Lucas Family Reunion 2013

So after a fantastic time at the beach, it was time to pack up our bags and hit the road for Harris Ranch in somewhat less than scenic Coalinga, California.  But the scenery was secondary, because the Harris Ranch destination meant one simple thing - family.  And lots of them.  Before we even got there, however, we made a stop at the iconic Pea Soup Anderson's along I-5 where we met up with Great Grandma Lucas, GA, GU, and Brady Lucas, son of Tyler and Sara.

Although there was a lot of family there, we were certainly missing a handful of essential relatives.  Haley and her family were too sick to travel, which meant that we did not get to meet little Harper.  And Tyler and his family, except for Brady, had to stay home because Sara was too close to her due date.  After initial tears were shed, we made the most of it by rubbing in how much fun we were having by sending Haley play by play pictures of us having a good time and enjoying family all around.

Callie and Reese also made the most of it and smothered Brady with all of their Kentucky love.  Fortunately, Brady was very happy to have partners in crime to run around and play with.

But of course Callie and Reese also benefited from having extra GA time.  Because she only had one of her grandchildren there she was more than happy to shower her great-nieces with some love and affection.

What was also great was that watching the kids run around and play was that it brought back memories for Sarah of running around with her cousins at family reunions and getting into mischief.  The best part was when Sarah got heckled by the Fonseca sisters for trying to put Callie in bed before 9pm.  Barb, Judy, Titi, Janie, and Susie all reminded her of how the best part of the reunions was getting to stay up late and run around in your pajamas.  We think Callie would definitely agree.

Reese also had no problem taking in the experience.  If we had to state what her favorite part was, it was probably when Ola bought her a poolside Shirley Temple.  Ola was a little taken back that Reese had never had soda before.  But hey, when you are vacationing in Coalinga, anything goes.

Although we did not have all the great-grandchildren together, we never pass up the opportunity to gather as many of them as possible around Great-Grandma.  And her smile showcases that she doesn't mind it either.  It still is amazing to look at these pictures and see how fortunate the girls are to get to know their Great-Grandma.  And she just glows when she is around her family.  Good energy all around.

We also managed to get a picture of our branch of the large Portuguese family tree that got together that weekend.  Believe it or not, we aren't even one of the craziest branches of that tree.

One of the best parts of this particular photo session was the moment when Great-Grandma Lucas declared, "I almost lost my dentures on that one!"  Talk about giving 100% for a good picture.

And of course, Callie and Reese made sure to get some quality time with their Uncle Zac.  They managed to get some good squeezes in before the weekend came to an end and it was time to leave for the airport.  The only thing that got Callie back on the road was the promise of a hotel pool in San Jose.  We were quite proud of ourselves for being strategic about these kinds of decisions.  And though it was tough to admit, our great California vacation had come to an end.  But we'll see the Golden State again at Thanksgiving.