If you have a family reunion coming up this summer, this country picnic theme is sure to provide the perfect setting for a get together. 

It was an honor to be asked by my Grandma Florence (G-Flo) to help with the reunion last summer. Each year, the extended family of Flossie and Henry Giles gets together to celebrate their lives, and this year it fell to the family of my great-grandmother Erma Giles Moorman. About 75 to 100 on average people attend. The theme we came up with was, “We Are Who We Are because They Were Who They Were.” We really focused on the traits of each of the eight children in the family. Some of them were kindness, honesty, trustworthiness, etc. We compiled some stories into a document for each family to take home and read about how the person exemplified that trait. It was such a nice take away from a beautiful afternoon, and family members have told me how they will cherish those stories forever <3.

My super amazing mother came up with a lot of this. We decided on red and white checker picnic theme, accented with bright blue mason jars and fresh flowers. The table cloths were fitted plastic, a life changing experience. They are so easy to slip over the tables and then clean up and throw away! I loved working with my mom, auntie, grandma, sister, dad, husband, and brothers on this! It was a fantastic family effort. 

Potlucks are the BEST! Everyone brought their own dish to share, and we ended up with a huge splay. I love these big lanterns that we hung. Tip on those: make sure they’re secured, because we had not one but two of them fall down during the afternoon.  Oops. 

The elderly love to stay involved, so we had a list where everyone could update their contact information. We also set out a bucket of seed to grow my great-great grandmother Flossie’s favorite flowers. In addition to that goodness, we had a drawing for a handmade needlework of Flossie’s. These small activities were great for the time where people were arriving. We also had a slideshow playing in the background of old family photos and videos, which I think added a great touch. For the younger folks, we had a game of volleyball going and some frisbees. Activities for everyone! 

The baskets. Oh, these little baskets. We spent all night the night before labeling each Dove chocolate inside each basket with the family traits that each of the siblings in the family represented. So, when you opened your darling mini picnic basket of chocolatey delights, you also were able to read the traits. Just another tie into the theme.

This is Calvin Giles, the last remaining sibling of the family we celebrate each year. He’s incredible, and when he spoke to us, the wind kicked up and added to the power of his words. I’m proud to be from such strong roots, and it was a blast putting this picnic together.