Saturday, April 8, 2006, 5:12 p.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Donna Sue~

Thank you for your prayers; we are fine! Sure, the weather was a bit on the nasty side (that is putting it mildly!), but our place sustained very little damage (mostly trees, branches, and twigs in our yard, plus some shingles from our roof), and we all made it through the terrifying day with nary a scratch! It could have very easily been so much worse; over 10 people were confirmed killed, and over 100 people sustained injuries as a result of the storms. We have had a lot of that severe weather lately, and frankly, I have had mroe than enough; I am ready for it to STOP!! NOW!!

What a beautiful little girl Miracle Joy is! Congratulations! I pray and hope that the adoption is approved and that she becomes your daughter! Oh, how exciting! Please don't hesitate to let me know at once when she becomes your child and if the adoption has been accepted! I feel your joy! :)

I am glad that Bethlehem is progressing well in her therapies. It sounds like she is a determined young lady! Plsase tell her that she is still in my prayers and that my church is still prayiing for her recovery!

I had my physical, as per you requested. I am suffering from mild depression (brought on by the demands of my job and being a full-time mother). He put me on a mild sedative to keep my nerves calm, and I am to call him at once if my depression worsens. I have been trying to get more in the way of exercise and sleep, and I am trying to avoid the worst stressors in my life that could cause me big problems if I am not careful. So there you go. I listened to you! :)

Of course, the Mexican cruise Bill and I are going on in a month and a half is helping my mood. I am really looking forward to getting away from the kids, even if it IS only for a week. We will be going to Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, in June, around the time of our anniversary. It should be a lot of fun! :)

Tonight we are going to look for auroras. There are magnetic solar storms going on in the sun, and the energy from that if they are strong enough can cause auroras (the Northern Lights) to appear in places that aren't normally appear (such as here in Tennessee, as an example). As soon as it gets dark, we will be heading out to the very back of our back yard and look up in the northern sky; if we get lucky, we should be able to see Aurora dancing across the sky! We have seen some spectacular auroral displays here, and we always find them to be a treat! :)

I will tell Johnny and Ronee' hello, as well as the other kids. They made it through the storms too, but they were so scared! I felt so helpless knowing that I couldn't do anything to make the bad weather go away; they were so upset!

Well, Donna, I will go now. Am doing some laundry before we go lookin' for the Northern Lights. Take care, and thanks for all your concern and prayers; they are very much appreciated!

God bless you always, and again, congrats on the possibility of adding Miracle Joy to your family!

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