This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the gift of family. My family is made up of 11 great-grandchildren, 22 grandchildren, eight siblings, and one set of grandparents that started it all.

In my large and diverse extended family, there is one thing capable of uniting us. Summers in Lake Geneva, Wis., bring my family together. At the end of each July, my entire family gathers at my grandma Evelyn Barrett's lake house for our family reunion. I'm not sure how my 92-year-old grandma puts up with it, but she annually hosts dozens upon dozens of family members.

From New Jersey to Nebraska to Nashville, family flocks to the lake each year. The lake serves as a meeting place, but its beauty and entertainment are not the only reasons why so many make the annual pilgrimage. The lake guarantees a reconnection with distant relatives, "the chance to meet a new baby, find out about someone's new job or house," my aunt Barbara Plachinski explained. Many family members travel for hours to celebrate and enjoy our cherished tradition. My aunt Kathleen Cavanaugh understands the importance of our reunion at the lake.