Friday, January 5, 2007, 10:29 a.m., C.S.T., Lawrence, Kansas~

Dear Louisiana in Tennessee~

Thanks for your letter; 'twas good to hear from you again! Glad y'all are keeping busy; we are here, too. The boys are recovered from their "post-Christmas Excitement", and the older ones are back in school, with only the youngest one here with me.

Glad you are adding to the family! Congratulations! I still don't know how you can adopt so many children, yet you manage to keep your sanity!  It is enough with three boys here; they wear me out by the end of the day! How do you do it, Louie? That is what I would like to know! The new children sound beautiful; you will have to send me some pictures when they come to your house! :)

I am also glad that you had a good Christmas. We did; the boys got lots of toys, and they had more sweets than you could shake a stick at: they were bouncing off the walls! LOL I was so glad when Christmas vacation ended! LOL

The weather here is sunny, and the snow has all but melted. Poor Colorado is still having problems from the recent blizzards they had: cows are stranded, and people are having a hard time getting food to them. I hope they get to the cows in time! It was reported that cows can live for ten days without food or water. That would be sad if the cows died before the people could get food or water to them!

I am glad that you are keeping busy with the books and your family, as well as your work. I read your first book about the family, and I am still amazed that you have time to do anything! You are a wonder, Louie!

Louie, I will be glad to visit your church, Christ Community Assembly of God--that is, if they will let us! LOL The boys can get antsy whenever we go to church; that is why I am glad they have children's church; I don't think the boys could sit through an entire sermon without disrupting the service somehow! LOL During the Christmas service our youngest threw a hissy fit during "O Holy Night", and it was embarrassing. I had to carry him out, and he was screaming to beat the band. I don't know what his problem was, but he sure wasn't happy! Maybe he needed an extra nap! Maybe this summer we can come; I'll let you know in plenty of time if we do come!

I hope the weather there is good. Hear y'all have had a lot of rain lately. Crazy weather we are having this year! I hope it settles down somewhat before summer! I am dreading the summer forecast; they said it may be the hottest ever, and I am sorry, but I don't handle hot weather well. I don't know why I am living here in Kansas; it can get hot here in the summer! I also don't like storms; again, I am living in the wrong state. I can't help it that I was born here! LOL Maybe one day I'll move, but right now the boys keep me busy; I don't have the time (or the money) to move somewhere else!

I'd like to move to Minnesota or Wisconsin; here it is pretty there, and they don't have the heat like they do here in the Plains states. Is the weather hot there in the summer, or is it more temperate than it is here? I am curious.

I got your card with the pictures; what a beautiful family y'all have! The kids are really something else! I showed the pictures to my friends, and they couldn't believe that a family could be that large! I will have to send you some pictures of us--just as soon as we get some done! Again, we don't have the time or the money; everything goes towards the bills or towards the kids; what we have left is little, and that goes to food or other necessities!

Well, I am going to go now. I am going to put the baby down for a nap; he is getting fussy. I will write again soon; again, thanks for the letter, and take care of yourself! God bless you too!

(((HUGS))) from Kansas~

Your friend, Jeri. :D