Friday, March 7, 2014

Time to Vote, Family!




Time has come to decide our family reunion theme and t-shirt colors. I have done some research to compile a list of slogans and themes that will define the 2014 family reunion. So...I would love some family input, and this is where you place your vote. I have a list of slogans I would like to use, and the one that gets the most votes will be part of the theme this year. The slogans are:


  •  The Hamlett Family’s Heart and Soul - More Precious than Silver and Gold
  • Feeding the Hamlett Family Tree
  • Drawing From Our Past As We Strive Towards Our Future
  • It's A Family Affair!
  • A Bridge To Our Past, Present, and Future
  • The Hamlett Tree: Rooted in Love 
  • Looking into the Past to Enrich Our Future
 Here are the t-shirt colors (t-shirt color/lettering color):


Blue/Yellow
Blue/Neon Pink



Purple/Gray
Red/Black
Green/White


Unlike the first survey, this one has a deadline. Please have your vote in no later than March 31st - this gives me plenty of time to get our t-shirt and ball cap designs completed for the vendor.If you have suggestions, let me know in the comments section or send me an email. I welcome all input. Later family *crazy waves*!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

More Family Reunion Information!

Who is this little cutie pie?

Hopefully everyone is excited about the reunion and can't wait to be here. With that said, below are the prices of the hotel rooms. I will be mailing this information out as well so everyone will be able to reserve and pay for their rooms in different ways. The deadline for reserving and paying for your room is June 16, 2014. Here are the room rates per night:

Handicap Accessible King Suite:.................................$219   w/sofa bed, add $10
King Suite:..........................................................$229   w/sofa bed, add $10
Double Queen Suite:..............................................$219   w/sofa bed, add $10
Double Queen Suite w/partial ocean view:...................$249  (w/sofa bed)
Double Queen Suite w/partial ocean view:...................$239  (w/out sofa bed)

A room with a sofa bed adds two more people to the room capacity, and rooms w/ a partial ocean view adds $20 to the cost. The video I posted on FaceBook is an example of an ocean view room.

If you have a timeshare or other accommodations, please let me know so when I check the room block I can make sure everyone has a room. Since this is the height of the summer tourist season, hotels fill up quickly, so it is always best to get your room as soon as possible. For more information you can check out the webpage   http://www.clarionhotel.com/hotel-virginia_beach-virginia-VA050 or call them at (757) 961-8190 for more information. Meanwhile, here are more images from the venues:

Double Queen Suite
Below are some images of the BBQ location. We have a cabin at Fort Story, VA that is a straight shot from the hotel location. Complete with historic landmarks, you will be able to enjoy the family in a rustic setting with all the amenities needed for great family fun!
Outdoor BBQ Area (Tent not included)

So much to work with!

Cabin Kitchen Area

 Imagine playing Spades or Dominoes on this giant porch!

I have a mailing address list and I plan to send a nice packet to those on the mailing list, especially folks that do not use social media and emails. I look forward to hearing some ideas on activities and things to do as a family for that day. So far, I have suggestions for beach time activities like volleyball and clambake, and as I get more, I will ask those in charge what we are limited to with regards to beach gatherings. However, the BBQ is a go! I am pricing food and I am thinking in addition to paying for the room there will be a cost of $60/person, $35/child for both the BBQ and the meet-n-greet reception costs. I look forward to inputs in this area, because before you know it July will creep up on us and time will have run out. So - call me, email me, or post to FaceBook any questions or suggestions so we can keep the ball rolling!

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Information on the Venues!

John Cliff Hamlett
One thing I hate (not hate, but find kinda annoying) is not being able to get a good picture of what the destination will be like. We all know what the beach is, but when they talk about 'near the beach' or 'nice-sized rooms', it could really be anyone's guess. So I will post videos and pictures to get everyone excited about our get-together (NINE MONTHS FROM NOW!) and to let you know what to prepare for.
The Clarion Hotel
The website for the Clarion does not really do it justice. The rooms are clean - even the ones not recently occupied, the hotel staff is really friendly, and they are looking forward to making our reunion one to remember. Plus, it is walking distance to everywhere! Here is a room with the partial view of the beach:
Bed was nice, plush, and smelled good!

Now, I may have to post videos on our FaceBook page, but until then, I will talk about the experience. Maybe this is one of the rooms they always keep ready to show off, but it was really nice and comfortable. There aren't any suites, but each room has a sofa and most have some division between seating and sleeping. The rooms are big enough to use the sofa bed or use an inflatable mattress. The rooms facing the beach have a partial view - there are hotels that sit directly in front of the room so the beach is blocked by some buildings.

They also have a Tiki Bar by the pool. For the most part, the pool area is normally quiet, especially on a good beach day. When the evening comes around, we will be able to hang out there and enjoy the poolside and snacks. Tomorrow, I will post videos of the breakfast area and Tiki Bar for everyone! Until then, have a great holiday weekend, family!

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Welcome Family!



Welcome to the first post in the Hamlett Family Gazette!  Roz Bland (Mary Hamlett) here and I am using this tool to keep you informed of the latest happenings in planning the 2014 family reunion in Virginia Beach, VA.  I plan to post photos of venues, gather info from you for events you wish to see while here, and overall just keep you excited and hyped to be a Hamlett!

First off, the hotel selected is the Clarion Hotel located on Atlantic Avenue. On. The. Beach. Well - right across the street from the beach.  Anyhoo, you can walk less then one hundred yards and be on the boardwalk!  I am planning for a family BBQ at the cabin campgrounds on Ft. Story (still trying to get the images off my iPad to show you) and it is a wonderful location full of historic significance and surrounded by well-kept grounds.  Oh yeah - the first night we will have a nice meet-n-greet at a restaurant called Cactus Jack's to get everyone's feet wet and get a taste of the VA Beach night life.

Plans are still forthcoming, and I hope to post more pics and a few videos for everyone to see.  In addition, I wanna know what you would like to do? Spades Tournament, karaoke, talent show, or just sit around scratching our bellies after getting full?  No matter what, there will be plenty of sand, sun, and family love to go around!