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My parents will be celebrating their 50th anniversary on July 2. For months, they've both been quite insistent they didn't want us to throw a big party for them or send them on a cruise or any of the typical things people do to honor their parents' fortitude and stamina in sticking it out together that long. In a bit of a turnaround, they're giving me and my six siblings a gift of sorts ... my parents have reserved a mountain lodge on the edge of Utah's mountain playground, the Uintas, for five nights and only asked that we bring our kids and enjoy being together, fishing, hiking, mountain-biking, etc. Even my brother who's been in Iraq for the last year will be bringing his family across the country from Virginia to attend.
I love my family. Really, I do. I'm blessed to have four sisters and two great sisters in law and we all have great fun together, and so do our kids. And I love the surroundings (see photo at left. Who wouldn't?!).
But counting in-laws, grandkids and great-grandkids, we'll have forty-plus people, from my 75-year-old parents to my sister's one-year-old twins. Forty people with forty different personalities, most of them strong! For five days. In one eleven bedroom lodge (admittedly with two 60 inch flatscreens, stocked fishing ponds and a million acres of accessible wilderness for four-wheelers, horses and mountain bikes).
Gulp.
I forsee lots of tongue-biting and "serenity now, serenity now" mantras in my head before the week is over!
My sisters and I have pretty much decided that the trick to everyone getting along is to make sure our kids have plenty to do so we're coming up with all kinds of fun stuff ... scavenger hunts, keepsake craft projects, nature hikes, Wii tournaments at night. One of my sisters wants to do a talent show like they did in DAN IN REAL LIFE, though I'm afraid I'm not quite sold on that one yet! Still, I'm sure we'll have fun and hopefully create treasured memories for my parents to remember their golden anniversary.
It's family reunion season everywhere, not just here in my neck of the woods. What's your view on them? Love them, tolerate them, avoid them like the Swine Flu? Are you going to any this year? And what are your favorite family reunion memories? Any great activities we have to make sure to include at our gathering?
I'll give away a two-for-one copy of my book THE COWBOY'S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE along with Christine Wenger's IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR or your choice of my backlist to one winner.
A COLD CREEK HOMECOMING -- the start of an all-new Cold Creek trilogy! -- SSE 9-09
For the most part
I love family reunions and get-togethers of any kind of people I don't see on a regular basis. There are times, especially with family, where you have to bite your tongue because old family patterns of behavior come into play. For example, recently my DD (19) went with her BF (20) and his family for their family reunion. She said there were a few tense moments between the BF and his dad where the BF said (nicely and without yelling, according to DD), "Stop telling me what to do. I support myself and don't live in your house anymore." As I told DD, sometimes it's hard for parents to stop parenting and for kids to stop being dependent, so there are some bumps in the road as each side struggles to fit into new roles.
On the other hand, there are moments where you can relax and let go with family like you can't with strangers and can let someone else take charge for a little while. Now five days of this might be a bit much, but it does sound like a lovely vacation place. I'm doing the math and figuring there are going to be a lot of kids rooming with their parents. The lack of privacy might get a bit tedious after a few days, but I do think it's wonderful that you can all be together to celebrate your parents' anniversary. It gives them the opportunity to see their "accomplishments"!
Adopt a shelter pet. Save a life; gain a best friend for life.
View my DD's very public video acting debut at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E-v05kMucw.
July 2009 Member of the Month
family picnics
When I was yuonger every summer we would have a family reunion on my dad's side of the family, we call them family picnics. I mean it was everyone in the family. We had one about five years ago, but in August we're having a family picnic at my dad's. I really enjoyed them when I was younger. We had water balloon fights, played all sorts of games. Now I'm one of the grown ups, but we have a new batch of little ones. I'm loooking forward to it in August.
JV, I'm definitely looking
JV, I'm definitely looking forward to most of it. I always figure I can go for a hike if everybody starts driving me crazy!
And the kids will be in sleeping bags, either in the bedrooms with their parents or in the two big gathering rooms in the lodge. It should be fun ... the lodge was built for executive retreat-type guests and my cousin and uncle are part-owners. We're the very first people to stay in it (which makes me more than a little nervous knowing what wild monkeys are kids are!). But I'm sure we'll enjoy it and I know my parents will definitely love having their kids and grandkids around.
A COLD CREEK HOMECOMING -- the start of an all-new Cold Creek trilogy! -- SSE 9-09
Nicolerko, water balloon
Nicolerko, water balloon fights are on our list! We've got five teenage boys in the mix and I imagine they'll be cutthroat!
A COLD CREEK HOMECOMING -- the start of an all-new Cold Creek trilogy! -- SSE 9-09
Family Reunions
First off, congrats! and happy anniversery to your parents. 50 years! That is great!!!
This family reunion/anniversery sounds wonderful. I really don't think its going to be as bad as your expecting, even with all those strong personalities.
I'm in the love them tolorate them groups for family reunions. The last one I went to was my hubbys dad's side of the family. I was so nervous because I had only met 2 people from that side, but I ended up having a blast! I like meeting everyone and catching up on what everyone is doing, playing games and all that.
One thing that everyone this of but sometimes forgets to do is get a pic of the whole family together. DON'T forget this! If you do you might regret it.
Our families aren't doing any family reunions this year, but I think we have 2 planned for next year. I probably should check on that again....My favorite family reunion memory is from the last one I went to. I was sitting around a table with the "ladies" of the family as they are called. They are all between the ages of 65 and 80 something, and they were trying to teach me a card game (they call it Golf, but no one could remember if it was the actual name of the game...LOL) and while teaching me, none of them could agree on the best way to play my cards, it was so much fun and I got to hear a lot of stories about the whole family at the same time.
I hope you have a wonderful time.
Family reunions...
Love them. And the older I get, the more tongue-biting I do. Which is a really good thing, believe me. I was always the family drama queen. So, you know. If I can watch my mouth and hold my temper, the rest of them certainly can.
Sounds like a wonderful, precious-memory-making time. Enjoy, RaeAnne.
Christine Rimmer
http://www.christinerimmer.com
Christmas at Bravo Ridge 12/09
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Ugh, even the thought of a
Ugh, even the thought of a family reunion gives me hives.
I like them in books way better than in reality.
Nancy
January 2009 Member of the Month
Participant in Date with Destiny 2009
Participant in Pass the Plot Spring 2009
I love them, too
Except that the extended family has gotten smaller and smaller, unlike yours. We used to all meet in Maine--there was no TV, no running water, not even a hand pump for the first couple of times we went--yet we had a blast. There was a lake, so plenty to do there. And I can't count the number of times we played UNO. Memories were created there.
I envy you yours. Have a wonderful time!
Susan
www.susancrosby.com
The McCoys of Chance City
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Family reunions
The best family reunion I ever went to was a family friend's reunion. I was a kid and remember fishing, playing, visiting and eating. Had a great time!
Family reunions
We don't do the family reunion with the t-shirts and extended family, but every Christmas we do the whole family thing. My maternal grandmother started it way back when, before I was even born. She'd have her mother, siblings, and all of their kids over the Sunday before Christmas for dinner and gift exchange.
My mother took over when she couldn't do it any longer and I took over for my mother a few years ago. We have a blast. I cook way too much food, same menu every year, and the kids play and bug us to open presents before dinner. Unlike the adults of our youth, we always let them.
Kathleen
I love family reunions with
I love family reunions with my family. Every other year, my parents rent some type of beach house and my siblings and their kids and us all go. It is only 20 of us, so small potatoes compared to yours. I am going to second the recommendation on getting photos. Every third trip now, we have a professional photographer come in and take photos. We get together and give my parents a credit with the photographer to purchase some and then we all purchase our own. It is a great way to get the family photos. Not sure if everyone will continue to come next year as the first of the gc will be in college, but as I told my mom, it is on my calendar.
Cady
TBR--The Born Readers
Family reunions
Since we live in North Carolina and our families live in California, we go back every Summer and it's like a family reunion every year as all my in-laws (Grandma / Mom. her 4 kids & their spouses and the 6 grandkids) get together and eat broasted chicken, play games and talk. We also take a lot of crazy group family pictures. This year will be even more special as my sister-in-law is getting married and my daughter will be her flower girl.
Tammy
June 2009 Member of the Month
Reunion
Well, the location sounds absolutely beautiful, so I hope you have a good time!
We used to do the family picnic thing back in Colorado (where my mother is from & most of my extended family lives). But it's hard to get back with work and all, although I was there maybe a year ago...
Stacy Connelly
Once Upon a Wedding - SSE 8/09
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I dread reunions! If I hear
I dread reunions! If I hear one more person ask me when my BF and I are going to be married, I am gonna scream! It seems like weddings births and deaths are the highlight of these events.
I do like to visit family on an individual basis though.
My DH's wisdom
He often says that family, like fish, stink after 3 days, so that's his limit for visiting family. Ha!
Adopt a shelter pet. Save a life; gain a best friend for life.
View my DD's very public video acting debut at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E-v05kMucw.
July 2009 Member of the Month
Family Reunions
I am an introvert so I dread family reunions. I hate all the personal questions that people ask.