Wilkin Family Reunion: Day 1 High Country Crawfish Boil

 Where to begin?

Over a year in the planning. Natalie Diongue and her Uncle Carl Haack hatched a plan for The Wilkin Family Reunion at Lake Tahoe for the summer of 2026. 

What a great idea. 

What a monumental undertaking. 

What fantastic fun!

By my count, 36 people related by birth or marriage or fond association to the three Wilkin Sisters; June, Mary Lu and Margie, gathered for a week of meals, swapping stories, meeting and reacquainting, lakeshore activities, hiking and all around great fun centered around the home of Norman and Natali Maher in South Lake Tahoe, California.

The opening round for all gathered at the Maher home was a fantastic feast billed as the High Country Crawfish Boil. Ever the wilderness foraging provider, Norman had set his crayfish traps in a couple of lakes and reaped a bountiful harvest of 'mudbugs' or, in this case 'granite bugs', lifted from the sandy sediments of the High Sierras. There were sausages, taters, corn and Natali's tasty dipping sauces and home baked French bread beside the optional hamburger. Impressive and satisfying.

Buckets of boiled crawdads, plenty of fixin's as the clans
of Mahers, Haacks, Occhipintis and Sunesons gather under ideal weather
on Norman and Natali's deck, South Lake Tahoe.

13 out of the total of 36 Wilkin Reunion folks.
Warren, Carl, Carolyn, Cindy, Natali Maher, Steph, Bryon, El Hadj, Daba, Natalie Diongue, Saydi, Emmy, Sue 

Everyone in their Spirit Wear - Wilkin Family T-Shirts
Warren, Carl, Carolyn, Cindy, Natali, Steph & Bryon

More group photos
Natali, Steph, Bryon, El Hadj, Daba (4), Natalie, Saydi (2), Emmy 

El Hadj with daughter Daba, wife Natalie, son Saydi, Emmy (Steph's fiancé), Sue, Ruby & Alex

Many Mahers.
Warren, daughter Wila, wife Cheri, daughter-in-law Effie, Jenny (Effie's mother visiting from Taiwan -behind) and Norman Maher

Honored patriarch, my Uncle Norm Haack, flanked by newly engaged couple
Emmy and Steph (Norm's grandchild)

Bryon Ing looks for the photo drone
while wife Cindy and Steph pose

Our Hostess with the Mostest, Natali Maher
Welcomes my cousin Carl Haack & my wife Sue
to the Maher South Lake Tahoe chalet 

Beau & Ruby watch their father Alex fish for the  
most fascinating dinner item of all time -
a live crayfish.
Crawdad hunter extraordinaire, Norman Maher grins 
as daughter Lana grabs a mudbug. 

Little Beau Occhipinti dares to get close to the roiling pot
of crawdads.

Lana Maher gets a two-for. One big crawdad, one little crawdad.
Into the hot tub these dudes will soon go. Umm.

Carl Haack, Cherie [Maher] Martchenke, Carolyn Occhipinti gather
in Natali's kitchen with the smell of her fresh baked French bread. More yum.

Cherie Martchenke and brother-in-law Grant Maher

Large family feast on the veranda

Carolyn Occhipinti, Cindy Ing and Steph

Needless to say, the Wilkin Sisters Family Reunion goth off to a superb start. With thanks to Natalie and Carl for the concept and the organization to make it all come together. With additional thanks to Natali and Norman Maher for their comfort home, deck and patio, foraging skills and hosting aplomb to make everyone feel more than welcome into the family.

And it gets even better as the days go on!