Just who is this family, anyway?

We will be welcoming a student from France this summer. During the application process, we were asked questions about our family's interests and how we would describe ourselves. I marked things like academic (versus athletic) and artistic (versus outdoorsy). Let's be honest: probably not the ideal environment in the eyes of most thirteen-year-old boys.

However, I have to believe that any child who is willing to venture to another country to live with strangers for three weeks has to have an open and adventurous spirit. He will be treated to any food he wants to try. He'll be given the freedom to ride a bike around town and swim every day if he wishes. We're heading to a state park for an overnight camping trip, and I'm mentally planning lots of short trips to area ice cream shops and parks.

I know that our plans aren't all that glamorous, but they are filled with the types of moments that I love to give my family. I like to think that this family is the type who loves the little things. The type whose youngest child will call me into a room, just to point out the sunset. And hopefully, one that will be thought of as being warm and kind by a stranger from France.

Sometimes, life makes it hard to be this type of family. There is always something to do, and my own selfishness gets in the way, I suppose. So I'm grateful that this student's visit will be an inspiration and reason to enjoy all the lovely things we have right here in our own back yard.

The one word I would use to describe this family (most days anyway): Happy.