Japanese exchange students

Annie is Japanese.  Ok, not really, but her heart and mind are!  For the last 3 years she has become obsessed,...(what? Annie obsessed with something!?) with everything Japanese.  She loves the culture, the music, the language, the toys, the tv shows, the animation, the clothes...everything.  She has been teaching herself Japanese and is doing really well.  Shortly after we moved to St. George in Feb of 2017 (had to throw that in since it's mentioned NO WHERE in this blog) we had the opportunity to host a Japanese foreign exchange student.  We jumped at the opportunity.  Mostly because Japanese people had almost become celebrities in Annie's mind and we thought it would be fun for her.  IT WAS!  At first Annie was a bit star struck when she came face to face with them.  She clammed up and wouldn't utter a word of Japanese to them.  She felt awkward and embarrassed.  Luckily our student Kana, was super out going and started showing Annie a funny face swapping app on her phone.  The girls started laughing together and from then on they became inseparable!  It was so fun to see our normally reserved Annie come to life with these Japanese kids! Mindy was hosting a student as well so we through several parties and invited all the Japanese kids in the area (who were part of the exchange program as well) to come over and socialize.  They roasted marshmallows one night, karaoke one night, we took the girls kayaking, and to snow canyon.  On the nights we didn't have an organized party, Annie, Kana, and Ayumi (Mindy's student) could be found watching movies together, laughing and eating popcorn, and practicing their Japanese/English.  I loved having them here.  I found the Japanese kids to have such sweet spirits.  They were so in awe and so cute about being in the US.  It was fun to show them things they hadn't seen before (like microwave popcorn and Italian soda)  They have very rigorous school schedules so it was fun for them to kick back for a few weeks and really enjoy themselves.  Annie was in heaven!  She really bonded with Kana and Ayumi.  It was a very tearful goodbye for all of them.  She is friends with both of them on facebook and they text each other as well.  I am so grateful we had the opportunity to have them in our home!!