Bounce House

This is the bounce house that we reserved for the reunion. It is a 5 in 1. It has a bounce area, tubes to crawl through, an obstacle course, a climbing wall, and a slide. So, there should be plenty for the kids to do.

Reunion News II

Reunion News

From what we are hearing, we are expecting a pretty good turn out for the reunion. This should be one of the best family get-togethers that we have had in years.

We have really enjoyed talking to each other over the past month. It has been really good to get back on touch.

Special Thanks

Our uncle, Alfie Hicks, has volunteered to serve as the official Grill Master at the reunion. So a special thanks goes out to him.

Website

If you were one of the few to pay a visit to the family website, you may already know that it isn’t there anymore. We had a lot of difficulty with it, mainly it kept making folks sign up and then not letting them sign back in when they returned. It also wasn’t letting anyone post pictures or stories. So, we are working on finding a better site.

Cook Book

We would like to put together a Hicks Family Recipe book that we can distribute at the reunion.
We ask that each of you gather all of your best recipes and send them to me no later than May 20, 2011, so that we have time to type them out and send them for printing.
We need something from every category. So, don’t forget the appetizers, side dishes, main dishes, and desserts.
If you have any older recipes that have been handed down over the years, those would be especially appreciated.
You can include a brief note with each. Tell us where you got it, where you have used it, or whatever you would like to have included in the book.
Old (or new) photos would be appreciated as well. We would love some photos from our previous family gatherings to be included.
We are going to try to keep the printing cost as low as possible. Hopefully, no more than a few dollars per book.
You can send them by mail, e-mail, Facebook, or give Roxanne or Shannon a call.

Cook Book Contact Info

Roxanne DeLaune
20990 LA Highway 42
Livingston, LA 70754
(225) 270-7737
roxyd99@yahoo.com
facebook.com/roxysbayou


Shannon Hicks
(336) 497-1177


If we don’t hear from you, we might just hunt you down for them. So, start getting them together. :)

Events

We need someone to say a prayer over the reunion supper. Granny always took care of that for us in the past and now that she has left to watch over us, we need someone else to step up and take her place.

We are also looking forward to hearing some good stories about our family’s history. So, story tellers be warned.

We have been gathering some family tree information to share, but we are stuck on Pappy’s side. If you have any information on the paternal side of the Hicks clan, we would be grateful.



Location Update

A few of our family members that live in the vicinity have taken a peak at Stillhouse Manor. We are assured that is a very nice location. Both the pond and creek have been stocked with fish and are ready for your casting. I think I am going to issue a fishing challenge now to see who can catch the biggest fish.
We have also been trying to come up with some activities for both the adults and the kids.

We have been advised that there are no horseshoe pits on the property and in lieu of tearing up the grounds we need to find something else for our guys to do. We have found a game that works similar to horseshoes and we think it may work. Some call it Redneck Golf.

Redneck Golf Rules

  Ladder Golf can be played with two or more players or in teams. Each player has 3 bolos. A bolo consists of 2 golf balls attached by a rope. A ladder with 3 rungs is placed 15 feet away from the toss line. (Shorten this distance if you need to.) The object of the game is to toss the bolos at the ladder, wrapping them around one of the rungs. Each player tosses all 3 bolos on his/her turn. Each rung of the ladder is worth the following points: top = 3 points; middle = 2 points; bottom = 1 point. Play continues until one player or team scores exactly 21 points.



As previously mentioned there will be plenty of opportunities for fishing, tubing, and hiking.
Decks of cards would also be something to consider. We can remember Timmy teaching us to play Rummy while we were on vacation in Ocean City. It was a blast.


Kids

We are also thinking of holding some events for the kids. Most of them have never met and in order to get them to mingle we were thinking of holding some fun contests. We just need a count of all of the kids that will be attending and their ages so that we have enough prizes for each.
Events may consist of Egg Race, Sack/Three legged Race, Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest, and a Treasure Hunt.
We are also considering a Slip n Slide and a water Sprinkler since there is no pool. We just have to be sure that the property can accommodate these items.
We may also set up a crafts table where they can make photo frames, handprint crafts, etc.
Card and Board Games may come in handy.


Other

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Reunion News

Brandee, Roxanne, Shannon, Ricky, Jay, and Victor

Recent Events

Our family is forever evolving. The past few years have been full of happiness and heartache. The one thing that has not changed is that through it all we seem to hold on to the love that we have held for each other after all of these years.
Our recent loss of one of our greatest family members was a great reminder of how important spending time with each other really is, even if it’s just a phone call or a quick chat online.
We have grown in so many ways with our own little families, that it’s not always easy to keep up with each other. Especially now that the family has spread out all across the country.
Some of the cousins have gotten together and have decided that it is time for us to start hosting our own family reunion. We are hoping that it will become an annual tradition.
Through the generosity of our awesome cousin, Jay Bengston, we now have an awesome reunion site located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia!


Reunion

The First Annual Hicks Family Reunion will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2011 from 2:00 PM until we are through.
The reunion will be held at the phenomenal Stillhouse Manor located among the Blue Ridge Mountains in Hillsville, Virginia.
Stillhouse Manor is situated on 137 private acres with over a mile of creek frontage for tubing and swimming. There is also a stocked pond for fishing, and miles of trails for hiking or ATV’s.
The manor house has plenty of rooms, beds, and bathrooms, so there is no need to rent a hotel.
The entire location as been rented out to accommodate everyone in our family.
The location has been rented for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, so it should be an entire weekend of reconnecting and family fun.
If you would like to bring a dish for the actual reunion on Saturday, we would greatly appreciate it.

Remembrance

As we mourn the passing of one of our beloved family members, Jimmy Hicks, we are reminded of how important we are to each other.
The distance and years may have kept us apart, but the celebration of a great man’s life is just what we needed to bring us all back together again.
The oldest of the Hicks boys, Jimmy left a strong impact on all of our lives. We will always remember the times that we shared with him. The way he laughed, the smell of his cigar, the way that he was always there when we needed him the most.

Jimmy and Sandy 1998

We look forward to spending time with each of you!


Directions

 Stillhouse Manor is located on Stillhouse Road in Hillsville, VA.
 From I-77 (From Virginia)
Traveling I-77 take exit 14
From the south turn right, from the north turn left on Highway 221
 Follow 221 to East Rt 58
On Rt 58, travel 9.3 miles, turn left on Rt. 844 which is Stillhouse Road
 Drive straight .8 mile
Cross over bridge and you're there.

You can view the property at www.visitstillhouse.com

Stillhouse Creek

Stillhouse Pond

Stillhouse Manor

More Info

BYOD- Bring your own drinks!
We will provide some basics like tea, lemonade, and punch, but we ask that you bring your own soda. Alcohol is permitted in moderation.
Coffee drinkers may want to bring their coffee of choice and whatever they need to go with it.
Linens such as sheets, and towels are provided, but it might be a good idea to pack a beach towel or two for the kids.
A laundry room is available on the property.
Also, if you have some type of portable games like horseshoes, volleyball, etc. Please bring them if you have room.
There are TV’s with DVD players, but no cable. If you have little ones, you may want to bring a few movies along.
Don’t forget your fishing poles, bait, and tackle.
Bring your tubes for fun in the creek!

Additional

Feel free to contact us with any questions-

Jay Bengtson-
(410) 574- 2513
jaybengtson@verizon.net

Roxanne DeLaune
(225) 270- 7737
roxyd99@yahoo.com



Sound System-
If anybody has a good sound system and would like to bring it, we would really appreciate it.

We are so excited about this event and we hope that everyone will be able to attend.
We look forward to seeing you all in July!