What a MESS!

What a MESS! The Central Carolina Jaycees and the local Life Line and Recovery Mission teamed up to clean up the hut on September 5th. The filthy tiles and moldy ceiling have been taken down and new tiles have been put up. The walls have been repainted with one coat and the need for one more is in the near future. The back wall and the floor still need to be cleaned and/or reconstructed. Please join us for the next hut clean up day on October 20th at 5:00 at the hut. We will be working on the second coat of paint, reconstruction of the back wall, cleaning of the floor and much more! All help is needed to get ready for our first Halloween Bash on the 30th of October. Hope to see all of your there

An Apple A Day

Apple picking has become one of the Central Carolina Jaycees favorite fall traditions. Our chapter has never done this event together, but now we can’t imagine going a year without a trip to the orchard. This year, we headed to the Millstone Creak Orchard in Ramseur, North Carolina. The orchard was beautiful and family friendly. Most of the apples were high in the tree tops. Some of the members climbed to the top to get the best picks. Fortunately there were apples near the bottom so that the kids could pick a juicy apple take three bites then drop them on the ground. The picking didn’t last long for our apple buckets to be filled to the rim. We were able to pick apples, enjoy apple smoothies, and have a picnic while the kids played on the tire swing and humongous rock. What a great family day! If you missed we are sure to go back next year.

3rd Annual Food Drive

The 3rd Annual Food Drive collection was a resounding success! The Central Carolina members collected over 60 bags of food for the Sanford Area. The community’s response was absolutely incredible. Members and friends arrived to help collect food on October 3rd. Many thanks must go to the wonderful group of Jaycee volunteers and Sanford Community which helped make this food drive a success. The food collected was given to the Life Line Recovery Mission. The Life Line Recovery Mission members were excited and humbled by the generosity of the Central Carolina Jaycees Food Drive. With such a great success over the years we are truly looking forward to this project for many years to come.

Wii Wars: MarioKart!

If you've ever played MarioKart, then you know no one needs a reason to spend hours playing it ... but we came up with one: the Wii Wars MarioKart Tournament!

Several Central Carolina Jaycees and their friends and spouses got together on Saturday night to RACE TO THE DEATH -- or until one clear winner emerged. The boys practiced for an hour or so and then we got down to business.

After four heats (and a brief intermission for the kids to play), Billy Miller, Bill Shuey, and Ian Lindauer emerged as the top three racers. They then battled in a three-way race for the cup. After a grueling and action-packed four races, Billy claimed the final victory with Bill in second place and Ian following up the rear.

If you weren't able to attend, don't worry -- we'll definitely be doing it again soon. And next time, the Golden Steering Wheel could be yours!

Distinguished Service Awards

We honored some of Lee County's top community members last night at the Central Carolina Jaycees' Distinguished Service Awards dinner, which was held at Cape Cod Grill in Sanford.

At the dinner, we named Officer Marshall Cameron as our Outstanding Public Servant, Katan Akinosho as our Outstanding High School Senior, and Genevieve Quinones as our Outstanding Senior Citizen. Each of the awards were given based on the community members' hard work and dedication toward improving the lives of those around them. We were also proud to announce that Genevieve won Outstanding Senior Citizen for the State of North Carolina.

We all know that Sanford and Lee County are home to some amazing people, but it's nice to have a few certificates and plaques to show those hard workers how much we appreciate them.

Think someone you know deserves a Distinguished Service Award? Just let us know why and we can nominate him or her!

Kidsville News! of the Sandhills

The Central Carolina Jaycees were excited to have Vicky and Jack from Kidsville News! of the Sandhills come to speak at our meeting tonight.

The paper is a community-based kids' paper that promotes literacy and that the State Board of Education has begun using in end-of-grade tests. Very cool!

All local businesses should support community newspapers like this one. We plan to do our part. Let us know if you'd like to connect with Vicky or Jack to find out how you can help.

It's spaghetti time!

April showers bring more than May flowers ... they also bring our annual spaghetti supper!

This year we're hosting the dinner at Jonesboro United Methodist Church right on Main Street in Sanford and proceeds from the supper will benefit Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Just like last year, plates are $5 for spaghetti, bread, salad, and dessert; and if you buy three plates, you get a fourth for free! Where else can you find a meal for four for only $15?!

Contact us today to make sure we'll have a plate for you. And, please consider eating with us at Jonesboro Methodist ... we're providing a wonderful and talented spectrum of entertainment from some of Sanford's most talented singers!

A beautiful day for hunting!

The Central Carolina Jaycees were excited and proud to host the 2nd annual Community Easter Egg Hunt at Kiwanis Children's Parkplace this past weekend.



We had tons of kids, three face painters, a big bucket full of prizes, food, drinks, and FUN! You can see some fun photos of our hunters here.

We hope everyone had a great time!

Family Talk

Tonight, the Central Carolina Jaycees hosted FAMILY TALK at the Boys & Girls Club of Sanford/Lee County. FAMILY TALK is designed to help parents open up the lines of communication with their children to help prevent teen and pre-teen drinking.

Darla Cole, head resource officer for Lee County Schools, did a fantastic job of addressing a crowded room of elementary and middle school students, as well as some parents. She gave a dynamic and interactive talk about the dangers of drinking and how children can battle peer pressure. The kids had a great time trying out beer goggles and practicing different ways to say "No" when their friends or acquaintances pressure them to try alcohol.

If you are interested in more information about FAMILY TALK or preventing teen drinking, check out the resources on our website. In the meantime, here are some fun pictures from the night.

St Patty's M-Night

If you weren't at the Central Carolina Jaycees' St. Patty's Membership Night, then you missed out on some great fun!

Jaycees from Fayetteville, Asheboro, and Sanford converged at Bill and Shannon Shuey's house to drink green beer, take green jello shots, and play all manner of fun games, including stump.

Check our website to find out when the next party will be. You don't want to miss it!

Membership night at Joe's

Several new and old members of the Central Carolina Jaycees met to have drinks and hang out at Local Joe's Tap & Grill in downtown Sanford last night. We had a blast just relaxing and talking about stuff other than projects!

Morgan Cook & Shannon Shuey are all smiles.

Matt Dilworth & Kelly Quinones Miller toast to a fun night. Matt & Michael Lamping discuss physics ...
or something like that.
Matt Kaufman plays pool while
Ray & Tracy Culler watch.
Dana Kaufman lines up her shot.

You should come with us next time -- we promise you'll have fun!

Hearts 4 HAVEN

HAVEN in Lee County is often the first place women and families go when they are trying to escape abusive relationships or domestic situations. Unfortunately, our nation's shaky economy makes it even harder for HAVEN to provide shelter, clothing, and other support to families in need.

To make it a little easier, the Central Carolina Jaycees ran "Hearts 4 HAVEN," a drive to collect paper and household goods that the group could use to better support their clients. Paper and household goods are perfect for HAVEN because they run out quickly and they can always be put to use. For our drive, we asked for items like paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, trash bags, feminine supplies, toiletries like shampoo and toothpaste, laundry supplies, and dish washing liquid.

Despite rampant job losses and a crumbling economy, the Sanford community -- as usual -- pulled together to make this project a success.

Sixth graders at San-Lee Middle School, members of the Good News Baptist Church, and employees at the City of Sanford, along with shoppers at Lowe's Foods and the Northview Food Lion, joined together to help us donate more than $150 worth of paper goods to the group.


Because of Lee County's dedication to helping each other, HAVEN can continue its amazing work and help more women and families live safe and happy lives.

Jaycee Week in Sanford

The Lee County Commissioners and Sanford City Council declared this week (Feb. 15-Feb. 21) as Jaycee Week!

Lee County Commissioners proclaimed Jaycee Week at their 6 pm Monday meeting and the City Council made the declaration at their 7 pm Tuesday meeting. We were honored to be in attendance.

We would like to thank everyone in the city and county for their unwavering support of the Jaycees in general and the Central Carolina Jaycees in particular!

"Serve Up Hope" was a success!

Our first Ways & Means project of the year was a hit!

The “Serve Up Hope” Soup & Sandwich sale was Friday, Feb. 6 at the Jaycee Hut. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we sold 130 bowls of soup and made $650 for the chapter. Our soup choices were potato, vegetable beef, and chili. Each bowl came with a half sandwich, chips, and a dessert. Yum!

As you can see, we went through many pots in the course of the sale!

Project chair Kelly Quinones Miller would like to thank everyone who helped in any capacity, including soup makers Tom Johnson, Chad Gordon, and Shannon Shuey; dessert makers Laura Bruce, Shannon Shuey, and Amber Dunigan; and day-of helpers Andy Childress, Tracy Culler, Hampton Rutledge, Bill Shuey, Matt Kaufman, and Bobby Wade.

The best news is that we set a new record for the chapter. This project involved SEVEN men. That’s the most men ever involved in a single CCJC project!

We’re already planning the next plate sale. Let us know if and how you’d like to help.

Sanford Has A New Senator

At our last meeting, we honored Chad Adams with a Senatorship - the highest honor you can bestow on a Jaycee!

Chad was a founding member of the Central Carolina Jaycees and has been a powerful force in shaping both our chapter and the Sanford community. Past CCJCs Alecia Adams, Darla Cole, Ray Culler, and Christine Weatherspoon attending the meeting to congratulate Chad on this honor.

Past CCJC Ray Culler and current member Mike Cole both spoke about Chad's long history with the Jaycees and how his experience in the organization helped him carve a unique path in his career with the John Locke Foundation. Mike also pointed out that without Chad's influence in politics, half of Sanford's current political figures would never have considered running for office.

So if you see Chad around, be sure to congratulate him on this honor. And don't be hesitant to ask him how he thinks you can best serve your community or make the most of your experience in the Jaycees!

Inauguration Day

The Central Carolina Jaycees braved central NC's winter weather to gather on Inauguration night to celebrate and discuss the elections process and 2008's historic election of President Barack Obama.

We ate spaghetti and yummy desserts, including a red-white-and-blue jello trifle and red-white-and-blue snow cones made from real snow we collected throughout the day. Everyone sat around the kitchen table and made patriotic, themed signs and then watched highlights from the day's inauguration coverage.

We all had a great time discussing the highs and lows of the election, as well as sharing our personal opinions on the new administration. This part was especially interesting considering that the group is comprised of those who did and did not support Obama for the presidency.

You can see more photos from the night on our Flickr page!

Let's Build A Gingerbread House!

Our annual Gingerbread House building party is this Saturday at noon. Hasn't time flown? It seems like we just did this, even though a whole year has passed by. This is our last event for 2008!

This year, we're building the houses at the Moose Lodge instead of squeezing into Shannon's living room. Another change is you just have to show up instead of bringing a bag of candy with you. We're supplying the pre-made cookie pieces, the icing, and the candy! Now, if there's something special your child wants, bring it with you - but most children will be more than impressed with our spread!

If you'd like to join us, let Shannon know through email or by calling her at (919) 7356-6360.

Also, Santa Letters are on sale now. This year we've added two new backgrounds in case you have children who will notice that everyone's letter looks alike. Otherwise, everything will be the same as last year: the letter will come in an envelope marked from the North Pole and will contain personal pieces of information that you give us about your children.

Order today!

Visit with the LCPFS

Laura Bruce and I attended the Lee County Partnership for Children's board meeting yesterday so that we could present a donation from the Pumpkin Festival.

Everyone involved with the Partnership was very welcoming and thankful for our donation. The nation's economic hardship is filtering down to the county level, meaning that family- and child-focused organizations need community support more than ever.

We are very happy to have been able to help the Partnership and plan to do more work with them in the future. If you'd like to find out how to help, go to their website!

2009 Board!

The Central Carolina Jaycees have elected the board of directors for 2009. They are:

President: Shannon Shuey
Management VP: Kelly Quinones Miller
Individual Development VP: Laura Bruce
Community Development VP: Brook Wade
Membership VP: Abbey Lindauer
Secretary: Sarah Lyons
Treasurer: Amber Dunigan
Local Directors: Justin Coggins and Matt Kaufman
Chair: Hampton Rutledge

Congratulations to everyone! If you're a member and want to serve on the board - let us know!

Central Carolina Jaycees' Regional Social

Sanford is surrounded by some really great Jaycees, but unfortunately we rarely have the time or opportunity to just hang out together.

To resolve this problem, the Central Carolina Jaycees are hosting a Regional Social on Friday, November 21 at 6:30 pm for the Jaycee chapters in our region: Fayetteville and Moore County. We'd love to see members from chapters from outside of our region -- and the Sanford community -- as well!

The Social will be a pot-luck dinner prepared and served by the CCJCs. We'll also play lots of games (from poker to Pictionary) as we eat and gab. If there's a game you love to play, bring it along. Check back here for a menu and game list!

This is a family-friendly event, so we'll have food, games, and movies set up for the little ones. We hope that everyone will come to Social and have a great time.

Comment on this post or contact us to let us know you'll be there.

Samaritan's Purse

The Central Carolina Jaycees are participating in Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child -- and you can, too.

We are stuffing five shoeboxes -- 3 girls, 2 boys -- with toys, hygiene ads, educational materials and other fun stuff to send to needy children around the world. If you'd like to help, you can drop off donations at the Jaycee Hut during one of our meetings or this weekend between 12 pm and 2 pm.

Here's a good list to go by when putting together your donation:

SHOEBOX GIFT IDEAS

TOYS: small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®, etc.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

HYGIENE ITEMS: toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.

OTHER: Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)

A PERSONAL NOTE: In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.)

DO NOT INCLUDE: Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers; aerosol cans.

A huge thanks goes out to Gwen Schott, a general member of our chapter and executive board member for the state chapter, for sponsoring our shoeboxes!

We need all donations by November 21. Luckily, this is also the date of our Regional Social, which everyone is invited to attend. You can just bring your donations with you to the party!

Celebrate Autumn With Us This Weekend!

Our first annual Pumpkin Festival is this weekend! We can't believe how quickly October 11 is arriving, but we're planning an awesome festival filled with fun, games ... and, yes, pumpkins!

Luckily, Kent Yarborough has stepped up to help us out with pumpkins. His farm out on Hwy 42 is a favorite of my family's and I know he gets a lot of visitors from both Sanford and Broadway. We're very lucky to be working with him to get pumpkins to sell at the Pumpkin Festival.

But that's not all we'll have: There's a bee keeper coming, a lady who sells soaps and doggie treats, a lady who makes quilts and scarves, and Worth Pickard from Old Gilliam Mill to show off some antique tools, as well as demonstrations from clog dancers and G Force Kenpo Karate. This is on top of live performers all day, including The Gospel Echoes and Tim Hair.

So, all this stuff sounds great for adults. But don't worry - you can't have a Pumpkin Festival without fun for the kids. We'll have a bouncy house for little ones and a big blow up slide for big ones. Also, we're asking kids to come out in their Halloween costumes to be part of our costume parade and costume contest. Kids can team up with each other or a parent to build a scarecrow for our scarecrow contest.

All in all, there will be a lot going on - but it's going to be a blast for everyone. Oh, and you can come hungry - we'll be selling nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks! And, kids will get candy at each activity or station ... you know that'll go over well. :) We hope to see you there.

The Festival begins at 2 pm and runs through 8 pm. You can get details about the contests and directions for making a scarecrow at our website.

Clucks For Bucks

In our first pre-pay plate sale, the Central Carolina Jaycees sold 113 plates out of the Jaycee Hut this past Friday! Each plate had a barbecued chicken quarter, homemade coleslaw, baked beans, a roll and a dessert.

Despite a few minor problems (like getting the grill to work), we delivered our plates to a ton of very happy customers.

Our sincere thanks go out to Mike Stone at O'Connell's Supermarket for helping us out with the chicken and allowing us to use his grill. We couldn't have had a successful plate sale without his help!

This project went over so well that we're already thinking about another one. We've tossed around some different ideas: chili and cornbread, soup and sandwiches, spaghetti, pancakes or another breakfast-type plate. Who knows what we'll come up with - but if you have any ideas, let us know!

Congratulations Anna & Drew

CCJC Anna Lucas and her husband Drew welcomed their first child, a healthy baby boy, on Tuesday, October 7. Congratulations to you both!

Oh baby - it's a boy!

We celebrated new life with two of our Jaycee moms this week. Anna Lucas and Amanda Wilson are both expecting baby boys, though Anna is due in October and Amanda still has a few months until her December due date.



The baby shower was a lot of fun. We rarely have time to just kick back and enjoy each other's company without worrying about what project is coming up next and what must be done immediately or the world will collapse. :) So just sitting around the table with friends was a refreshing change of pace ... and who doesn't want to talk about babies? (Okay, perhaps people without children - but they need the heads up!)

The theme for the shower was paper, so we showered Anna and Amanda with diapers and wipes ... two things you can't live without when a newborn enters the pictures. Two of our members turned up the talent factor: Shannon made two gorgeous diaper cakes and Dana crocheted two soft and fuzzy baby blankets.

Suffice it to say, we're all very happy and excited for our Jaycee moms. And we're already to cuddle those sweet new babies ... when they're ready to be born!

2nd Annual Food Drive

We couldn’t have asked for a better response for our second annual “No More Hungry Bellies” Food Drive. We collected nearly 90 bags of food for Lifeline Recovery Mission — and delivered the food without a moment to spare.

When we got to the mission’s home, we found out that the group was completely out of food! Pastor Scott Yow had gone that morning to purchase breakfast for everyone out of his pocket, but they weren’t sure what to do for the rest of the meals. The group had prayed for food that morning ... and then we showed up.

This project really solidified for us why we enjoy being part of this community and working to make it a better place for everyone. Being a Jaycee makes you appreciate both what you have and what you can offer to someone else. Our thanks go out to the Sanford neighborhoods who were so generous: Devroe Meadows, Fairway Woods, Hawkins Run, Bridges Pond, and Woodbridge.

If you want to learn more about how you can help Lifeline, check out their website.

Mid-Year Convention

Hampton, Dana, Amber and I spent two lovely days in Statesville at the end of August for the mid-year state convention. Hampton isolated himself in his own room, but the girls all shacked up in one dingy little room with two double beds. But at least we were in great spirits!

Amber spent the weekend collecting signatures for First Timers and the rest of us worked on the "Amber Must Win First Timers Campaign." Though Amber was a good sport for the first 24 hours, she started to lose steam as the end of the competition drew near. It didn't matter though - we whooped up on those other First Timers!

We had a great time overall and met some really cool gals from Ahoskie: J.J. and Jenn. We'll be headed that way before the year's out.

Oh - how could I forget about awards? We racked up! The entire list is here, but suffice it to say Shannon was loaded down with awards and the three girls (Amber, Dana and me) won debate (though we needed a stiff drink afterward)!

You can see the full list of awards here. As always, pictures are on Flickr!

Turkey Day Trim Down Challenge!

Want to lose weight or just feel better? Join in on our "Turkey Day Trim Down" challenge!

For a $5 entry fee, you can meet us twice per month to check in, share weight loss strategies, and find new ways to get more exercise. At the end of the challenge, the person who has lost the greatest percentage of weight will win all the money everyone paid in.

You don't have to weigh in, but if you'd like to - an Enrichment Center volunteer will record our weights at each meeting. No one except that volunteer will have access to your personal information. Also, at each meeting we'll schedule a group workout session that everyone is invited to attend.

Here's the flier. We hope you'll come get fit with us!

Want to know more about Quakerism?

If you're at all interested in or intrigued by Quakerism, you should attend our Sept. 9 CCJC meeting at the Enrichment Center. Asheboro Jaycees' president Melanie Coble is coming in all the way from Randolph County to talk about being Quaker and answer all of our questions. It should be a run informative and interesting night!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

A group of Central Carolina Jaycees and their friends and family headed out to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Friday, August 29 to root on the Durham Bulls as they faced the Charlotte Knights.

In attendance were: Local Director Sarah Lyons and her son Bryson; Community VP Amber Dunigan, her brother Josh, his wife Kelly and their friend Matt; Individual Development VP Kelly Quinones Miller, her husband Billy Miller and their children Javi and Bella; and Glenn and Michelle Szabo and their daughter Toni.

We had a great time, though the Bulls lost the game. However, it wasn't because we didn't cheer them on. The Jaycee kids (Javi, Bryson, and Bella) cheered, clapped and sang along with the rest of the Bulls fans. Meanwhile, we enjoyed lots of fun stadium foods and activities - including hot dogs and nachos, the kids' obstacle course, and Goodberry's frozen custard!

While we all had a blast, you can see here that Bryson really rocked out. What a cutie!



Here we all are after sweating it out in the stands. Next time, you'll have to join us!

Jaycees Welcome 6th Graders To SanLee Middle

A small group of Central Carolina Jaycees welcomed the rising (and first) sixth grade class at the brand-new Sanlee Middle School this past Saturday.


We cooked and served hot dogs and drinks to the students and their families from 10 am to 12 pm in the SanLee Middle cafeteria. In case you didn't know - stuffing, wrapping and bagging hot dogs is a work out! You should've seen us hustling to get hot dogs in everyone's hands ... especially when the line stretched across the cafeteria!

But, a little sweat never hurt anyone and we were happy to help the school out. It was really great to see the excited faces of all those sixth graders who are experiencing all the nerves and butterflies of moving to a whole new school, from figuring out locker combinations to remembering their new teachers' names.

Despite the heat, the never-enough-hot-dogs and not enough ketchup, everyone kept their cool. See, here's a great example. Meet Shannon, Super Vice Principal (you don't even want to know what she was saying into that walkie-talkie):

CCJC Rafters Ride Again!

For the third year in a row, a group of Central Carolina Jaycees and their friends headed to the Great Smoky Mountains to white-water raft down the Pigeon River near Gatlinburg, Tn.

On Friday, the rafters headed to a beautiful mountain cabin nestled between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. After doing some grocery shopping, all 16 of us settled in for a 2-night stay. After a yummy homemade breakfast on Saturday, 15 brave people piled into two minivans and one PT Cruiser for what turned out to be a 7-hour rafting excursion.

Luckily, no one got hurt, eaten by bears or kidnapped by crazy mountain folk. However, while everyone else was gone, Kelly attempted to use Betty Lou (the dog) to lure out some wild bears back at the cabin. Fortunately, the bears ignored Kelly's flatlander stupidity and waited for everyone to get home before making themselves known. Yet, when they did show up -- the mama bear and her three cubs -- we were shocked, awed and super excited to experience them. (See previous post for some video!)

Though most of our group was exhausted Saturday night, a small group of us ventured out to experience the Gatlinburg "night life." You don't want to know how easy and hilarious it was to make this picture happen!

Alas, Sunday rolled around and everyone had to head home. Somehow, the trip back to Sanford was much longer and more painful than the trip to Gatlinburg seemed. If you're thinking about white-water rafting, you must join us on the next trip down the river!

CCJCs' Pursuit Of The Jaycee Hut Pays Off!

Keep your eyes on the Sanford channel! The Central Carolina Jaycees attended the August 5 Sanford City Council meeting, where the Council discussed the future of the Jaycee Hut, located at 809 Tryon Road. You can watch the meeting on the Sanford channel or view it online here.

The Council voted unanimously to allow the Central Carolina Jaycees to lease the Jaycee Hut, formerly home of the now-disbanded Sanford Jaycees. This meeting was a wonderful opportunity for the CCJCs to participate in local government, as well as get to know our Council members.

Here we are with Mayor Cornelia Olive and Council members Joe Martin (at-large), Charles Taylor (2nd Ward), and Mike Stone (at-large).

CCJCs pictured (from left to right): Amber Dunigan (Community VP), Brook Wade, Abbey Lindauer (Secretary), Kelly Quinones Miller (Individual Development VP), Dana Kaufman (Chair), Hampton Rutledge (President), and Shannon Shuey (Management VP).

Lions, Tigers & Bears - Oh My!

The Central Carolina Jaycees (and friends) headed up to Gatlinburg, TN this weekend to do some white-water rafting and generally de-stress. Luckily, we happened to be hanging out on the cabin's upper deck when a smallish black bear appeared out of the woods. You'll have to watch this video to find out what happened next!

Excuse the running dialogue ... the excitement overruled any Discovery-type narration. You can expect lots of pictures and an update on the weekend later!

Want Some Watermelon?

Nothing says summer like sweet, ripe watermelon. Or, sweet, ripe watermelon with a Vodka twist.

If you missed the party on July 12, you may not recognize these facial expressions:

That, my friends, is what happens when you bite into canteloupe marinated in Vodka. No, it's not pretty. Now, the oranges? You've got to try it!

Shout outs to Melanie, Gene and Kevin from the Asheville Jaycees. We had a blast!

Sandhills Rgional Family Day

The Central Carolina Jaycees + Chris Hardee converged on Harris Lake County Park yesterday for a day of fun in the sun ... and in the water.

Despite forgetting the horseshoes and not bringing a volleyball - we managed to enjoy each other's company, eat some yummy food, and fit in some rest and relaxation.

For example, Shannon and Dana sunbathed:


While the boys and kids played softball:

All and all - we had a good time and I even helped the Shueys get a teeny tiny little bit closer to being parents!