Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a different theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the sixth day of the month is "Reflection."
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As you may recall from previous years, my husband's family does a big Labor Day family reunion every year. By my back of the envelope counting just now, it was a crew of about 60.
Friday was insane. We started by going to Costco to get stuff to make salads for the weekend. Then Dr. BB had to go to work for a couple of hours and I had to get to a meeting and get the house ready for us to be gone all weekend and prepare the salad stuff for the weekend. When we both got home, we packed and then took Hannah to the dogsitters house. We ate some dinner and drove to Iowa. (Note: We did COVID tests before we left. Negative.) When we got there, everyone else was already there, so we sat around chatting before I eventually went to our room to collapse from exhaustion.
Saturday morning, the golfers left for early tee times. I went for a walk with my SIL where I learned all sorts of family gossip. When we got back, all the non-golfers came for lunch and we went to the pool at one of the uncle's houses. The pool was a highlight of the weekend for me. It was a HOT weekend and the pool was the most comfortable I was and the kids LOVED it and even the surly teenagers were having a good time. We had between 12-15 kids (16 and under) depending on who was there at any given time. We did not have to referee a single argument, pool yoga was led, and a rousing game of sharks and minnows was had.
At this point, the golfers were back and people were getting ready for afternoon church. I went back to help get dinner prep ready. After the church people returned, we had dinner, followed by euchre tournaments and a rousing game of ghost in the graveyard for the kids. Towards the end of the night, my throat was really sore. Was it the AC? The chlorine? The talking so much? COVID? Quick trip to Walmart to procure COVID tests. Negative.
Sunday morning, the other people staying in the house either went to morning mass or golf (tee times at 6:30 am - YIKES!). I stayed and did some much-needed yoga.
The big event on Sunday was an afternoon softball game. Let me tell you that it was very hot, but the kids had a very good time.
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| Before my husband was in right field for 1.5 hours. He was still relatively happy here. For the record, I do not play. I took a million photos, though. |
Back to the house for showers and snacks. More euchre, ladder golf, bocce, and giant Jenga. Most of the kids were actually watching The Secret Life of Pets. Normally I'd get them about watching tv when they were with their relatives, but they were so wiped out from the heat of the softball game that I let it slide.
At this point, dinner was served, but my husband and I left to go to an engagement party for one of his best friends from high school. We ended up at a table with my husband's high school friends and I tried to make friends with their two dogs, Rose and Jet. Sadly, Jet never warmed up to me. We closed that party down and returned to my FIL's house where we snuck in and tried not to wake up any children.
Monday morning was a cluster as everyone tried to pack at the same time. We met my husband's high school friends for brunch before we headed out of town. Got home, picked up Hannah, did another COVID test (negative). We got an email that one of the cousins had tested positive before we got home. So far we're testing negative, but the writing is on the wall.
I asked more about logistics this year than I did last year to address some of the questions you had for me, so here goes what I know about it.
Where do you put so many people? My FIL and his wife have a big house and most of the events are at their house. They set up a lot of tables and chairs in the four-car garage. There are also seating areas in the back of the house and lots inside, including the finished basement. Dr. BB and I stayed with them, as did two of his sisters and their families (so six adults and six kids). Everyone else is either in town or they get hotel rooms.
Who organizes the activities? The golf is organized by my husband's brother. They had sixteen golfers on Saturday (I think) and nine on Sunday. The softball field was reserved by my FIL ahead of time. The pool belongs to one of my FIL's brothers and is brand new this year. One of the cousins is the "Commissioner." He organizes all the teams for softball, ladder golf, etc. He's amazing.
Who pays for the food? Good question.
Everyone brings their own cooler with drinks for their family. Water is available from the tap, of course, but most people do bring other drinks. Ice is procured by an ice fairy every morning to refill the coolers. I have no idea who does this, but I assume it's one of the guys who gets up at 5am. There is a call for everyone to bring their own desserts, which means there are a gazillion Jello salads, bars, cookies, and donuts. There is ALWAYS dessert.
Friday night was just snacks (little sandwiches, wraps, fruit) which were obtained from the local grocery store (HyVee) and I assume my FIL covered the cost.
Saturday for lunch we were all given assignments (I made a salad, my other SIL brought three mini-crocks of dips, etc.). There were two yards of beef purchased and three or four giant things of sliced cheese. Many boxes of crackers and mini bags of chips. This is all from Costco/Sam's. I think my FIL pays for some of it, but I know my SIL also invested quite a bit.
Saturday dinner is leftovers from lunch and there were additional crock pots of pulled pork and Italian beef and hotdogs on the grill. I made more salad so there would be something I could eat.
The first meal for the whole group on Sunday is brunch. We catered brunch through HyVee. This year we got fruit, two types of breakfast pizza, donuts, two types of breakfast meat (sausage and bacon, I think, but don't quote me because that shizz is gross), and eggs. My FIL covers this.
Cheese and crackers, chips, and trail mix are always available. LOL.
Dinner on Sunday is always pizza and leftovers and my FIL's brother always pays for the pizza.
(We, of course, bring GF food for my husband. This is a separate post on and of itself, but imagine that anytime there's a meal served, he's eating in our room.)
Who plans all this? My SIL did most of the planning, in consultation with my FIL. We used to have this shindig at my FIL's sisters' homes alternating between Bloomington, Illinois and Des Moines, Iowa, but I think the family has grown too big for those spaces at this point. My SIL consults a lot with the aunts who used to host.
What do you do? Basically, I spend all weekend cleaning and helping in the kitchen. I answer questions from children that parents are sick of answering (where are my shoes? where's the bathroom? can I have a cookie? will you open this Capri Sun for me? - WHY are they still designed like that?). The kids know I'll let them have a snack no matter what and if their parents ask, I'll take the fall.
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Do you have any family reunion traditions?
Omigosh--this sounds like SO MUCH FUN!! I love huge family get togethers, and yours seems so well organized with all the food and activities.
ReplyDeleteHope everyone stays Covid-free. With so many outdoorsy activities and Dr. BB eating in your room, I think you'll be ok (but fingers crossed anyway).
This event had multiple COVID cases in 2021 and 2022, so I'm not sure why we all thought we'd be okay this year. LOL. We'll see. Fingers crossed for everyone. So far that's the only case I've heard about, although I sat next to her on Friday night for quite some time.
DeleteWell this looks fun (other than the COVID part - ugh; hope you stay negative).
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any set traditions in terms of celebrating together, but we have a lot of food traditions, mostly around Christmas. It's funny because I LOVE tradition, but feel like in my current family (hubby + 2 kids) have have a good balance between liking tradition but being flexible.
As always, you sound like The Best Aunt Ever.
As someone who doesn't love potlucks, this sounds like a rough food weekend...I have still yet to try a Jello salad. 2024 goal?
Ah, but because I was staying at this house, I generally was able to eat before anyone showed up. Occasionally I'd get something off the shared potluck table, but NEVER after the kids had been through the line. LOL. It wasn't too bad for me on the food front. And it was great fun.
DeleteThis sounds like a very fun weekend. So much planning goes into these reunions! I think it's really great they do this every year - do you get along with the family well? It sounds so fun, especially the pool. Hopefully you dodge Covid! Fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteI do get along with the family pretty well! There are one or two people I try to avoid (politics, mostly), but it's a big enough crew that I can usually slide right out of conversations with those people.
DeleteWow! This is A Lot. I have a big family, and we used to do a huge reunion every so often, but it has fallen by the wayside over the years. I have to say I'm glad. I guess I've gotten tired of it? It's so much organizing and logistics and planning and PEOPLE. I find it exhausting. It's very telling to me that none of the younger nieces or nephews (in their late 30s or early 40s) have taken any of it on or even mentioned reviving it.
ReplyDeleteIt was just this year that my SIL (40s) has taken the reins from the older generation. It's truly an important event for the family and I'm relieved that it seems to have maintained despite COVID and some other family dramas.
Delete60 PEOPLE??? That's a LOT. This must take a tremendous amount of work and planning- I was fascinated how you broke it all down. It sounds amazing, and everyone must love it since you do it every year. I would be interested to know what your husband is eating during all this. I think you should write that separate post!
ReplyDeleteCovid is so odd. You can be sleeping in the same bed as someone who has it, and not get it (as my husband and I have proved.) Or you can just get it randomly. So- hopefully you guys will be fine. My friend just had it, and the doctor gave her Paxlovid. She said if felt like a cold and she was over it in a week.
How did Hannah do at the dogsitter??? Was she okay? She must have been happy to see you!
I just wrote it out for myself. I do think the count was between 55-60 in total. Now, not everyone does all the activities (golf, pool, etc.) and not everyone stays for all two days, but it's quite a big group. I am not much involved in planning because I'm an out-of-towner, but I feel like the people who plan it should add it to their resumes - it shows incredible event planning skills.
DeleteOur big family gatherings are only for 20 people;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's really just a matter of organization and the fact that it's always fun when we get together. Once we decide on a date, we just have to decide who's hosting and hand out a task list.
Just my husband's siblings, their kids, and my FIL and his wife is 23. LOL. That's a normal Easter/Thanksgiving/Christmas. It's truly delightful, though, and I love how close this family is.
DeleteWhat an amazing time it sounds like! Also exhausting.
ReplyDeleteI'm so impressed with how well everything is organized and it seems like there is something for everyone.
We don't have family reunions really. On my mom's side - Our grandfather lives in Taiwan and doesn't like to have too many visitors at once, so there is no unifying force. All my cousins live on the West Coast, and we're the only one on the East Coast. They do get together a couple times a year, but it's not super organized so I'm sure we are missing out on a lot. (My dad's side of the family all lives in Taiwan and I couldn't name them all if I had to.)
Yes, I am exhausted.
DeleteMy mom's family used to do a reunion, but I don't hear much about it anymore. I guess no one in the younger family wanted to step up to organize it. I can see how truly challenging it would be if family was spread out across multiple time zones/continents.
HOW FUN!!!!! I bet the kids especially have a blast
ReplyDeleteThe kids have so much fun. It's fun to watch them, too!
DeleteLove this. We used to have a similar thing with my husband's family but for Canada Day weekend, at his grandparents' place which is about an hour from where we live now. People stayed in the house, in the RV, in tents. There was a wheelbarrow of fireworks involved. So much fun and such a good way to see everyone at least once a year. It's harder now, and I really miss it.
ReplyDeleteIt is harder as time goes by. We keep thinking that this year will be the last year of the reunion, but everyone makes it a priority to be there and it keeps trucking along. I feel really lucky to be part of a family that gets together every year.
DeleteWhoa! 60 people! Wow wow wow.
ReplyDeleteI love family walks and gossip. That would be my tie for the fave part of the weekend next to the pool.
I hope y'all don't get sick!!!!
I sometimes like the sitting around the table with my sisters-in-law after the kids are in bed and everyone has left as a favorite time, too. I honestly prefer a smaller group, but I also want to see everyone, so I'm full of contradictions on this topic.
DeleteThis sounds like SO MUCH FUN!! I love traditions like this and I think it's so important for the kids of the family to make/keep those connections with aunts/uncles/cousins.
ReplyDeleteNo family reunions for me as most of my people are no longer with us, but I take what I can get around Thanksgiving and Christmas. :)
Honestly, Thanksgiving is just the immediate family, so it's 23 of us - that seems so easy to plan compared to Labor Day! It is so much fun and I love how much the cousins enjoy playing with each other.
Delete60 people! That would be so overwhelming for me, haha. But it must be such a fun tradition for you guys, and I'm sure the kids will have such fond memories of these weekends growing up.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the Covid case! I hope you remain Covid-negative!
My husband's favorite childhood memories are from Labor Day, so I hope today's kids have similar memories. It's so much fun and they're so adorable playing together!
DeleteSo far that's the only COVID case, so fingers crossed this wasn't actually a superspreader event!
Wow, that's a lot of people.... but it also sounds kinda fun for a weekend. I am sorry about the Covid case. I keep hearing about more and more cases again and I think I'll be starting to wear masks again in public. I am not keen on getting it again (and we travel on an airplane this week for my FIL's memorial service. Eek.)
ReplyDeleteI will never be on an airplane again without a mask. I just can't imagine. Good luck with that - I hope all goes well with the travel and your FIL's memorial service is a comfort to you and Jon.
DeleteThat is very similar to the 4th of July celebration with extended family. I don't know what the head count was but it's probably similar. I hadn't been since the summer of 2019 but was able to attend this year. It's a great way to see a lot of people. I'm glad you had access to a pool! The softball players were troopers. I would def be taking photos and wouldn't play!!!
ReplyDeleteHaving access to a pool was a real game changer for me. I don't ever want to go back to a no-pool Labor Day weekend. LOL.
DeleteThis sounds positively bonkers. Although, if people can co-exist for a long weekend, have fun together, and agree to do it *again*? It sounds like it's not just bonkers but perfect for Dr. BB's family. :)
ReplyDeleteMe? I'm stressed out just reading about it. ;)