Howdy from Conyers, Georgia!

This is Maddie Wright writing.  Hope this finds you well and happy.  We are doing fantastic!

Our two newest children, six-year-old twins Jonquil Anessa and Jamila Alene, have settled into their new home (and family) with relatively few problems; the other children (Korina, Kaylie, Kristmas, Kensington, Mordechai, Emmanuel, Alyssa, and Kesogo) have all took to them like ducks to water.  They all love one another.  Of course, there's always the usual brother-and-sister squabbles, but that happens in any family, right?  LOL

Korina has been with us for two years now.  Hard to believe that just a few short years ago, she was a painfully shy, scared little waif; now she is one of our more outgoing members of our family.  She's always the first to greet the sun and us when we rise out of bed in the morning.  She absolutely adores children's church and is looking forward to singing her first solo in the children's Christmas program next weekend.  She has been practicing hard and she knows her lines perfectly!  We are very proud of her!

Kensington, Kaylie, and Kristmas are all looking forward to one thing: a break from school!  They're always loaded down with homework, and they're always complaining that they don't have any time to play or veg out.  Typical school-agers.  LOL

As for Mordechai, Kesogo, and Emmanuel, they have all excelled in soccer this year.  Their teams won the district championship; they played their hearts out.and their efforts paid off big time!  We were estatic at how far their soccer skills have progressed!  

Since it is Christmas in a few weeks, we have our house ready for guests or neighbors/friends who might come to call.  The tree and decorations are up, and to the younger children, that can only mean one thing:  Santa Claus (or as our youngest family members say, Pantie Claus).

The children are trying their best to be good, which is very much appreciated by mommy and daddy.  It makes our job as parents easier.  We also remind them every day that Christmas isn't just about the presents or just about Santa: it's  more about the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  If He hadn't been born, there would have never been a Christmas.  We have told them that on Christmas Day, we will bake a cake for the Baby Jesus and sing him songs.  It's a family tradition with us.

After the first of the year, Jonquil is due to have surgery on her back; she has a severe S-curvature of her spine, and it's started to affect her breathing.  For now, though, we do our best to keep her comfortable and to give her some oxygen as needed; it is troubling, though, when we wake up in the middle of the night, and hear her struggling, but once we position her, to where her head is higher than her feet, she seems to be breathing much easier, and then we're always relieved.

For now, though, that is on the back burner as we concentrate more on the Christmas season and remind the children that Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

Other than that, life is very good for us, especially since Jonquil and Jamila have joined our merry crew.  We have reasons to be thankful this year, and we will have a Christmas worth celebrating.  I know friends and relatives will shower the children with extra gifts this year.  They will also probably bring them treats, and the children will be wired up from sugar for the rest of the year (and possibly next year)!  LOLOLOL

Well, we are due to leave: our church is having a Christmas Bash for the families, and we will be there with our church family.  There will be a huge "dinner-on-the-grounds", and the children will get gifts from Santa, who will make a surprise appearance (only the children don't know that  yet; it's a surprise!).  I will write in here again soon; until then, take care, and may God bless you all abundantly this Christmas Season!  Keep Jonquil (and us) in your prayers when she has her surgery next month; we'd greatly appreciate it!  Thanks in advance!

Until then, let me be among the first to wish you the merriest of Christmases and the best of New Years!

~Love, your friend in Georgia, Maddie Denise Wright.  :)