Hi y'all.... So some of y'all may be wondering.... What goes on at a Black Family Reuion? I've seriosuly have had people ask me this question. This is just my family, I can't speak for all black folks :)

Saturday 07.18.09 ~ Family Banquet
7:00pm <---lol.....

(I'm sorry, but you can't expect a bunch of black folks to show up at 7pm... We didn't get started till 8:30ish. I think 7pm was in 'colored people time CPT).....

This was my FOTN.... Gold Winged Eye... That I jacked from Katrina and keep rockin'.... I know I had lashes on because that's how I roll but maybe I took the pic before I put them on. I don't remember what I used because my memory sucks and I didn't write it down, I didn't fill-in my brows FOTN FAIL!!! I was like an hour late and I know it was wardrobe makeup related.

When I walked into the banquet room I saw the people who we usually sit with. My g'ma Mommy Cat was missing. This was the 1st reuion since they started having them 39 years ago that she missed. I ran out crying.... I couldn't go back in... So I went outside then to the ladies room to fix my face that I spent so long on to go back in. I said, "I love you Mommy Cat, but I'm not gonna cry and upset people and potentially lose an eyelash and get my mother more upset..... Then when I got back my mom got upset about the same thing. It was her frist reuinion without her mommy....It was a sad moment. The other sad moment was the moment of silence, we do it each year... Bascially everyone is quiet and any family can say the name of someone who's passed away in the family. I heard all of the ususal names, then my g'mas sister my Great Aunt Jean said Catherine Crim.... Then my mom & I really lost it... It was the first time we heard her name called during the moment of silence.... :(

My cousin is soo gonna kill me for posting this but it's too cute. He wrote this song a few years ago and we make/ask him to sing it every year.... It's called "Family Love is Forever"... Kinda our 'tagline'.... He started a little choppy at the beginning but he did good for singin acepella. He's gonna be a Precher!! Headed to seminary school in the fall. Don't know why he needs to go, he got his bible game down pat, always telling me that all the answers to my questions are in the "book".
Ignore my cousins (yes, I have white cousins, we friendly & mixed) head holding the baby and the kiddies runnin' around, I'm not a videographer or whatever y'all lucky I figure out how to put titles and crap....

ATL CAM...

*Lyrics & Song Written by Brandon Wells don't steal I'll kick your ass, he's gonna be a precher so I dont think he's allowed to kick ppls assess.

So after the song, announcements, brief open mic session & blessing the food it was time for eatin'..... There was a good selection of food but the ATL Airport Marriott Hotel FAILED!!! When I'm "down south", I expect my food to taste SOUTHERN..... The food tasted like food, no flavor. There were a lot of other banquets and events going on at the hotel that night and the food tasted mass produced, like cheap Buffet food.... The mac & cheese broke my heart, it tasted like sh!t, nobody ate it!!! It tasted like somebody accidentally poured lemon juice all over it. I'm in no way trying to offend those who planned the reuion it wasn't there fault, they weren't cookin'... I blame the MARRIOTT!!!!!

*click to enlarge

Family Portrait

I remember the good old days when I was a kid and I got to plop my behind on the floor.... Now I'm old and I have to stand for 20mins while we get situated b/c everyone is talking and no one is paying attention..... I can't wait till I'm really old, then I get a chair.... Bless Marc's heart for doing this every year. I don't have the patience to pose and place everyone....

As corny as it sounds I actually look foward to our annual family reunions. You get to see the extended family that maybe lives far away. We (the NY Family) made that banner over 10 years ago. It gets passes onto the next host family during the Breakfast/Business meeting on Sunday morning.
Then the fun part!!! Dancing....

ATL Banquet CAM..

ATL FAM DANCE CAM...

Then is was time for the Southern Youngins' to educate us on the dance floor.......

ATL DANCE CAM- Dirty South Dancin'

So that's what we do. The next morning there's a family breakfast business meeting where the banner is passed to the next hosting family. I heard Boston, MA claimed it so I'll be in Boston next July. I didn't attend the breakfast the next morning b/c me and the 21 and over cousins went to a club after the banquet, I don't think I've ever made it to the breakfast..... They discuss grown folk stuff like the scholorship fund, dues, the family website etc....

This is gonna be a 3 parter, lol.... I still have the club, some more FOTDs & FOTNs and hauling with Ms. Jaimie at MAC!!! I also have an announcement to share with y'all!!! No I'm not pregnant!!!!!

XoXo