Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 10:14 a.m., D.S.T., Nashville, Tennessee~

Dear Journal~

I haven't written in here for a few days. I guess that's not surprising, what with the busy life I lead: taking care of kids, husband, parents, working oodles of hours at the hospital, writing books, being involved with the adoption community, and church. Still, all in all, it's a life I wouldn't trade for all the gold in the world.

I am indeed blessed. :)

Certainly more blessed than most.

I have a loving husband, wonderful kids, supportive parents, caring friends, loyal co-workers, sympathetic employers who understand my situations when I need to take needed time off (though it does hurt the paycheck). I have a wonderful church family who continually lift me up in prayer, and the Unending Love of a Gracious Heavenly Father who sees me through the worst times imaginable.

Well, I got some good news just a while ago: I had written a letter of encouragement to Audrey's daughter, Susie, who had been in the hospital after she cut herself on the wrists. Well, Susie is now back home, but she continues to worry me. What's to say she won't try something like this again?

That poor child is hurting inside, and it aggrieves me to no end. Well, I reached out in friendship; I only pray she reaches out towards me.

Susie needs a friend, especially now with her haelth being so unpredictable, as it's been of late. (She has MD, and it is getting worse. It's getting harder for her to do things; a few months back she was so sick she almost died.) That Susie survived her last medical crisis is nothing short of a miracle.

Susie has been through so much in her short thirteen years on this planet; no, her whole family has, and it's only been in the past few months that things have finally improved for the family. I have tried to be there for the Jackson/Callaway family during all their trials, and I hope I have been a good friend to them.

Well, I am still suffering from the throes of morning sickness; guess I have at least a month or two to go before it eases off. The hardest thing to understand is this: I dearly love the smell of cookies baking; always have, always will. Now whenever I smell cookies baking, I turn extremely nauseated, and it is all I can do to keep from barfing all over. At work it is especially difficult.

In addition to the nausea/morning sickness, my breasts have gotten larger (as if they need to do this; I'm already well blessed in that department; I got 'em from my maman! :) ), and oooh, chere', they are so tender, so sore, it's NOT funny!!

It will be a month when I start to get a poochy little belly that will only get bigger as my pregnancy advances. Then people'll start looking at me or asking questions. It never fails! LOL

The weather here is patchy: partly cloudy (or partly sunny, depending on your outlook!), with temps in the 70's to lower 80's, very pleasant. We haven't had rain in nearly a week now, but we may get some later on this week s a low pressure system tracks our way. Some areas of the country have had way too much rain while other places (New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, parts of southern California)  can't seem to buy any: incredibly tinderbox-dry conditions, with the ever-present threat of wildfires. (There've been some fires in Florida, New Jersey, California, and Georgia.)

Very unusual weather patterns we're having this year in the good ol' U.S. of A.! (Makes me wonder what the summer'll be like..nearly too afraid to find out!!)

The kids are getting antsy: in less than a month, school will be over for the year; then we'll have kids around the house almost constantly. This weekend marks a holiday weekend: Memorial Day, which we'll spend remembering our veterans or fallen brothers or sisters who died in battle. Besides the picnics or parades, we'll listen to speeches  and honor our veterans, wich is the patriotic thing to do; it's what Memorial Day is all about.

This weekend also marks the upcoming Children's Miracle Network telethon/fundraiser; our family is heavily involved with this organization because if it were not for the fine children's hospitals (or hospitals like St. Jude's in Memphis), some of my own Miracles wouldn't be alive; we will be celebrating the victories of my Miracle Children and praising God's goodness upon each of their lives.

After the telethon, we'll have our annual Sandusky cookout and enjoy each other--and have fun in the process.

Well, I'll go for now: emergency tones sounding off once again. I'll write in here in a few days or so. Besides, they're paging me over the intercom to come to the E.R.; they need me. (Nice to be needed, huh??) Until next time, dear Journal, take care and God bless!

~Love, your friend, Louie May. :D