Western Wedding, Part I

As promised, I am sharing on the backlog of events we've been lucky enough to partake in this summer. The second wedding we attended in July was that of our friends Matt* and Valerie, resident New Yorkers and world travelers at heart.

This couple has been together for many years before tying the knot and had, together, experienced quite a bit. They enjoyed living in Amsterdam, Bangladesh, and the wildest place of them all, Spanish Harlem (known affectionately to us as "Spa-Ha"). They are one of our "couple friends" in New York that we miss dearly now that we are living in separate cities.

Matt and Valerie are both from Colorado and, given their wandering spirit, it seemed appropriate that we travel for the event. Their wedding was made into a 'wedding weekend,' and friends gathered from near and far to enjoy the natural beauty of Steamboat Springs, where the event would be held at the end of the week.

Adam and I arrived in Denver on Friday morning and decided to drive the 3+ hours to Steamboat Springs. What a drive! You'd don't see scenery like this driving the NJ Turnpike between Philadelphia and Connecticut, let me tell you.


Adam smiled, despite my anxious reprimands ("Drive slower, Adam!").



Mid-trip, we stopped in a little town called Idaho Springs for breakfast and a much-needed stretch.


We stumbled into a thrift store, where I promptly purchased two vintage matching pressed flowers in frames along with some books (All the President's Men, some Charlie Brown paperback, etc.) all for $3.50!

We arrived in Steamboat in the afternoon and, with a little nap, we were back at it. Friends and family gathered for a celebratory barbecue and then we were off to the RODEO! Good times were had by all (except maybe a horse that was injured...ouch!) and, yes, it was our first time at the rodeo.




*Funny aside about Matt: Ever seen the Dennis Quaid movie "The Rookie"? You know, the one that airs only 70 bajillion times on ABC Family? Well, Matt is a gifted baseball player and appeared, along with his UT Austin teammates, as the baseball team in the movie.

(image via Google)

That's Matt second from the right. If you've seen the movie, you know Matt's great outfield catch and his signature dance (which he graced us with at his wedding reception).