Last week my parents hosted a family reunion. Following the example of my mother's parents, my parents have held reunions every other year for quite a while as the family continues to grow. We are now up to 85 counting all the in-laws and the great-grandchildren: 2 parents, 11 children, 9 in-laws, 52 grandchildren, 5 grandchildren-in-law, and 6 great-grandchildren. An impressive number!
Those not attending the reunion were: my brother in St. George with his wife and 8 of his children and three of my sons with their spouses and babies. My sister's husband came for just one evening with their two youngest and another sister's working daughter came up for the three evenings. It was a group of about 60 for the reunion. Considering the challenges of COVID-19 this year, it was a good representation.
The biggest challenge for the reunion these days is finding a place that can accommodate us and that everyone likes, recognizing that there is no perfect venue. This year we met up in an area near Coalville, in the mountains near Park City, Utah. My parents rented two houses fairly close to each other: Tandy Cabin and Silvercrest Lodge. Silvercrest Lodge also had a bunkhouse on the property. Between the three buildings, there were beds for 65. The main challenge was that when we showed up on Wednesday afternoon, only Tandy Cabin was available. The other cabin with the bunkhouse had been double-booked and would not be available until the next day. This meant there were only beds for about 24. So we improvised. Since the location was only about an hour away, quite a few of us went back to our homes to sleep for the night, including my husband and I. It was a little frustrating but in the end it worked out. It was fortunate we were close enough to go back home.
In conversation with other family members about the relative strengths of the place we stayed this year versus the place we stayed up at Bear Lake for several reunions, here is the not-comprehensive list:
Bear Lake vs. Coalsville
3 hours drive 1 hour drive (or less)
everyone in one house everyone separated into three buildings
good lawn area for games, gatherings had to go the park in Park City for games
crowded into main room for gatherings
fun little creek to play in 2 hot tubs, playground equipment
campfires allowed no campfires allowed
Bear Lake nearby Jordanelle Reservoir was about 30 min. away and we didn't use it
eating area crowded eating areas dispersed in and out and not crowded
everyone walking through kitchen better house traffic flow
not hard to find people difficult to find people with 3 buildings
a little warm during the day (6000 ft) very cool at night and comfortable in the day (8000 feet elevation)
In the end, there was no clear consensus. My mom didn't like how far apart the lodges were--neither did I. It was also too bad that there was no good grassy area for our traditional Undokai. Others really liked that Coalsville was only 1 hour from where we lived so that people could come up easily for the evening. This year's cabins were nicer than the house at Bear Lake. They were also more expensive. And had a gorgeous view.
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| Mom and Dad and 10 of the original 11 |
Those not attending the reunion were: my brother in St. George with his wife and 8 of his children and three of my sons with their spouses and babies. My sister's husband came for just one evening with their two youngest and another sister's working daughter came up for the three evenings. It was a group of about 60 for the reunion. Considering the challenges of COVID-19 this year, it was a good representation.
The biggest challenge for the reunion these days is finding a place that can accommodate us and that everyone likes, recognizing that there is no perfect venue. This year we met up in an area near Coalville, in the mountains near Park City, Utah. My parents rented two houses fairly close to each other: Tandy Cabin and Silvercrest Lodge. Silvercrest Lodge also had a bunkhouse on the property. Between the three buildings, there were beds for 65. The main challenge was that when we showed up on Wednesday afternoon, only Tandy Cabin was available. The other cabin with the bunkhouse had been double-booked and would not be available until the next day. This meant there were only beds for about 24. So we improvised. Since the location was only about an hour away, quite a few of us went back to our homes to sleep for the night, including my husband and I. It was a little frustrating but in the end it worked out. It was fortunate we were close enough to go back home.
In conversation with other family members about the relative strengths of the place we stayed this year versus the place we stayed up at Bear Lake for several reunions, here is the not-comprehensive list:
Bear Lake vs. Coalsville
3 hours drive 1 hour drive (or less)
everyone in one house everyone separated into three buildings
good lawn area for games, gatherings had to go the park in Park City for games
crowded into main room for gatherings
fun little creek to play in 2 hot tubs, playground equipment
campfires allowed no campfires allowed
Bear Lake nearby Jordanelle Reservoir was about 30 min. away and we didn't use it
eating area crowded eating areas dispersed in and out and not crowded
everyone walking through kitchen better house traffic flow
not hard to find people difficult to find people with 3 buildings
a little warm during the day (6000 ft) very cool at night and comfortable in the day (8000 feet elevation)
In the end, there was no clear consensus. My mom didn't like how far apart the lodges were--neither did I. It was also too bad that there was no good grassy area for our traditional Undokai. Others really liked that Coalsville was only 1 hour from where we lived so that people could come up easily for the evening. This year's cabins were nicer than the house at Bear Lake. They were also more expensive. And had a gorgeous view.
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| We weren't supposed to wear shoes in the cabins. I have to admit that by the end, I just left my shoes on since there was so much in and out and my shoes were not slip-ons. But I wiped my shoes off REALLY well. |
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