Friday, January 13, 2012, Nashville, Tennessee, 4:52 p.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Bill Sandusky here.  Hope this finds you well.  

We are well, but Louisiana is madder than a wet hen caught in a downburst: she got stopped for speeding this morning.  She was doing 40 in a 25-speed zone.  Louie got a speeding ticket in the tune of $160.00.  

My dear Louie was not amused.

Turns out Louisiana forgot to pick up some prescrips on the way home, so she cut a U-turn and motored back to Wal+Mart.  That was when the policeman, who was hiding behind a sign, nailed her with his radar gun and pulled her over.  She was home later than usual and was as mad as hops.

I personally think it was due to her new van.  She traded in her old midnight blue Dodge Caravan (1998 model) for a 2007 candy-apple red Town and Country.  It is really pretty!  

Seems that cops always like to stop people in red vehicles, particularly females.

Now is NOT the time to trifle with my little Cajun wife.  

Louie is still pretty steamed, but she knows she is in the wrong, so she cannot wriggle her way out of paying it.  So her next check will be a lot smaller; she may have to pinch some pennies to get through the month.  Or at least this week ...

And as you know, we are in the process of adopting again.  We are hoping to add a boy or girl from either Japan or Haiti.  Well, we heard from the adoption counselor this morning (or at least I did; Louie was gone at the time); she told us about two small children, a little boy (3) and a girl (6).  Both have special needs.  The boy, who is from Japan originally, is currently staying with a foster family in neaby Goodlettsville (the child was a survivor of the massive earthquake/tsunami which struck Japan last year; his entire family was killed) and has autism.

As for the girl, she is from Haiti and has Down syndrome.  Like the boy, the girl lost her family in the earthquake that struck Haiti a few years ago.

The children are named  Akihiko Kenji and Bastienne Camille (she will probably be called Camille).  We will see their pictures for the first time later today when our counselor sends them to us via our e-mail.  

Then we will let our counselor know if we will take them or not.  Don't see why not:  what's two more?? We already have sixty three children now as it is (20 still living here at home) ...

If we say yes, then we will have another extensive background check, a thorough drug/alcohol screening, another home study (or two), and questions.  Oh, the neverending series of questions!!

Louisiana seems dubious about taking on the responsibility of two more children, but as she pointed out in her last journal entry, God has been speaking to our hearts about adding to the family and He hasn't let up.  So she just may have to give in: after all, if God wants to bless us with two more children on top of all the ones we already have (NOT counting the grandbabies, mind you ... ), then so be it.  The ball is in God's court, NOT ours!

The children already know about the possibility of a new brother or sister.  They are all beyond excited!  They should be.  They know what it is about; all of them (but the two youngest, Ian and Isaiah, who are only four ... and our two natural-born children) have been through "The Adoption Game" and know how it feels to gain new family members.  It is akin to having a baby: the same preparation, the planning, the waiting (o, God! The endless waiting!!), the uncertainty, and finally, delivery (when the new children join the family).  Then the icing on the cake, when the judge officially performs the adoption ceremony in court, legally tying them to the family tree, to be our forever children, once and for all.

It is a time of tears, laughter, joyous hugs and kisses, and outright celebration.

Well, I am going to see if I can make supper.  Louie is probably holed up with the children (or in her lair, writing furiously on her computer) and probably doesn't want to be disturbed, so I will offer to cook.  I know she is probably still upset about the ticket (don't blame her one bit on that one!).  I will have to do something to cheer her up a little.  I will write in here again as soon as we hear anything regarding the possible adoptions of Akihiko and Camille.  Until then, this is Bill Sandusky saying so long; may God bless you as much as He's been blessing us!

~Bill.