Meet the (Great) grandparents...

The real reason why Luke was brought to San Diego at six weeks of age:  To meet his great grandparents!
First he met my parents, the Dustin side of the clan.
That's where Luke got his middle name from.
Luke is my folks first great grandchild.

Great Grandmother June fell in love with her first Great grandson, of course!

My Dad...with his only grandson and only great grandchild.

Luke thought Great Grandpa Dustin was a riot!

Nothing like holding hands with someone you love...or fingers as the case may be. 

My Dad is 88 years old.
I did a bit of math....when Luke is my Dad's age it will be the year 2100.
My Dad met his own grandfather when he was three years old.
His grandfather was born in 1856.
The stream of the centuries seem brief when I consider those fact.

Then we drove a few minutes away to Bernie's parent's house so Luke could meet Great Grandma Barbara.
Our son Jeff was Barbara' seventh grandchild.
Luke is her seventh great grandchild.
Barbara is just as delighted with her seventh great grandchild as she was with her first!

It must be a really interesting feeling to hold your own son's grandchild.
I hope someday to find out what that is like myself!

Great Grandfather Hal agreed to hold Luke after worrying a bit that he might break him.
Not a chance...Luke is just as sturdy as the rest of the Spriggs men!

Sometimes Luke look doll like to me.

But that look doesn't last long...not with the rowdy men that love Luke like crazy.

When it was time to leave, Hal did a check to make sure Luke was all tucked into his car carrier just right.

During the visit we squeezed in two visits to each great grandparent's houses, and got professional photos of everyone done too.
After all...how often does a baby have FOUR living great grandparents around for picture taking?
(Actually, he has five...another great grandmother, Rachel's mom's mom, is also alive and well, and living in Maryland!)

I especially love this picture...Hal and Barbara will celebrate their 60th anniversary in December, God willing, and they are the sweetest most loving couple together.

Are we not blessed to have such a moment with our parents?
Sacred time.
Holy ground.
A blessing indeed.

How I wish that Luke would always have these four great grandparents around to love him and cheer him on. 

 

But we will have pictures, and stories and memories to share.
And he will see for himself from these pictures exactly how much he is loved.

Six Weeks Old: New Adventures/Old Rituals

"Luke, you are now six weeks old.  It is time for you to return to your roots."

"Roots? What roots?"

"We are going to where your ancestors have lived for years and years...and that mean..."

"I'm going to SAN DIEGO???  Cool!!!"

"Good thing I've already got shades.  No dude should ever be in San Diego without shades...."

So on Luke's sixth week birthday he had his first bus ride, and plane ride, and first hotel stay.

And he also got his first visit to the beach.

La Jolla Shores beach was packed.
I think it was the first time ever that it was a warm Memorial Day weekend at the beach.
Usually the end of May is gloomy and cold and definitely not good beach weather at all.

I feel like a bit of an expert on this subject: I grew up three blocks from this beach. 
I had my first date with Bernie here.
My mom and dad met at a party on this beach when they were teenagers.
Both of them grew up going to the beach as well.
Jeff was taken to the beach a few weeks after he was born.
Going to the beach is hard wired into our family's DNA.

There have been changes in the area around the shores over the years.
The bath house with the red tile roof replaced a very small building that was there until a few years ago.

 Scripps pier is still at the north end of the beach though.

 

 

The surf was really good.
The water was warmer than usual.

A perfect combination for the traditional First Time in the Ocean toe dip.

 

 

The sound of the surf surrounded us as we watched the breakers just as it has for us over the decades.

He liked his first dip so well he got to go in again.

Kelp!
Oh the fun things you can do with kelp at the beach!

Just two or three more years and we will be building sand people with Luke here, and we will dress them with kelp for hair and swim suits.

Sandy feet...just part of life in the summer when you are a beach baby.

We all will teach him how to body surf, and boogie board, and then his father and grandfather will teach him how to ride a surf board...both short boards and long boards.
It didn't seem too long ago that three generation of San Diego raised kids were out in the surf together and Jeff was the baby back then.

 

Oh Luke.
What fun you will have here over the years.
But your San Diego adventure is just beginning.
Wait until you see what is planned for you next!