We Will Miss You

During our third and final week with the exchange students we kept very busy trying to fit in as much as possible. Class time included celebrating summer birthdays, and learning about American holidays. The kids were able to enjoy their first Easter egg hunt and distroy a pinata. Tuesday we left town to visit The History Museum, The Zoo, The Discovery Center, and The Mall. The kids particularly enjoyed the Mall! Some fun memories I have are the kids moaning every time we went through the dairy areas on our rides on the bus. Watching them cover and plug their noses in disgust was so funny.

During our time as a family we were able to take Grace out for Chinese food,(her opinion was that is was good for here, but no good if you were eating it China) do some sightseeing, and go to the Drive-in movie. One request Grace had while she was here was to eat Thanksgiving dinner. She wanted to try the turkey dinner she had seen in movies. So my mom and I put together the official Thanksgiving food including, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pie, and so on. It was delicious. Grace loved the mashed potatoes, turkey, and deviled eggs. We had a pizza party with all the host families one evening and on Thursday night we went to the park to listen to the free concert and then out for sno-cones. Sunday afternoon Ryan left for dance camp and Grace was sad most of the night. It was a hard parting for her. They got to be very close in a short amount of time. She stayed in Ryan's room and as the nights went on the giggling lasted a little longer and got a little louder. I know Grace enjoyed getting to experience a family with so many kids, even though it was a short time. We like to think of ourselves as her American family and she is always welcome!

We had a wonderful farewell party with a potluck that included fresh corn donated from the farm we visited Friday. So yummy!! Some of the kids participated in a talent show for us and they all performed the line dance they had learned in class. Before Grace left we gave her a gift. A Kobe Bryant jersey....it was so cute when she squealed in delight as she opened it and put it on.

This was such a wonderful experience for our entire family. Grace bonded in her own way with each of us, including Kalee and Chris, and my parents. Mady, Meili, and Lili had a wonderful time with each other everyday, and I got to enjoy being with their mom :)

As we headed to the airport Monday morning there were many tears from all families. Everyone got very close during their time together. And I don't think anyone would change a thing. What a blessing it is to open your home and heart to such amazing kids from the other side of the world! We will always miss them and can't wait for the opprotunity to see them again.