Family Reunion 2018
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About a year ago, the star aligned and a majority of my Chandler cousins and I realised that we all had newborn babies. This of course mean that if there was ever a time to plan a family reunion, it was now! Because for once, there was a good chance most of us would be able to travel since we weren't pregnant haha!
So, in true Chandler fashion, we planned and worked and divided the work into several committees. We set a date for a year from then, giving every one enough time to make their travel plans and be there. I got to work with my Aunt Madeline and head up the food committee . It was a labour of love on everyones part, and it showed in everything from the decorations [the poster of the root beer stand where my Grandparents met was my favourite], the entertainment [complete with skits, songs my Aunt Marianne planned, and games like bowling put on by Uncle Lloyd], the food [I did my first manual smoke over a 16 hour pork butt, and served that with what my Dad calls 'angry coleslaw' and Aunt Madeline handled all the great snacks and desserts, like root beer floats] and the all around love and care that was shown for my Grandma.
I have so many important memories and relationships with my cousins on both the Chandler and Hanaike sides of my family, and this is something that I desperately want for my kids. Although there are definitely challenges associated with our sheer numbers and space, they are far outweighed by the joy that comes from these new memories and fun.
In the end, it was just an all around wonderful experience, and worth all the effort. I hope we will see a lot more of each other over the years to come as these new generations form bonds of their own! And now, I just have one post to do to catch up on all the other fun things we've been up to this month haha.
