actual items may differ from picture

A few points about the picture: if you zoomed in you'd be sure to see millions of gnats buzzing our eyes and ears, and if you framed forward just a second you'd see the sour faces the boys had on most of the time (Braden was actually sick, which tends to happen a lot on picture days). That's the great thing about taking hundreds of shots, you're bound to get a few that turn out. The kids cooperated a good deal though considering the heat. And thanks Lena for the pictures!

the cousins

First row (r-l): Simon Dowdy, Lucy Dowdy and John Adams Dowdy
Second row: Sam McRae, Braden Dowdy, Katherine Dowdy and Elizabeth Dowdy, and Lainey McRae
Third row: Riley Shiver, Jackson Shiver, Jack McRae and Ransom Shiver, and Kate McRae

school days

This past week I received notification that I was accepted into Florida State's School of Information. I applied to the master's program for the fall. A few days before I got word that I was also accepted as a transfer student (undergrad) as a creative writing major for the spring. So just to update everyone, my plan is to start in the fall with Information Studies and then go from there. I would like to do both if I could. I just don't know if there'll be opportunity for that.

internet drought

We are back from Brazil. Sorry about the lack of communication. We were without internet at our old apartment in Brazil, and just Sunday did I get the internet working here at our new house.

new york layover

A seven-hour layover means almost 3 hours in the subway, Ray's Pizza and a ferris wheel ride.

to be shuttled

We are packing up our room right now. We'll get the shuttle to the airport and then fly... Orlando to New York, New York to São Paulo, São Paulo to Belo Horizonte.

new house

So, we bought a new house last week. Hooray! We can't move in yet. The owner asked for two weeks to get his stuff out. That puts us in the middle of our trip to Brazil, so we'll just have to move in once we get back.

graduation day

Congratulations, Simon! You're blasting off to the first grade.

National Lampoon's RV Vacation

Does anyone know anyone that would be willing to lend their "drivey" RV to us this summer? We travel to Brazil for three weeks and get back on the 20th of June and will be out of a house. Also one of our friends is traveling back with us from Brazil and we would like to take her a few places here in the States: the beach, Savannah, to visit her sister in Birmingham. Nothing too extensive. I know it's a crazy request. But there's that every-person-in-the-world-knows-everybody-by-six-relationships rule. And that could make this possible.

Please feel free to post a link on your blog to spread the word.

Six for Simon

We celebrated Simon's birthday after school on Friday. Almost all of his class and then some came over. We made paper airplanes, ate homemade ice cream and Sue Sue's airplane cake. Several of the kids barely left the porch, more interested in playing with the kitties. We only had one injury from the wrestling matches on the trampoline (another highlight). Happy Birthday Simon!