Thursday, December 4, 2008, Conyers, Georgia, 10:03 a.m., E.S.T.~

Dear Louisiana May~

Hello!  Sorry if I didn't get back to your charming e-mail of last week; goodness, it's been so busy 'round here!  I can't imagine what it must be like around your house; it must be total chaos, especially when all the kids are home!

And then you have grandchildren to contend with, not to mention, the fiancees and in-laws!  WOW!  How do you do it?  I certainly hope you found room for everybody!!

We had a relatively quiet Thanksgiving (if you can call chasing four active kids "quiet"  LOL); no spectacular happenings to mar the holiday.  We had ham, candied yams, jello salad (cranberry, of course! LOL), cornbread stuffing, fresh yeast rolls, and for dessert, a choice of pumpkin or pecan pie.  It was yummy, we all ate like a bunch of pigs!  LOL

The next day we were going to go shopping, but then Korina woke up; she was throwing up.  She had a twenty-four stomach bug; thankfully, nobody else got it.  So the kids played outside while I nursed poor sick little Korina.  She had to go to the doctor's for a shot and some pills; she's now feeling better, thank the Lord!!

We will do our Christmas shopping this weekend.  We'll take the kids to Stone Mountain, so they can see Santa Claus.  They've been trying their best to be good; they know that Santa isn't far from coming, so they are behaving themselves (for the most part, anyway! LOL).

Did  y'all get out in the mess of Black Friday?  I can't imagine doing so; some people are totally nuts, and this commericalism has gotten way out of hand!  We need to get back to the REAL Reason behind the Season:  the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!!

Are you getting your house ready for Christmas?  Are you having a tree this year?  Or to mention, lights on the outside?  We are having a small fiber-optic tree in our livingroom, nothing special, but at least it's for the kids, and Santa can have someplace to put the presents when he comes!  :)

I have got to do my Christmas cards sometime this week or next; got to get 'em out before the fifteenth if anyone's to get a card from me.  Do you send your cards out early, or do you wait until crunch time?  I certainly hope you do yours early!

I'll be enclosing piccys of Khristmas, Kensington, Kaylie, and Korina with the card, so be on the lookout for them.  I think they really came out good, especially the ones of Korina and the ones of the kids sitting together.  They're all getting so big!!

It seems funny that it's been over a year now since little Korina Grace joined our family.  She's been a shining star; we can't imagine the family without her!  She has managed to wrap her little finger 'round all our hearts and those she happens to meet; everyone just loves her to pieces!  We are indeed blessed in having Korina in our lives!

Hubby has been talking about adopting; I'd love to do it again, but I think I will wait until the economy improves somewhat.  We'd love to adopt a brother for Kenny; he's the only male besides hubby-dear, and I'm sure he feels overwhelmed by all these females!  LOL  I'd love for him to have a little brother!

We'd like to adopt a boy from Russia or perhaps Jamaica, maybe even Korea. 

Well, Korina's calling me, so I will go now.  (The others are in school; right now it's just me and Korina.)  Oh, and our kitten, "Raggie"  (she's a ragdoll, and she's soooo cute!!)  Take care and may God bless!  Write soon!  Love you!

~Mattie Denise.  :D