In this newsletter

Editor’s note (That’s ME!)

TEN new website additions!

All about Heritage Makers

A Short Read – “Loving Your Relatives… even when you don’t want to”

Next time

Editor’s note

I don't know about you, but I'm excited about this year's opportunities and potential and have hit the ground running! So far...

• I've been working like an obsessed crazy woman on building valuable website content,
• I'm well into planning my own family's reunion for July of 2010,
• I just finished "The American Family," a book edited by Karen Duda, containing various articles and studies about the conditions of family in this country,
  
  and
• I'm in the middle of making a family photo book entitled, "2008 was Great!"

Thank you for being a part of Family-Reunion-Success.com. I welcome your comments and feedback! (Simply reply to this email.)

New additions to the website
(Count them - there are ten. Woo hoo!!)

Family Reunion Favors are Always Favorites!
From family reunion favors to personalized presents and gifts, choose souvenirs that pay tribute to your family, add meaning to your event and compliment the party atmosphere.

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/family-reunion-favors.html

Fun Cooking Games & Fun Food Games for your Family
Virtual fun cooking games might be easy to find online, but what if you want to play fun food games within the context of cooking in a real live kitchen? People will gather around food – make it fun!

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/fun-cooking-games.html

Free Printable Awards – Family Reunion Certificates
Free printable awards include furthest distance traveled, oldest family member, most grandchildren and more. Family reunion awards will add fun and interest to your program or family meeting.

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/free-printable-awards.html

The Oregon Coast is one of the best family reunion locations you’ll ever find!
The Oregon Coast offers many suitable family reunion locations. From site seeing, touring and shopping to surfing, tide pooling and beach combing, there’s something for everyone.

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/oregon-coast.html

Quantity Cooking
Quantity cooking tips, resources and ideas. Keep food safety in mind while cooking for groups. Tried and true family reunion potluck recipes.

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/quantity-cooking.html

Preserve Your Family Heritage
Family heritage is a kind of fortune or treasure. It helps express identity, define values and add meaning to everyday life. Use photo scanning and Heritage Makers photobooks to preserve your heritage.

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/family-heritage.html

Successful Family Photo Session at the Family Reunion
The family photo is probably the hardest – and yet most important – group photo you’ll ever have taken. Hire a photographer or do it yourself. But don’t forget to capture a family photo.

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/family-photo.html

Digital Photo Books - Make Your Own
An introduction to digital photo books. Basic information to make your own photo book. Use these photo book reviews to find the right publisher. Then create a photo book you’ll treasure forever!

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/digital-photo-books.html

Bear Lake borders Utah and Idaho
The Bear Lake blue waters are calling your name! This “Caribbean of the Rockies” is a great family reunion location destination. Whether in Utah or Idaho, enjoy great weather, scenery, entertainment.

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/bear-lake.html

Fun Card Games With a Personalized Deck of Cards
Play fun card games with an original, one-of-a-kind deck. Use the faces of family and ancestors to make your own memory game. Personalized playing cards make unique family reunion games.

http://www.family-reunion-success.com/fun-card-games.html

Heritage Makers

I can't help it - I'm in love!

I fell so in love with Heritage Makers that I signed up as a consultant! They offer the most options, best quality and largest product selection of any online personal publishing company that I’ve found.

Writing that book about your baby’s first year, your grandparent’s life history or your family’s favorite vacation has never been easier. There’s no software to install – just sign up for a free account, upload your digital pictures and get started.

I’ve published 3 projects in the last month and absolutely love each one. They’re worth every minute of time I invested and every penny I spent – and more. How can I help YOU preserve your family photos and stories?

A Short Read

LOVING YOUR RELATIVES… EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO
by Lydia Stucki

Shhh. Don’t tell any one… But I have some relatives that drive me absolutely bonkers. (Did I just say that out loud??) Forget about loving them, I barely like them! And that’s not really a good thing when it comes to loving family relationships, now, is it?

But here’s the deal.

If you (ie ME) want to have a strong family with successful family relationships, you (ie ME) have to put those “they bug me” feelings aside and look past the obnoxious character flaws. I’ve seen hurt feelings, jealousy and pride result in years and years of stone cold silence between adult siblings.

Immature? Maybe. But just because we’re adults doesn’t mean that we always act like it.

Whether you’re on the receiving or giving end of anger, jealousy or pride, it’s just not worth it. I encourage all of us to trade these all-too-easy negative emotions in for something greater. If not love, trade them for patience, understanding or perhaps just a willingness to compromise.

Taking the high road isn’t easy. Especially if you agree with the saying, “Happiness is a large, supportive, close family… in another state.”

Just because two people are in the same family, doesn’t mean that they are automatically friends. Friends are people that you want to hang out with and want to get to know… and take the time and effort to do so. It’s easy to click with friends.

Family, on the other hand, just might mean that your brother brings his obnoxious wife (who talks loudly about inappropriate topics, chews with her mouth open, always has to be the center of attention, bites her fingernails and whatever else drives you nuts) to your family gatherings. In this case, it would be much easier – and probably more fun – to hang out with friends instead of family.

How does that saying go? You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family.

But we can’t give up on family – we start and end with them. As author Anthony Brandt said, “The most powerful ties are the ones to the people who gave us birth. It hardly seems to matter how many years have passed, how many betrayals there may be been, how much misery in the family: We remain connected, even against our wills.”

Loving your relatives, especially when you don’t want to, takes tremendous discipline and self control. Look for the good (even if you have to use a microscope), be positive and optimistic, keep strong opinions on controversial issues to yourself and be tactfully honest.

If all else fails, keep in mind that, “If you can’t say anything good, then don’t say anything at all.”

All the best,

Lydia
www.Family-Reunion-Success.com
{Add meaning. Make memories.}