Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What kind of a group is it?? Do they have the same likes and dislikes? Drinkers? Do the kids get along? Are they interested in the same type recreation?? As someone who actually lives at the beach I would not want them in a neighboring house.
We did weekends but not weeks. I like to see family, relatives and friends. As long as those all come along with each other. We did sleep at floor on mattresses, it is called "sister's bed".
We had grandparents, older aunts, causins etc. and it was super cool to get to know them and their history and life better. We tend to talk till midnight and athmosphere was so warm and caring.
I miss that time, but I am glad I can still remember it. I wish I could remember those stories word to word too
In 2001 or so, there was a family reunion for my step grandmother. Many of us on my side gathered at or often at my father's beach house. I have a found memory of two generations of two families there at the small kitchen pass through doing caught crab. Some of us in the kitchen, some of us in the dining room, everyone working together to process the meat and clean up.
It's unlikely we shall ever gather like that again but such memories are cherished.
We are doing something similar this year with my inlaws. We also rent cabins every other summer with my parents , my siblings and their families. We live far from both sides so it is important to me to provide my daughter a chance to build relationships with her cousins, second cousins, etc...
One things I have found is that it really helps if you can afford a place where each couple has a room and every one has a proper bed. Everyone is much better when they have had a decent nights sleep. When people (kids or adults) get stuck on the floor, or pull-outs, or waiting for everyone to go to bed so they can have the couch - grumpiness follows.
Ditto for seating - It's always kinda nice if there is decent chairs and a few smaller seating areas for more intimate conversations....
When we retired we moved to the beach.
We intentionally built our house small and efficient for our lifestyle.
If anyone comes to visit, there are plenty of motels in town they can stay at.
My family used to rent a house at the beach and we all had a great time. But it's really all dependent on several factors--do all the couples/families have their own room, or is there a room for just the kids? How are you going to handle cleaning? Or meals? It's worthwhile to hash this stuff out beforehand so that everyone knows what the responsibilities and expectations are.
No, no, and hell no! The only person I'm on decent terms with is my mother and the most I can stand her is 3-4 days tops. I'd never sign up for a week of family giving me crap over how I love my different from their beliefs.
Why would your husband marry you if you're of opposite political beliefs?
You'll be among those with three generations on those beach reunions pretty soon with the grandkids.
My daughter just had our first grandchild back in October. So our next family get together will have four generations for sure We are in the planing stages for a Sept get together in Nashville, Tennessee. Life goes quick and all the hard work pays off when you get older and see family getting excited being together for fun times. I grew up with four siblings and I get to see most a couple times a year, some more then others due to logistics. Both my two kids are starting to build their family's and we still see them every day. It takes work exposing the children to extended family members with most living out of state. We make a point traveling to weddings, graduations, new births, holidays and funerals and hosting holidays at our house. We are lucky to have our parents living close by us and living in Florida. That makes the other siblings living out of state want to come visit. All and all, I find that you get the most out of family relationships by how much you put in. Don't end up that old person living in the retirement home in front of the TV, while the other ones have family members visiting sharing good stories and memories.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.