These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Laramie, my brothers fiancée, grew up looking at THIS! Her father is the dam master in the Grand Teton National Park, just outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She grew up in the only residential home in the park and this is the view out her front door! What???!! Amazing, right?

Well, they have been dating for a couple years now and our parents had never met. So, my brother planned a trip for our parents to spend a long weekend at Laramie's parents house a couple weeks ago. He wanted to propose to her alone and as the days passed, he couldn't find the right time. So, on my parents second to last day, he asked Laramie to run to the store with him and maybe stop at this beautiful lookout point. They climb the little mountain, only to find a bunch of tourists....Phil started sweating! He looked at Laramie and goes "I have something to give you, but there's all these people around"! If you know my brother, he is hilarious! This quote couldn't have fit him better. Laramie caught on at that point and arrived back to our parents with a little weight on her left hand. They are a perfect match...I couldn't be happier for the two of them.

Philip would make me pee my pants as a little girl. He was a quirky kid and his goal in life at 10 years old was to make me laugh! I thought the things he did were so odd....like one day after school, he was making a grilled cheese sandwich and I was doing my homework at the kitchen table. He started questioning why we only remember certain memories, yada yada yada..he was weird. So, as he's pulling a slice of american cheese out of the fridge, he turns to me and goes "Becky, you will never forget this moment...you will never forget me pulling this piece of cheese out of the fridge"! And I never have! It's our little joke and I pee my pants whenever he asks me if I remember the day he pulled the cheese out of the fridge.

I guarantee this picture was his idea!

Nanny and Poppop had to bring something back from Jackson Hole for Maryn and what better than a pair of pink cowboy boots! My mom was cracking up! She put these on and you would have thought she had 8 feet walking in opposite directions!

She suddenly walked with a wide stance so the boots wouldn't touch

Getting more comfortable but she's a cautious little thing

Then the Ham came out!!!!! She started showing off and running in them!

Then tried to gnaw them off

Tell me, what cowgirl doesn't golf???

Or dance to the Wiggles in her boots??

Daddy's got little feet but not that little. This girl is 16 months and still wears a size 3/4 shoe.

While we were in Buffalo, Mac's parents' 80+ year old neighbor comes knocking on the door with a highchair in her arms. She was cleaning out her basement and thought that we could use it. It was her children's highchair, about 50 years old. This highchair is AWESOME!!! So vintage, so sleek and still in great condition. What a great basement find! I looked on ebay for similar highchairs from Taylor Tot but could only find some vintage baby strollers, going for $345!

She wonders why I take so many pictures, and I wonder why I haven't made myself a photo album yet??? I still owe our parents a 6-12 month album...promised to them 8 months ago!

'see food'

To Buffalo, For Love...

We headed to Buffalo for the wedding of Mac's good friend, Justin, and to visit with Grandma and Poppop and great Grandma and Poppop Loeper. It was a weekend full of L.O.V.E.

Thank you Distelhorst's for this oh so sweet romper, love it!

Grandma was so excited to see her baby, she couldn't put her down! Maryn was spoiled before we even arrived. Their house looked like Christmas in July!

So many new toys, she didn't know where to begin.

We made a quick day trip up to Rochester to see my grandparents and cousins. Every moment I get to spend with my Grandma and Poppop, I cherish. Time is short for them and I love them dearly. My Grandma is a woman of class. I have never seen her 'undone', the table was always set for unexpected guests, the fine china and silver were always used for dinner, and despite having a four story house...you would NEVER EVER find a speck of dust. My Poppop was a carpenter and had owned his own business, he was a hard worker! As a child, I would help my Grandma get all the saw dust out of shirt pockets before they went in the wash! He loves my Grandma tremendously! Unfortunately, over the last several years he has developed severe dementia and now has to live in an assisted living facility for his own safety. A couple of years ago, my grandparents had to sell their home that they lived in for 55 years in Pennsylvania and move to Rochester to be close to my aunt and cousins. Grandma lives in a senior living center and I know she misses her 'home' where she raised her three children, put up Christmas decorations and sat on her front porch sipping Shasta! They have lived such amazing and fulfilled lives with three children, nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Marian Angela (Maryn's namesake) & Carl Joseph

Grandma helped Maryn on the carousel

They were having a good time:) Mommy sat this one out...they make me a little queasy.

Poppop and some of his great grandbabies

It's always hard saying goodbye

Sharing some treasures she found at the park

And stealing a hot dog off the table!

Hot tub time!

Don't worry, the temp was set low.

Splashing

I pulled a groin muscle just watching this

Grandma even bought Maryn a pool!

Which she decided was quite refreshing

Yeah! Poppop's home from work! Playtime!

Then of course, Mac had some wedding duties as a groomsman: golf, rehearsal dinner and lifter of the Jewish Hora chair:)

Mac's highschool friends:

Geoff, George, Mike & Justin (groom)

They had a martini bar at the reception with a few specialty drinks named after the groomsmen, I got a little toasty off the Mac Attacks!

Before the martini bar...

Justin is Jewish and Juliane is Catholic so they had a priest and a rabbi at the ceremony and did some of the traditional Jewish customs, like stomping on the glass and lifting the Hora chair! Juliane weighs 110 lbs wet and Mac still said it was hard!

I also got to see my friend, Kristi, who I used to work with before she moved out West. She met her husband Kevin at our wedding:) Mac and Kevin were high school and college friends. Note the Mac Attack in my hand....

...after the martini bar:) Come on, we don't get out much and sweet baby M was in the best hands possible!

Mac's friends are hilarious and we always have the best time when we get together.

Congratulations Justin and Juliane! You make a beautiful couple!

And congratulations to my brother Phil and his fiance` Laramie! That's right people, my 34 year old thought to be bachelor for life brother, has gotten down on his knee and finally asked Laramie to be his wife! We are so thrilled for them and can't wait for the wedding in San Diego! Love that town...and of course, love my brother too!

And, congratulations to my nursing school friend Jessica and her husband Brian!

They welcomed to the world, four weeks early, Miss

Katelyn Ann

July 26, 2010

3:09 am

6 lb 1 oz

18.5 in.