Cousins - Christmas - etc. 7/28/14

Hey, I'll post this on our reunion blog so ya'll can give your inpuy there please, so we avoid another e-mail chain  Wanted to share that Mom & I spent the better of the day together and the subj. of Jan 2016 and Christmas came up.  I know that we (Mom & I) are picking names this year - haven't gotten to it and can't really promise anything as cool as what Michael or Clare have done the past couple years but it'll be soon.

Anyway the point(s) I wanted to share was that Mom spoke of
a) "I don't know how much room there is, but I was thinking of my cousins - they have reached out to me since Dad died and that has meant a lot to me."  Shall we reach out to her cousins and extend an invitation?  Can we legally put Carvers on the floor for the sake of them visiting and needing a room?

b) speaking of cousins she spoke of the importance of the Carver cousins getting to know each other and what about asking anyone over 21 or anyone over 18? to participate in the Christmas Kris-Kringle - your thoughts?  My sense was that she feels family is important and we as the aunts & uncles should probably be doing more to help them get to know each other.   

c) so,,, I felt the need to share with you where her heart is "at" - at least right now....

xo bee

Since we are Driving to this Grand Event.....

I wanted to let everyone know that Mom and the "E's" will be driving.  It occurred to me the other day that by driving I might be of use for all those items that don't travel well via plane.  So if any of you wish to have me bring along extra liquids, b'room/toiletries, or camping stuff like sleeping bags, lanterns, whatever, please let me know.  Love to all. Bee

update on tellng Mom

Hello, (esp to Alex & Michael as they were not contacted)
After a few brief messages / texts between Kateri Bee Celia Chi Colette Clare Friday eve - it was agreed that Clare & Joseph will hopefully be telling Mom about the trip while she is with them.  This decision was suggested by Bee due to the fact that she felt so badly about being the possible "hacker" of the Carver Family Blog.  xo Bee

Summer To do list: Send Celia photos and videos for Mom's gift.

Remember a book you all put together through Joseph for me in 2009?   Two ideas come to mind that I'd like to work on:  a Family Movie (there is a wee precedent for these) and a hand bound book of photos and scanned letters, notes, jokes etc.  We can all participate in content and layout. as much as each person wants, or not.  I'll do a hard-bound perfect binding (that's what it's called) on the book, and cut together an amateur video with the footage you send me.

Now, if you are saying, "Darn!   I wanted to do that.  That was my idea."  Well.....GREAT!   Call me. Maybe it's your baby. 

Please send first round of photos/footage by early August for proof of concept. 

XO

Talking to Mom

Hello sibs! 

How about this idea for telling mom. 

We send her a beautiful invitation to come to a party - and she will be the guest of honor. This weekend or so. 

We  can do a few things like : 

Siign everyone's names 

Tell her to bring her bikini 

Ask her to start now to get replacement people to do her tasks for her 'people' ! 

Count out the days and add that number

Thoughts? 

I think she willl enjoy something to look at to remind her and for anticipation. 

The Fabulous Five

Aunt Cecelia's Open Letter to anyone under 14 on this blog and their parents:

( perhaps best shared only a few months ahead of the event):

Dear Eoin, Kate, Bobby, Rufus & Sutton (aka The Fabulous Five):

Perhaps you've heard?  There's talk in 18 months or so of a gathering.  That's two whole grades away from now, so you'll be quite a different person by then...well, sort of; you'll still be wonderful you.  I am already imagining it.

You'll be saying things like:
"Hey! Watch out for that Creeper!"
And I'll be saying things like, "I'm on Amazon ordering a movie. Do you want this one, or that one?"
You'll be saying, "Mango in my smoothie, yes please!"

And I'll be saying, "Everyone? The Fab Five are headed to the beach to collect shells. You're invited."  and, "The Fives will be studying constellations tonight - big people welcome to join us."

If ever you get tired, or hungry, or just out of sorts, we can go lie in the hammock and read together, or play a board game, or play cards, or go for a hike. Or we can go pile on Uncle Joseph, do canon balls and splash the grown ups, or decorate Aunt Haley's hair.

 I love you each so big, it's hard to imagine all that wonderfulness in one house!

It's waaaay too long to wait. 

As for The Big Seven:  Silas, Isaac, Charlie, Will, Xander, Eliza and Virginia, here's to hearing what would put smiles on your faces, too.  


PS  Yes, that's right, together you are The ___ Dozen.  (you get to fill in the blank).
 

Thank you every one! Date is set

Hello all-
Thanks for making the time.
It was fun.
So we have settled on the date: Xmas 2015- early Jan 2016
We have decided to each look at 2 options for south Florida
Warm, beach, preferably one place but maybe two places with ability to cook and do outdoor activities
Xox
k

Prior to Conf Call on 6/15/14 @ 8:00PM EST:  consider: 1st,or  2nd, week in August within the US (NJ Coast, OuterBanks, Flathead Lake, MT, Petaluma or BTFarm????).  No date will be perfect for all of us

WE MUST HAVE A CONFERENCE CALL - PLEASE!  KATY WILL INITIATE 6/15/14  @ 8:00PM EST

hello 6/4/2014

Hello folks
Thanks Bee, alex, clare for accepting the blog invite. Please encourage/ text/ email/ bug  others to join unless you have a better way to avoid reading long chains of emails and have a space on line to gather.

A few things that are rolling in my head that I should have shared:
- no date is gonna be good for all; everyone is going to have to give ( ie: use personal days at work, save money, negotiate with extended family to make this happen etc. )
- some will come earlier and some will stay later: all fine
- I think- but I could be wrong- that MOM will not mind where it is along as we are all together
- Why pick a date 18 months ahead: so all who need to accrue PTO, put in for the time from their employer etc will have more than a year to do so.
- I see this as a ONE TIME event. we will likely never do this again with Mom in the picture
- Since we are less than 30 now, it seems like a good time as opposed to several years from now when the older grand kids may be married- which is not a bad thing- :)  it just starts to get more complicated with 30+ people.
-  I hope that we can make a vacation out of this and plan  it that way ( saving vacating time at work and money towards this vacation).
- There is no expectation that all the grandkids and / or even spouses come, I think though that it will be impt for all of mom's 9 to be there for at least 2-3 days. That said, EVERYONE is the ideal.

Hope that helps wrap your head around this.

:)

 Good morning all,
Bee and I talked last night and we think that we need an online space so we all do not have to read chains and chains of emails.

If you want another on line space - got for it.  name it, create it and invite us. In the meantime, I have done this. But, as I said in the original message, setting up a good place for us all  "to be " in the planning of this reunion  is going to be very helpful and make things smoother and easier in the long run!

OK quick summary for going forward:
- Bee and I feel it is critical to set the date first since this will dictate location.
- Someone pls make a Doodle Poll with the seasonal / date proposals

Things to keep in mind for selecting dates:
#1. Availability of as many people as possible: federal holidays are impt to take advantage of since we all  have them off.
- Keep location thoughts apart from setting the dates since the 1st priority for all of us is to celebrate Mom and be together. Clearly this can happen anywhere.

hugs,