Foreign Exchange

Last year we got to have Ariel come from Taiwan to spend a couple weeks with us.  It was so fun and interesting that the kids decided to try it again this year - times 2!

Meet Nemo.  She is sweet as can be and she and Ksenya really hit it off well.  She spoke very good English which made it much easier and she was fascinated by the animals and very sweet with the little kids, even when Darla unloaded her suitcase for her twice.  She's quite an accomplished pianist too and we loved listening to her play (I think it may have inspired Ksenya to practice a little harder).

This is Alex. He has the most contagious laugh and it constantly smiling and laughing.  He really struggled with our strange food but enjoyed all the time he had to play outside.  He was really fun to talk to and after he recovered from jet-lag had endless amounts of energy!  He and Kabe were good buddies.

I think the thought of standing next to the cows terrified both of them, but I thought it would be fun for their families to see.  It was another fun year for our family to have a few extra's and learn about a different culture.

Here's the only photo we have of Bronco (the cat) because he's since become anti-social and won't come out and let us play with him. 

And here is most of the gang.  The kids enjoyed going to school with their foreign buddy and a couple field trips.  They liked making fried potatoes one night and had a ball chopping the potatoes up together.  They also enjoyed the garden and helping to harvest a few things.  They weren't huge fans of the trampoline either which surprised me.  I braided Nemo's hair once and she decided it was too much work but my goodness, she had a lot of hair!  

I know Heavenly Father loves all his children and every time another kid comes to our house I sort of fall in love with them.  Kids are just wonderful and it doesn't matter what language you speak, everyone laughs the same.