In the summer of 2025, when Mom was 90 1/2, many of the cousins gathered at Cindy and Tony’s house for a 4th of July Weekend celebration. Cindy and Tony flew off across the pond for Irish golf, a UK visit, and a sightseeing excursion to France. Larry flew out to visit with Grandma June and to knock out a few honey-do projects that would have otherwise fallen to Cindy and Tony who had been keeping a close eye our mother for many years.
(Pictured above from left to right–Donnie & Leslie [grandchildren-Cindy], Lindsey & Matt [grandchildren-Chris], Paige [grandchild-Chris], Neta June [center], Ryan & Natalie [grandchildren-Cindy], Larry [son], Luca Lauren & Matt [great-grandchild & grandchildren-Chris])
During planning for Cindy and Tony’s vacation, I discovered that Natalie and Ryan were planning to visit the Sacramento area for Independence Day, and their visit soon became a great excuse for a family party! The Velez household has a long history of family gatherings for any holiday and, honestly, no one in this family needs much of a push to gather for a family get together . . . especially in Rancho Murieta for the 4th!
Natalie, siblings, and cousins shared many 4th of July traditions over the years, and pancake breakfast was high on the list. Gotta start the celebration day right!
Grandma June joined us later in the day, but Natalie and Ryan cooked up pancakes, bacon, and eggs for the assembling crew.
We had mostly gathered by mid-afternoon, and Mom asked us to drive her over to the house for maybe a half hour or so to visit with her grandchildren and the great grands. We sat out back on the patio barbecuing and visiting while the kids ran in and out of the sliding glass door replying, “Oh right, sorry!” as some adult reminded urgently, “Don’t let the flies in!” Of course, popsicles are a welcome treat for whenever, but out on the deck with Great-Grandma can’t be beat.
Caleb couldn’t decide which soda to to choose, so of course, two at a time makes sense . . . to a five year old!
The kids were a blur of activity, dragging each other around in the cart and doing their best to dump the passenger. In this photo, Avery and Momma are holding the cart so Levi stayed aboard.
Avery jumped right in on all the action, modeling the latest fashion eyewear.
With a household of three active Stommel boys, Donnie has taken charge of the Rancho Murieta cul de sac pre-fireworks display leading up to the RM fireworks show. He must have had a good 30 minutes of pyrotechnics to light off with Micah, Jaden, and even Caleb playing their part, lighting fuses, dowsing spent cones, and taunting those fountains and ear piercing whistlers. No worries about injury . . . Leslie (ears covered above), a nurse, was ready for any first aid called for. And I suspect that Donnie uses “entertaining the boys” as his excuse for noise, explosions, and streams of smokey sparks filling the evening air.
We doubled up on the party spirit, celebrating Natalie’s birthday on the 4th with Ryan, Avery, and who can resist patriotic birthday cupcakes?
In recent years, Grandma June began to drop in for the half hour that she predicted when I picked her up (so much commotion tended to set in fatigue). But with family gathered, Mom seemed to thrive amidst the little ones’ energy and just off the vine heirloom tomatoes and other ranch-fresh selections from down the road in Sloughhouse. Mom stayed with the party for several hours, enjoying everyone and everything.
Next day, she joined us for an afternoon goodbye to all the Bay Area cousins over at the hotel as the children squeezed in a final splash in the pool and a quick meal of chicken strips and fries to hold them for the drive home. Neta June really energized with her family around her.
Thinking back on our Independence Day reunion with Neta June warms everyone’s hearts.
