Monday, Feb. 30, 2006~

Dear Louie~

I was sorry to learn of your friend Maria's fate. How horrible! I will most certainly be praying for her in the coming days! I hope and pray she will make it through this trial that she is currently facing!

I have started your book, "A Family Made Out Of Miracles And Rainbows", and it is compelling reading! I am right to the part where you have gotten your son, Johannes, and it is so very well done! You ought to consider becoming a professional writer; you write so well! You could give some of those inspirational authors a run for their money! It is so refreshing to reaad about a person who is doing good for the children of the world by taking in disabled children into their homes and hearts, and you have certainly done a terrific job with them (and I haven't even MET  you yet in person!!)! I also have gotten the CD's you sent, and I will be listening to them before I go to bed. I listen to music before I go to sleep, and it helps me to relax after a long, tiring day of dealing with children! Music is definitely very therapeutic for me! :) (I'll let you know what I think next time I write; so stay tuned~)

The weather here is sunny, and cool, but over the weekend, we had a bit of a waterspout that caused some damage sevreal miles from here. It was a rare occurance, and we could see the waterspout in the distance. Of course, being the veteran tornado watchers that we are (you have to be in Tornado Alley!), and ever since that big tornado that hit Oklahoma City back in May of 1999, we DON'T fool around when it comes to severe weather! If it even MENTIONS a chance for severe weather, you can bet your bippies that you'll find us in our storm cellar! :) What do YOU do when it "comes up a cloud"? I hope and pray you have some adequate shelter from the killer winds of springtime!! I hope the weather there is good and isn't causing you too much trouble!

We have a new addition to the family: the kids have been clamoring for a puppy, so we got a little eight-week-old reddish-gold Pomeranian we have named "Skippy". He is so cute, but he is a handful, and it is like having another child in the house! Oh, well, I don't mind, but I am going to have to get used to cleaning up after its messes and listening to his whining cries in the middle of the night and feed him when he is hungry! Still, he IS cute, and I hope that we can handle having a dog! I know you have a Pomeranian, and they ARE cute; so this was how I got "Skippy". There was a family down the street who had Pomeranian puppies for sale, and of course, when I saw them, I could NOT resist taking one! So now we have a dog.

Well, I am making lunch for the kiddos, so I will run for now. I will write to you soon, and I will let you know what I think of the CD's that you sent. God bless, and write when you can!

(((HUGS))) and love, your Kansas friend, Rachel E. :)