Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed the giving of the season. Fleece was the "in" thing this year - all the kids got fleece blankets and pillows (made by one another!!). Now, if I can just get them to make Mommy and Keith one! If you'd like to see all the photos leading up to Christmas as well as Christmas morning, click here.

Hejny's Visit

It was so wonderful to be able to spend a day with Elyse, Kaity, and Mike. Poor John had a horrible headache and was dearly missed! However, there is always next year! All the kids exchanged presents, and Elyse gave Keith and I a beautiful wharf addition to our Christmas village!

Are you wondering about the photo of Matthew? We are, too!! LOL He is pretending to be Rebekah. I am looking forward to blackmailing him with this one!

Kyle, Faith, Gena, and Jaxson!!

We were very happy to have Kyle and his family over for a nice visit the Saturday before Christmas. Both Gena and Jaxson are growing up so quickly! We received a great kitchen knife from Kyle and Faith and it has certainly made chopping and slicing a breeze. I don't know how I cooked without it!

Grammy's Visit

The children were excited to see their Grammy and were glad that she was able to stay and watch them open their gifts. Everyone was quite excited with their presents and were especially happy to spend some time with Grammy.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Popcorn stringing, decorating, tree chopping, garland winding, and parties parties parties were all part of the Christmas celebration this year. Teri and the girls went to Doby Christmas tree farm and picked out the most beautiful, perfectly shaped tree EVER!! It was then decorated with about 30 feet of home strung popcorn, as well as lights, candy garland, and ornaments galore. Teri had her village out - pretty much grown into a town this year, needing the original table plus 2 more to hold it all! The newest addition to the decorations was a beautiful tree given to the family by Georgia Cloutier. Her amazing designer trees, those that look like they stepped out of a Macy's catalog, have always been admired. Since she and her husband Dave are downsizing, we "adopted" one of her trees. And we showed off everything we had done during a lovely Christmas open house on December 22nd.

Kyle and Faith's house - Almost done!

They are really looking forward to moving in ASAP! Doesn't it look great?

Rebekah's Final 2006 Performance

Rebekah has been busy since July - either rehearsing or performing for 4 different musicals and plays. The final one ended today - The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. As part of the play's PR efforts, the cast sang at the Southern Pines Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and sang for a small spot on the local TV station. Rebekah was thrilled to be on TV!

Although there will be no auditions available to her until May, Rebekah will not stop learning. She plans to start singing lessons as soon as the holidays are over!

Keith Starts New Job

Keith is now the Management Liaison for the Sheriff's Office in Lee County. He has been very very busy and will stay that way for several months until things settle in for the new sheriff, Sheriff Tracy Carter. So far, Keith likes his new job, although he does find it to be hectic!

One of his main jobs is to do the PR needed for the office. Check out the website for the office here.

Our Candidate Won!!!

Tracy Carter is the new sheriff of Lee County! We were very impressed with Tracy from the beginning and Keith is very happy that he was able to be part of the team that got him elected. Tracy will take office on December 4th and we are all looking forward to a safer county!!

If you'd like to see the blog we created for his campaign, just click here. If you look to the right hand side, there are all kinds of links. The positions were part of a Sanford Herald series and Keith helped Tracy write those (based on Tracy's words, of course!). You can also see the different ads in the paper, as well as his endorsements.

Sound of Music is Over

Rebekah did an awesome job as Marta. There is now an entire blog with photos from the performance as well as the cast party. Once there, you can click on the three links to the right to see some short video clips. We are very proud of her!

Halloween Fun

Matthew went to a Halloween party and was a tourist. Rebekah had rehearsals that night, but was able to go to a Sanford Ward Trunk or Treat from 5 to 6:30 as a basket of dirty laundry. Kimberly and Katherine went with their dad to the Trunk or Treat at the Pinehurst Ward. Kimberly passed out candy as a girl from the 80's and Katherine went as someone taking a shower! They all had a great time.

What is Better Than Being in a Musical?

How about being in a musical that you didn't even audition for! That's right...Rebekah was unable to make the audition for the production of the Best Christmas Pageant Ever due to her role as Marta in the Sound of Music. BUT, that didn't stop her from getting a part! The director at the Sandhills Theatre Company told Rebekah that she knew that she was good and what she could do and to consider herself auditioned. But that is not all. She also has to miss the first week and a half of practices and still got a part, albeit a small part. She will play Doris and sing in the Angel's choir. Rebekah says that being an angel is great. Now if anyone says something about being a little angel, she can agree wholeheartedly!

If you want to see some of the professional photos made before the performances of The Sound of Music started, go to http://www.peterpeets.com/proofs/templetheatre/soundofmusic/

Keith Involved in the Lee County Sheriff's Campaign

Keith is currently involved in one of his biggest passions - politics! He is helping Tracy Carter run for Sheriff of Lee County as his media consultant. Keith has been producing ads, written pieces for the paper, and even photos of the candidate and his family. If you happen to live in Lee County, don't forget to vote and be sure to place your vote for Tracy Carter - he is the candidate with leadership and the ability to bring about much needed change!

North Carolina State Fair

Our whole family went to the NC State Fair on Monday October 16th. What a great adventure! We started out by going to see the old timey crafts. There were demonstrations and we saw weaving, glass blowing, braided carpets, carving, etc. As you can see by the photo, they even had "period clothes" to try. Then we saw the old farm equipment, the rabbits, and the hobbies and crafts. Then on to the fair rides! Katherine was tall enough this year to ride the bigger rides and seems to have no fear. Matthew rode the newest ride and had fun, but looked a bit shaken when he got off! Rebekah and Kimberly were partners for most rides, but Kimberly couldn't get Rebekah onto one of them! Then we had a picnic lunch while listening to a folk festival. Then we looked at the art competition and saw the juggling/acrobatic act. That was incredible! (See them at www.gotmills.com). Then on to the bike show where they do jumps and spins, etc. To end the day, we ate supper while watching a horse show. After nearly 10 hours at the fair, we were all tired but very happy!

NC Museum of Art

We had a great time at the NC Museum of Art. Everyone had their favorite part. Since there are no photos allowed, I was only able to take them during the picnic lunch beforehand. As you can see, Kimberly, Rebekah, Katherine, and our friend Kaity were having a great time!

You Can Say You Knew Her When

Rebekah has started rehearsals for the Sound of Music. There will be 23 performances!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even imagine!! There are 2 girls playing her part, so she will only be in 1/2 of them. They did this for all the children's parts due to school, I guess. She has been measured for her costumes - at least 5 of them and possibly 6 (I don't know if they will get clothes for the wedding scene or just use their party clothes). She also had to turn in her bio and her headshot. So, take a look and see what you think! We sent in 2 headshots because we weren't sure which one was more appropriate.
REBEKAH DARE GUIN (Marta von Trapp) was born in Greensboro, NC and moved to the Sanford area when she was quite young. As a homeschool student, she gets many opportunities to express her interest in drama. Her most recent performances include portraying Gracie Shin in The Music Man produced by Sandhills Theatre Company in Southern Pines and Beaky in Honk, Jr. produced by The Temple Theater in Sanford. Additionally, she has taken classes in both voice and acting.

Katherine's Latest Field Trip - To a Bio Lab!

Katherine has been asking all about what Matthew does at school and has been very interested in the bio lab. She has been drawing pictures of laboratories and scientists. Matthew got permission from the head of the Biology Department over at the community college to let Katherine come in for a visit. She looked at fish bones, skin cells, and bacteria under the microscope, saw human skeletons, how the inside of an eye looks, how the heart functions, what a baby looks like at different stages while in a mommy's belly, and much more. Matthew told us that Katherine really took to the microscope and handled it better than many college students he has seen! She now says that she might want to be a scientist when she grows up!

Homeschool Events have been fun!!!

As you can see, we've been swimming, and hiking, and Katherine got the chance to go to a festival and make her own pot and her own felt ball like they did long ago. We also have a fire station trip planned for Katherine, a zoo trip for all of us, and a trip to the museum of art! And that is just until the first week of October!!! Stay tuned to see more fun and adventure produced by "Bountiful Academy" in Sanford. LOL

And Rebekah Auditions Again!!

Not only did she audition for the Sound of Music, but she made it!! Yes, Rebekah, once she is done be Gracie Shinn for the Music Man will be Marta von Trapp for the Sound of Music! Once we have more details about the times and dates of performances, we'll let everyone know!

Before and After

Kimberly has had quite a week. She went to the eye doctor on Tuesday and got contacts. For her, so far, the biggest joy is being able to wear sunglasses! Then she did something she has been wanting to do for over a year - she colored her hair! She has wanted to have auburn hair for some time and has made the change. We think she looks fantastic!

Rebekah is Busy Again!

Rebekah tried out for The Music Man being produced by the Sandhills Theater Company. She got the role as Gracie Shin, the mayor's youngest daughter. She is very thrilled! She originally had 3 speaking lines and was singing 5 songs with the townspeople chorus. However, she auditioned for and got a short singing solo. She also got a line added by offering a suggestion to the director! If you are able to go, when you hear her say "Hi Mom" you will know that is her added line! She is working hard and now has rehearsals almost every night until show time. Shows will be September 16 - 18 and 23-25. Hope to see you there! For more information, go to Sandhills Theater Company.

Kyle and Faith are Soon-To-Be Homeowners!

Faith and Kyle have found a lot and are building a beautiful 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath home!! They hope to be in by the first of the year. We got the chance to see their lot and go through a home that is similar to what they will have. It was exciting to see and wonderful to see how happy they are about it! Want to see what their home is going to look like? Click here.

Visit to SC for Gena's Birthday

We had a wonderful time visiting Kyle, Faith, Gena, and Jaxson in SC. Gena will be turning 6 and we celebrated with gifts, swimming and pizza. As always, visiting with family is a true joy!

Her Role as Beaky

Rebekah had the opportunity to play Beaky and a froglet in Honk, Jr. Just yesterday, she tried out for a role in The Music Man and is going to be in the chorus of the townspeople! She is very excited for this opportunity. We see a budding young star in our midst!

Championship Games

Kimberly's team, The Lee County All-Stars, was made up of 13 and 14 year old girls playing fast pitch softball. They went to the Regionals and won their first game against Northern Moore, a team that has beaten up on Kimberly's teams for years! As you can see by the photo, she was thrilled to have won! However, day two wasn't as successful and they lost 2 games in a row and missed playing at the State competition. Nonetheless, Kimberly and her whole team had a great time and learned lots.

GS Camp

Rebekah spent a week at summer camp in June and had a great time. Her camp theme was "Camp Idol" and from what I hear, she did a mean impression of Shania Twain! Katherine spent a week at camp for the first time this summer! Her week covered July 4th and they had some stationary firework displays as well as a great picnic supper AND a movie! Her camp's theme was "ArtRageous" and she brought home many art projects. Kimberly will leave for 2 weeks of summer camp on Sunday. This is the first year that she has gone without a buddy and for two weeks! The theme for her camp is "Kerribean Cruise" and she will be canoeing and kayaking on Kerr Lake! All three love their GS camp experiences and it reminds me of mine at Great Trail GS Camp in Minerva Ohio oh so many years ago!

Visit by Gena and Jaxson

Gena, Jaxson, and Faith came for a visit! While here, Grandpa Clark, aka Keith, got out his power screw driver, much to the horror of Teri and Faith. However, Grandpa obviously knew what he was doing, because in a matter of minutes, Jaxson could use the screwdriver to put in and take out screws, including knowing how to reverse the direction of the tool! This picture is priceless - showing the love of a grandson and his grandpa!

Rebekah Will Be In a Musical

Rebekah had the chance to attend a Youth Summer Conservatory at Temple Theater in Sanford. This three-week program teaches kids ages 8-18 all aspects of theater. Then, they all participate in a musical held for the public. This years musical is called Honk Jr. It is the modern day retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling. Rebekah has 2 parts. She is a froglet - the froglets do a song/dance called "Warts and All." Rebekah will be center stage and has a one line singing solo! She also was chosen to be one of Ugly's siblings named Beaky. As Beaky, she sings several songs (with others) and has several speaking lines. She is very excited. If you want to attend the musical, call 919-774-4512 for tickets. Adults are $10 and children are $5. The dates for the performances are July 14 and 15 at 7pm and July 15 and 16 at 2:30. Hope to see you there!

Another Budding Author?

Rebekah found an online magazine called Tween Magazine and she submitted several stories, poems, and jokes. Several of her submissions got chosen! She is very excited - so, there may be another author in the family! To see the online magazine, click here.

There is an Author in the House!

Yes, that's right! Teri is now a published author. The book, Private Mortgage Investing, is currently being presold on Amazon.com and will be available in Barnes and Noble bookstore as well! Want to know more? Click here to be taken to the blogsite created for the book. AND, just to add a bit more fun, another book is on the way! It is called: 301 Simple Things You Can Do To Sell Your Home NOW and For More Money Than You Thought: How to Inexpensively Reorganize, Stage, and Prepare Your Home for Sale. Keep coming back to our home blog to see when it gets published!

Kimberly Made the Allstar Team!!!

Kimberly was chosen to represent Lee County's All Star Team. First they will play regionals and if they win there, then they will play for State Champions! She is very excited and we are very proud of her! Go here to see practices, fund raising, and the actual games!

Rebekah's Gymnastics Demonstration

Rebekah had a gymnastics demonstration on May 30th. She performed on the vault, the beam, the bars, and the floor. She has really improved since last year and made good friends in the process. Way to go Rebekah!!

Matthew Turns 17

What does any boy at 17 want more than anything? Katherine guess it right away - food!! Keith made Matthew a cake - a cake for one! And instead of serving it on a plate, he ate it straight from the pan! Reminds me a bit of his first birthday but not quite as messy! Matthew got a $5 gift certificate and some candy, sunglasses, a watch, and a bathing suit from the family.

Wonderful Meeting Carol Kirby!

We were very blessed to have Graham and Carol Kirby over for dinner on Monday evening. Carol and Graham were married in the Philippines almost 2 years ago and Carol has just now been able to get a Visa to the United States. It was wonderful to welcome her to the country!! We both look forward to getting to know her better and to spending many wonderful evenings with the two of them!

Frontier Spinning Lee County Softball Champs

Kimberly's softball team, Frontier Spinning, has taken the title of champion! Although they have one game to go in the season, with a record of 10-1, they have won the championship hands down. Kimberly is playing first base, short field, and center field this year. Take a look here to see other photos of her team.

Rebekah Turns 11!

Rebekah has the same look on her face today! She had a great birthday, getting some money, a gymnastics uniform, a new necklace, a velvet poster, a shell colored by Katherine, a picture by Kimberly, and yes, some bubble wrap! Don't ask us, because we simply don't know!!