Weds., 7 December, 2005, Ivalo, Finland~

Dear Sari and Nikolas~

Hai! Miitu kuuluu? Kiitos hyvaas!! Thank you ever so much for your delightful letter explaining about Joulupukku and Finnish Christmas traditions; that made for some very interesting reading!! I am glad that you are both well for the time being, and I am especially thrilled that you are coming to America to spend Christmas with us! We will also have Jenna Aurora Doucet and her husband, Michael, here from Alaska, and you will get to meet our older children, Lightning (and her family; they live in Colorado; they live in Aurora now), Tanya, Steffi (Stephanie), Dwerlina, Melizza, and Dianna! So the whole Sandusky Crew will be here, and we will have you guys (and Jenna and Michael) here! It will be a big crowd to be sure! (But we are always happy to have company!!) We are looking forward to seeing everyone again!!

I am glad the weather is cold there; after all, it IS nearly winter! It snowed here last night (3" of the white stuff), and it is a winter wonderland. The children are home from school, and they are having a ball making snowmen and having snowball fights in the yard! We can hear their happy shrieks from inside! Even my little Pomeranian, "Cajun Gold", has joined in the fun! She is leaping from snowbank to snowbank, just barking her little head off! She is really having a super time with her human friends!! My husband is outside, too; he is off today from work (he took a day off, so he could do some more Christmas shopping later), and he is enjoying himself as well. He is like a big child! LOL I would join my family in the snow follies outside, but I have too much to do (laundry, cleaning, baking, getting Christmas cards finished and ready to go out in the mail, etc.), so I will be holed up in the house. Besides, I'd much rather be INSIDE; it is a LOT warmer inside, for one thing! My thin Cajun blood can't take the cold like some people's; I get cold TOO easily! BRRR!!

I heard from my friend, Kendra in California. I was hoping that she would come here, too, but she is going to her friend Louisa Mason's for Christmas. That is okay, but I AM a bit disappointed. I would really love to see her again! She adopted three new girls from Mississippi a few months back, and they are adjusting beautifully! She also adopted a girl from Sri Lanka, and she adopted a girl from Georgia! She now has something like 17 girls, and speaking of girls, she had her baby. It was...yup. You guessed it. She had a GIRL! And she named her Felicity! Isn't that a beautiful name?  And Louisa Mason had her baby, too; and like Kendra, she had a baby girl! So there is something in the water there in Soulsbysville, California: everyone I know there keeps on having GIRLS! LOL We got a beautiful Christmas card from Kendra and Louisa, and they sent us pictures; and the kids are really growing like weeds...just like mine!! LOL Seems like only yesterday when our two thirteen-year-old TEENAGERS-TO-BE were in DIAPERS!! LOL *Sighhhh* Where DOES the time go to?? Makes me feel OLDER than old...and I am ALREADY a grandma at 36!! *BIG SIGHHHHHHHH*

Well now, let's make this a little more Christmassy looking...now I will write in red. Guess I am in a holiday mood, especially since finding out that I don't have to work Christmas! :) I can get more done in the meantime between working and raising my brood and taking care of the house! (Seems that my work is NEVER done; I may need to clone myself a time or two...LOL) I sure do love this time of year! The neighborhood is ablaze with lights and decorations, and the snow is going to look really pretty when the lights are turned on at night! This is our official first snow here of the winter season, and it is helping our moods emmensely! I just wish I could tolerate the cold better than I do, but my blood is too thin; this Louisiana gal ain't used to the bone-chilling cold or the winds! BRRRR!!! LOL I'd just as soon stay indoors where I can be WARM!! LOL

Well, dear Sari, I will let you go for now; am going to have to see why Jodie is crying. Maybe she got hit in the face by a snowball...I will go for now; I will write again soon. Until later, Sari, see you in a few weeks, and have a safe flight! We will be praying for you and Nikky when you stop onto that plane and fly across the ocean to America!! We can't WAIT to see you!! Nakemiin for now!!

God bless you both and I love you both with all my heart!

(((HUGS))) Your (extremely busy) friend in America, Louie May Sandusky. :D