Goodbye Again

You might remember when we said goodbye to Absa last fall. She has been with two other host families since then and has completely overcome her homesickness, played on the undefeated girls' soccer team (JV and Varsity), and had a great year at school. She's made many friends and speaks English so well that she thinks and dreams in English now. She's had a great year during her exchange, but all good things come to an end. Tomorrow Absa heads to Washington DC for a couple of days before she leaves for her home in Senegal. We were able to say goodbye again on Sunday evening. A few of the kids' friends came over so they could say goodbye, too. It was a fun evening with plenty of laughter.

Absa with friends and "family"

We'll miss you, Absa. You'll always be a part of our family. We wish you all the best in Senegal and hope that you have many opportunities available to you because of the things you learned here.

Now go and set your little corner of the world on fire!

Prom

Sam got all dressed up last night and headed off to Prom with the exchange students. He and Absa had a good time with Sam even participating in a dance-off. According to a few comments I've heard, the dance-off was highly entertaining and unexpected. (I think Sam is generally viewed as a pretty conservative and predictable guy. :)

Absa is with a great host family right now. She's doing very well on the girls' Soccer team. They are having an amazing season! She has long since overcome her homesickness and has learned to really love it here. She heads home mid-June and is already worried about how much she'll miss us all. I know we'll miss her when she's gone!

Lara from Turkey, Kalin from Bulgaria, Absa from Senegal, and Sam. :)

A good looking bunch!

Saying Goodbye

Last night we said a sad goodbye to Absa. Because we were asked to be a "Welcome Family," we hosted her for a little over the first 2 months of her stay. We loved having her here. She is the most respectful, calm, easy going girl and we enjoyed the time that she was in our home. It was fun showing her things for the first time and learning about her culture.

Absa is joining a family who has one child, a daughter her age. I'm sure she'll get a lot more attention and there won't be nearly as much chaos in her new home. (Things get pretty crazy around here on a daily basis!) We look forward to inviting her over and keeping in close touch throughout the remainder of her time in our little corner of the world. It's been a great experience.

All our best, Absa, as you start on your new adventure! We'll miss you.

Happy Birthday, Absa!

It's Sweet Sixteen for Absa today!

We had a party for her last night at the University Bowling Alley. So fun! A big group of her friends came and they sure know how to have a good time! I've mentioned before that Absa loves to bowl on the wii and she said that bowling is something she enjoys in Senegal as well. I don't remember her final score last night, but it was right around 50. Woo hoo! Okay, that might not sound so great, but it will sound a lot better when I tell you that after the 4th frame her score was, um, one. I'd say she made quite a come back! :)

And so, to one of the sweetest, calmest, most low-maintenance people I know, we wish you a big Happy Birthday, Absa!

I hope this is your best year so far.

Ludo

We like to play games around here! I asked Absa what kinds of games they play in Senegal and she said a favorite is Ludo. I thought it would be fun to get it so she could teach us how to play. I looked around and found that I could buy it for around $20. But then I got looking at the simple shapes that make up the game board and thought, "Hmm, I wonder if I could make that...?"

I used the back of our (rather rough looking) Chutes and Ladders board and cut the shapes with my vinyl cutter. Don't look too close - I didn't do the best job lining everything up, but it works and we've had fun playing it this weekend. Can you tell what I used for the game pieces? Nickels! :) I thought about buying something, but it only cost me $0.80 in nickels and they were the perfect size. Yay!

Homecoming

I wish I'd taken pictures of the process.

It was fun to watch Savannah help Absa get ready for homecoming this afternoon. From the hairdo, with the braid sweeping from front to back to the beaded headband (none of which I thought to capture on film!), to the makeup, painted nails and fancy clothes, Absa was all dolled up and ready to go. She wore a beautiful dress that her aunt made and that made the long trip from Senegal tucked safely away in Absa's relatively small suitcase. (You wouldn't believe the amazing clothes she keeps pulling from that little thing!)

Absa was going to dinner and the dance with a big group of friends tonight. I hope she's having a great time!

 

Absa Rides

It's been fun for us to teach Absa new things. We've introduced her to the wii (she loves the bowling!), many new foods, and several of our favorite games.

We asked if she'd like to go bike riding with us and were surprised to learn that she doesn't know how to ride a bike! Here is her first experience -- we thought "Maggie," Jeff's 2-seater bike, would be a perfect place to start.

Absa loved it! Since then, she's had 2 lessons on a regular bike. She's getting there! :)

Welcome, Absa!

Our world and our family just got bigger! The kids are so excited to welcome their new sister into our home.

Meet Absa.

Absa is an exchange student from Senegal (West Africa) and she will be staying with us while she attends our local high school. Absa is so patient and sweet. After just one day she's doing really well, especially considering how tired she is and how different our cultures are. I'm sure she's overwhelmed and there's a lot to learn, but we're looking forward to many adventures ahead as we share our little corner of the world and learn all about hers.

Sam and Savannah invited a group of friends over tonight so Absa could meet them. They wanted to make sure she'd see some familiar faces when she starts school on Tuesday. The boy and girl on the far right are also exchange students - Kalin is from Bulgaria and Lara is from Turkey. This is an awesome bunch of kids.

Welcome, Absa! We are so happy you are here. :)