And then life happened...

Two weeks have now passed since Aimee arrived. Life has been busy and chaotic and crazy and I am completely behind with my updates so today’s update will be a cram session so I get myself caught up! Kevin and I both worked a lot this week and Natalie hasn’t been feeling well so we are trying to deal with that on top of our normal day to day craziness.

Aimee has logged 10 days in American school and she loves it.

This was her first day…

The first week of school was spirit week! Aimee and Natalie dressed up in many cute ensembles!

Nemo and Dory

She and Natalie are active members of the school student section and they go to as many games as possible! 

I am learning that Aimee loves ice cream just as much as I do and I am learning that her similarities and her family’s similarities far outweigh our differences. Katharina sent me this picture of last Sunday! Coffee in bed!

Ah! My German Sister!

I am reminded to look through these lenses when viewing everyday life. We most often see what we are looking for. If we are looking for the differences, they easily pop out. If we are looking for the similarities, those are what we see first.  

If we are looking for someone’s worst qualities, we see those, but if we look for someone’s brightest qualities, we will see those. 

We had a great time celebrating life and we took our first shopping trip to Roanoke!

Aimee had her first experience at a Japanese Steakhouse and she loved it!

And we all piled up in mama bear’s bed and ate froyo and watched Netflix movies and napped.

Today we are going to try to do some normal boring things like laundry and sweeping the floors and then we will make her put her WVU shirt on and teach her a few cheers.

Tomorrow we make schnitzel!

~lightningbug

SSS-School, Sox, and the State Fair

On Friday morning, everyone got up and began getting ready for school. I went into work for a couple of hours at the church. I left Aimee at home to rest after a quick tour of the house. I let her know that I would be back at 11am to get her to pick her up for our appointment with the guidance counselor. Today she would be registering for school and picking out classes. Aimee was waiting on me when I got back to the house. She was very nervous. We got loaded up in the car and we traveled to Alleghany High School. 

 We parked and Aimee took pictures of the outside of the school. She was still very nervous and the size of the school was intimidating to her. I let her know that a big chunk of the school was the auditorium and the gymnasium and the cafeteria and if you took those things out, it wouldn't be all that big! 

We arrived at the office and I rang the bell and stated my name and Aimee's name and our purpose for visiting. Then I was asked who else was with us. I said "No one" because there was nobody else with us. I turned around and another student was behind us! She announced her name and the door was opened for us. Once we arrived in the office, I had to surrender my driver's license. I signed into the school computer and carefully filled in my detailed information of where I would be going. 

 This is completely different than what it would be like for Aimee's mother Katharina in Germany. If she was going into Aimee's school, she would just walk right in or walk in with Aimee. I'm sure this is because of the strict gun control in Germany. I'm not about to open that can of worms, but merely, share the differences. The German system of gun control is among the most stringent in Europe. It restricts the acquisition, possession, and carrying of firearms to those with a creditable need for a weapon. It bans fully automatic weapons and severely restricts the acquisition of other types of weapons. Since 2009, there have been 288 school shootings in America, compared to only one in Germany. 

 After I was all signed in, we walked to the guidance office. Aimee and I were warmly welcomed by Ms. Howell and the staff in guidance. I can’t say enough good things about Ms. Howell. She really listened to Aimee and got to know her and didn’t rush in getting her enrolled and signed up for classes. She was friendly and warm and it was a great experience!

 For those unfamiliar with YFU exchange student program, this year in an American school will count for zip, zero, zilch, nada in Germany. She studies and attends classes and receives grades, but it doesn’t count for anything in Germany. When she returns next fall, she will be a junior in her German school. Because this year doesn’t count for squat in the opinion of the school systems, Ms. Howell let Aimee decide what grade level she wanted to do! Ms. Howell pointed out that many of the exchange students in the past were enrolled as seniors which offered them a few fun perks such as leaving five minutes early for lunch and getting to leave five minutes early on Fridays at the end of the day and getting to participate in the senior picnic and the graduation (even though she would just have an attendance certificate in hers!) Well that was a no-brainer for Aimee. You should have seen her eyes light up when she learned she would be a senior! Aimee signed up for US History, English, Spanish, PE and Leadership this semester.

 After this was complete, I walked Aimee down to the cafeteria. Everyone was staring at her! I guess it’s not everyday that a beautiful 16 year old German exchange student walks into the cafeteria at Alleghany High School! I said to Aimee, “Everybody is staring at you.” She said, “I know.” And we laughed. I walked over to where my daughter Natalie was sitting and Natalie introduced her to a few friends. I then walked over to where Principal Ross was seated and introduced him to Aimee. He gave her a friendly welcome to America and to AHS!

 We then walked back to the office and I had to enter my code from my nametag into the computer to let them know I was leaving the building. I was then given back my driver’s license and we exited the building.

 Next I drove Aimee to Clifton Forge and did a quick tour of the main drag. We laughed about some of the different ways we say things. I mentioned the “grocery store” and she didn’t understand. I now call Kroger the supermarket! Ha!

 We headed back to Covington and we stopped at Cucci’s. We had ham & cheese sandwiches and talked about many things. Aimee began to open up a little more as she got more comfortable with me. After Cucci’s we went to Walmart to check out cell phones. Aimee had her phone from Germany and she could use it on wifi, but in order to have something for her to stay in contact with us and her friends, she would have to have a local phone. Aimee couldn’t believe how cheap the iPhones were!

 We left Walmart and went back to the house and waited for everyone to return. We had big plans for the evening! We were going to the Pink in the Park Salem Red Sox game! Amy had never seen a baseball game…or a baseball match as she first called it! We got to Roanoke and got in. Papi tried to explain the rules to her, but she didn’t really understand and she found baseball boring. She did, however, enjoy DIPPING DOTS!

After the ballgame, we headed back home and got a good night’s sleep. The next day we relaxed and helped Aimee unpack and get settled and that evening, it was off to the West Virginia State Fair! That’s right! We initiated her into America with that unforgettable combination of smells—cow dung, deep fried everything, and cinnamon rolls! Aimee had her first corndog at the State Fair. She LOVED it. We tried to get a picture but she ate it too fast! Aimee had a wonderful time at the state fair and she is fitting in our home and hearts seamlessly.

 ~lightningbug

At last, we meet! Willkommen in Amerika!

We hurried to to airport after having a delicious dinner of wings and fries at B Dubs. I wonder if Aimee has ever hear of B Dubs?

Normally we are super early when going to the airport, but tonight, we don't have a lot of time to spare. We argue over who has to carry the balloons in. They were a great touch, but a bit bulky to drag in. Papi concedes to be the designated balloon carrier. Natalie carries the sign. We make it up the stairs in the very barren airport. There is one couple sitting and waiting. Closer to 9, a few more gather. People look at us with tilted heads as they try to figure out what our jubilant welcome is all about. The plane lands. We can hardly contain our excitement. I say to Natalie, "Do you think you will recognize her when you see her?" She looks at me as if I have three heads and says, "Uh yeah." One by one, passengers exit by us. Many try to read our poster and piece together what our purpose is with a sign and American flag balloons at the end of the airport gate. One woman stopped because she thought we were awaiting a military family member. She shared that her son was in the service. We asked her to pass on our gratitude to her son for his service.

Our excitement and anticipation could hardly be contained and then I hear Natalie say, "There she is."

I step closer to the gate and she walks closer. The poor child looks terrified. I smile and scoop her hug in an embrace. Next Natalie grabs her and hugs her and then Kevin and Papi. She is tired and cold. We walk downstairs to get her luggage. We keep staring at her because she is finally here! We get her luggage and make our way outside to the car.

She asks me how to pronounce the name of this city. I tell her "Ro-a-noke."She repeats it.

We get loaded up in the car and drive out of the airport parking lot.

Our first stop?

Welllll....the light was on! We had to stop!

Nothing says Welcome to America--and welcome to the south--

like Krispy Kreme doughnuts!

It was love at first bite.

Aimee was so excited to get back and get settled in and get a good night's rest!

Tomorrow I will be taking Aimee to the high school to meet with her guidance counselor to get registered for school and pick out her classes!

It will be a BIG DAY!

A Broad's Guide to Study Abroad: The Background Story

On July 23, I received a random text message from an unknown number.

The message read “You provided a reference for a Youth For Understanding (YFU) host family a few years ago. Would you be interested in hosting a YFU exchange student?”

I laughed to myself and thought "Oh heck no!" and didn’t think too much more about it.

Until I started thinking about it again.

And again.

And then I shared the text with my daughter and she loved the idea.

And then I shared the text with my husband and he said "Absolutely not!"

My daughter and I became increasingly curious and excited about the possibility of welcoming a new family member and my husband conceded with “Do what you want.”

I would not accept that, and let him know that it was everyone on board or we wouldn’t do it. We knew it would be a complete "rocking the boat" kind of thing and not something that should be taken lightly.

We began looking on the YFU website at the students who were awaiting placement with host families in America. There are no pictures, no sound clips—just a name and home country and a few paragraphs that describe the student. Natalie and I read through many bios on the website and when we read "Aimee from Germany" we knew she was the one. It wasn’t her activities or her accomplishments—it was the way she described her family. She said her family was "mad—but in a positive way." We thought "Wow! That's the German version of us!"

Now Natalie and I became even more intent on welcoming a student into our home. We continued to ask dear ole dad if he was on board and finally…we convinced him.

It wasn’t long after we made that decision, that the wheels began rolling. We had oodles of paperwork to fill out so the screening process could begin. We had to provide references and they had to be checked out. We had to have a home visit and our family members and pets had to be verified. The high school had to be called to make sure they would enroll her. Natalie’s queen bed was dismantled and two twin beds were assembled in its place. New bedding was purchased and drawers and closets were cleaned out to make room for another family member.

Once all the i’s were dotted and t’s were crossed, we received an email that Aimee would be spending the school year with us! We were then given one another’s names and contact information and we began reaching out to one another and getting to “know” one another.

Aimee is the oldest child of Katharina and Birger and she has a brother, Marlon. They live in northern Germany in a place called Neubrandenburg, which has a population of about 60,000.

She has completed 10^th grade in Germany.

Travel arrangements were placed in our online account and we found out that Aimee would be arriving on Thursday night, August 16^th at 9pm in Roanoke.

We continued to message one another each day up until her arrival, although it was tricky because Germany is six hours ahead of us. By the time we get up each morning, the Krabbes have already completed most of their work day. By the time we have dinner, the Krabbes are in dreamland. 

In the days before Aimee’s arrival, we made signs for her—one for the airport and one for the house.

We picked up a balloon bouquet full of red, white, and blue balloons.
We loaded up in the car and off to Roanoke!
We are so excited to meet her!

~lightningbug