Weds., December 14, 2005 (2:05 p.m., C.S.T.)~

Dear Donna Sue~

Hullo! Thanks for your letter; it was so good to hear from you again! I was especially sorry to learn of Bethlehem's having necrotizing fasciitis (you spelled it wrong!), and also having learned that she had to have both her legs amputated, but I am sure that with your faith in God, you will get through this very scary and uncertain time. I will most certainly be lifting your family up in prayer, especially since it IS so close to Christmas! My Gosh, Christmas is coming up fast; I can't get the presents wrapped fast enough or the cookies and fruitcake made fast enough! LOL Seems I am rippin' and roarin' more than usual; but I am glad for the busy times in my life! :)

I heard from my daughter, Dwerlina; she will be here next week, and she is bringing her boyfriend with her. She has some news to share with me, but WHAT it is, I don't know. But I bet it is BIG; she is acting awfully secretive, and I am getting all antsy wondering just what her "Big News" is!! LOL I will be so glad to see her again; I have missed her terribly! I will also be glad to see my other daughters Dianna and Melizza (they live here in Nashville, not far from our house), and our other daughters who live out of state, Steffi (she is attending Texas University in Austin, home of the Longhorns), Lightning and her family (they live in Colorado; she has five kids, four boys, and one girl), and Tanya (she is going to school in Texas, too, in College Station, near Austin). We will also have our friends Nikolas and Sari from Finland, and our friends from Alaska, Jenna Aurora Doucet and her husband Micheal, who live in Anchorage, over for Christmas, so it is definitely going to be a full house for SURE!! (I am STILL trying to figure out where I am going to put EVERYBODY! LOL)

I am trying to get my emails answered, but it is proving to be a futile task because as soon as I get ONE answered, here comes another one!! Seems I am always on the computer; it is no wonder I get so little sleep at night nowadays! (I thinks I am running on Energizer batteries; I feel just like the Energizer Bunny at times! LOL) But I am ALWAYS glad to get mail; I love to write, as you can see from my chatty letters! LOL I just hope you don't mind writing to such a bigmouth! LOL

The weather here is cold, and the kids are looking forward to getting out of school early on Friday; and then they will be home until two days after New Years (the third of January), when they will go back to school. I will be sooo glad when they do go; they are going to drive me CRAZY!! LOL Seems that they get extra hyper around this time of year, and I can't really blame them, really! Christmas is such a magical time for a child anyway, and they know that the presents aren't that far off! :) So they are trying EXTRA hard to be good! :)

I have met Kendra Williams before, several times, actually. I first got a letter from her last year, and she wrote, and we have been writing ever since. We then had an adoption picnic a few summers back (put on by AASK, or Aid To The Adoption of Special Kids; they have local chapters besides their national chapter in California), and this was how we met. She was very nice, and we hit it right off, and now we write to each other (and call each other on the phone) quite regularly. I also write to other people in places like Alaska, Idaho, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and California, and I also help other families with the adoption process, and we also have our adopton community, and we keep each other informed as to what is new in our lives; and provide counseling/support when it is needed. So I really have no life. LOL She (Kendra) has been through so much with her own physical problems and also the needs of her daughters, but she is a very strong spirit, and she is a very good mother to her daughters. I just love her so much, and I feel blessed that she is a part of my life! I am sure that Kendra will be delighted to hear from you! So go ahead and write! :)

Well, dear, I have to go now...time to go home from work, get home before the kids get home from school, take a bath, order pizza for takeout, and also get myself (and the family) ready for our hospital's annual Christmas shindig at 8:00 tonight. I will write more later; until then, you take care, and God bless! Love you!

(((HUGS))) As always, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May Sandusky. :)