Being an exchange student coordinator is a mixed bag. I was sad that Ali's placement with his host family didn't work out. On the other hand, it's nice to have a student in the house again. Ali is an awesome cook, although he claims he's never cooked before. We are liking Indian cooking more and more. He's working on teaching Benny soccer. He enjoys sharing jokes and has the quick wit and sense of irony that is necessary for survival in our home. His mom in India has very good taste and for Mother's Day Ali gave me this outfit she had sent, saying now I look like a real Indian mom. Nice! But this embroidered tunic, pants, and scarf are way too beautiful to clean the kitchen in!
Speaking of cleaning the kitchen, I now have TWO helpers! Benny is busy emptying the fridge door for me, and the baby is checking out the vegetable drawers. It only took me twice as long as usual to tackle this chore!
But Benny is adorable and sweet and just too cute for words. He has a way of waking me up too early in the morning, calling "Amu, Amu" (his variation on the German word for Grandma - Oma, that we've taught him to call me -- Dad is "Apu"). When I finally answer him, he looks at me earnestly with his shining innocent eyes and
whispers confidently, "Chocate samidge". What can I do. He gets his Nutella sandwhich before I do anything else!
He MUST be involved in all we do -- to be left out is unendurable. Look at his deft little fingers helping his Uncle Ben fix the radio controlled airplane. Ben worked fast to keep Benny from taping the wrong thing together!
In the meantime, his little bother is starting to walk. 5-10 steps before he crashes back to the ground, or does a controlled sit -- all the while looking at his for the cheers and smiles we so willingly give!
I watched in horror the videos all over the internet of the Tsunami in Japan. What can one do in the face of such overwhelming disaster? But the Japanese community in our area came up with the idea of making origami paper cranes to aid in collecting donations for the Red Cross in Japan. One of the sisters in our ward is Japanese and got the Relief Society involved in making these cranes. They are so pretty -- and after they fulfill their role in raising money, they will be sent to Japan with our names (anyone who helped) on their wings to give hope to the people as well as financial assistance. Anyone want to know how to fold a crane?
Anyone who knows Bruce, knows that a large part of him is a water rat. Every year he wears out a batch of exchange students with his enthusiasm for canoeing, and is always glad for new victims.
This photo ---> is the final end of one of his canoe explores. They got across the Columbia once, but the current was so strong they didn't want to risk being swept too far downstream recrossing the river, and I got to rescue them. There wasn't opportunity to unload the branches and torn up linoleum before I picked them up in the borrowed pick-up. Hey Ho! A riding through town we will go!
But for all that, this was really Zixu's month. Finally, after four years of hard work in a language that is still not completely comfortable for him, he graduated, cum laude, from his University. As the elected and hard-working student body president. He made the front page! The local news came and did a story on him, and his family that came to be at the commencement exercises. So exciting. To our surprise, a lot of people recognize US now after this article.
It WAS exciting to have visitors from China! Communication was just as frustrating for us here as it was when we visited them there last summer, but it was good to feel their spirits, and to show them OUR home and country. Alas, we
have nothing comparable to the Great Wall or Forbidden City! But Pike's Place was nice, and the Space Needle, and a few other places in Seattle.
At home, the whole family got to learn how to make dumplings, and we at lots of Chinese food. I had hoped they would enjoy American food more, but when they didn't even like food from restaurants a whole lot, I was grateful at least the problem wasn't my cooking. Of course, Zixu's mother really is an excellent cook! I don't blame them for preferring her meals!
The whole purpose of coming was to see Zixu graduate, and seeing as they came such a long way, AND their son was Student Body President, they, and we, were invited to several dinners and receptions. We are so happy to have been able to be part of Zixu's life! We are so impressed with everything he's accomplished, and in a foreign land at that. The downside for him is that now he has two sets of parents. Very different sets of parents. That can't be easy!
Congratulations,
Zixu!
After all the hustle and preparation for graduation, we planned to go camping but got rained out. So instead, a relaxing two days at home before Zixu took them to Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Afterwards, two more days back in Washington, where we joined them for deep sea
fishing and some relaxing time in a beach house near Sequim. They didn't catch any fish by the way -- much like the whale watching tour I took the exchange students on. Maybe I shouldn't plan boating trips! The fishermen, however, blamed the lack of fish on the bananas I had brought to snack on, for some reason, bananas scare the fish away. It was a lovely day for being on the water however, and a gorgeous sunset. One last shopping trip in Tacoma, and they caught their plane back to China. I hope their memories of the visit give them as much happiness as it does us.
sucker for stained glass windows and soaring architecture that points to God.
Ali seems to have enjoyed his stay at our home, and couldn't resist giving Dad a card with a sinking canoe on it -- he's not sure he ever wants to canoe again, but he sure appreciates Dad having taught him to swim! 
