My Aunt Arleen Sanborn is a true peach. She just, out of the blue, sent me a framed photo of Mom and Dad from her son T.C.'s wedding in 2003, along with some printouts of other photos of them. What a gift! This framed one is going right on my desk at work. 
As Aunt Arleen said in her note, it is hard to believe that six years have gone by since these were taken. Thanks so much for the gift. I'll treasure them always!
It's the second Fourth of July in a row where a sweatshirt is not out of the question! Very, very strange.
We're having a cookout-themed fest here at work... I've always liked my grilled chicken, and recently I've been making zucchini and squash on the grill. I wanted to bring that stuff to work, so I got the idea of a coarse chop of everything, mixed with fresh corn and tomatoes. It came out great. I'm calling it summer in a bowl.
Can't wait to try what everyone else is bringing... Feeling so sorry for those of you who aren't working but whose plans were scrubbed by rain! (*wink*) Maybe next year!
More beautiful weather today to wake up to... In fact, Daddy has been turning off the A/C when he goes to work at night.
So, Allen and I headed to Creve Coeur Lake to walk and, ostensibly, scooter. Of course, when we got there, Allen rode his scooter from the parking lot to the trail and then decided he didn't want to scooter after all. Sheesh! So, back to the car to ditch the scooter and grab the stroller.
You may remember last year when Emilyn and I (and Allen in the stroller) conquered the entire 3.7 mile trail around the lake. Hoo-ah! Not this time. I pushed Allen about a quarter of the way around, then back. So, maybe a little less than 2 miles? I hope it was a good enough workout.
We're enjoying another July respite from the nasty heat... It's been in the 80s and gorgeous for a few days now. I figured out that NorthPointe pool would be open until 7:30, and figured there couldn't be a nicer evening to go and enjoy.
Plus, we needed a break... Allen spent much of the morning sick and whining... He threw up once, then wouldn't leave the bathroom... I had to fold laundry in the hallway because he didn't want me out of his sight... Gradually, he felt better, and then suddenly he wanted to eat everything in sight. I swear, that kid is a medical miracle. Look how well he had rebounded by 5:30! 
Anyway, it was a great time, and I'm so glad we went. I'm looking at a stretch of working seven days in row coming up soon, so leisure will be hard to come by. Got to take advantage when I can!
I just realized... we were sitting in the same booth today where I finally told Steve 8 years ago about my plan to *finally, really, I mean it this time* lose weight (I eventually lost 55 pounds). And today, Allen got up from that booth and... used the potty away from home! For the first time! It's the resolution and evolution booth! I think we may ask to sit there next time, too.
So, Allen got a try with my camera at the airport... Call it his "Cone Series"... He did a good job, once I explained to him that he should wait until he sees what he wants to take a picture of before he presses the button... Hope you enjoy this look at what a 3-year-old sees!
The weather breaks! It felt absolutely gorgeous today, after nine days straight in the 90s.
Let's head out to the tarmac at Spirit airport, then, to see the B-17 Liberty Belle, on tour for rides and general public admiring. (A few years ago, Daddy paid $400 to ride in Aluminum Overcast, another B-17... so we decided to forgo a ride on this one. But a boy can still dream...)
Got to get out before it gets too hot... Was supposed to be 100 on Saturday, but the Ballwin Days parade stepped off promptly at 9 a.m., so that wasn't too bad.
Steve took a short roll down a long hill today while mountain biking at Castlewood State Park... Then he rode all the way home! He scrubbed the heck out of his leg, then woke me up, gently, from my nap and asked me, nicely, to go to Walgreens for him and get him major first aid supplies for this major off-road rash! 
We used a whole roll of tape on this first dressing... Gotta go back and get more if we're going to wrap it again tomorrow!
Well, our days since vacation have been pretty packed... Allen is using the potty, kind of! He has been, anyway, for five days now, but just a few times a day. He still likes the devil-may-care safety of his diaper... but he is keeping it dry much of the time while he's awake. So, we are very encouraged.
Emilyn is busy in summer school with her art class. Today she walked out in this excellent Mexican ensemble that she made... 
She has a pool party coming up for Scouts, and then Parkway arts camp and strings camp. First day of school, Aug. 17, will be comin' around before you know it!
Father's Day was... interesting. I had to work, and Allen picked that day to be truly impossible to deal with. Not the best present for Daddy. But we did get him great presents... a rechargeable flashlight (mostly from Allen, who runs all the other lights out of batteries) and a two-burner skillet for making pancakes (mostly from Emilyn, who prefers them to waffles). Yummm!
All this, as Mommy tries to get some exercise in this punishing heat! The high temperature in St. Louis, as recorded for the last 7 days... Starting with today and going backward: 96, 97, 94, 92, 95, 94, 93. Ewwwww. No end in sight.
Well, it was a long drive from Columbus to St. Louis, but we made it. We recovered Tiger and Flicky from Sarah W.'s house, and gave the Wandersees treats from Hershey for taking care of our crawfish for 10 days.
We celebrated Daddy's birthday with lots and lots of meat at Bacana Brasil. (Cool video if you click.) He even got a free banana pudding for dessert.
And it's back to work, back to the routine. But I do hope you enjoy the chronicles of our latest big adventure... This one was marked, in particular, by many visits with many wonderful people we hadn't seen in many years. Also AshFest, Flight 93 site... Definitely some sort of theme there. Saying goodbye, saying hello again... Who knows? But, to each and every one of you who made this trip a special one, thank you.
To see all of our posts about the trip, use the "Vacation: June 2009" tag on the left side of the page, or click here.
So, we were motoring west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike... Not liking the exorbitant tolls, but surely appreciating how much nicer it is to ride across southern PA rather than northern... I glanced at the map and said to Steve: "You'll never guess what's right over there." I pointed north. "Shanksville."
That's how it starts for us Critchlows... A little pink dot on the map. This one said, "Flight 93 National Memorial Site." Pretty close to the turnpike, as the crow flies, but about 20 miles over back roads to get there.
So, we asked the toll attendant when we got off the 'pike, and I guess we weren't the first, because he handed us a pre-printed pamphlet with directions. And off we went, not knowing what to expect.
Well, heading over a rise, you see some of the most breathtaking scenery southern Pennsylvania has to offer. Miles of rolling hills in every direction. And a little shack. And a row of porta-potties. And a gravel parking area, filled with cars and lots of motorcycles.
And memorials... Some makeshift, some more formal. Granite markers. A towering wooden cross. Little wooden angels, all in a row, representing each of the passengers and crew. And, on a chain-link and wooden fence, dozens and hundreds of flags, caps, toys, coins, hair ties... You name it. Whatever's in people's pockets, they feel compelled to leave behind, in tribute.
Ooooohh. A dream come true for me: Hershey, Pa.!
Because we wanted to meet up with my friend Stacy and her family, and give the kids a treat (wink-wink, OK, me), we made plans to stay Friday in Hershey, "The Sweetest Place on Earth."
Whoa, it is way cool. From the Kisses streetlights (some wrapped, some unwrapped), to the twin tall smokestacks... And that something in the air... We went on the Chocolate World virtual factory tour, drooled over the Reese's display, bought way too much candy in the gift shop, got real Hershey's chocolate milk and cookies...
On Thursday, we visited with Steve's Uncle Fred and Aunt Sandy in Englewood, N.J., a great little town just north of the George Washington Bridge. Fred and Sandy live right in the center of it all... Imagine a little mini-city, where everything you need is just steps from your door.
We walked down the street to lunch at the Blue Moon Mexican Cafe, where I had the most wonderful steak and avocado wrap. They had the best item ever on the kids menu... Noodles with butter! Allen was pleased.
Then, another little stroll to the gelato shop... Of course, in fine Crabbe fashion, Fred and Sandy know every proprietor by name and make everyone feel warm and welcome! I had a delicious mix of maple-ginger snap and hazelnut gelato... Very tasty and lots of fun.
Then, another short walk to the toy store, where a very friendly little girl clamped on to Allen... I managed to restrain myself from buying a Playmobil shark cage... Allen got Rheneas, a narrow-gauge engine from the Thomas world, and Emilyn got stickers and bracelets. Thanks, Fred and Sandy, for lunch, treats, gifts and a truly wonderful visit. It was so good to see you both!
After an interlude of Czech food (Zlata Praha sauerbraten, direct from Astoria!) and birthday angel food cake for Daddy, we ran off in a pouring rain to rendezvous with Steve's Uncle Bill and cousin Caitlin. Again, we haven't seen them since Emilyn was a baby! As Allen slurped jelly from little packets and Caitlin tried to down a chocolate shake and a huge piece of cake, we reminisced a little -- over Emilyn's sniffles. She was sick and Allen was tired, so we had to cut it short. But it was a great visit.
So, I've been wasting time on Facebook for a few years now... Virtual gardens, virtual bookshelves, word game after word game... But was it really wasted time? Because I got back in touch with so many good friends from high school.
The trip back to Pearl River afforded the perfect opportunity to get together with some of them for lunch -- as many as could make it. Thanks so much to Kathy for volunteering to host, Eileen for driving all the way from Orange County, Sarah for whipping up some tasty treats, and Linda for rushing to get there, even after an emergency trip to the dentist! As Kathy said, it truly felt like no time had passed... except there were all these cute children running around! Surely, they had to be somebody's... but ours?!? Not possible!
Sunday morning, more yummy breakfast, and the decision was made (mostly for the benefit of Uncle Train and Allen) to head down to Greenville, Pa., to see the big steam engine that the Critchlows and Waddells spied on the way up to the lake.
Darn, the place wasn't open, but we were free to scramble around and on the train cars... and take plenty of pictures.
Then, much hemming and hawing about what to do next, but the choice was made to pile into the cars and head to the Pymatuning Deer Park, another roadside attraction of the kind that's always worth a Critchlow look!
Well, it was pretty neat! Lots of feeding and petting opportunities for the little (and not so little) ones... and, of course, a train ride!
It was nearing time to close the book on AshFest and say goodbye to Lake Pymatuning... And, once again, lots of pictures were taken! We came from every corner of the Eastern U.S., and we never know when we'll all be in the same place at the same time again!
Here's one last look at our trip to Pymatuning:
Saturday morning dawned at Lake Pymatuning, and we all converged on Chase Drive for a famous Waddell pancake extravaganza. Aunt Laurie promised Allen a train pancake, and shoot if she didn't deliver!
"I guess it's safe to say we're all here because of love. Larry and Betty Lou gave us life and then showed us how to live it: Fueled by curiosity, fun, good humor and love.
We're here in this out-of-the-way place, at the corner of two pink highways, on the crack of the map. Most people would be perfectly happy to live and die and never see a place like this. But Mom and Dad couldn't stand the thought of us missing it.
They're gone now, but we feel them with us every day: In all the little things we do. In their grandkids and great-grandkids. And when we happen upon places like this.
So here is where we leave them, and we hope that, wherever they are, they're laughing their asses off.
Thanks for everything, Mom and Dad."
It was a long day of driving for the Crabbes, but we rolled into Andover, Ohio, right around 2 p.m. -- 2 hours early for our meet-up with Laurie and Bill and our check-in at Pymatuning Cottages. So, we sat down for a little lunch at perennial Daddy favorite, Covered Bridge Pizza. He got a new blue T-shirt to replace his over-chlorinated green one.
Cell phone reception is spotty, at best, in this corner of northeast Ohio, but we gathered from Laurie, between the static, that the Waddells were all present and accounted for, half-hour away or so, in Greenville, Pa. Bill and the rest of the Critchlows, however, were AWOL.
So, the Crabbes and Waddells met up on schedule at Winding Way, admittedly a tough place to find... Much Critchlow-style hilarity ensued, culminating with Derek on the phone with Bill and me running into the street to flag them down.
It all ended fine, also the Critchlow way, and we gathered for dinner at Chase Drive, Laurie's cottage... Derek barbecues a mean hamburger. The houses were all neat, and Laurie's was perfect for gathering... with its lake views and giant deck. There was lots of laughter, so-cute kids of every size and hugs all around. And toe paint-jobs were compared....
Our first stop on vacation was that ol' standby, Dayton, Ohio. We are frequent guests of the new Comfort Suites, right across from the Air Force Museum. At the museum, we saw the experimental hangar and the collection of presidential aircraft, including the Air Force One jet that carried JFK's body home from Dallas, and on which LBJ was sworn in as president. Here, Steve is thinking big thoughts with President Eisenhower:
Have to clean the house before we head out on vacation... Just hate coming home to a dirty house! So depressing!
Emilyn got in on the act... Tackling the sink with a toothbrush! Grammy would be so proud...
