Summer Tales

I took the summer off to host 5 exchange students from Spain and France.  Here is all of us camping at the Russian River in July.  We had an incredible time with these kids.  We learned about their cultures, improved our Spanish, learned all the curse words and hip phrases in all 3 languages, and stayed up late at night playing cards and laughing.  It was the best summer my kids have ever had, they told me after the students left.  We shed many tears when parting because they had become such a big part of our family.  There was a big empty space in our home when they were gone.  Things were quiet, and we all felt a little sad for a while after they left. 

I recommend  hosting students for the summer.  We have hosted several times, and every time, it is a fun and really fulfilling experience.  My kids now have 5 new friends in Europe that they can visit anytime they want.  Some of the girls will be coming back with us again next summer, and we are planning a trip to visit all of them soon.  The families of all of the kids have contacted us and told us they would love to host us in their homes and show us their towns when we visit...  How great to have local guides to take us around and show us all the sites.

My kids all learned this summer, that people are really the same, all over the world.  They love the same things, like the same music, have concerns about the same issues, wear the same clothes, and think about the same stuff.  They all forget sunscreen, got too little sleep, and love to joke and laugh and hang out with their friends.  I am looking forward to seeing them in their homes, meeting their parents, and spending time in their countries learning more about their cultures.  It was a memorable summer...

Now, I am back to work.  I have several shows coming up, and have been cranking out the jewelry.  I will be posting photos soon, and listing more on my Etsy site...