The 49th Graham Family Reunion is almost here!  July 17-19 is right around the bend.  Three cheers for wanting to make it happen during these unique times.  It will be fun & memorable for unique reasons, too. J  Let’s talk about more details so everyone has a good idea of what’s what and how they can pitch in.

First, thank you to the Reunion Committee for the updates via emails and the Graham Family Website.  Hopefully, you know that a hotel has been chosen (Country Inn & Suites in Anderson, SC; intersection of I-85 & Hwy. 76).  Please make reservations if you want to stay there.  In addition, a thank you goes out to Cristin for recently creating ‘The Graham Fam Reunion’ Facebook page.  It has lots of nifty info about what to bring & do.  Check it out if you haven’t already.  It will get you extra psyched! https://www.facebook.com/groups/298406204536218   

In our last email, we suggested some easy-peasy meals.  If someone has other ideas, please offer them!  Otherwise, let’s go with what’s below.  And remember:  lots of volunteers are needed to help with all sorts of things. So please put your name on the sign-up sheet wherever you can help.  You can find it here:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18SXpGfoBjFcdQaO63n060tkLr3oWAzItNpy9MHQ6Log/edit?usp=sharing

If you have trouble signing up, just reply to this email saying how you’re going to help and we’ll add your name to the sheet.

General schedule for meals & activities:

~ Friday dinner (around 6:30 p.m.?) – Pizza & sides (delivery or pick-up from nearby Domino’s 864-261-3030)  

~ Saturday breakfast – on own at hotel or wherever; extra coffee will be at the lake house 

~ Saturday lunch (around 12:30 p.m.?) – BBQ with sides (pick up from Creekside BBQ  864-260-9093)

~ Saturday flea market – after lunch

~ Saturday dinner (around 6 p.m.?) – home-grilled hot dogs & hamburgers with sides; we will gladly provide beef from our farm.

~ Saturday devotional & meeting (around 7:30 p.m.?) – after dinner at the lake house

~ Sunday breakfast (time?) – rendezvous at Cracker Barrel (near hotel)?  

~ lake time (skiing, tubing, swimming, boating, fishing, beaching, etc.), games, beach fire, and whatever else you want to do will be thrown in anytime in between.

OTHER MEAL/FOOD NEEDS:  

~ plastic cups, napkins, paper plates, plastic utensils, paper towels

~ drinks, snacks, desserts, sides, ice

STUFF TO BRING:  

~ Key things:  lawn chairs, coolers, beach towels, flea market items

~ Bonus things:  canopies, folding tables, life vests, water toys & shoes, fishing gear, games

If someone is coming who isn’t on the address list above, please let us know – and also forward this email to them so they are in the loop, okay?  This email will also be posted on the website.

It will be a fun family gathering for sure!  Please sign up soon indicating how you’re going to help.  The more, the better to make this the best time ever!

Blest be the tie that binds,

C&K

Dear family,

This just might sum it up…..

               CAN’T

             STOP

              GRAHAMS

            FROM

 GATHERING,

             Y’ALL!

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night….nor Coronavirus….can keep us from having our annual reunion!  And if one location won’t work, another one will, right?  So, we’re happy to open our doors at Lake Hartwell for all who feel like coming!  There has been lots of chatter among lots of family about lots of things, and we want to make sure everyone knows we welcome you with loving & caring arms.

As for stuff to do, there’s active stuff and quiet stuff.  Boating (pontoon, runabout, paddle boat), swimming (lake, blow-up baby pools), skiing, tubing, fishing, hanging out (on the dock, in the house, on the porches & decks, in the yard), games (bocce ball, cards, poker, pool table, corn hole, and whatever you bring).  We could even do fireworks, have a campfire on the beach, plus something you come up with!

For our Saturday night meeting, if about 45 folks come to the reunion our lake house would work fine for it.  If oodles more come, it would be best to have a meeting room elsewhere.  On that note, Kyle visited the several hotels that the ‘reunion committee’ mentioned in their recent email.  They all have meeting spaces and are about 10 minutes away from the lake house.  Of course, there are many other hotels in the area but they don’t have gathering rooms.  So….since knowing how many people will be attending will help determine the need (or not) for a meeting room, please RSVP as soon as possible.

EMAIL thegrahamfamilyreunion@gmail.com to RSVP!

For food, easy is the first word that comes to mind.  Here are some ideas: 

   ~ Friday night pizza delivered to the lake house;

   ~ Saturday breakfast on own at hotels or wherever;

   ~ Saturday lunch at lake house (order BBQ?);

   ~ Saturday dinner & family meeting:  depending on how many are at the reunion, either at the lake house (grill burgers & hot dogs?) or reserve a gathering room at a hotel;

   ~ Sunday farewell breakfast at Cracker Barrel?

    ~ Sides, desserts, snacks, drinks, etc. provided by everyone.  Several grocery stores are within a short drive from the lake house.

Other ditties: 

    ~ Bring whatever you’d like for extra comfort and fun (lawn chairs, beach towels, water toys, beach/water shoes, hammocks…).

    ~ If you have any questions, please ask.

Here’s to health and happy times as a family!

Love,

Kyle & Carol

Good afternoon!

I hope everyone is getting excited about the famous Graham Family reunion, because it is this coming this weekend. That’s right…this weekend!!!!  This time we are doing things a little differently. I am sending this email a couple of days early to give everyone a heads up on how much it will cost per family (head of household), menu, and what to bring with you.

We will be using the Fireside Ballroom/Banquet Room. It is supposed to be a good room for what we need it for. If you didn’t come to Unicoi Lodge the last time we had it here, there are a lot of things to do around the lodge and also in the town of Helen Georgia.

The cost per family (head of household) for the banquet room and two meals is $45. This is a great deal per family when it comes to catering.

Activities
The next thing is of course the “Aunt Emma flea market”. We need everyone to bring their items that they want to give a new home too. Thank you, Will Graham, for helping put this together.

We will have an art activity for the kids to do. Thank you Kelly Dean and Rachael Graham.

Our pictures will be a little bit before dinner. We will let know the time to be prepared with your smiles. Looks like some rain will be the area so we will probably have the pictures inside. Thank you, Matthew Gilley!

After dinner, Saturday night, we will have the business meeting/devotion service. At our business meeting this year, please bring any and all ideas of where to have the Graham family reunion in the future. Our church service/devotional will be given by our very own Will Graham. Thank you Will!

I believe that we will be going to Hickory Knob in 2020, but we will know more about the place for next year this weekend. Thank you, Jackie Shultz.

Food
Last but not least, the menu for the weekend…yummy!!!!   Friday night dinner will be on your own.  You are welcome to eat out, or eat a picnic in the Fireside Banquet Room.  Please email thegrahamfamilyreunion@gmail.com if you want a list of attendees so you can coordinate Friday dinner together!

Saturday lunch will be chicken tenders, mac-n-cheese, corn, garden salad, and watermelon. Saturday dinner will be Pulled BBQ pork, baked beans, green beans, coleslaw and applesauce. Thank you to Rachael Graham for helping me with this.

We are allowed to bring our own desserts and drinks (approval from Management). Also, with the amount of food that we are going to have we may have leftovers. So to not waste what we paid for, please bring Tupperware/containers to put leftovers in, to take back to your hotel room, to have as a late night snack or the next day.

I think that is everything and I hope everyone has a great rest of the week and see everyone this weekend!!!

Can’t wait,
Rosemary