Konichiwa

For the past month, Taylor and I (ok mainly me) have been hosting two 20 year old Japanese students.  They are seriously the cutest things ever.  They actually just left today.  I heard about the opportunity on a Wednesday, casually asked Taylor about it.  I honestly don't know what motivated me to do this.  It just sort of happened.  I just felt like we had the space, and it never hurts to help someone out when we were easily in the position to help.  And they weren't LDS so I figured it was also a good opportunity to expose them to our church. 

He obviously didn't think I was serious and told me we'd talk about it later.  The next day, I texted him at work and told him I really wanted to do this, and they were coming over to meet me.  He says the next thing he knows is he walks in the door from work and hears me asking them if they want to see their room.  He claims we never talked about it, and to be quite honest, he was not on board.  But turns out he ended up loving them just as much as I did.  

Disclaimer: I didn't realized I would be a full-time tour guide.  I was their sole source of entertainment.  So I got to planning really quick and made up a calendar of activities.  I gave them everything America has to offer:  We took them to Temple Square and City Creek Mall, Thanksgiving Point, breakfast at Sundance's Foundry Grill, the moonlight ride at Sundance, BYU museums, pedicures, Costco, elementary schools, boating...I can't even name them all.  

Miku and Asuka

A few highlights for me were: 

1.  They thought Swedish Fish were healthy.  Granted the bag literally had the words 'fat free' on the bag.  I tried to explain that high sugar=unhealthy, but they just kept pointing to fat free.  I basically just confused them so I just went with it.  

2. Their favorite movies were Step Up, movies one, two and three.  They also loved the Kinect Dance Central game.  Too funny.  

3. I'm pretty sure I contributed to shortening their lives a few years by the food they were eating.  They loved pizza, burgers and hot dogs.  None of which we really ever eat at our house.  Taylor and I both hate hot dogs, eat burgers annually and only order pizza on rare occasions.  But they don't know that  because when they were here we wined and dined them the American way. 

4.  I made them breakfast every morning.  I'm talking the works: buttermilk pancakes, omelets, french toast, crepes, waffles, etc.  They ate so much, I thought they loved it.  At the end of the trip, they told me they were surprised at American breakfasts because it is all too sweet. I guess when you're used to eating rice and miso soup for breakfast, syrup soaked pancakes may be a little sweet. 

Teaching my mom's first grade class origami and how to use chopsticks in their presentation of Japan

   

Sundance moonlight ride: this was Miku's favorite activity 

Miku, Asuka and Dcota (he was also here staying with another family in UT and we did a lot with him) at the Dinosaur Museum. 

Asuka in her kimono holding Liv.  They were adorable with Liv.  

Tubing was my favorite thing to watch.  I laughed harder than I ever have.  

They love to throw up that double peace sign 

A few highlights for me were: 

1.  They thought Swedish Fish were healthy.  Granted the bag literally had the words 'fat free' on the bag.  I tried to explain that high sugar=unhealthy, but they just kept pointing to fat free.  I basically just confused them so I just went with it.  

2. Their favorite movies were Step Up, movies one, two and three.  They also loved the Kinect Dance Central game.  Too funny.  

3. I'm pretty sure I contributed to shortening their lives a few years by the food they were eating.  They loved pizza, burgers and hot dogs.  None of which we really ever eat at our house.  Taylor and I both hate hot dogs, eat burgers annually and only order pizza on rare occasions.  But they don't know that  because when they were here we wined and dined them the American way. 

 I made them breakfast every morning.  I'm talking the works: buttermilk pancakes, omelets, french toast, crepes, waffles, etc.  They ate so much, I thought they loved it.  At the end of the trip, they told me they were surprised at American breakfasts because it is all too sweet. I guess when you're used to eating rice and miso soup for breakfast, syrup soaked pancakes may be a little sweet. 

4.  Watching them experience things like boating for the first time was too hilarious.  My brother Jence wasn't even being very harsh on the driving and they were flying out of that tube left and right.  We tried to go horseback riding but it was too stormy.  That night we took them to Texas Roadhouse--  classic western American experience, and they ate it up. 

5.  (probably not a highlight) They made us dinner as a thank you.  Bless their hearts, they made curry.  I think my house still smells like it.  I probably still smell like it. : (  

They were so polite and sweet! I sure loved having them here, but I am planning on taking a full day off.  No laundry, no dishes...and no cooking! I have spent a month cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner nearly every single day.  Liv and I are just going to read stories all day, play outside and stay in our sweats.