Thursday, May 11, 2006, 5:43 a.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

I am sitting here, eating a bagel and drinking Community chickory-laced coffee for breakfast. It isn't that much, but at least I won't be starving to death by the time my lunch break rolls around when I am at work! LOL

I am in a dither. My mind is so full I don't know what to think. Between the good news of the little Russian boy, Vlademir, being added to our family in a few months and hearing about people reading my book and the favorable comments about it, I am sittin' pretty! *grins* Hope these blessings continue to flow; I still don't know what I may have done to deserve all these good things in life when there are so many other people who are in desperate need of a Touch from God!

I heard from my friend (and co-worker) Roberto Sormiento, who has been on leave because of his wife's pregnancy, and you won't believe this; but M'Buti is carrying quadruplets, all of them BOYS! As you can imagine, he is beside himself with joy! I am very happy for the Sormiento family, but I am wondering if they are able to handle four more little ones! They already have six children now, five boys and a girl!

As Roberto says, Aiii chihuahua!! Busy times ahead for the Sormiento brood! So it isn't only MY family that is getting bigger! LOL

We made it through the storms of the other day, but parts of North Texas weren't so lucky. Three people were killed in a little community called Anna, Texas, and people there are left trying to pick up the pieces and trying to move on. There may have been as many as three separate tornadoes that struck that day, and one of them may have been an F-3, according to the Weather Bureau.

I will have to get in contact with my sister, in Burleson, Texas, to see if she is okay, and to see if she has more information than I do. I may want to donate some stuff to the victims and have the church do the same. I think that is only right.

I heard from a little girl in California named Amere Faquad, and she and her family are originally from Iraq or Afghanistan, somewhere around those parts. The little girl has apparently read a copy of my book, and now she and her family are talking about adopting more children in need into the family.

I guess my own family has been the catalyst of other people wanting to adopt; I don't know, but it seems once they read my book or hear from me, *Boom*--they jump onto the adoption bandwagon, and more families become "forever families"! I am happy to know that I have made a direct impact on people's lives; but I am only doing what I know best: giving children without hope a chance at life and being a good wife and mother!

I am slowly trying to get through the mountain of e-mails that currently clutter my computer's in-box. I know I have over 200 messages easy in my in-box. I am making headway, but I still have a looooooooooong way to go before I am halfway caught up! I just hope that people don't think I am rude for not responding to their e-mails, but YOU try to write while working a full-time job as a nurse and then come home and take care of a growing village! LOL Not easy, my friend, not easy AT all! LOL

Bill and the children are up. They are now getting themselves something to eat before the children head off for school in about an hour and a half and before Bill sets to do some of the housework (he is off work today, the lucky duck! LOL). I am not off until Sunday, but I work today, tomorrow, and Saturday. I usually don't work Fridays or Saturdays, but Kerry Weaver, one of my nurses, broke her leg, and so I am covering her shift as well as my own. Double shift duty, but it sho' is gonna' look purty on my coming paychecks! :)

Well, Ronee' is calling for me, so I will go. She sounds upset about something; wonder what is going on...she sounds madder than a wet hen! *Sighhh* A mother's work is never done!!

Take care, dear Journal, and will write in here again! (Hopefully before Sunday!)

~Love, your friend, Louie May Sandusky, mamma and author! :)