Building Family Ties

You don't have to wait until Thanksgiving and Christmas to reconnect with distant family members.  Summertime can be a great way to build family ties while strengthening the relationships in your own household.  Planning a family vacation, reunion or just a gathering in your back yard can be a great way to connect family members to their extended roots.  Here are some great ideas for getting started:

1.  Host a family picnic:  Invite family to a family picnic.  You can make it as simple or elaborate as you desire.  If family are located close, you can have them bring a dish to pass and share the costs or you can provide the food and have them contribute the activities or decorations.  The more every member is involved in the planning the better.

2.  Plan a family reunion: Check out this website with all the resources you need to plan the perfect family reunion: http://family-reunion.com/  From concept to the actual event, there are lots of details to cover.  The planning can become a family project with every member contributing something to the event. 

3.  Combine a Vacation:  Sharing a vacation can be a great way to create family memories!  Choose a destination and start making plans.  To help inspire you, check out http://www.favoritefamilyvacations.com/  as a resource for ideas to build your vacation plan.  Pick a location in the middle or go to a favorite spot.  The possibilities are endless!
Check out our vacation planning tools in the guide as well.  Share your stories with us!

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