I'm so sorry it's been so long - here's a recent pic of Grace n Genna

Casas familia visits the beach in CC

Last weekend, before Shelley and the girls went up to Jacksboro/Lake Bridgeport to see Morgan and her new addition for a week...we all went out to the beach for a few hours. Check out the pics:

Easter @ Benavides Ranch

Easter at the Benavides Ranch was much quieter than usual. This is probably due to the fact that the majority of us got together the night before for a BDay party/dinner for Tia Mamie (her and Grandpa share BDays, April 11). Nevertheless, we had a good time. Vic BBQed a brisket (estillo Aaron Trejo/Central Texas style) and Grace and her primas had a small Easter Egg Hunt.

Below is Grace and Shelley cracking a cascarone on primo Frank.


Mom bring's Genna back from the Easter Egg Hunt out in Momo's front yard.

Grace continues to be amazed by the cascarones.

Genna was having fun with a toy given to her by Tia Becca.

Easter @ Casas Ranch part 3

April 11 happens to be Grandpa's birthday...so we had the Piñata and the usual BDay stuff.

Nana, Vic's grandma, never rests...she was getting
the big pot ready for Grandpa's cabrito guisado.

Finally the end of the day is here and there is time for a beer and some rest....
hey...who's feet are up on that chair?

Victor V - our detective primo...he FINALLY shows up to help...

Easter @ Casas Ranch part 2

Jorge was getting his dough ready -- Leo looks on and Raul in the background was helping out.

Victoriano was proud of his sombrerote (a VERY large Vaquero hat/sombrero) -- it kept the sun outta his eyes, and the rain away (it actually drizzled that morning -- just a sprinkle though...no drought buster)
Leo is in the background assisting in the Casas BBQ -- Victor V, our "cop/detective" primo was still asleep...crudo and is no where to be seen.

Easter @ Casas Ranch

Grandpa cooks up his favorite, Cabrito Guisado (baby goat meat in spices and gravy)

Joe Dan, Vic's Uncle, made the BEST tripas -- it's been a while since we've had tripas.
Jorge, in the background, was baking up some Pan de Campo, estillo Victoriano 'Boto' Casas. Boto, Vic's (and Jorge's) grandfather, one of the founders of the annual Pan de Campo festival in San Diego, Tejas

And...Victoriano, doing what he does best...BBQing -- in the pit is the a full size marano (wild pig), some chicken, cabrito ribs, beef ribs, fajitas, and yes...the cabrito head.

Pre-Easter celebration at the Day Care

The Casas girls all attend the pre-Easter celebration and Egg Hunt at Grace's day care

Genna...happy and smiling like always -- she is such a happy baby!

Grace, finishing up the Eater Egg Hunt -- check'n her stash.

Rancho de las Casas

No...not the ranch of House...but the Ranch of the 'Casas' familia.


Below, Grace decides...once we're off the "State Highway - HWY 44"...to take over the wheel and drive us from the gate to the coral.


Thanks to Laura for taking Grace over to see some of the cows -- Grandpa is in the background doing some 'show-off move' of "hey, I can feed this cow with my hand...check it"

Grace taunts the new Bull and shows him who the REAL boss is :)

Grace plays guitar?!

Grace and pulls out of her pink guitar to jam with Dad.


Then Grace decides she wants the jam on Dad's guitar! Check out that chord...looks like some "A" or "C" slide scale.

Oh yeah...and Sis is jam'n in the background. Here's a close up of Genna.

Grace is a drummer! (video)

[I hope you have some fat bandwidth - i.e. a fast internet connection]
FINALLY -- Behold...the future drummer, Graciela Mae:



This video was taken a few months ago -- see previous "Grace is a Drummer" post.

A few more pics from Grace's Bday

Grace (eating a PB&J sandwich) and Genna (on Grace's new Dora car - from Grandpa and Laura)

Yup...She's got her finger in his eye! Ozo is a really laid back cool dog...just don't sneak up on him if he doesn't know you.

Grace on Ozo like a horse!

More pics from Grace's bday

Grace was stunned (a little shocked) to see so many folks signing Happy BD to her. Tia Amanda in the background.


I like Grace's reaction in this pic.


Primo Jaiden in the background

Grace's BDay pachanga

We had a birthday pachanga for Grace. She turned two this week. Thanks to some primos, tias and abuelos...we had a great time! Here are the pics:










This last pic has sister, Genevieve!

Grace is a drummer!

Check it out...we've got out own drummer. Dad plays strings (guitar, bass, etc). If Genna picks up a horn, we'll have our own Conjunto!

**** VIDEO SHOULD BE HERE ****
SORRY GUYS!

My bandwidth is just not there for the 1+ minute video -- below is a pic and I"ll try to post the video later.

Thanks to Uncle Corey!

A few more pics of Monterrey

Here are some pics of the last night in MTY -- we had a great time!!


Here's a great pic of Gene and Juanita


The drive back to Tejas:

Why we visited Monterrey in the 1st place

The real reason...aside from all the nice tourism and the great cabrito -- the real reason we went to Monterrey, was to visit our Tio and Tia...Don Cesario and the loveley Juanita...her are some pics of us visiting El Paseo Santa Lucía and a few other pics later that night.

Later that night...we visited my primo Pancho at his business -- here's a good pic of his wife and his two girls, as well as Tio y Tia.


This last pic was taken with "El Cerro de la Silla" in the backgroud (yup...and Gene made an appaernce :)

Monterrey Pics - 2nd round

Check out the view we had...it was a gorgeous day to be out