October 6, 2013, Nashville, TN., 9:30 A.M., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Louisiana Sandusky here.  Sorry for not writing, but things have been crazy, both at work and in our personal lives.  Nothing too unusual, but things are about to get even crazier in a few months for us!

We (Bill and I) recently returned from a cruise to Alaska for ten days; we could use another vacation to recover from our vacation! LOL

Besides the holidays (and our Fall Festival and other events at church), we will be adding to the family.  No, not a new grandchild this time, but a brand new daughter.  A young one: only 1 1/2 years old (18 months).  We are in the process of adopting a little girl from Ghana!  Her name is currently Tsehi, but we will be calling her Loretta.  Her name will be Loretta Tsehi Lynn!

Loretta (Tsehi) is healthy, but she was born with a severe cleft palate; it has since been repaired, but nobody wanted her, so we opted to adopt her.  I have seen the "before and after" photos, and Tsehi is even more beautiful than ever!

We saw her picture that the agency (Holt Children's International) had sent us, and we were immediately smitten.  It was as if God was telling us: "Please take her."  We could not say no; once God speaks, we listen, every time!

We have been getting one of the guest rooms ready; we have turned it into a nursery and have been busy getting toys, clothes, diapers, baby/toddler pajamas, etc.  So it looks like we'll be doing more "baby/toddler duty" and it looks like more time for tears, toys, tantrums, and diapers!!

Sigh!

I thought that after our last adoptions there would be no more, but then God spoke to us when we saw Tsehi's picture, and the adoption agency called us to tell us about Tsehi and to see if we were interested; when we first saw her picture, we couldn't resist.  So we are going to have a new daughter of our very own before Christmas!

As you can imagine, Bill and I, as well as the children, are tickled pink!!

It is funny how God does things.  I guess He decided He wasn't through giving us yet another child!  He  must have been pleased with how we have raised our current crop of children, so He decided to entrust us with yet one more!

How's that for trust??  When God tells us to do something, we had better act on it!!

Well, we have to get ready to go to church (late start this morning!), so I'll go.  As soon as I hear anything more about Tsehi (Loretta), we'll let you know.  Until then, this is Lousiiana Sandusky saying so long and God bless!

~Love, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May.  :D