Grandpa Dan's Memorial Service

At the end of May we all got on a plane and flew to California for Grandpa Dan's memorial service. Ron and Teri were generous enough to host the event and invited us out to prepare for the day. A large Portuguese Lucas contingent was expected, and we wanted to do everything we could to help make the day special. In discussions leading up to the day, Sarah had decided not to prepare any remarks. But the morning of the service, she woke up at 4am with a strong desire to put her feelings into words. We figure it make the most sense to share those words here.

"Thank you all for coming today. I know that my dad would be overwhelmed to have all of you here today to honor him.

 

I also want to thank Ronnie and Teri for their efforts in pulling today together. Of course, if you know our family, you know that this is far from the first time they have been the generous hosts for important life events that bring our family together. I know my dad greatly cherished these times.

 

Today is so important. It gives us the space and time to be with people we love and to grieve a brother, a cousin, a friend, and a dad. My dad was far from perfect, but he deeply loved his family and his friends. Some of my favorite memories of my dad are of him wrestling with my uncle and brother while I tried to get into the mix. I loved seeing my dad with his cousins at a family reunion. He had such an infectious laugh and smile and when you were able to be in the moment with him it was special.

 

My dad also had a great love for sports and competition. He loved pushing himself to the limit and he seemed to relish the idea of Zac and I being involved in sports. Watching us push ourselves to our limits was something that seemed to bring much happiness to him. Even today, when I am on a hike, I am the person that wants to push myself to go farther and faster. I believe that is something that I got from my dad. Lucky for my girls, I have married a man who has the nickname “Captain Caution” because he typically keeps me in check. 

 

When I was a little girl, I thought the world of my dad, and admired his thirst for adventure. Zac and I got a small look into that world when we had our summer trips back to Wyoming. We jumped into the Winnebago with my Grandma and Grandpa and headed to the mountains. On those trips we went hiking and camping, built a teepee, rode horses, learned to water ski, and just had fun outside. Those trips meant the world to me at the time! 

 

Last week Zac and I went back to Wyoming together to spread our dad’s ashes. I was quickly reminded of why my dad loved that place. It is beautiful – the mountains, the rivers and the wide-open spaces. We found places of rest for him that were in the midst of that beauty and off the beaten path. 

 

Although my dad wasn’t a continuous part of my life, I feel fortunate to have these memories of him and to be among the people he loved and that loved him. He very much shaped who I am today and I will miss him."

A silver lining of such occasions is that it brings family together, and this service provided a great opportunity for cousins, uncles, aunts, and the entire extended family to tell stories, laugh, cry, and enjoy each other's company.

The youngest generation continues to get older, but they also continue to have a lot of fun together. It was great to see them all in the same place.

We made sure to build in an extra day or two to our trip so that we could also have a day on the Sacramento River with Zac's new pontoon boat. Zac and Brandi certainly have all the accessories necessary to make river life fun. And it was great to have Nathan, Caroline, and Bri join us for the day. Uncle Zac was living his best life.

We headed up the river and hit a restaurant with a dock you could pull right up to. And because the restaurant was full we ordered take out and they delivered right to the boat. It worked out perfectly.

Grammy Gayle joined us for the day as well, and we all enjoyed getting to relax as we made our way through downtown. We never knew that boating could be combined with so much people watching, but the river brings out all kinds of folks.

We were able to find a little cove in the afternoon where we could break out the tubes and just chill for a while. And when we say Zac has gadgets for the boat, Zac has gadgets for the boat. At one point he broke out the grill and starting grilling up hot dogs for anyone who wanted them. It was a full day, that's for sure.

Family is very important to us, and so pictures like this make us smile. We love that Reese and Callie have a good relationship with their Uncle Zac and Aunt Brandi. We look forward to future visits with both of them.