In my shoes: Renewing creating memories

It's over. Summer unofficially ended as the Labor Day weekend drew to a close and so did all the planning and fun of my family reunion. But the memories will last forever.

Reunions and summer are excellent times to create great memories.

I won't forget seeing my 84-year-old uncle join the line of women, including his granddaughter, as we danced at our Saturday cookout.

The e-mails are already flying among cousins I had never met before. And I saw a photo of my grandfather as an infant that I didn't know existed.

This is what family reunions are all about.

Richmonders Kate Snider and her husband, Jay, didn't have an official reunion this summer, but they managed to make some good memories with family.

"This year, we approximated a mini Snider reunion by meeting Jay's brother and his wife for a train ride and dinner at the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in Cass, West Virginia," Kate Snider said. "We stayed in a wonderful B&B and it was a special, romantic trip for my husband and me and a chance to keep in contact with his family."

For full-blown reunions, my family learned that planning is the key to ensuring that the memories are worth remembering.

My Knoxville-based family (mostly the women) took the lead in planning the Wagoner-Ross reunion. But they made sure others who don't live in Tennessee were included in the planning.

That was a good idea. It made us feel part of the fun while also taking some of the pressure off the hometown family.

Edith Wagner, editor of Reunions Magazine, said it's essential to involve as many family members from anywhere to increase commitment to and ownership of the reunion.

"Even kids should be involved in planning to at least voice their opinions, wishes and desires because unhappy kids can spoil a reunion," Wagner wrote in an e-mail from a family reunion of sorts in Germany.

Lots of my family members got involved by sending me their favorite photographs. I collected nearly 200 pictures and produced three slideshows.

My husband teamed with my brother in Knoxville to plan the games. They borrowed a few ideas from the television game show "Minute to Win It," which uses common household items. That helped keep down the cost but also provided ideas for games so all ages and skill levels could participate.

One of the first steps to begin your reunion planning is picking the date.

"Plan as far in advance as possible and notify everyone as quickly as possible," Wagner said. "Make sure there are no weddings, graduations or other important events planned."

And be prepared for a few disappointments, Wagner said, because if it's a big family you can't always expect everyone to be able to attend.

While summer is a prime time for reunions, she said families should consider other times as well, such as around Thanksgiving, Christmas or even a date that coincides with a milestone -- a major birthday or anniversary.

Once you've picked a date, things will start rolling fast. There are lots of tips online about everything from picking the location to paying for the reunion.

After all the planning is done, the fun starts -- well sort of. My family discovered that there was still a lot of work to do right up to and including the weekend of the reunion. When we arrived at the park for our cookout, one of my sisters and two cousins had been at the grill for hours cooking dozens of hot dogs and hamburgers.

Other family members stayed busy arranging the side dishes and beverages in between getting reacquainted.

And guess what? Things do go wrong. A couple of people got lost on the way to the cookout. And someone didn't get the size T-shirt they thought they ordered.

But here's the best advice I can give for your next family reunion: No matter what happens, take a deep breath and keep smiling. Remember, it really is all about reconnecting and enjoying family.

If you keep that in mind, you'll have more fun and your family will remember the good times and few of the glitches.

Sundra Hominik is senior editor of sports, features and community engagement. Follow her on Twitter at RTDHominik.