rain out option

From what I understand Dorothy and Joan will park their campers for the day in the 2 camping spots adjacent to the garbage cans.

I think the Welcome Table and Family Tree Table would be nice in the huts - ?? any thoughts?

Lots of room for games like horseshoes....

should we make up little bingo cards and have each guest give each game a try so they fill the card with stickers and at the end get a prize??

any other ideas an suggestions would be awesome!

Ideas and organization for the family reunion

So we were looking over a few things that we will need to pull the reunion together, and if anyone is interested in helping out that would be great. If you have any suggestions to enhance what we already have on our list that is awesome!! 

If you are able to bring any of the items listed, let us know so we can mark it off the to-do list! Thanks!!

IDEAS FOR REUNION

Welcome Table:

·         need 1 -2 volunteers

·         1 table cloth & pens, tape, safety pins, first aid kit

(this is also the info desk, complaints desk and lost kids desk)

duties: greet guest have them sign guest book/hand out name tags

Raffle/Awards Table: (attached to welcome table)

If we are choosing to have 1 dollar tickets; 50/50 draw; raffle or other idea to fund event.

Family Tree Table:

·         need 1-2 volunteers

·         map of Canada on poster board

·         family tree on poster board (with or without names)

·         table cloth, tape, pens

duties: set up table

Food Table

·         need 1 volunteer

·         table cloth

·         potato chips

best recipe contest idea: have 3 senior men from the family appointed as judges and ask guests to bring a tried and true recipe – i.e. cookies for 50

have the judges taste and award badges for best food (everyone gets a badge!)

·         plates, napkins, utensils, paper towel, ice, pitchers of ice tea.

set-up crew:

·         need 5 volunteers to set up

·         road signs with arrows and family name

·         balloons, flags, streamers (leftovers from birthdays are fine)

·         string, tape packing tape or duct

·         table clothes

·         display boards for family tree

·         guest book

clean-up crew:

·         need 2-3 volunteers to clean-up

·         removing all decorations

·         removing all garbage from the area

AWARDS/CERTIFICATES FOR:

-shortest and longest distanced travelled to get there

-for oldest and youngest member of the clan

-for youngest grandparents

-for family with most children

-for those who have attended most reunions or get togethers

-other...

Games Coordinator:

·         need  1-2 volunteers (not shy people)

getting acquainted games:

 Ring toss game

-scavenger hunt

-baseball game

-horse shoes

-egg toss/redlight, greenlight, peanut scramble etc for kids

-other...

It is not your typical church cook book!!!

I am not a big fan of the church cook book with the coil bind and typewriter printing with no pics!!
I am a very visual person and definitely need to see what I am about to cook or bake.

Not to mention that I would like something that I can hand down to my children with family photos and some family history!

So I found a company online that will print a softcover 7"x7" cookbook for $15 (up to 40 pages!!)
so if you are interested in ordering one drop me an email so that I can order it for you for the reunion!!
You can also order using the paypal link. If you would prefer to wait and see what it will look like, I will have a few printed for viewing at the reunion and you can order online directly from blurb.

From all the recipes submitted there are some very obvious "family recipes" like the molasses cookies!!
They must have been a tried and true favorite at the holidays each year!

Whale Watching & Sea Caves

Our Nova Scotia trip would not be complete without a whale watching trip. So we are heading to Lunenburg (camera in hand) for a very touristy visit to the Bluenose II and a few hours of whale watching. If anyone would like to join us let me know and I will ask for a group rate. We will likely head there on the 15th or 16th (weather pending)

http://www.novascotiawhalewatching.com/tours.html

The closest our children have come to whale watching is the Vancouver Aquarium - so if you have any tips or no of the perfect time of day to go - please let us know!
I am not sure if it is like feeding time at the zoo where a morning trip is best!!




We will also head to Ovens Natural Park for a trip through the sea caves.
Nova Scotia is Awesome!!! Our facebook photo album will be huge after this trip! ; )
http://www.ovenspark.com/

Chester Race Week

During my hunt to find a great cottage in the Chester area I discovered that we will be arriving just in time for Chester Race Week (August 10-13th) Each day starting at noon you are able to watch the keelboats race through the water. How cool is that??
So if you have booked your camping spot at Graves Island, you will be able to sit on the beach, drink in hand ; ) and watch the keelboats go by!

I am sooo excited!

Let's cross our fingers for gorgeous weather !!
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fourteenday/cans0027?ref=qlink_st_14day

The Cook Book

We were sitting around the dinner table the other night and my children (12 & 7) were listing their favorite recipes  - Uncle Darren's Irish pancakes (little do they know it is only watered down pancake mix), Dad's meatballs (which is rice-o-roni and hamburger) and My soon to be famous slow cooker ribs.J
Even at their age they have started a list of family favorites. I grew up thinking that my Grammie (Myrtle) was the absolute best baker in the world, I still have her handwritten index cards in my recipe box. I unfortunately did not inherit her baking skills (I have found that bisquick is my best friend in case the children require bake goods for school) but I am always looking for fantastic recipes and the ones that are true to my heart are the family ones.

So we thought as a remembrance of this reunion we would produce a cookbook that would contain old photos, family recipes that are new and old, family quotes and fun stories.

You are welcome to purchase a printed cookbook (link to paypal is on the side) and I will bring them with me to the reunion. I will also have them available on CD which will allow you to print it at a later date.

Please post your recipes here or send an email if you would like to add a family photo with it. (If you have a "food" photo to accompany it as well that would be great!)

Accommodations

For those of you interested in staying over night in or around Graves Island. Here is a list of a few options:

Graves Island Camping: http://parks.gov.ns.ca/parks/gravesisland.asp
Chester B&B's
http://www.mecklenburghinn.ca/
http://www.swordandanchor.com/
http://www.thesurfsideinn.com/

It has been several years since I have been to Nova Scotia, so if you are local and know of some fabulous options, please share here!

The MacRae Family

Mom (Janet) and I were looking over the list today and realized that the Roode family alone has 55 people!
That is amazing! Hopefully most of us are able to come for the day.
If you don't already know the McRae Family Siblings are Ethel, Myrtle, Anne, Walter, Alice, Russell and Ivan

6 sets of families scattered all over Canada. I am not sure if any of you have started a family tree, but if you have and would like to share it here, that would be fantastic!

You're Invited!

Hi Everyone,

I thought I would do a quick blog for the upcoming McRae family reunion. I thought this would be a great way to share ideas, find out who's coming and generate some excitement about the day. So feel free to forward the link to everyone in the family that you know. Sheila Lawson (one of our family members) has done a great website http://www.mcraefamily.sclawson.ca/ with family photos and other details, so feel free to register and view some great pictures.

If you would like to receive a hard copy of the family reunion invitation please email your address. I made enough for the family members that don't have email!!
I have attached a link to the invitation at the bottom of the page!
Hope everyone can come~!!