Summer Report I

Do summers go by faster the older you get? It sure seems that way to us. We have enjoyed our 2nd full summer in Winston-Salem. CA has tried to get into a routine with both kids being home all day. We have spent a lot of time reading, drawing and painting, going to indoor and outdoor playgrounds, swimming in the kids' pool in our back yard and watching fun movies - like Madagascar, Cars, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.

Sullivan still LOVES to drum and sing. Carrigan LOVES to read and dance. As you can imagine, there are not many quiet moments in the Sowell house with 2 preschoolers.

At the end of June we took our first cross-country road trip as a family. (Photos to come) We left Winston-Salem on the evening of June 26th. We spent the night with Brett's parents (Su-Su and Ta-Ta) in Greenville, SC and departed early on Friday morning. We made several stops in Georgia and Alabama and spent the night in Hattiesburg, MS. On Saturday, we drove through Mississippi and Louisiana and arrived in Houston around 4pm. Brett left Houston that night and started his return trip to NC. Two weeks later he drove all the way back to Texas to pick up the family and take us back to Winston-Salem. (He is a very good man.)

CA's mom, LaLee, and LaLee's puppy, Gussie, met us in Houston at Baby and Ronnie's house. (Thanks to Baby and Ronnie for letting us stay at their house.) She took us to George West and while we were there, we had lots of time to visit family and friends. Sullivan and Carrigan loved playing with their cousin, Hannah Jimerson, (Ellie and Jay's daughter) almost every day.

We also were fortunate to visit with many other folks . . . Aunt Dot, Emil and Noah Voges, Aunt Ellen and Jill, Ms. Maugie and Big Jim, Kate and Ty Jimmerson, The Hastings, The Joseph Snider Family, Aunt Gayle, The John Bednorz Family, Uncle Charlie, and Ms. Sue, to name a few.

We spent July 4th in Austin with Uncle Scott and Aunt Stacey. We had so much fun! We played with the dogs, went to church, ate lots of ice cream and went to the I-Max theater. They have such a lovely house . . . a great home for Baby Girl Gilmore when she arrives in November.

We also saw Pops (CA's dad). We met him in the South Texas town of Falfurias and had a great visit.

On the way back to NC we stayed at Uncle Brandon's house in Covington, GA. It was a short visit but we were so happy to see him and Miss Sunny - and their dog, Seven.

We missed Uncle David and Uncle John on this trip. Uncle David was vacationing in Spain, Italy and France. Uncle John was busy working in Salt Lake City.

LaLee was a great host and we can't wait to go back to her house soon.

Now we are getting ready for preschool to start in the fall. Sullivan will be in the 4 year old class and will go to school 4 days a week (8:30 am - 11:30 am). We are also looking forward to Uncle Brandon and Miss Sunny's wedding in October and Baby Gilmore's birth in November.