Kirsten is from my parents. On our eight birthday, we girls know we are getting an american girl doll, and we go through the proces of picking our favorite. After that, Mum will make outfits, and grampa used to make us furniture (until he passed away in January). Getting actual sets from AG is rare. I used to get more when I was little, but money has been tight. They would never buy any of us a second doll. The outfits my mom made and the furniture from Daddy and Grampa are far more special to me than anything bought from AG. Well, maybe my dolls . . .

Kaya was a surprise from my older sister. She didn't even mean for me to get it really. She entered my name in a drawing at a hallmark store that was near her college. We don't have one here, and so I didn't even know there was a drawing going on. I got a phonecall from hallmark one day telling me I had won Kaya and Tatlo! I was very surprised and had a hard time figuring out how that happened. Eventually my sister told me. She picked up the doll and brought it home. Then she informed me that she had been hoping to win it under my name . . .no such luck!! SO we call it my doll from Laura. She doesn't really collect AG anymore anyway.