Now that we have "successfully" planned and carried out a family reunion on our home turf, I feel that it is only appropriate that I write a little something entitled
"Family Reunion Planning 101", just in case you ever find yourself in this situation.First and Foremost it is important to note
who will be attending. In our case we had my mom and dad, sister, brother, sister-in-law, grandma, cousin and 6 kids (I guess they could fall in the 2nd generation cousin category--or something like that).
Because most humans do like to sleep,
accommodations are the next thing that need to be addressed. In our case we have a fairly small house, but a huge yard. So, we had all of our kids in our room and then used the other bedrooms, a tent, travel trailer and Fifth Wheel for the other folks. Actually I was amazed that I never felt like things were to chaotic, messy or claustrophobic (this was a small miracle for me really).
Activities are key. I think that we enjoyed exploring our area as much as our family did. We did a jet boat excursion, played a family trivia game and made smores for Family Night, looked at the bears painted by local artists in the down-town, threw a surprise baby shower for Matt and Ashley, the guys went shooting, the girls did pedicures, the kids played at the Kids Zone, We explored Ashland, played at the Science Works Museum, Watched two movies out on the lawn under the stars, picked blackberries, shot paint balls in our field, had a water fight with the kids, visited with our Aunt Kathleen, celebrated cousin Noah's 10th birthday and ended the week with a babysitter and an "adults only" dinner out. Whew. I don't know if anyone had as much fun as me. My favorite thing was visiting with my family. I was so glad that my grandma and my cousin Melody, who I hadn't really seen in over 20 years, came. I loved watching all of the kids interact and just wished that Chris' family and our Auntie J and Uncle D could have been here too.
Now for the dreaded
Things to avoid at a reunion....No matter how tough your Grandma is, try to avoid accidents where she hits her face on the ground. Seriously, I was so impressed with my Grandma. Even with two HUGE black eyes, she never complained and was such a good sport. I only hope that she will dare come and visit us again. Thank you for having a sense of humor Grandma! You have taught me A LOT!
Now that we have "successfully" planned and carried out a family reunion on our home turf, I feel that it is only appropriate that I write a little something entitled "Family Reunion Planning 101", just in case you ever find yourself in this situation.First and Foremost it is important to note who will be attending. In our case we had my mom and dad, sister, brother, sister-in-law, grandma, cousin and 6 kids (I guess they could fall in the 2nd generation cousin category--or something like that).
Because most humans do like to sleep, accommodations are the next thing that need to be addressed. In our case we have a fairly small house, but a huge yard. So, we had all of our kids in our room and then used the other bedrooms, a tent, travel trailer and Fifth Wheel for the other folks. Actually I was amazed that I never felt like things were to chaotic, messy or claustrophobic (this was a small miracle for me really).
Activities are key. I think that we enjoyed exploring our area as much as our family did. We did a jet boat excursion, played a family trivia game and made smores for Family Night, looked at the bears painted by local artists in the down-town, threw a surprise baby shower for Matt and Ashley, the guys went shooting, the girls did pedicures, the kids played at the Kids Zone, We explored Ashland, played at the Science Works Museum, Watched two movies out on the lawn under the stars, picked blackberries, shot paint balls in our field, had a water fight with the kids, visited with our Aunt Kathleen, celebrated cousin Noah's 10th birthday and ended the week with a babysitter and an "adults only" dinner out. Whew. I don't know if anyone had as much fun as me. My favorite thing was visiting with my family. I was so glad that my grandma and my cousin Melody, who I hadn't really seen in over 20 years, came. I loved watching all of the kids interact and just wished that Chris' family and our Auntie J and Uncle D could have been here too.
Now for the dreaded Things to avoid at a reunion....No matter how tough your Grandma is, try to avoid accidents where she hits her face on the ground. Seriously, I was so impressed with my Grandma. Even with two HUGE black eyes, she never complained and was such a good sport. I only hope that she will dare come and visit us again. Thank you for having a sense of humor Grandma! You have taught me A LOT!
No comments:
Post a Comment