Monday, May 1, 2006, 10:13 a.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Kate~

Hey! Thanks for letting me know that my book I sent to you got there safe and sound! That is so good to hear! Thanks for your nice comments about my book; it is always gratifying for an author to hear that people like what they do. That is what makes writing so fulfilling! :)

I don't know how I handle it when my kids get sick (particularly when they end up in the hospital or are fighting for their lives), but God somehow gives me the strength, and He somehow manages to intervene whenever I need Him the most! No, the news hasn't always been good or the outcome hasn't gone the way I wanted it to; but God knows my heart, and He has never disappointed me! He has allowed me to use the past tragedies as a means to bring hope and healing, not only for myself, but to others. I guess that is one reason why I wrote the books I did about my family.

The little girl who had the breathing emergency made it. We got to her in time, and she is now recovering nicely. She had an allergic reaction to penicillin that one of the nurses accidently gave to her. (I reprimended the nurse, so don't worry; things are under control.) She is in critical condition, but she is improving steadily since her anaphylactic shock reaction; but she gave us a lot of anxious moments!

The weather here is clearing up; we had some storms come through here, but they were nothing at all like what we experienced a few weeks back! I am more than ready for some sunnier (not to mention, less stormier and drier) weather here! But since the tornadoes of a few weeks back, the whole family has been on edge: every time we hear it thunder or see lightning approaching, we head to our storm shelter and wait out the storms, even if there are not any severe tendencies in them! LOL I guess we are overly cautious (we have to be when it comes to severe weather; now is our severe weather season)!

Hope the rain ends there soon; I know you don't like the rain, especially with your active brood. I know I about go crazy when it rains here. You try to keep 50 some children entertained without going bonkers! T'aint easy! LOL

Well, we have found out some news: we heard from our adoption counselor, and she has called us to tell us about a boy in need of a family. His name is Vladimir Aleksander, and he is a seven-year-old orphan who has severe cerebral palsy. He is currently living in an institution in Moscow, and finding a family for him is his only hope of survival. I don't know what is going to happen to him, but something needs to be done! We will have to think long and hard on this, and we will have to do a lot of praying! So we may be getting another child into our family, which means we will now  have an even 54 children!

YIKES.

Well, I am about to go to lunch (I am at work as I write this), so I will go for now. I will write to you sometime next week; we are going to be getting ready to go to Louisiana for the weekend; we are going to the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival. Take care, and glad the book I sent to you got there in one piece! Enjoy it!

God bless you and your family always, and write soon! Love ya!

~Cheers,

Louie May in Tennessee (soon to be the mamma of *54* children???). :D