Hosting International Students

Giving them a home for the Holidays!

Christmas has always been a big deal at our house. We go all out every year and this year was no different. We had four of my friends, whom are international students, at our house this year. While we have hosted students in the past it was never anything like this!

I was concerned before officially telling my friends they could stay with us, because I didn't know if we could afford 'doing' Christmas for four more people. So I went and sat down with my parents and sorted out my concerns as well as there's, before going and talking to my younger sister to make sure she was okay with us having so many people in the house. Once everyone in our house was on the same page, Christmas planning for four more people was a go and we started prepping.

Before the holidays got here we sent each of them a Questionnaire of sorts in order to get a better idea of what each one would want as presents. It was questions centered around their personal favorites of different items.

Time For Them To Come To Our House

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For the actual start of the holiday we picked them up on the 22nd. We wanted to give them some time to settle in before all the festivities started the next day.

Since we had so many people in our house for the holidays part of getting settled in was sorting out the spacial issue. My younger sister moved into my room on an air mattress, while we had Arsen (the only boy) in her room. Then all three of the girls from South Korea were in our guest room with one of them being on another air mattress. Plus my uncle was sleeping on the couch. But thankfully we got all of that sorted out quickly and were able to hang out and play games most of the evening.

Because of the number of people in our house meal time was interesting to sort out. We could not all fit at one table so we had split up between the dining room and the kitchen table. We did a buffet style setup on the kitchen counter to make everything quick and easy to access for everyone.

Everything calmed down after dinner and my friends and I sat down to watch RV ( I freaking love anything Robin Williams). During this we took the chance to wrap any presents they had for my family and I did some last minute wrapping I needed to do as well.

The 23rd was our baking day!

Arsen and I got up earlier than the girls (including my younger sister) to run out to the store for some baking supplies and last minute things.

2 stores later and surprisingly finding everything we needed, we went home for lunch. I just made some quick Korean ramen for lunch, while the girls were all still asleep.

We got into the kitchen around 2 pm and it was a mad dash around for a few minutes as you had 6 to 7 of us in the kitchen at one time. We had a list of different things to make and I set everyone up with different tasks in different places to help it go faster.

We spent a solid 4 hours in the kitchen working on all sort of different cookies, before sitting down to have dinner. You would think that we were done with baking at this point but not quite. After dinner we finished baking day with sugar cookies. This was an exciting thing to do with everyone because everyone got to chose which shapes they were going to make and then personally decorate them.

While our house was not only full because of the international students staying with us but friends were dropping by and hanging out the whole time. The door was open, music was playing and we were elbows deep in cookies.

Once we finished all of the baking and decorating, we settled in for a movie. All of us piled into the upstairs living room and watched 'Polar Express'. It was a fan favorite and put us all into the Christmas mood.

To end the night, myself and the 4 staying with my family, piled into my car for the ever American midnight trip to waffle house. It was just a time for us to get out of the house, and spend some time just us. After we got home we basically all crashed as we had a very long day.

The 24th Christmas Eve

Today was a really chill day, while there were even more people in our house then the day before, it was not a packed schedule. The day for us did not really get moving until lunch time, giving everyone a much need break from activities.

After lunch friends came over along with my older sister and her family. With everyone here we got started on Gingerbread houses. We bought these cool sets that had miniature houses, allowing us to create a whole little village. However, it ended up looking like a tornado went through the town, haha. Some of our houses collapsed quite quickly.

With my sister and her family with us we went ahead and did the present exchange with her husband and daughter, as the two of them would not be with us at all on Christmas day. This gave the students a chance to chill or watch them open presents.

A few hours later we all got dressed up to go to my church's Christmas Eve service. We go every year and this year was no exception. We let them know prior to them coming to stay with us that this was a tradition for us. My mom was also singing in the service so everyone was excited to hear her sing.

The rest of the night is pretty crazy for a few hours while we shove as many traditions as possible into a few hours. We come home from church and my makes dinner, which she had prepped before hand and had the meat cooking while we were gone. After our dinner which is always on the fancier side since its Christmas, we do what most would consider odd, which is we have a birthday cake for Jesus. All of us gathered around and we sang happy birthday and had cake as a way to remember who the season is about.

The tradition that is up next is, Christmas Eve presents. We always do 2 presents and they are always a new ornament for the tree and a set of pajamas that we are expected to wear that night! My mom got all of us ornaments that were perfect for us! After getting into our new pj's, we all piled down the staircase to hang our ornaments on our tree. Making everyone feel like one big family.

To end our Christmas Eve we all had hot chocolate, before heading off to get ready for bed. Arsen and I did stay up for a little bit playing cards before either of us got tired.

CHRISTMAS DAY!!

The day everyone has been waiting for. My family woke up a few minutes earlier than everyone else, in order to have some time just the four of us and opened our stocking on my parents bed just like we do every year. Everyone else's stockings were downstairs with the tree.

After we did our stocking we went around for wake up calls, and went to get ourselves semi ready for the day. You know the drill, wash our faces, brush our teeth that stuff. Then it was time for breakfast, which of course was another buffet of food. Giving everyone a chance to full up on food and coffee before going downstairs for the main event.

Once we were given the go to come downstairs and the insanity started. Well not to much insanity as we each take turns opening presents at our house, so that everyone can see what the others are getting. It was an emotional time as this was 4 students in a different country getting Christmas presents from a family that took them in. It was a great time with a lot of laughs and excited giggles from receiving presents but it was also filled with tears of gratitude.

When we finished everyone went upstairs to snack and get ready for the rest of the day. We had 7 people sharing the same bathroom so it was taking time to get through everyone. I went first so that while everyone else finished, I went down to help my mom in the kitchen. My older sister came over to open her presents and give us ours.

Once we had finished Christmas with her, we loaded up into all of our cars and headed to my Aunt's house or Christmas dinner, which in our family is like a second Thanksgiving. We all gathered and laughed and ate delicious food. After eating we went and opened presents in the living room, my Aunt even gave the 4 additional members to our family, gift cards so that they at least had something to open. Everyone hung around and had a few drinks before heading home to call it a night.

At home it was quite as everyone was worn out and needed to time to process everything that had happened that day.

This whole experience not only gave me more people in my life that I consider family, but also showed me how amazing my family is. I am so grateful for everyone of my family members that greeted my friends with open arms.