China Sick.

I had NO time to post those last 2 weeks in China. There was so much to do and I just wanted to soak up every minute. I've been home for almost two weeks. I think it's JUST hitting me that I'm truly home and I won't be going back. It was a sad realization!

I miss my kids so much!!! Saying goodbye to them was honestly the hardest thing of my life! It kills me to think I'll never see them again! I think a small part of me is still expecting to go to my school and play with my kids any day now....

I don't really know what to say, so here's pictures of my kids. I just can't come up with the words. A picture is worth a thousand words... right?

Sometimes they're a little crazy, but that's why I love them!

 

This is Dustin. He was seriously the funniest kid I had! He loved doing "high five... on the side... up above... down below... TOO SLOW" and would always make faces at me while I was teaching!

 Me and Heidi!

 I seriously just love them! There's nothing else to say!

 And sometimes Morgan would just get in the splits.

 You try getting these kids to pose when you barely even speak their same language... it just doesn't happen! :)

 One of the last days we flew paper airplanes from China to America. It was great fun!! :)

 Madi, Alli, Cheryl, Jess, and Anna! Love those girls!

 This is Rick. Isn't he cute?!

 Chuck. OOOOooooh Chuck! Gotta love him! He was Cierra's student at first and I was so mad when he got switched to my class. He was SO annoying! He did this screech thing that was literally ear piercing. And then suddenly one day he turned into the biggest sweetheart! I still don't know what happened! But he'd come up every 5 minutes or so (while I was teaching...) and give me a hug. :) Love him!

 This is me teaching during one of my public lessons.

 My class full of Harry Potter names! :)

 Me and Charlie! He was such a trouble maker, but I still love and miss him so much!!!

 CYD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't even tell you how much I miss her! She was seriously just the best student ever!! 

 You get that candy cane, Becca!!!

 Brynn!! Such a typical Asian picture!

 These were our cooks. They were so sweet!

 My class #3. They were CRAZY, but so smart!!!

 Me and Tanner! He was by far my smartest student. He was a total class clown but I couldn't help but adore him!

 This is Leanne. She is such a sweetheart!

 This is Mike. Such a crazy little kid! :)

 Mark was such a shy, but sweet kid! 

 This is after one of the Chinese teachers translated that I was leaving...

 My girls. Amanda, Macey, and Lauren. I love them! I think I will miss them forever.

 Amanda. She is seriously the best!!!!

 Cierra and I with some of the Chinese teachers! They were awesome!

 This is the teacher that would always give me food and make sure I was taken care of! Thank you! :)

 Paul. Isn't he adorable?! At first he was such a crazy student! I couldn't figure out how to get him to pay attention! Then one day we were teaching about sports and I brought a ping pong paddle and a ball. BAM. I had his total and complete attention! I started bringing that to class every day and suddenly I had a model student! He'd do anything for his turn to play!

 Paul, Darren, and Jana! :)

This is George. Oh my gosh. I'm going to cry while I'm writing this!!! He seriously has a place in my heart forever! My classes found out the week before that I'd be leaving the next week. On my last day George brought me a letter that he had his older brother help him write. It said:

"To: Teacher Jenni

Hello Teacher! I'm George. When I heard that you are going to USA, I were very disappointed, so I cried every night and I want to write a letter to you, and a brother called Jim helped me.

I have two wishes to you:

First, I wanna hug you before you go back;

Second, when I am grown up I'll go to USA and I'll find you.

So, can you leave your email or phone number please? I hope you have a good life, and find a boyfriend at USA! Haha :) Then, Bye bye!

From: your lovely student, George"

*then there was a lovely drawing by him

Ya. It melted my heart .

Larry. You all know how much I love him! :) 

 Bill and Charlie. So energetic! :)

 Cyd, Lily, Michelle, and Heidi! :) Love them!

 This is Annette! She is fantastic. I wish you all knew her.

 Me and George! :) Yes. I did give him a BIG hug before I left!

 She is seriously just awesome!

 This was our favorite first grade teacher!

 The kids mobbed me in the hall!

 :( I MISS THEM!!!!!!!!!

 And they mobbed me again in the cafeteria. This is Michelle and Lily!

 Jess told me she'd miss me and she loves me! :) So sweet!

 My boys made hearts out of their reindeer antlers and gave them to me. :) Sooo adorable! 

Ok. I've gotta stop. This is making me way too China sick. I can't tell you what those kids mean to me or how they changed my life. China changed me!! And I'm so grateful for it!