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Dear Teresa Aine: Aloha! Thanks For The Letter! (Louie Writes Back.) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Friday, April 27, 2007
Rated "G" by the Author.
Louisiana answers the letter from Theresa Aine, who lives in Hawai'i, after Theresa Aine wrote to her.
Friday, April 27, 2007, 6:50 a.m., D.S.T., Nashville, Tennessee~
Dear Teresa Aine~
Aloha! Thanks for your letter; however, why did you write it in bright green? It was hard to see on the white background, even with my reading glasses on! That's okay; I could make out most of what you said in the letter! :)
I am glad you enjoyed my books; I have several more out (one children's book about my family, two others about my experiences as a nurse). I am working on a sixth book at the present time, a novel about a Cajun woman who finds love (and heartbreak) on the Louisiana bayou. It's my first journey into fiction. I've been working on it for about a few weeks now. Yet I have one question: how did you find my books all the way over there in Hawai'i? That is what I'd like to know!
Your kids all sound wonderful, but I had to laugh about Donnie and Devereaux's flour episode at the end. Kids will find all sorts of ways to get into mischief, won't they? I know mine do. I have seen my youngest daughter (at that time) covered in flour, several times, and I have had to get kids out of tight cupboards, haul them from underneath the table, try to remove magic marker from little faces after they decided to make themselves "look pretty", and the like. Life with my kids has certainly been interesting, let me tell you! LOL
To tell you a little about myself, I am married (nearly for fifteen years now); I am married to a wonderful man named William (Bill). I am going to be 39 in June, on the 10th, and on the 26th, Bill and I will celebrate our fifteenth wedding anniversary. We did have three children of our own, but all died, unfortunately, two while still tiny babies. Had they survived, they would have been in their middle to later teens. I still miss them very much now, especially on their birthdays or on holidays.
After we got over our initial grief, Bill suggested we try adoption. I opted for it; we were then blessed with two beautiful babies, first a boy from Germany, then a girl from the Bayou Country of South Louisiana; we haven't looked back since. After Johnny and Ronee' (the first two we adopted), our little family of four instantly swelled into a family of 11 after we took in seven more children. The children have kept coming ever since! LOL Now we're up to sixty. YIKES.
Our children range in age from one and a half to 25 years. They come from places like Canada and the United States, Mexico, China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Bosnia Hergozevina, Romania, Russia, Africa, and Guatemala, and most suffer from a variety of handicaps including varying degrees of cerebral palsy, mental disability, hearing and/or vision problems, learning problems, autism, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, dwarfism, missing limbs, scars from burns, and severe allergies; but they are all great kids, with a promising future, and kids who have come far in life.
Now whenever a particular child comes into the family, it gets to the point to where we eventually cannot imagine our family without this cihld. It won't be long before we add little Bjorn, our newest child (he's the one from Finland; he's only three), to that list. Bjorn was just adopted a week ago today; he is a beautiful little boy with white hair, pale, pale blue eyes, and fair, fair skin (he was born an Albino child).
He was also born blind and deaf. He isn't used to us yet, and he'll spend his time sitting in the middle of the floor, rocking, or biting himself. He is a very scared littel boy right now, but once we unlock the mystery of his world, he should start opening up (we can only hope).
In addition to the children, I am also taking care of elderly parents and my husband, who is currently on leave from his job; he is recovering from back surgery, so any lifting for him is severely curtailed. He has to wear a back brace, and he is still in some pain. He has to be very careful when he moves, so as to not unhinge everything our surgeon worked so hard to fix. Add to this, working as a nurse at a hospital here in town (I have been a nurse for over eight years now).
My life is never dull. People commonly ask me if I ever sleep. I do sleep; I just don't sleep as much as I should (excepting on Saturdays if I don't have to work, and that is until the kids get me up). I sometimes suffer the consequences, as I get bone tired, and I am almost reaching the point of total collapse. Not good, I know, but what can one do?? LOL
It's a life I wouldn't trade for all the gold in the world: my kids are my world, and they mean too much to me. I would die for them, and I love them too much. My kids are my ministry, and they are a living, breathing testimony to the resiliency of the human spirit. They are all living Miracles, and my world would be a much darker place without their presence.
I have my adoption community too, online. I write to people from all over the world, and they have questions pertaining to adoption (particularly adopting children with special needs); and I try to answer any questions as best as I can. I don't always have the answers; if you seek more answers, go to www.adopting.com or www.adoptivefamilies.com; they will probably have the answers you are looking for. More'n likely, they will.
Bill (my husband, remember) says I should have married the computer because I am always on it! LOL
Well, Teresa Aine, this is about it for now. I've bent your ear for far too long. I will let you go; it's time to start my rounds as a nurse, start a new day. (I should have started fifteen minutes ago, but got caught up in writing...AGAIN. LOL) Before I get into serious doodoo with the bosses, I'd better scoot! LOL Until next time, I do hope to hear from you, and I would love to see pics of yourself and/or the kids! I would love to see what you look like! Take care, and God bless you mightily! He certainly has blessed me, and He keeps on blessing me, even when I don't expect it! :)
Aloha!
(((HUGS))) and love, a new friend in Tennessee, Louisiana Mayrah Sandusky (mamma to sixty Miracles!). :)
P.S.: I hope Bill or I have the opportunity to visit Hawai'i one day; we've been to Alaska (twice!), but not Hawai'i. (YET.) :) That' d be wonderful! :) We've also been to Mexico (once). We went on a cruise when we went to Mexico and Alaska. (We've now been on three cruises, would love to go on more! :) ).
A wonderful letter Karen, as always...
love and peace, Carole
Reviewed by d. k
4/27/2007
What a wonderful letter Louie writes back! Now that would be most encouraing for Teresa to read! I bet there are days where she feels so alone, but with Louie just a computer click away, well I bet it will be a great inspiration. Louie's love for her family is most evident in her letter. Great work!
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