3/16/09 - Samantha's Excitement!

Since last November, when we first told our niece Samantha we were adopting from Ethiopia, she has been SO EXCITED! Almost every time we see her she wants to talk about the "new cousins" and how they will feel when they get here. Samantha is in second grade and will be 8 next month. Her sister and our other niece Maddy Jo is 5 years old and in kindergarten. They both know the cousins won't be here until they are in third and first grade but that doesn't stop the excitement!




















This is a picture of Samantha loving up on her doll Ester. Ester was a Christmas gift Samantha asked for. Ester talks, moves her head, and drinks water, and Amy was pretty excited about playing with the doll too! Whenever Samantha is going to see us, Ester always comes with. FYI - You can just see Maddy Jo's face in the picture frame on the table behind Samantha's arm!



















Samantha has also been very eager to learn about Ethiopia and the continent of Africa. This is a book she checked out of the library at her school and read to us one weekend.

In her excitement, Samantha even asked a little African American boy in her class, "Where are you from? Are you from Ethiopia?" to which the boy replied, "I don't know!" We explained that not every African American is from Ethiopia!!

But it has been so wonderful to see her interest and love for these children she hasn't even met. And Maddy Jo is excited too! As we do things as an extended family - our Galena Weekend, zoo trips, birthday parties - we talk about what it will be like to have the new cousins there some day too!!