Goodbye Yesica!

It was a sad morning today as we said goodbye to Yesica, who has been staying with us for the last three weeks.

We are known for having a large family... but in fact not everybody knows that in fact we also have two "adopted daughters", Mio from Japan and Yesica from Colombia. Mio and Yesica lived with us from 2005-06 as exchange students when we were still in England and we have been in touch with them ever since.

Mio, who is now 21, is currently travelling around the world and came to visit us in Finland this year in March. Since then she has been to Egypt, Spain and Peru and the latest I heard she was in Thailand.

When Yesica heard we were coming to South America she secretly arranged with Frederic and Saskia to come here and I was taken totally by surpise when she arrived here three weeks ago. When she got out of the taxi I was so happy to see her I cried for ten minutes in the middle of the street without stopping.

We have all loved having her with us, and even though eight of us have been living in the same apartment we are all still alive three weeks later!

Last night I thought we were going out for a meal to say goodbye to Yesica, but in fact I was tricked yet again...as the others had arranged a surprise birthday party for me, even though it's not my birthday until the end of the month. I was given a crown to wear which eventually ended up upside down on Luca's head.

Thank you everyone for the lovely party. We had a very happy evening which I will try to remember over and above the tears at the airport this morning.

Yesica is now in her third year of university and is planning to go to Montpelier as an exchange student next year...so hopefully we won't have to wait another four years until we see her again. In any event both Yesica and Mio are in our hearts every day.

If anyone reading this has ever thought of hosting an exchange student then don't hesitate...our extra daughters have brought a huge amount of love and laughter into our family and we very much look forward to seeing them both again.