Thursday, March 19, 2009, Nashville, TN., 5:02 a.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Louisiana here.  Sorry if I haven't written, but you know how that goes.  LOL  Between church business, raising my village LOL, working oodles of hours at my job at the hospital, and so forth, it's a wonder I even have time to go to the bathroom some days!  Geez!!  LOL

I hope you understand, and I hope you forgive me. 

We are continuing to practice for our upcoming Easter Cantata, which is in a few short weeks.  Comin' up fast, folks!  And prior to that, we have the Gaither Vocal Band appearing at our church, then in June is our revival, with the McKameys.  Then we have a break in the summer (other than the revival) before the Fall Festival and the second installment of Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames.

Busy, busy times for our church family at Christ Community Assembly of God!!  Whee!!  LOL

Life here at home is good.  The kids are eating me out of house and home; seems that we're always going to the store every few days!  Arrggh!!  Do those kids think I'm made out of money or something??  Man!  It drives me crazy!! 

And they're growing so fast; it seems I'm always having to buy them new clothes every few months, especially the babies and younger ones; they grow so darned fast!!

Thank God for thrift stores!  LOL  I can get good (gently used) clothes for cheap, better than paying top dollar for something that they're going to outgrow in just a few months, which doesn't really make a lot of sense!

I'm getting concerned:  those gas prices are going up and up, which means the food costs will go up, too.  Arggh!!  How do people expect me to provide, feed for my family??  I don't want us to end up on the streets homeless!  That's one of my biggest fears!!

I thank God for those people who do help out, but still, I'd love to have some extra money left over after I get groceries or pay the bills, but the kids' needs (and the needs of my husband and parents) come first; it's always been this way.  Also included in this is our tithe to the church; it's the "law of firsts", and I strongly adhere to this.

I do have some good news:  the Cohens are moving back to Nashville in a few months.  Naomi Cohen, her husband, Micah, and their children are coming back home!  We are excited; I've been friends with them going on five/six years now, and I love them all so much!  It will be great to see them again!!

My son, Johnathon, is beside himself with joy:  Rebekkah, one of the daughters, is his girlfriend; they are madly in love with one another!

Speaking of beaus, my daughter, Ronee', has a new boyfriend in Michael B. Stinkowitz (called "Stinko" by his friends).  He's a very nice kid, kind of quiet, though.  She's bringing him home this weekend, so we can meet him; I just hope the size of our family doesn't chase him off!  LOL  We are looking forward to it!

*Sigh.*  My kids are growing up.  *snif*  Seems like only yesterday when I was feeding them, changing their diapers!

Even our youngest pair, Ian and Isaiah, are no longer so helpless (or so little).  They are now over one year old, into everything, walking and talking up a storm.  They are getting so big; at the age of one year, four months, they are as big as three-year-olds, and they are bursting with good health. 

They look just like their daddy; they are beautiful little boys!

Thu, Anh's fiancee', is doing a little better.  Still hobbling around on crutches, in light of her recent foot fracture, but she's getting around a little better, according to Anh's latest report.  Thank God for small favors!

She'll be on crutches for at least six-to-eight weeks, so she won't be able to work with the children until she recovers and is off the crutches.

And Steffi, Tank (Steffi's boyfriend), Dwerlina, Melizza, and Dianna are coming home for Easter, as is Barbara.  (Lightning and her family couldn't; her husband is too wrapped up in a case [he is a lawyer], and Lightning has been having problems with low blood pressure.)

Our (little) house will be near full-to-bursting with all those extra mouths to feed!  LOL

Gotta love it!  (And I do!!  I love it when my kids come home!!)

The weather here in Nashville is beautiful:  sunny, warm, nice enough for me to piddle around in the flowers.  They are springing up, and the trees are budding up, turning green.  Spring is just about upon us, in just a day or two, after a long, cold, snowy winter.  I love spring; it's a time of renewed hope, renewal of life!  It's a most wonderful time of year!

Well, I am going to go now; gotta work in less than two hours.  I will write in here again probably later on (within several days to a week, at least).  Until then, this is Louisiana signing off; take care, and may God bless you as much as He's been blessing me!

(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May.  :D