So, we’re putting it out there and would like to hear thoughts from everyone on a family reunion in the next couple of years. Maybe summer of 2014? We suggest letting only a couple or three siblings plan each reunion to keep from having too many cooks in the kitchen (till the actual reunion at least). Maybe we could create planning-groups by region? For example, Jere and Justin’s families can plan a reunion in their neck of the woods one time and then say, Melissa, Will and Chris the next; then Cass and Josh’s family can plan one together, and Steve, Matt and Ti another (assuming they’ll still be neighbors when that time comes around). It’s just an idea, peeps. This would let us share our regions with the family and keep travel costs down at least once every few reunions for those close(r) to home that year.
Mom has suggested we gather in DC for the first one since America Sings will be celebrating their 25th. She thought it would be neat for the grand kids to participate. Sounds like a great idea, but only if they’ll be performing in the summer since most of our kids will have different schedules/obligations in the spring. (Coming from CA with a tribe of our own we might need another year to budget for that trip!) Could we make it work though??
Does anyone have any thoughts and feelings about planning and/or a location for the first one? Any “rules” we should institute? Like length of reunion or reasonable cost limits? (We’re obviously talking to you dear in-laws since we Freemans are kinda new at this.)
Do Mom and Dad want to start us off?? Just sayin’. . .y’know. . .since you’re super great at planning trips for super large parties, and since you kinda started this super family way back when, and ’cause we think you’re super great and want you to want to attend the first one. Actually, we think Mom and Dad should always be involved in the planning, somehow, so maybe we just decide who will head up this first one and then counsel with Mom and Dad.
It doesn’t really matter. Let’s hear what everyone’s thinking and let’s get this party started!
I think it’s a great idea! And 2014 for the first one would give everyone a chance to start budgeting for it now. I like the DC idea, but defer to those who have kids is school and such. If not DC, then I volunteer the CV folks to host the first one. Maybe we can get a block of rooms or something. Hey Utah folks, someone want to look into seeing how much it costs for a week at those retreat places BYU has up Provo Canyon?
Not that we all wouldn’t make great hosts to almost 40 people for 3-5 days, but because something precious always inevitably breaks, someone gets unintentionally eaten out of house and home, and then someone will end up having to clean up everyone else’s mess after everyone is long gone (and we all know how much work it is to just clean up after our own family’s mess after a vacation!), I’d like to suggest that we keep our reunions away from family’s homes. Unless, of course, someone really, really, really wants to do so. Is that an unreasonable reunion guideline?
I agree with Trish. I think it’s a good idea to keep most activities, sleeping quarters, etc., out of peoples’ homes. Logistically speaking, there are more and more of us all the time, and even if someone was willing to host everyone at their house, there wouldn’t be enough room pretty quickly! Then you get into the whole issue with bathrooms and everything else–it can be difficult with adults, but it is crazy with numerous small children.
That being said, I don’t think there can’t ever be anyone staying at someone else’s house. For example, we have a hide-a-bed in our living room that is usually unoccupied at night–and we wouldn’t mind someone staying with us. We are just limited to how many we could host! In the past few trips for weddings, we have been able to stay at someone’s house a few times, and that has been a lifesaver for us because we haven’t had to pay for a hotel. (The bigger our family gets, the trickier that kind of thing gets, and it does become more of an imposition on people, so we don’t always expect to be able to do that!)
There have also been a couple times we did ask about staying at someone’s house and were turned down because of limited space, etc. And that was definitely okay–we were not offended at all. I think maybe if we want to institute a “first-come-first serve” rule for hosting other people, with the absolute right to turn anyone down for whatever reason without offending. We all know how much space we do or don’t have, and what our own family’s needs and difficulties are. And I think we can be reasonable also about our requests to stay with others. Perhaps if we do arrange to stay with others, we can pay the host family some amount to help cover food and extra electric and water costs. . . (We have always tried to buy much of our own food, as well when we stayed with others.) Or even if we’re not sleeping at someone’s house, if we are mainly hanging out at someone’s house, we could all pay something to them. . .
I do think that doing something like renting cabins or whatnot somewhere could be a blast. Hotels are okay, but no fun without a “main” place like someone’s house to hang out at. That is one thing that could make going somewhere like D.C. difficult–no one lives there, so there is no “home base” so to speak–everything is out of hotels, and that is very trying, especially for little kids.
I have a dear friend who just attended her husband’s family reunion. They rented cabins somewhere, and each family got a room to themselves, plus there was a central kitchen and main hanging-out area where everyone could be. They had each family be in charge of a main meal that everyone ate (there were enough of them that some did breakfasts and some did dinners)–they bought, cooked, and cleaned up for that meal. Lunches were all every man for himself. They had maybe one organized activity every other day, but the rest of the time was for people to do whatever they wanted–go sightseeing, sleep, watch movies, go for a drive, etc. They all figured out costs of the cabins and everything and divided it up so that every family paid a share, plus whatever they got for their meal that they hosted. It really worked out nicely for them, and it could be a good model for us to use.
I do say that less is probably more. Less expensive, less lengthy (might be a good idea to start out with fewer days for our first couple of reunions until we know what we’re doing), less scheduled to try to do (I think we’d all like a more open itinerary).
So fun! We too love the idea of renting cabins (or even yurts) somewhere and the idea of planning in free time. It is a vacation after all, right? So, is it crazy to suggest renting a mansion and having everyone sleep under one roof?? I found one in UT that I calculated, on the high end ($860/nt), would cost just over $100 per person for a 5 day/4 nt stay!! (My head count in 2014 is currently 37.) That’s a steal!! And it’s minutes from civilization. Here’s the link:
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p300262
Places like this would give us enough personal space, be economical, and could (key word could) make for some really fun family memories (if we could stand being that close for a few days!). I bet there are places like this around the country. . . . Hmmm. . . . Who’s in charge first??
That mansion idea is AWESOME! : ) I love that house, and I think there are enough rooms there that we wouldn’t kill each other because there are places to escape! I think if we’re doing a reunion we need a place where we can all be under one roof–at least for some things. And it would totally be a BLAST for the cousins–just like a huge sleepover party. (Melissa, maybe here is the sleepover you never got to have! Of course, you might not have invited your brothers if you had the choice. . .)
As for who is in charge first, being inspired by the fact that it’s CV’s homecoming game today, why don’t we start with Arizona? Have everyone come home, you know. I will start looking into places around here. There may be some mansions for renting in Sedona, even, which is pretty close. If we did do AZ, I have a few ideas about things we could do if we wanted to, like maybe a visit to Lowell Observatory or even to where the new Discovery Channel Telescope is, and seeing a show. If we plan things right, we could maybe go see some dances on the rez and visit with Muppy and Aunt Marlene. . . We could have options of doing Grand Canyon or Meteor Crater or any number of things. There are some great children’s museums in Phoenix area, there is the zoo, and here in town, there’s Basha’s!
Maybe we could relive the glory days of Primary Olympics and having our own family Olympics.
Anyway, yeah. I guess I am volunteering Arizona first. If we’re not planning on things until 2014, we should have plenty of time to figure stuff out. And I am definitely thinking summer sometime because of school. August is probably out because of school starting early in August here (and likely other places as well), so either June or July. Of course, finalizing the dates will have to wait until spring of 2014.
Does that sound okay to everyone?
*have* our own family Olympics.
So my mission president has a ballin’ cabin in Tahoe, CA. If I talked to him I”m pretty sure he’d let us use it. Amy’s family had a reunion there and they liked it. There was enough to do both around the cabin and sight-seeing wise to last for a week. They had a bunch of games, mini motor bikes, ping pong table, pool table, tennis court with basketball hoop, sand volley ball, telescope, horseshoes, badminton, tons of trails, a spaceship, and a dinosaur. And it would be free. Except for Ti. It’s a little smaller but some people could camp outside (I volunteer as tribute) and it would be bomb. So there’s another option.
Wow, Matt! That would be fantastic! Free is ALWAYS better and, as much as we love, love, love Sedona, Tahoe does sound a little more appealing during the summer months. We’re on board. Now let’s see if we can get your other siblings to chime in so we can get this ball rolling. :)
Yes. That is all.
That sounds pretty awesome.
2013 is almost here. Should Matt start looking into the Tahoe venue?? So far, I think familias Will, Josh, Steve and Matt like Tahoe. Did I miss anyone? What do Dad, Mom, Jere, Liss, Justin, Cass, Chris, and Ti think?