretty good. Got my music on my IPod and I am trying to watch my pace and keep it reasonable. The weather had been an issue in my mind all morning. There was a chance of rain and it was very overcast. I went with the long sleeves, capris and gloves. About mile 3 I started to feel a few rain drops, nothing bad just a little spit here and there. Then around mile 7 the wind started to pick up. It was like what else can happen. Well I found out, where the rain had been just a few drops it turned into more then it would slow to a few drops, then back to the down pour. This continued on until about mile 22. By this time I did not care, I was tired and ready to be done. I was behind the 4 hour mark by about 5 minutes and was trying to tell myself that a 5 hour marathon would be just fine. The next couple miles were not fun, I think I walked about as much as I ran but I knew that if I stopped to stretch or anything I would not be able to start up again.

Mile marker 24 was located on the Broadway Bridge and after that it was down hill, so I started to let gravity do its thing and pull me down. The spectators for this race were amazing. They had bands everywhere with great upbeat music, lots of water stations and loads of kids with gummy bears. So with mile 25 in sight I knew I would be able to finish this race under my own power. I kicked up my IPod and just started to find something to get me moving. One thing I loved the finish was around a corner. I have run races that you can see the finish for almost half a mile and that is hard. There was a fat lady singing, you ran past her about a third of a block and there it was...the best sight you have ever seen. I finished in 4:09:45 (chip time) 4:13:24 (gun time) it took about 4 minutes to cross the start line.

Just a few of the racing stats:
Overall: 2553 out of 7498
F 25-29: 176 out of 656
Overall Pace: 9:32
Half Marathon Check Point: 1:58:50 pace of 9:04
When the overall winner finished I was at about mile 16.5

Brent also ran in this race and was able to set a new PR for himself. His time was 3:41:28 at pace of 8:27.

I must say I am very glad I was talked into this race. What has surprised me the most is how good I feel. My legs are sore yes don't get me wrong but Monday I was able to not only move but walk. It was a little wobbly but I was still walking. Then today (Tuesday) the soreness in knee and hip are gone, still tired legs but no longer sore. So I was asked if I would do another marathon, my answer would have to be probably. :) Who knew I would actually enjoy beating myself up on a regular basis for a tee shirt and medal.

I will try and get some pictures posted from the weekend one of these days. If you have time check out Portlandmarathon.org and see the race map and much more.

Sad Day

Last night my dad called and left a message on our answering machine to call him when I got a chance. He sounded very strange to I called the second I got the message. I knew from the second I heard him say hello something bad had happened....sadly I was right. Our beloved black lab had died. We got him in 2001 in Pocatello. After a sting of bad luck with dogs we found an add for him in the paper and went to get him. The guy wanted 50 bucks and we were ready to pay but he said that with the love we were showing him we could just have him. We took him home in an apple box and babied him to no end. He was a one of a kind dog. He was a lab, something mix with a pink and black tongue. It took about a year to grow into his paws and he was just so lovable. My dad had never really gotten attached to dogs for the simple reason that growing up on a farm if something happened to one and they had to be put down he would have to do it. But Jack was different, everyone in our family loved that dog but my dad especially attached to him. He knew my dads pickup and would wait for him to come home at night. My dad was the first one he would run to for a pat on the head.

About a year or two ago he was hit by a truck or car and had something happen to his front leg. While he was not killed by the accident his leg was never the same. Not knowing what to do my parents just let him be...he was still able to walk, run, play and be a dog but his leg had a small sore on it that just kept getting worst. While they should have taken him to the vet, I think my dad did not want to hear the news that Jack should be put down. Jack then decided in this last year that he should find porcupines and pester them. He came home with quills in his nose almost weekly.

So back to my dads call. He told me in a very level voice that Jack was no longer with us. I broke down right then. My first question was if he had to do it. (with all that was going on with Jack I was sure my dad decided to put him out of his misery) He said no, when my dad came home from harvest Jack was dead on the drive way. He had been out in the field playing just being a dog and then my dad saw him head home. It was like he wanted one last run in the field. So my dad and mom wrapped him in a white sheet and took him down to where the rest of the family dogs are and laid him to rest.

I know its crazy to be so attached to a dog....a dog that for the last five years I have not even been around but...here I sit crying again... I think I am crying more for my dad and the fact that he lost this dog. Hearing the pain and sadness in his voice last night just broke my heart. I its nothing like losing a child or a parent or a friend but for our family it was losing a member.

Here are a couple pictures of Jack. He loved to play in the water...during the summer he could always be found rolling in whatever pond he could find.

A side note, Brent and Casey had just gotten home from a walk by the river when my dad told me. My poor son had to witness his mother break down. Then I had the joy of trying to explain to my son why mom was sad. He loved Jack and when he saw a picture of him and told me that he died last night. I hope I can use this as a good teaching tool for him.

Less Than a Week

Where does the time go? When I signed up for the Portland Marathon, it seemed so far away. But now that I look at the calendar its this Sunday. I have done the physical training, a few long runs, lots of short runs. Some fast runs, some slow run. I have a good plan down for staying hydrated during the race. I know when to take the Luna Moon's for energy. My play list is up-dated and my watch is fully charged. Now I have the agonizing time of waiting for the day to come. I have to taper my runs which I understand but its hard to try and cut back. Then the mental aspect. Its 26.2 miles of running, my longest run was 22 miles and that was a good run but I was a little sore the next day. What is another 4.2 miles going to do to my legs? Not to mention what is a flight home from Portland going to do to the legs. My main goal for this is to finish, to be able to walk/run across the finish line under my own power...I have seen many people have to be carried across and rushed to the EMT tent for help. I don't want to be one of those people. My other hurdle is trying to slow myself down at the start of the race. If I start out to fast I will be in trouble when the end comes. Racing is as much a mental game as a physical game for me. I will let you know how it goes.

Camping 08

So I was looking though some of the camping pictures for the year and just had to post some. Our last camping trip was in Stanley, although I am not sure if you can call it camping. We stayed in the Stanley Lodge, so there was not fire and no tent. We did do some fishing and a short hike. I am very thankful that we decided to stay in the hotel, not only because of the weather. The drive to Stanley was rather interesting. We decided to take the path that takes you over the mountain, very pretty but rather slow going with all the twists and turns. Needless to say we learned that Casey gets a little car sick when he eats Goldfish and has to much to drink. With about and hour left in the drive he threw up in his car seat. We stopped on the side of the road, got him cleaned up and cleaned up the car. Sadly it had to be done with baby wipes and they only do so much. The rest of the drive was with the windows down and taking only small shallow breaths. Once in Stanley we did a better job of cleaning the car and the child. After that we headed out for some fishing. Casey loves to fish and loves to eat what he catches.

I was very glad for the hotel room and the shower after Casey decided to play with this old fire pit while waiting for daddy to clean the fish.

The second day we were there we went to the fish hatchery, its never a complete trip to Stanley with out at least one stop there. We were to late to see them working the fish but we did go down stream and see this...

Its hard to see the fish but there were a lot of salmon out spawning. You can see the black back of one of the fish in this picture. It was amazing to see the size of the fish and to see so many just hanging out doing their thing. Our little fisherman wanted to go back and get his fishing pole and bring a few home. Boy that made his daddy proud.

Before he headed home we did a short hike. Casey is very good about hiking, as long as we don't go to far.

Getting started...

Enjoying some juice and the mountains.

All in all it was a great weekend...minus coming home and having to clean the car up. Boy its hard to get the smell out but I think the white vinegar has done its job. Hopefully next year we will be able to get a few more camping trips in. I don't think we will do anymore this year, with the weather changing and hunting season starting I would say they are pretty much done.

Long Time

So I think we can all see that I am awful at keeping up with this during the summer. The really sad thing is I don't know what kept me so busy. We didn't spend every weekend camping like we wanted, we didn't really have a lot to do during the day...so why I was so bad is a mystery. Maybe it was just the nice weather and never spending more than a few minutes in the house at a time. Who knows...

It is very nice to get back into a routine. Casey started school last Monday and has been loving it. He is going two days a week for two hours a day. It is a class to help with his delay in speech. Here is the best thing, its helping. He is talking up a storm and best yet we are starting to understand him. Then we also started going to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) every Wednesday. I love having that time to study the bible and knowing that I will have questions everyday that need to get answered is great. It seems to make the day better to start off in the word. I tried to do it over the summer but without the questions I found myself putting it off.

As far as our running...We did the Pocatello Half Marathon a couple weeks ago. Brent took third place in his age group. I finished in 1 hour 56 minutes. We are going to run the Portland full marathon on Oct. 5. It will be my first full and I am very nervous/excited about it. I did 22 miles on the greenbelt last weekend and was able to walk the next day so there is hope that I can finish the full and walk afterwards. It will be a nice to get out of Boise for a day. We are leaving Casey here with Brent's parents which will be fun for him.

Other than the training for the marathon things have been very low key in our lives. Brent it working like mad at HP which makes for long days for us. Tomorrow I think I am going to brave the women's fitness fair with Casey. He hates to stay in a stroller but I am hoping with all the people he will be willing to walk with me.

Here are a couple pictures from this summer. We went to the fair in Blackfoot and Casey decided he likes the goats the best.

We also got him in a pool at a birthday party. He was not to sure about it and then when we were getting ready to leave he did not want to get out...funny how that works.

Food and Fun in the Sun

This last weekend was a fun one for the Crumley family. It started Friday night when we dropped Casey off at my brother’s house. My parents came over from Aberdeen for a cooking demonstration put on by their bank and got us tickets as well. An Australian chef named Jason Roberts cooked and danced and entertained us for the evening. Very very good food and all of it was locally grown. Since I love to cook it made it all the more fun to see how he seasoned different things and he has the best personality. Our table for the event was also a lot of fun, listening to the stories they had about my dad and brother were very entertaining. Then Saturday the folks had to go home and see their newest granddaughter. Robb and Hailey had a baby girl, Italy Rae, at 4:30 on Saturday. She is 7 lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long. I will get to see here in a couple weeks when Casey and I go over for a wedding. That will be another fun weekend. My dad will be stuck with all his girls for a few days, poor guy. :) Then on Sunday, Brent left at 5 a.m. to go and scout for deer with a buddy. Since it was such a nice day Casey and I spent about three hours at the local park. Its so much fun to take him there and see how much fun he has. Even with all that playing he did not take a nap, went to bed at 9:00 which is early for him but still I wanted a nap. So now its back to doing the things that keep the weeks going by in a blur. I just hope we can find a free weekend for camping. The summer is going by to fast.

4th of July and more

O.K. So I am not doing so good at keeping this blog up to date but with this nice weather its been hard to keep anything up to date. So I will take some time now to let everyone know whats been going on with the Crumley's.

Over the 4th of July we went to Eastern Idaho. Both sets of grandparents live on that side of the state which makes it nice but hard. It always seems like the time goes by in a flash. But Casey gets to spend time with them. He talks about both papa's nonstop anymore. Brent's parents have a farm with cows and sheep so that papa is the one with the moo's and baa's. My parents have a farm as well but with crops, so when he talkes about my dad its papa with two dogs because they have two black labs, Jack and Earl.

Brent and I are trying to make a tradition of going on a hike over the 4th. Last year it was Table Rock and this year was Palisades Lake. We leave Casey at the grandparents and head out early in the morning for the hike. Its nice to have the time to spend together doing something we both love and just being able to get away from everything. This year we had to make it an easy, fast hike because my sister from New Jersey was in town with her family. Here is a few from the lake ...

After the hike we headed to Aberdeen for a BBQ with my family, well part of my family. My oldest sister and her husband and two boys were here for the week and my youngest brother, his wife and two kids were there. Also my Uncle and Aunt came over for the meal and our own private fireworks show after. I love having large family get together. The craziness of it all just makes me feel so at home.

Sunday after attending church in Aberdeen with the family we headed back to Boise. Spent the week doing the normal daily chores of life. Friday night we had another family get together over at my brothers place with my sister and her family.

Then Saturday morning Brent and I ran the Fit for Life Half Marathon. Brent got a 1:38 which was a PR and I got a 1:52 which was a PR for me. Very pretty course along the greenbelt, we started at the Hawkes Stadium and ran down to the Broadway Bridge and then back and finished at the home plate in the stadium. It was a wonderful morning for a run, the weather was perfect and we had a nice amount of shade on the course. I did not start the morning out the best however, Mr. Casey sure knows how to make me feel bad. I was truly in tears because of this crying for us to not leave. My sister stay with him and when we got back she said he cried for a little while and then was fine and did his best at ignoring up when we got back. Why is it kids are so good at doing that to their parents.

So thats been our life up to now...busy but so much fun.

5 Years

Its hard to believe how much can change in five little years. As of about 2 o'clock this afternoon, Brent and I will have been married for five years. Very hard to believe considering my past history with relationships. Its been a good five years, with ups and downs but that is very normal, right!? We have a babysitter for Casey and are planning on going out to eat and then to the Shakespeare Festival. All's Well that Ends Well is playing, which sounds like a good play but more than that the experience of the place is so much fun.
Then as of this morning I am going to run my first marathon. I just signed up for the Portland Marathon in October. Before I met Brent I did not run a day in my life. Infact, I was certain the only reason to run was to get away from someone chasing you but now...I pay people so I can run. Crazy if you ask me. But it should be a good race and a good vacation to Portland.
Another shocking thing to me is Casey, I have a three year old. I have always been around babies and kids but never thought I would be a mother. I guess that just goes to show that our plan for our life is invalid if it does not follow what God has for us. And I would not change his plan because in the end its always better.

New Bike

Casey enjoying a bike ride the old way








The new way to enjoy a short bike ride.









Working hard to get up the hill.

Ogden Race

What a great weekend we had. It all started on Thursday when we took Casey to Idaho Falls. He stayed with Brents parents for the Ogden race. They have sheep and cows and stay busy with the small farm they live on. That meant Casey was loving life, going out to help feed the animals and ride with papa on the four wheeler. So we left on Friday morning to head to Ogden for the marathon/half marathon. I was not looking forward to this race in the least. I didn't have enough training runs in and for some reason the motivation just was not there. But since I paid for my number I was not going to bow out of the race. After getting out race packets and checking out the expo we went to Roosters to eat. Very good place if you ever make it to Ogden. Then Saturday morning at about 4:00 the alarm went off and our day started. Brent had to catch a bus to get to the start of the marathon. Thankfully one of the other couples that came to run was staying at a friends place and they came over to pickup the girls for the half marathon. The bad thing was I was still just not looking forward to this race and could not shake the nerves. But once the race started and I realized the shivers I had was truly just nerves and not the weather that seemed to help a little. Then about mile five or six some guy, later found out his name was John, started to run with me and that really made me forget about the nerves and just run. Needless to say I owe my personal record to him. I ended up doing this race in 1 hour and 53 minutes. I truly thought my eyes were going bad then I saw that on the clock as I came to the finish line. One great thing is I am still able to walk, right after the race nothing hurt, the next day my calf was a little sore but nothing to bad. Brent also did his personal best in this race, however, if you check the website it would show a no run for him. Reason being he forgot to wear his time chip. He left it in his bag at the room. So after everyone in our group finished and some got massages and we refuelled at the finish, we headed back to the rooms for a nice long shower and whatever. Sunday Brent and I left early to hit Butterburs in Pocatello for brunch and to get our son. He loved to see his daddy, me on the other hand took about 1/2 an hour to get warmed up to. If you every make it to Pocatello go to Butterburs and get their cinnamon twists...so warm and sticky good. Now its back to real life. Get to take Casey to the dentist today for the first time. He knows that if he is good we will get a toy/movie, just something to reward him. Then if this weather stays nice hoping to hit the Zoo sometime. So it was a good weekend for us.

Warm Days

I love the weather we have been having. The sun just does good things for mood not to mention giving me some much needed color on my arms and legs. They got white over the winter. But of course, I went and got a nice sun burn on my shoulders from the weekend bike ride. Thankfully, I have been able to keep Casey fully covered with sun screen. The one bad thing about the weather being so nice is I never get to be inside. My poor house needs a good cleaning but I know that Casey will be in school before I know it and I can clean then.

My dad thankfully made it through his hip replacement surgery on Monday. Now its just the long road back to getting better. I pray he gets back to his good old self very soon. The surgery took a little longer than expected which meant the calls to say things were OK was later than planned. I knew my parents were very important to me but that hour of waiting made realize just how much they mean to me.

I really need to get better about posting but no promises. We are off to BSF right now. If you are looking for a good Women's Bible Study this is the one to do. It will start again next fall and we are going to study the life of Moses. Currently we are studying Matthew, I have read the book many times but with all the questions that are asked, I have learned so many things. I love the Lord even more than before...just for what he did for us and the fact he did it for me. It brings tears to my eyes to just think about it. Another plus is Casey loves the daycare.

Boston Pictures

The finish line









Brent as he finished

The winner of the womens group

Brent before the big race...6:00 a.m.













Cheers - Fun place to eat