49th Annual N---- Family Reunion Picnic!

Saturday was the picnic. It was our family's turn to host the event. Never before have I been personally involved in any drama on my husband's side of the family, but there's a first time for everything!

It was the 49th annual summer picnic. 49 years they've been doing this. And for the past 14 or 15 years, I've been lucky enough to be a part of them (I can't remember exactly when we started going - DH had been boycotting them before 'cause of his divorce, and other reasons).

My family is not very big. I have my mom, my 2 sisters, and my niece and nephew. My one cousin R is like a brother to me; we were raised together - we saw each other almost every day, at least that's what it seems like to me. My mom has another sister who doesn't speak to us so her entire family is separated from us and she had four children who are all married with children. My dad's family all lives out west, in AZ and in CO, for the most part. Or they're dead, the ones left here in NJ...

So I was THRILLED to become part of a big, huge, Italian family. A family that gets together without fail twice a year, and more often in smaller groups. You may already know that DH and I go to his sister's house every Monday night for dessert. The dessert is bonus - I get to see my SIL and BIL and an assorted niece or nephew every week. I love this. I love family. And they were so welcoming to me and to the rest of my family that there are no "in-law" feelings - they're my family.

Well, when part of the N---- family decided we were all going to take a turn hosting either the Summer Picnic or the Christmas Party, I was okay with it, even though it meant I'd probably be doing the bulk of the work 'cause I'm the most tech-oriented one between my DH and my SIL. And I loved it - designing the email invite, getting it out, sending out reminders, hard copies to the aunts and uncles who had no computers, and collecting RSVPs. I, however, would not have changed the picnic to the first Saturday in June. Every one of the cousins had multiple children, which means graduations and communions and all sorts of other obligations. And shore houses, there are a lot of those, too.

I have a lake house. And we LOVE it. But we didn't go 'cause it was the weekend of the Family Picnic. Others obviously don't feel that way. The turn-out was okay, but not great; the ones that showed up are the ones who always show up and that's okay - they're not the troublemakers. But afterwards, there were phone calls and comments about how so few people showed up and we should just cancel it 'cause the cousins have been going to these things for years and their kids were going only cause the grandparents demanded the families go but now some of the kids are getting older and have other obligations of their own and besides, it was the hottest day of the year and the seniors were hot.

Well, heck, I was hot, too! Now of course I don't want any aunts or uncles dropping like proverbial flies, but we were in the shade and sitting, not making them play volleyball or do calisthenics. And if it was too hot, they could have stayed home!

Why start making noise about cancelling something so wonderful??? I know I'm speaking selfishly, because I love these get-togethers so much, but come on. One hot day and a relatively low turnout (32 people instead of 50 as usual - and over 100 at the Christmas Party!) and they want to quit the picnics?!??

I VOTE NO TO DROPPING THE SUMMER PICNIC!!! (Not that I have a vote since I'm only an in-law!)