Welcome Back!!

We could post a lot of goodbye pictures with our family and friends in the States. However, too many to post so we decided to show you what was on our front door as we arrived at our house in Taiwan. We were excited that we were greeted with these signs. The bottom sign says "Welcome Back Curlees". It has been good seeing old friends here in Taiwan.

Back in Taiwan

We made it back to Taiwan!!

Our plane trip was long but uneventful. We left our house in High Point around 11:30am on Monday, May 31 and arrived at our house in Taiwan at 8:30am on Wednesday, June 2 for a total of 32 hours of traveling.

We are in the process of unpacking and settling in!!

Last Post in the US

At least for awhile. We leave on Monday, May 31 for Taiwan. Our plans are to stay for three years. So we will back in summer of 2013 for another stateside assignment. We have a had a great stay for these last 10 months. Thanks to all of you who have made our stay GREAT!! Please stay in touch.

What we will miss the MOST!!

The countdown to leave the US and go back to Taiwan is less than a week now. Often we are asked what we will miss the most. We often tell people that we will miss family, friends, and food the most. The three F's!!!

We are also asked how do you feel about leaving the US and going back to Taiwan for three years. We tell people that we are real excited to go back but we are also real sad -- in particular because of the first two F's mentioned above (missing family and friends). Is it possible to be sad yet happy at the same time??

End of Year Programs at HPCA

No matter what school kids go to -- there are a lot of end of year events taking place. I think this week we have been to the school each night. Pictured above is Milly and Wade before a band concert at HPCA. Only 6 more days of school left!!

Happy Late Mother's Day!!!

We hope all of you mother's out there had a great day on mother's day!! Over the last few days we have had the opportunity to spend some time with Nana (Page's mom), Gommy (Keith's mom), and Kaykee (Keith's step mom). We are thankful for being able to see them this year!! Picture above is of Page and all of her kiddos.

Crate going out

It is certainly hard to believe that we only have 3 1/2 weeks left here in the States. These 10 months have gone by fast. Tomorrow, we ship out a lot of our things on a crate -- like a few pieces of furniture, winter clothes, bikes, food we can't get in Taiwan, etc. Our crate is supposed to arrive at our house in Taiwan in about 6 weeks. Above is a picture of Keith and all of the stuff that we are taking. As you can tell, he is thrilled that we are taking this much stuff back.

Trip to the Mountains!!

This last weekend we took one final trip (for awhile at least) to the mountains to spend sometime with Nana and Papa (Page's folks). It was a nice weekend. On Saturday, the girls shopped and the guys played at a nearby creek and did a little bit of fishing with Papa. According to Hunter, "It was a pretty awesome day on Saturday." Above is a picture of Hunter and Levi on top of a big rock with their "beaver" sticks.

Page and Ann!!

Recently, Page was able to spend a whole morning with one of her best friends in the world -- Ann Boyd. Page and Ann both graduated from Converse College and have been good friends since their freshmen year. It was great to catch up and spend some quality time with Ann.

Grandparents Day at HPCA!!

Last Friday was Grandparents day at HPCA. Levi and Hunter both were excited to have Pa and Kaykee along with Papa and Nana come see them at school. They were sad that Gommy and Gompy could not make it. Above is a picture of Hunter, Papa and Nana.

Spring Football Game!!

Yesterday we went to the NCSU spring football game. We had a great time watching the action and spending time with Pa (Keith's dad) and all the boy cousins (Sam, Ben, Cooper, and Myles) on that side of the family. We also got to go on the field and get a few autographs and throw a little football.

Milly is playing soccer at HPCA!!

Milly had a few friends who convinced her to play varsity soccer this spring at HPCA. She is having a great time and has improved quite a bit. Milly is hoping that this experience will help her when we go back to Taiwan because she plans to play soccer at Morrison. Pictured above is Milly sitting on the bench with a few of her friends.

Chinese friend in NC!!

We have met a few Taiwanese and Chinese friends since we have been back in NC. Pictured above is one of those friends. Her name is Lin Ya. She is from Beijing and is a student at HPCA. In this picture, Lin Ya is cooking us a great Chinese dish. Page and Lin Ya have had an opportunity to get together each week to talk since Christmas. We are thankful for her friendship.

Levi plays Upward BB

Levi has fallen in love with basketball this year. Not only did he play at the YMCA this year but he participated in an Upward league as well. Finally, the hoops season is over. Levi is hoping his dad will start a basketball league for elementary kids when they get back to Taiwan.

Hunter turns 10!!

Looking back on our blog we forgot to mention that Hunter turned 10 on March 13. He had a great birthday where he celebrated at Laser X. Page was sick so a good friend, Jeanne, helped Keith with all the details.

At Southeastern this Week

I (Keith) have had a neat week at a GIC (Global Impact Conference) at Southeastern this week. It has been cool talking with students and hearing what is going on around the world. We have had a great line-up of speakers too -- David Platt, Jerry Rankin, and Ed Stetzer!!

Back from the Beach!!

We had a great time at the beach. The weather was awesome and it was nice to spend time with Keith's dad/step-mom and family over Easter. Above is a picture of Pa and Kay-kee -- along with the 13 grandchildren.

Headed to the Beach!!

We are headed to the beach to spend Easter weekend with Keith's dad and sisters, etc. It should be a lot of fun!! Finally, the weather is what we are used to here in NC -- sunny and in the 80's!!

Dallas Pics

We were reading back over our blog and realized that we forgot to post Keith's pictures from his trip to Dallas. Above are a few pictures of Cowboy stadium and the NBA All-Star rookie game that Keith, Richard, and Mark went to. Cowboy stadium is huge. Of course, "everything is big in Texas!"

Tickets purchased!!!

It is certainly hard to believe that we have been in the States for 8 of our 10 months. We found out the other day that we will be heading back to Taiwan on Monday, May 31 -- a little more than 2 months away. Our airline tickets have been purchased!! We are all ready to get back but we do have mixed emotions in leaving again. Saying our goodbyes to our family and friends will be very hard.

Fun Time at Disney!!

We just returned from Disney. We first went to St. Petersburg, Florida to visit with Keith's mom and step-dad and then we all went to Disney World for four days. We had a great time and for the most part the weather was great.

Headed to Florida!!!

All of us are headed to Florida tomorrow for a week to see Keith's mom and step dad. They live in St. Petersburg so we will spend a couple of days there then drive to Orlando to Disney World. We are looking forward to some nice warm weather. We will post some pictures soon!!

More Snow!!

Hard to believe but it is snowing again here in NC. It has snowed at least 5 times this year. We have been told that we have gotten more snow this winter than all the other 4 winters that we were gone. We are all ready for SPRING!!

Pictures from San Antonio, Texas

Keith, Page, and Levi went to San Antonio, Texas last weekend to visit with Page's sister's family. We had a great time hanging out and visiting with the Clements. The top picture is of Levi and his two cousins at a rodeo. The bottom picture is us (of course) with Elizabeth (Page's sister) and her husband, Justin.

Headed to Texas (Twice)

Keith went to Dallas, Texas last week with a friend to see an old friend and visit a Christian school. He had a great time hanging out with his good friends. They took a tour of Cowboy stadium and did some other fun things. They also witnessed history as Dallas had the most snow in over a century -- over 1 foot!!!

Keith, Page, and Levi are headed to San Antonio, Texas this Thursday to see Page's sister and brother-in-law. Justin and Elizabeth, along with their three kids, have lived there for over 7 years. Justin is a campus minister at Trinity University.

We will post pictures of the two trips soon.

Winter Wonderland!!!

On Friday night and Saturday morning we had a winter storm hit NC. We received around 7 inches of snow -- which is big in this part of the US. The kids have enjoyed it and look forward to another day of sledding. Church was canceled today and we think school will be canceled tomorrow. The picture is of our backyard.

Spirit Week at HPCA

This last week our kids participated in Spirit Week at High Point Christian Academy. They had a great time. Levi and Hunter's picture is on green and white day while Milly dressed up for team day and Wade dressed up for tin foil day.

Milly loves this week at all the schools she has attended. This year she won Freshmen most spirited girl!!

Fun to Be a Wolfpack Fan

Well, not always but this week it was pretty good as the Wolfpack beat Duke in hoops. Keith went to the game. Pictured above is Keith giving the Pack sign while the students stormed the court in the background after the game.

Wade's Day and Hoops

Last Saturday Wade celebrated his 13th birthday. Keith and the boys went to the State - UVA basketball game. It was fun although State did not win. Above is Wade making the "Wolfpack" sign right before he is about to open his presents. It is hard to believe but we now officially have two teenagers in the house -- (see picture above). Wow!!

Also, Keith is enjoying coaching Wade's middle school game. Above you can see Wade in action on defense. The team has a couple weeks left in their season. Thus far they are 4 - 3.

One of the best things about being in America is.....

College football!!! (at least for Keith and the boys). They have all enjoyed the numerous games and are a bit disappointed that the college football season comes to a close tonight.

We are hoping for a good game but are pulling for Alabama -- as we have some good friends that are Crimson Tide fans.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!! We had a great time with all of our family this Christmas and New Year. Most recently, we spent a week in the mountains with Page's family. We tried to color code the picture so folks could easily recognize the different families. We are dressed in blue, Page's parents are in green, Page's brother and his family are in red, and Page's sister and family are in orange.

We hope you have a fantastic year!!

Merry Christmas!!!

We have enjoyed our Christmas here in the States. On Christmas Eve we went to Keith's Dad and step mom's house in Southern Pines. Today, Christmas Day, we went to Keith's mom and step dad's house -- which is near where we live in High Point. On Saturday we will head to the mountains to spend some time with Page's family.

Above are some pictures of our Christmas -- Keith reading the Christmas story (notice the glasses -- the Bible had tiny print), Page modeling her new scarf (notice the haircut), and finally the kids awaiting to see what Santa brought.

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!!

Five Inches of Snow!!

We did get snow here in NC. Our kids were so excited. We went to the Murrow's (good friends of ours) last night and went sledding. That was fun. Today, we messed around in it some more. It was a tremendous blessing to see snow again. Pictured above is Keith with Hunter and Levi. They played some tackle football in the snow. Wade went sledding with a friend while Milly went down to the local park. Page decided to stay inside.

Snow on the Way??

One thing that we hope would happen while we spend these 10 months in the States is snow. Well, today we woke up and all the forecasters are calling for 90% chance of snow!! Hunter and Levi were especially excited. We will post some pictures if indeed it does snow.

Excellent Video

This video does an excellent job of explaining the spirtual state in Taiwan!!

Great Thanksgiving!!!

We had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed being with Page's family in Clemson, SC. We also enjoyed State's victory over the Tar Heels. It has not been a fun football season for Wolfpack fans but Saturday's victory was a nice way to end!!!

Visit from Family

Page's brother (Will) and his family (wife - Missy and 4 kids -- Webb, Mary Campbell, B, and Maggie) came to see us this past weekend. They are big time Clemson fans so all the boys went to the State-Clemson game while all the girls stayed in High Point. Unfortunately, the Clemson family left happier than the State family.

We are still here!!

I know that you have not heard from us lately but we are still here in NC -- busy as ever. Hunter and Levi finished up their upward football seasons. They both loved it and had outstanding seasons. Wade tried out for the middle school basketball team and made the "B" team. Milly is working hard in school and is trying out for a drama production. We (Keith and Page) continue to share almost every Sunday about Taiwan and how folks can be involved in our ministry. We will post some pictures soon!!

Fall is Here!!!

This is our first fall back in NC in four years. We love all the colors!! Milly, Wade, Hunter, and Levi enjoyed picking out pumpkins at a local pumpkin patch.

Wade's Soccer Team in Championship!!!

Wade's soccer team advanced to the championship game on Thursday. The HPCA middle school team has had a great season. They have won 8 straight games and their overall record is 11-3. They play Greensboro Academy on Thursday for the conference championship. They split during the regular season. It should be a great game. Pictured above is Wade and a couple of his teammates walking off the field after their semi-final victory.

We are COLD!!!

After living in Taiwan for 4 years we became quite content with the sub-tropical climate. In fact, according to the Central Weather Bureau in Taiwan it was around 88 degrees today. Well, here in NC it is a different story. Tonight it is supposed to get down to 33 degrees. Our kids were amazed to see frost on the ground this morning and even more amazed that they could blow smoke from their mouths!! We have been cold these last couple of days BUT at least we have heat inside here in NC.

Football Stars!!

Well, not really but Hunter and Levi are having a great time playing upward flag football this fall. Both have scored numerous TD's and have had a few interceptions as well. They have a couple more weeks left in the season.

Back from VA.

We had a good week in Va. Although it was fun we were all glad to get back to our home in NC. It was rough for a family of 6 with a teenage daughter sharing one bathroom!!

A highlight for the kids was playing football after school let out each day. The place that we went to had a lot of open fields for football. A highlight for Page (and the rest of us) was going to a Travis Cottrell concert. (See picture).

Headed to Virginia

Our family is headed to Va. for some training. We are excited to go back to the place that we lived for 10 weeks in 2005 before we headed to Asia. We will be back in NC late Friday night.

Slides and Music

Labor Day in the Mountains

We enjoyed spending labor day weekend in the mountains with Page's folks. We enjoyed the cooler weather, fishing, climbing rocks, gem mining and all the other things that we did. However, the best part was spending time with Nana and Papa (along with Henry).

Keith and Wade go to State game

Keith and Wade went to the South Carolina at NC State game. It was the first game since 2005 that they had seen live. Although South Carolina won 7 to 3 it was great to be there!!!

Next week the whole family will see NC State play Murray State!!! We are hoping for better results.

Wade's soccer team

Wade made the HPCA middle school soccer team and is enjoying playing. They have had two games so far and are 1 - 1. Wade is a defender. Above is a picture of the team at halftime. Wade is #11.