Boots to fill?

In June 2006, when the only blog I kept was our family blog, the one Steve would later name "our happy blog," I posted a photo of almost-5-year-old Cooper.

He was playing in the family room. He had taken apart baby Katie's floor mat, building cubes and then a tower. And he put on his Daddy's boots.

Click here to see that photo, plus a chubby-cheeked baby Katie.

Fast-forward almost seven years: Cooper is now a den chief through Boy Scouts, which means he helps lead a Cub Scout den. He goes to their pack and den meetings, helps with planning, offers guidance to the younger Scouts and encourages them to continue on to Boy Scouts. This weekend, he gets to go to Cub World, a big festive camping weekend.

The theme is cowboys. He'll wear blue jeans, a plaid shirt and a straw cowboy hat. And he'll wear his Daddy's boots -- this time not for dress up. He actually fits those men's size 11 boots.

I can hear Steve now: "Yeehaw!"

Cooper in June 2006, age 4; Cooper in April 2013, age 11