Sarah's Family Tree

sarahwilk24
Jul 7, 2024
6 min read

Updated: Jul 17

Mom: Bonnie

939 pieces | LEGO: 31153

Assembled by Bonnie Draga, December 2024

Interaction Rating: 4 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged, but use extra care)

Hunter ended up meeting Sarah's mom, Bonnie, much sooner than he might have otherwise, since Sarah and Bonnie own a home together. For Hunter to be able to come over and hang out at her house past 5:30 pm on the weekends (when Bonnie gets home from her real estate job), they had to break the ice. Bonnie and Hunter met on March 5, 2022 (three weeks after their first date), by way of taking a walk together with Sarah and their dog, Ryder, at Sunday Park. It was awkward, but one of Bonnie's superpowers is keeping conversation flowing, so they all survived the experience. As Sarah and Hunter's relationship progressed, he would spend more time at the house until he officially moved in on January 1, 2023. Hunter and Bonnie now cohabitate as roommates, and get along quite well. Sarah is very grateful that Hunter has always been open-minded about living with his mother-in-law; it was one of the early indicators for Sarah that Hunter was an amazing human. Bonnie is a lover of mid-century modern architecture, which is why the couple chose the LEGO house with Frank Lloyd Wright vibes to represent her.

Dad: Trevin

128 pieces | LEGO: 31135 (retired)

Assembled by Andrew Deese, Hunter Williams; October 2024

Interaction Rating: 5 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged)

The original plan was for Hunter to meet Sarah's dad, Trevin, in July 2022 when he came to visit Virginia at the same time as Sarah's brother, Seth, and future sister-in-law, Mel. The couple had been dating for over five months by that point, so it was a good time to introduce them to the family. Alas, Hunter's maternal grandmother passed, and he ended up traveling to Iowa for the funeral, which coincided with Trevin's visit to Virginia. Their meeting would have to wait two whole years, until July 2024, when the couple took a week-long road trip to Indiana. Trevin has health challenges that limit his mobility, so he wasn't able to sight-see with them, but they did spend mornings and evenings of their trip visiting with him and his wife, Tracey (and Sparky, their pup!). They even celebrated Trevin's birthday, as it coincided with their trip (Hunter benefited mightily, as an ice cream cake was involved). Something impossible to ignore if you ever visit Trevin's home is his loud and proud love for all things Harley-Davidson. If it comes in HD brand, you better believe it's in his house, from curtains and clocks to rugs and mugs. He also owns three actual Harleys, including one in a similar shade of blue to the one represented in the LEGO set.

Brother: Seth

300 pieces | Pxawck: A-1

Assembled by Mike Alfare, March 2025

Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)

On the same July 2022 visit that Hunter was supposed to meet Trevin, he was meant to spend a considerable amount of time with Sarah's older brother, Seth. Hunter was away for much of Seth's stay, as he had attended his grandmother's funeral, but he returned in time to at least meet Seth. For his part, Seth stayed up until past midnight to wait for Hunter to get back to Sarah's home from the airport, so that he could meet him at the first possible chance. The next time Hunter saw him was when Emma (Sarah and Seth's sister) was graduating from college in May 2024, and Seth came to Virginia. They shared an Airbnb on a trip to Wytheville, where they tried on fancy helmets together in a gift shop and climbed a 100-foot-tall tower. After that, Hunter and Sarah wouldn't see Seth again until his wedding in Arizona in April 2025. Because Seth was busy getting married and throwing a party to celebrate, there were only select moments when Seth and Hunter could spend time together. It will likely be the same way when Seth comes to the couple's wedding, as it will be their turn to be busy getting married and throwing a big party. Hunter looks forward to future visits that are not dominated by huge life events, so they have more time and space to get to know each other as brothers-in-law. They chose the gun to represent Seth because he moved to Arizona and fully adopted the western lifestyle, complete with cowboy hats, big belt buckles, and lots of guns.

Sister: Mel

Succulent is part of JMBricklayer 20104, a 750-piece succulent set.

Assembled by Sarah Wilkinson, August 2024

Interaction Rating: 5 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged)

When Mel (short for Melissa) visited Virginia with Seth in July 2022, it was Sarah and Hunter's first time meeting her. Of course, Hunter was gone in Iowa most of their trip, so he spent very little time with her. Sarah was able to spend more time with her throughout her visit, but not nearly enough. The couple wouldn't see her again until Seth and Mel got married in April 2025. Living in so many states and time zones apart makes it challenging to see each other, but from the little time they've spent with Mel, they know she is an incredibly sweet person and an adept harmonizer in groups, keeping peace and bringing lightness. Her smile will have you smiling before you even realize what has happened. They look forward to spending more time with her! They chose the succulent in the cowgirl boot vase because Mel loves the cowgirl aesthetic, and if you squint, the succulent can appear cactus-like. She grew up in the West, and the desert is a core part of her spirit.

Sister: Emma

804 pieces | LOZ: 1245

Assembled by Rachel Deese, March 2025

Interaction Rating: 4 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged, but use extra care)

Hunter met Emma, Sarah's younger sister, pretty early in his relationship with Sarah. During their first summer together, Emma was living with Sarah and her mother while waiting for her apartment lease to begin, having spent her first year of college at VCU in a dorm. She and Plato, her cat, who was still just a kitten that summer, lived in the guest room across the hall from Sarah. Hunter and Emma initially bonded over Plato. Since Emma was local for the first part of Sarah and Hunter's relationship, they were able to spend much more time with her than with Seth and Mel. They've done a lot of interesting and fun things with Emma, like going to Hunter's first protest together, celebrating Emma's twenty-first birthday at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (where Emma also worked at the time), going to the Outer Banks and Arizona, and going to the Folk Festival and a Fleet Foxes concert together. It is bittersweet that Emma is moving to Chicago in the fall of 2025 to attend graduate school. They are both proud of her for following her path and having the courage to try bold new things, but they will also be sad for her and Plato to be so far away. They chose the funny replica of Mona Lisa eating snacks because Emma is a creative spirit, has worked at an art museum, has seen the Mona Lisa in person, and loves a good snack.

Cat Nephew: Plato

188 pieces | GiftGrove

Assembled by Andrew Deese, Rachel Deese; June 2025

Interaction Rating: 5 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged)

Sarah took Emma to the Richmond SPCA on Juneteenth 2022 to adopt a cat. That day, Emma found Plato, a tiny kitten with unique and almost wild-looking stripes. What they didn't know then is that he would grow up to be an absolute hellion. He has lived with the couple at different times, as Emma has temporarily moved back home between apartment leases. Cali and Delilah HATE him, but they think that's mostly because he has serious kitten energy, even now that he's fully grown, and C and D are both mid-life or older and ain't got no time for that. Hunter and Plato bonded quickly, and they became favorite play pals. Plato is the kind of cat that you can "pour" out of your arms like he's a liquid Gumby. He doesn't mind roughhousing and has seen many sights in his short life from the back of Emma's bubble backpack that he travels in. He tolerates a leash and enjoys exploring. He also has severe food aggression that has required him to be on downers (a photo near the bottom of this page shows him on his first day on his meds, having a time). He currently lives in D.C. with other cats, including one he's become very fond of, but will soon move to Chicago with Emma. He is strictly forbidden from being loose around brick sets, as he loves nothing more than the satisfaction of knocking things off shelves and listening to them shatter.