It seems as though it has been ages since you've seen cousin Barb and her little ones (who aren't so little anymore), or gotten the chance to catch up on family gossip with the rest of the family. Why not take the bull by the horns and plan a good, old-fashioned family reunion.

This may seem like a very daunting task to undertake, but we promise, it will be worth it - after all, family is family. Let us break down the steps you need to take to get the ball rolling and we look forward to seeing you and the crew here soon.

1.    Which part of the family needs to be invited? We suggest starting with your closest relatives and working your way out from there. For smaller reunions, Mom, Dad, kids, children's children, make a nice mix. If you want to go a little bigger, pick which side of the family the reunion is for. Ex. Jane and Paul are married and have 3 kids and 7 grandkids, which is a nice little group. Jane wants to add her mother's side of the family as well - her parents, and her siblings along with their children and great grandchildren. As you can see, the numbers add up quickly, so it is best to get another family member to help get a manageable list together.

2.    What Type of Reunion should we have? If people will be traveling long distances to get here, it would probably be best to have the reunion last a weekend. Some will be hesitant to travel that far if it is for something like a cookout for one afternoon. Also, if you are planning just a one-day event, make sure your numbers and venue are compatible. Two hundred relatives all gathered in your backyard for a cookout may not be the most fun (or safe!).

3.    Plan far in advance. Big reunions need to be announced as far in advance as possible to give people a chance to make travel arrangements. if you are planning a really large reunion, it may be a good idea to set up a committee of family members that helps with the financial aspects of the planning and to help communicate the costs to the attendees. Large reunions can cost a lot of money and will definitely take up a log of time in planning, it may be wise to create a "reunion page" that has details and info pertaining to the reunion to keep everyone informed of how everything is going.

4.    Have activities planned. The good thing about having scheduled activities or games, is that it "forces" family members to interact. Have a little awards ceremony at the end of the reunion and hand out certificates and small prizes to the winner - try to make sure everyone wins something (especially the kids). We suggest some tried and true oldies like the Egg Toss, Tug of War, Red Light Green Light, Simon Says, Duck Duck Goose - all the games that the adults will remember from childhood the younger kids will also enjoy.

5.    Give a little. A really cool thing to do is to hold a reunion auction. Use some of the budget to get some cool gifts and auction them off during the main family dinner. The money that is collected from the auction can then be donated to a charity in the family's name that has been voted on before the reunion takes place - just make it clear that majority wins to avoid any hard feelings. What better way to celebrate having your own family together than giving to other families in need.

This is just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to planning a family reunion. Our facilities have four guest homes, each sleeping anywhere from 8-14 people and a lodge that can accommodate up to 30. We also have a state of the art kitchen for the family to use while in attendance, which helps take some of the burden off of having to plan meals out. Give us a call at 1-800-957-1776 and let us help you plan your next family reunion or send us an email to info@sugarhollowretreat.com