Visit from Lena

Howard and Ruth Ann have had several foreign exchange students live with them.

The first girl was Thaty from Brazil. She was here when I found out I was pregnant.
Next was Tara from Germany. She was here when Dotty was born.
Next was Lena from Germany. She was here when Dotty was 1.
The last was Bara from the Czech Republic. She was here when Dotty was 2.

All the girls have been really amazing young women. We have all grown to love and adore them and have kept in contact with them even when they have returned home. Dotty has especially adored Lena and Bara...mainly because she was old enough to play with them and to remember them. (She also remembers the fact that those girls did pretty much whatever Dotty wanted them to do.)

Lena has been in Texas visiting for several weeks now and Dotty and I had her over last night for a visit. It is always good for a "mother's heart" to see how much her child loves someone, but when you see that love returned it really does a heart good.

I have always been able to see on all the exchange students' faces just how much Dotty means to them. They all truly care for her just like family and that is the best gift they could ever give me.

I don't know if I could ever let Dotty go live for 10 months in a foreign country with people I know nothing about...but I am sure glad the parents of those four girls did so. I feel truly blessed for having known each of them.

Maybe some day Dotty and I can go visit Brazil, Germany, or the Czech Republic...or maybe all three!!! And if Dotty does want to go study abroad I hope she can live with one of those girls by that time...although there will be rules...no driving, no drinking, no drugs...and no dating!!!

Side Note: That last part is sort of an inside joke :)