The Royal Wedding

Before we got started with the wedding extravaganza week, we had to make the drive (and move) from Pittsburgh to Staples, Minnesota.  We barely and I mean barely got everything to fit in our trailer.  Lucky for us we had some amazing friends and neighbors help us in the days leading up to the move. 

The inside of our trailer empty and ready.

Handy side door.

First in.  Our scoot.

Its starting to fill!  Thank you course marshall.

To the roof.

Back looks pretty full and not done yet.

How will it all fit?

A goodbye photo right outside our old apartment before we hit the road.  Goodbye Troy Hill.  Goodbye Pittsburgh.

On our drive to Minnesota, we made a pit stop in La Crosse, Wisconsin to visit our friends Andy and Kacia who ironically live in Pittsburgh.  They were on vacation in La Crosse to see their family who live there.

This was a photo taken from Grandad Bluff in La Crosse, overlooking the beautiful city and bluffs.  A bit windy out I'd say.

 
The day before we hit the road was Tuff's first Father's Day.  Below is a photo to remember the celebration.

The night we arrived in Minnesota we stayed with my parents and got to see this beautiful double rainbow.

Many of you may know this famous youtube video of a man (whom I believe is on drugs) seeing a double rainbow:



 Here is Tuff's version:



Now on to the wedding business.  Thursday we worked all day setting up the reception site at the Vintage, the golf course across the street from my parents. 

From the time they laid eyes on each other, my niece Bo took over babysitting Grace and was nicknamed MH2 (Mother Hen).

More set up.  This wedding had around 350 attendees.  Hence the Royal Wedding title.

More Grace and MH2.

And again.

And again!  This time all dolled up for the wedding.  Bo was a junior bridesmaid.

Just before we walked down the isle.  Left to right is my little sister Cydney, me and then my big sister Heather.  The beautiful bride (another big sister) is hiding around the corner.  It was a sisterly affair. 

Here is the church I grew up attending.

It was a beautiful celebration.  Greg and Dana in tears.

Family photo.  Tuff looking dapper as always.

 
Shiners at the head table.

My sister Heather was dared to eat a shiner for $50.  Of course she said yes and gave the money to the newlyweds.  Then not too long after her son Finn ate a shiner for a $20 donation.  Too crazy and fun!

Walking back to my parents house after pictures on the golf course.  The next three photos I got from Heather's phone.

Waiting at my parents house before driving into town for the wedding ceremony!

First time I painted her toes.

The wedding extravaganza week is over.  It was spectacular watching my sister Dana marry Greg.  And now I will leave you with this fantastic footage of the dance off at the reception.  This was four years in waiting from the original dance off, which occurred at our wedding reception.  I'll never grow tired of watching it. 

Goodbye Sweet Pittsburgh

 Yes if word got to you, its true, we are moving.  We made the official decision May 30th.  First we are headed west to Minnesota for my sister Dana's June 23rd wedding and will stay there for a month or so in transition.  Transition?  Yes.  We are taking a leap of faith in a direction that we feel the Lord is taking us.  Since late October, 2011, Tuff received from the Lord a specific call to help the Native American people throughout the United States (I'm sure there will be much more elaboration on this later as things unfold).  We are praying through every step until we find where God wants us to be.  This opportunity is exciting and fearful because we will have to live out what we believe in a deeper level of trust and faith. 

So for the last week we've been hanging out with great friends and selling a few things on Craigslist.  We also made a Craigslist purchase, a 6 x 12 cargo trailer!

Ok for those who gotta get their Grace fix, here you go:

Videos first.

Waking up in the morning.  So cute. 



Eight hour sleep!



Giggles.



Practicing riding horse and motorcycle. 




Now for some pics.

Post bath time with dad.

Matching skin tone.  Beauties.

She's the total length of her playard.

Loves her tummy and sometimes I let her nap like this.

Little bath shark.

Binkie with an attached lamb stuffed animal.  Lamby also is her nickname so its quite adorable.

Her classic propped up position.

First time to spray park. 



That's about all you'll get to do with a two month old at the spray park.  When the water hit her feet she just pulled them up like someone was tickling them.

Instead of the spray park she was more interested in doing  two month old things like sleeping.

Some of you we will be seeing very shortly and some of you we will be saying goodbye to.  This move is bittersweet.  We love you all.

Our Big Baby

Little Grace is not so little anymore.  Tipping the scales two Mondays ago on her six week visit at 12.6 pounds and 24.5 inches long, she was in the 99.5 percentile for height and 97.5 for weight.  I know I'm tall but I did not expect this big of a baby.  By our own weighing techniques at home she weighs about 14.3 pounds now. 

Just a few weeks ago, we received a beautiful handmade cradle board from Tuff's mom and sister Toni, made by a craftsman on the Northern Cheyenne reservation.  We are in the process right now of enrolling Grace as a Northern Cheyenne Tribal member. Tuff is 25% Northern Cheyenne, 25% Crow and 50% European.  To be enrolled in the Crow Tribe you must be 25%.  Grace gets to be enrolled in the Northern Cheyenne Tribe because they operate their enrollment by descendency.

In the picture below Grace was mad about being in the wool cradle board on a hot day.  However, I think this mad face is so cute I had to share.  It's been in the 80's and 90's quite a bit this spring and our apartment only has a window unit AC that doesn't pump out much cold air.

Nothing the bink can't fix.

 

Below are a few pictures from Grace's baby dedication on Mother's Day (she was six weeks old).

Tuff read a prayer we wrote for her in front of the congregation.

Auntie Dana bought Grace a lovely necklace.  She looks adorable in it.

All smiles every morning when we get her out of her crib.

An adorable outfit from our Minnesota neighbors the Israelson's.

The picture below is from our small groups trip to the zoo last weekend.  We forgot to take a group photo so you will just get one of Grace in her zoo outfit from Debra.

Tuff holding Grace as she is about to drift off into dreamland.

She loves being propped up.

Some of the many headbands Auntie Dana bought Grace.  Just trying out a few.

Grace's first giggles from today in the video below!  So cute.  Today she is eight weeks old.



We also got a chance last Sunday and this Sunday to go to One-Year-Old birthday parties for Sophia and Harlow. 

One-Year-Old Sophia and her go at the Cookie Monster cake.

View of Pittsburgh from Sophia's deck!  Tuff is looking like a movie star.

One-Year-Old Harlow and her mommy Kacia in their matching aprons made by Kacia's mom.

Also from Kacia's mom are these matching rompers for Harlow and Grace.  Too cute.

Yesterday I had my first full day away from Grace and traveled to Erie, PA with my amazing friends Anne and Jenny, while Tuff stayed back and watched Grace.  We spent the first half of the day visiting the local wineries and the second half at the Presque Isle State Park beaches. 

Southshore Wine Company.

Jenny and Cab, the Irish Setter at Lakeview Wine Cellars, who greets customers at the door.

The grapes are growing for harvest in the fall.  So tiny right now.

On the pier at Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie.

Senior Pic Remake
Please scroll down to view the senior pic and the very serious senior pic remake.