October 19, 2012, Nashville, Tennessee, 10:57 s.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Louie Sandusky here.  Won't be on long (am at work as I write; on break), but I had to break the news to you that we are adding to the family.  Crazy?  Perhaps, but the Lord led us to adopt a new child and so as a result, our family is going to become bigger by one.  We will soon have 66 children!

The child we will be adding to our family is from Arizona; it is a Native American child of the Dine' (Navajo) Nation.  We are adopting a little boy; his name is Sherman Alex, and he is six years old.  He is relatively healthy, but he does have developmental delays and may have fetal alcohol syndrome.  So we have our work cut out for us.

The past few months have been busy, what with getting the necessary papers in order, undergoing yet more extensive background checks, home studies, the required physical examinations, and what not; it's been crazy!  Yet the boys are thrilled, as there will be a new brother to get to know (and love). 

We have been getting Sherman's room ready for when he does come; the agency said up to a year, but both Bill and I have a feeling he will be here much sooner than that.  Nobody has really shown an interest in taking him; so far, we have been the only takers.  So Sherman Alex will be arriving probably within a few months, the way it stands now.  Not much time ....

The kids are happy that there will be a new member of the family; already they are calling with their nonstop questions and making plans to come home for Thanskgiving and Christmas, so they can get to meet their new brother and get to know him.  It will be great to have all the kids home, but the question still remains: where in the world are we going to put everybody??

In other news, I just heard from my sister in Texas that Big Tex (the mainstay of the Texas State Fair) has burned up; all that's left are his hands; otherwise, he is a total loss.  They are thinking it may have been an electrical fire.  I pray nobody was hurt, but I am sure many people are upset about it.  I know I would be; Big Tex has been a main fixture of the Texas State Fair for years. 

My friend Breanna in Burleson called to tell me about it too.  And I heard about it on Facebook.  I don't know what to say except that I am in shock about it.

We are getting ready for the Harvest Festival at our church; that will be happening in just a few weeks.  This year we have the Singing Cookes as the entertainment, as well as the choirs from our church, so I will be singing at the festival.  I know there will be a good turnout; there always has been in the years we have held the event. 

In addition to that, we are also getting ready to host the Veterans for their annual Veteran's Day meal and to feed the city's homeless and downtrodden population come Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Then we also have Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames, which will be held the weekend prior to Halloween.  (I am participating in that, too; I am one of the crowd who mocks Jesus Christ in the opening scene, prior to when He gets crucified.)

Well, I am going to get something to eat, so I will end this now.  Sorry it's not that long, but as I said, I'm on break and I only have an hour.  I will write in here again soon; until then, take care and God bless!  This is Louisiana Sandusky saying so long!

~Love, your friend in Tennessee, Louie May.  :)