July 6, 2011, Lake Charles, Louisiana~

Hello!  Eric Richard here.  Hope this finds you well!

We are doing great; however, Amerycal, our daughter (she just turned seven two days ago, on July the Fourth!), was greatly disappointed because we didn't get to see any fireworks.

It has been so tinder-dry here that the state of Louisiana cancelled all fireworks displays, and whomever is caught with them (or sparklers or firecrackers) can be expected to be arrested and faced with hefty fines and possible jail time.  So it was a quiet Fourth of July for all of Louisiana.

The only fireworks we DID manage to see were the ones on the television.

We did get Amerycal some poppers, which she enjoyed throwing down until they made a loud popping noise, but it wasn't the same; the fun didn't last long.

I do have some good news to share:  Amerycal is now walking on a pair of crutches!!  She has been doing this since Christmas, and she's gotten quite good at using them!  There isn't anything that will slow this little girl down!  Even if she falls, she pops right back up and is soon back on her way!  She is absolutely amazing!!  We couldn't be happier for her!

We also found out that Morgan (my wife) is pregnant; we got the news back in February, and she's started to show a rather pronounced belly.  Amerycal is excited that she is going to be a big sister!  She wants another brother; we don't care, as long as the child is born healthy! 

We would have been having our third child, but two years ago, our second-born child died of SIDS; he was only two months old at the time.  There isn't a day where we don't think of or miss our baby boy; he was so beautiful!  Our son's name was Tanner Eric; we miss him terribly.  So we have two children, one here on earth, and one in Heaven; soon our third child will be here.  (Our child-to-be is due in late November, early December, so it will be a Christmas our family will never forget!)

Amerycal will be in first grade come September.  She is looking forward to it; she sailed right through kindergarten with flying colors.  She is a very smart little girl; there is nothing wrong with her brain other than the part that controls movement.  Her disability is much more physical than cognitive or mental.

Well, we're going to go to Crystal's house (Crystal is my sister) for the day; Amerycal wants to go swimming.  Swimming is one of her very favorite activities.  I will write in here again soon; until later, this is Eric Richard saying so long and God bless!

~Eric.  :)

~To be continued.~