I sent out a text to all of you regarding the family reunion. I have outlined the basic premise of what we would do and when we would do it if I were king of the world and could make everyone's schedules and circumstances work out. Recognizing that that is not the case, I will do my best to explain the awesomeness of our proposal and hope that all of you will agree and move heaven and earth to make it happen :)
We are looking at renting a vacation home from Friday, June 12th through Sunday June 14th a few miles outside of Lava Hot Springs. Here is a link describing the home. In short, it offers:
- 6,600 square feet of living space
- 2.5 acres of lawn at the mouth of a canyon
- basketball court
- volleyball court
- pool table
- 7 bedrooms
- 6.5 baths
- two kitchens
The costs would require a maximum of around $50 per person to cover both Friday and Saturday nights, assuming 80% of the family will attend (if everyone comes, costs will decrease). We might modify the fee a little to share the costs more evenly (a base rate for each family and then an additional fee for each person). Depending upon how this idea is received, we will give you more details in the future.
Schedule: This is very tentative and subject to change, but for those who could make it Thursday, we could spend the day in Idaho Falls. Friday would be used to go to the Lava Hot Springs (its just a few miles away from the rental home), Saturday would be used for our normal family reunion activities with built in free time for all the amenities offered at the home (see above), and for those who could make it, we would go to church together in Lava the next morning.
What I need to know from you:
- Do these dates work? (we need to know ASAP because this house is hot and this is the only weekend left available)
- Are the costs feasible? If not, could a modified distribution make them feasible?
If I don't hear from you here or otherwise, I'll be contacting you in the next few days.
Works for us! Looks like fun!!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea! Here are my thoughts:
ReplyDeletePositives:
- The house is beautiful
- Lots of outside space (decks, yard, etc.) to spread out and play during the day
- Close to Lava Hot Springs, which is always fun
Potential Challenges:
- What would the bedroom situation look like? From the website I count five bedrooms and a total of ten beds.
- That leads into the second challenge, is that it essentially has the same space issue as Jen's house. With five bedrooms (and a loft) and ten beds, there will be lots of packing in and sleeping on the floor, etc. I'm fine with that, but I know that has been an issue with others in the past. And here we would be paying for it.
Those are just my thoughts. Liz and I are totally excited! We love the out of the box idea and hope things can come together!
So is my math correct that I, with a family of six, would be pitching in $300? It looks like great fun. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteUnless we modified the fee schedule to include a base for each family and an additional per-person fee. That would make it more equitable and we can certainly do it.
ReplyDeleteWould the cost be the same for those families that didn't get bedrooms?
ReplyDeleteI also like the fact that their are two kitchens. Perfect for double the food making!
It seems to me that it would make sense to just have a flat fee for all families. Simpler, and really what we are paying for is the use of the space, not necessarily a room or whatever (of course, if I didn't get a room, I might not feel like paying as much as others that do :).
ReplyDeleteCost is definitely a consideration for our family, as we have to pay for gas to come as well as the house fee. In any event, the distance may be prohibitive for us anyway, so my opinions may be irrelevant. Cuts an hour of Mike and Liz's drive time!!!
That's fine, but the house doesn't seem big enough. I am concerned about paying to sleep on the floor:)
ReplyDeleteHey all. Thanks for your comments. I'd like to explore some concerns a little more. I have heard from multiple of you, both public and private, expressing concerns about space. Please help me understand these concerns a little more. As stated on the website, the home has beds for up to 30 and would be a bedroom for each family. Furthermore, it has almost twice the space as mom and dad's (both indoor and outdoor) where we had it last year. I don't point these things out to downplay your concerns, but to establish the facts so I can understand where the concern lies.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I don't thank space should be much of a concern. If we all have a bedroom, we will all have our private places to retreat to. Kids may be sleeping on the floor, but that's nothing new. I think the biggest challenge will be the cost. Giving people an accurate(ish) cost quote means that people need to be able to give commitments, which can be a challenge in advance. So the earlier we can commit to the dates (that's everyone) the earlier Brian will be able to give us better insight into the cost.
ReplyDeleteHA- I came into the discussion way late, and our family makes me smile ! LOVE you guys, love the idea, love to location, we're willing to do what ever it takes.
ReplyDeleteLOVE
Will we have desserts? Because I want to bake for the every one in the family,Thanks to Grandma I have her wonderful chocolate chip cookie recipe.Emma
ReplyDelete