"Cruise-ship style" Family Reunion

At Carlton Landing with 23 family members

July of 2023, our family planned a 23 member family reunion in Carlton Landing to celebrate Adam's parents' 50th anniversary. Adam was the master-mind behind the event and created a "cruise-ship" style itinerary so that those who enjoy being active can go-and-do rather than what normally happens, which is everyone would sit around waiting for someone else to make the decision (which, no one wants to do).

We rented The Lodge on Twinkle Lane (which is near Mama Tig's) and Count it all Joy (sandwiched between the Tower Court Pool and Redbud Park). We had a golf cart, which became a shuttle for kids & tired adults to go back and forth between the homes.

Enjoy the podcast for the details behind the below itinerary & all the fun ideas Adam planned.👇

Hear from 14 of the 23 family members & what they thought of their reunion in Carlton Landing HERE on episode 14 of the All Things Carlton Landing podcast.

To hear from Adam, the mastermind behind this unique & well-planned reunion, click HERE for episode 13.

As you see on the itinerary, on the first night, to commemorate this special ocassion, we had professional pictures taken for the first time in 10 years. Christina Madore with Moonflower Photography was phenomenol. She is SO easy to work with, works VERY quickly, and is flexible on her pricing depending on your individual needs. Enjoy a few of those images:

The man & woman of the day, Barbie & Steve, celebrated their 50th wedding anniverary. From oldest to youngest, they have 4 kids: Aaron, Andra, Adam and Alex.

Alex (the youngest of the adult siblings) & his family, Cassidy along with their 5 & 8 year olds had a wonderful time at Carlton Landing. They LOVED the freedom to walk around with the big kids. Maybe TOO much freedom ;) They also LOVED the "shuttle", which is what the golf cart ended up getting called.

Andra & Justin & her family live in the Czech Republic & their kids have lived there all their lives. Because of the distance, they have only met their cousins a handful of times. We LOVED having the atmosphere & set up of Carlton Landing for the oldest cousins to enjoy the freedom to go and explore. I saw the older boy cousins out playing sports on Firefly park & walking around talking.

Aaron (the oldest Coleman kid) & Joanie and their family live in Broken Arrow. They have 3 adult sons (one of whom is married) and 1 middle school aged daughter. Their sons are very active and really enjoyed all the sports that were available, including pickle ball, basketball, & jet skis. Their daughter really loved playing hide-n-seek in "Count it all Joy", the house where the girl cousins slept. That house is near the Tower Court Pool & is FULL of secret hiding spots!

Adam & I with our family own The Lodge & LOVED sharing it and Carlton Landing with our family! It was SO fun to see them enjoy the magic and beauty and nature of our surroundings. This time last year, we were in the process of buying The Lodge. We already had planned this reunion but the location was up in the air. When we told the family we were buying The Lodge & would love to host, it created so much anticipation and excitement! It was everything we had hoped for and more.

Barbie & Steve live in Broken Arrow. We were SO grateful to celebrate their lives and their legacy. I couldn't ask for better parents-in-law & and grateful for the legacy of love for each other and love for Jesus that they have passed down to their kids, which we are passing down to OUR kids. The first night, Adam planned a VERY special event that honored them and shared stories of their lives & legacies. I loved that our kids were able to experience that sense of family & legacy.

Anywhere Alex is, laughs aren't far from following. But honestly, the entire reunion was full of laughs and fun. We hope your family will consider hosting your next family or large family gathering at Carlton Landing. We at The Lodge would love the opportunity to host you (to book direct at The Lodge, visit HERE.) Also, please consider "Count it all Joy" by the Tower Court Pool!

Also, be sure to book your photography session with Moonflower Photography!

You will definitely want to eat at Mama Tig's at least one time. To learn more about Mama Tig's, listen to episode 12 on Spotify and Apple Podcast.