Brighton in winter

Brighton is the site of the Reed Family Cabin. I have mixed feelings about it. While I love it there, especially above the Salt Lake City winter inversion, it seems to be a lot of work, everytime we go. This week was no exception. Mike had to work, but because the kids and I were off of school, we decided to go anyway. He very nicely got up at 4:30 am and drove to Brighton on Tuesday to turn on the furnace and water so it would be warm when we got there. It was warm. In fact, so warm, that the leak and frozen water in the upstairs kitchen pipe were pouring water all over. The kitchen was soaked, as well as part of the downstairs. So along with the cooking and cleaning and running the kids around, I got to suck up gallons of water with the water vac. Mike came up at nights after work and helped when he was there, fixing the leak.
There was fun to be had, though. Not enough snow this year to build snow forts, but enough to do a little sledding and skiing. The kids brought up two friend, Virginia and Abbie, who had never been skiing before and gave them their first lessons. Thank goodness for helmets, especially when new skiers like Virginia don't know how to avoid poles.  Plus, it was Food Bank day, so with some bags of food we got passes for $20/each. And, our sweet children helped to use the passes continually throughout the day. It was COLD, but Annie and Rachel figured out how to keep warm under seven layers of clothes, and stayed until the resort closed at 9pm.  With the snow falling, the runs lit, and the clear mountain air, it was beautiful!

Annie, Virginia and Rachel on Virginia's first-ever ski day

The hardest thing about falling down is getting up!

Abbie and Ruth

Rachel and Annie may not be able to turn their heads right or left, but they do know how to stay warm on a cold night!

Brighton at night

The kids' take on Mom's travel

This past weekend I went to Buckley, WA (Seattle area) to attend the funeral of my aunt Laurel Belnap Taylor. She has had Alzheimer's for several years now, so her passing was a blessing. My Belnap cousins were all there, some of whom I have not seen for over 30 years, and I enjoyed renewing acquaintances and meeting their grown children. Uncle Bill was there too, along with Cousin Garth, and cousin Matt (Wellock) and his family. From our family, Mom, Lisa, Vaughn, and Stephanie went. The funeral was nice, with lots of great things said as a tribute to Aunt Laurel.

While I flew to Seattle, I flew back from Boise. After the funeral, graveside, and dinner on Saturday, Mom, Lisa & Vaughn, Stephanie and I drove home to Emmett, dropping Stephanie off at her home on the way. Sunday morning my sister Laurel, Mom and I got part of a game of Scrabble in before church, then to the Boise airport, and home.
I was reminding the kids today that Mike and I are going to Houston this weekend to an Amigos meeting. Ruth said "When you were older did you think you were going to travel?" To which Sam responded "No, she was going to turn 50 and then go to foreign countries and ditch her kids."
Well then. I know now how Sam feels!

Hasta Luego Ecuador, Otra Vez

So I got bumped last night from my flight, and got to spend another day in Ecuador. It was a fun day I woke to a clear view of the volcano Cayumbe. The days activities included watching Ecuadorian dancers, shopping (my bags are heavier tonight!), and walking around the old city, where there were many Ecuadorians celebrating independence day. I hung out with Rufino and Elder and Sister Flake, so I had great company.

Hasta Luego, Ecuador

Our training trips in Quevedo and Santo Domingo went well. Our trip organizers, the Yosts, the Flakes, and Fernando, helped all to go smoothly. In Santo Domingo, we had more nurses as well as the doctors, and everyone seemed eager to practice and participate in the course.

Between our first and second days in Santo Domingo, we visited the Tsáchila Indians. They presented their history and culture. The men in the culture use red paint from seeds on their hair, and both the men and the women paint black stripes around their bodies; evidently they were having a plague of three diseases (small pox, measles, and something else) and painting their bodies this way helped them to get better. So, they still do it. While they speak Spanish, they also have their own indigenous language.

After finishing on Thursday, we drove to Quito. Today we visited the real Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world, or in other words, the Equator). This is 240 meters north of the Equator identified by the French in the 1800's They got pretty close. I was able to balance an egg on the head of a nail, and became an official "Eggmaster". While it is possible right on the equator, several of our group were still unable to do it. So I am proud of my "Eggmaster" title.

Following this we went on the Teleferico. We did this three years ago when we came to Ecuador as a family (and with the BYU student nurses). At the time it was foggy, and we did not get to see anything. Today was clear, and we could see the very big city of Quito, as well as glimpses of Cotopaxi and Cayambe as they came into view as they went in and out of the clouds.

We then went and saw the "gold church" downtown in Quito, walked around, ate dinner on a rooftop with a beautiful view of the city, and eventually headed here to the airport to wait for the flight. It has been a great trip all of the way around, and quite amazingly, there is internet here at the airport so I can write about it!

GONE BANANAS

I have gone bananas! Finally, after traveling to 3 continents and twice as many countries in the past 2 ½ months, I really have gone bananas! In a good way, though, a very good way. I am here in banana country in Ecuador, teaching Neonatal Resuscitation with a team from the LDS Church. This is something I have dreamed of doing, and as the end of a summer of travel, seems like a pot of gold and the end of a very beautiful rainbow.

The only negative part of all of this travel is being away from family, although I have been with at least one of them until this trip. First, there was 3 ½ weeks with the BYU nursing students and Mike in Tonga. It was really great to be with my husband/best friend on a beautiful tropical island, and working besides. The nursing students also helped to make it fun, even with many of them getting GI problems—some severe enough to be hospitalized. I will feel forever close to them.

Within a couple of days after our return from Tonga, we headed to St. George. I stayed for the next 11 of 13 days with Alison, Ethan, and Soren, and finally, baby Madsen. Madsen was born on a day I had been DREADING, my 50th birthday. Suddenly, it became my best birthday ever! He is a cutie, and I have not seen him enough.

I made it home in time for Annie’ s graduation on June 9th, and for all the family coming for Zac and Caitee West’s wedding on June 11th in the Salt Lake Temple. I then had enough time to do laundry and turn around and head to Belgium with Annie on June 27th. We had so much fun there, with Michele and her mom! We stayed at their home (Michele is our former Rotary Exchange student), and went some really fun places that are well chronicled on this blog.

From Belgium, Annie and I traveled to Cancun, where I presented my research at an international nursing conference at a really nice resort. The last day of the conference, Mike, Neil, Ruth, and Sam came down, and the following day we headed to Merida, Mexico, to see our friends from the time we lived there in 2001. We stayed at a beach house in Chelem, on the Gulf of Mexico, owned by some very kind friends who let us use it. We traveled around, seeing our friends, Mayan ruins, eating our favorite foods, and even swimming in cenotes. We had a great time.

Then, home for a week, with time to go boating, do laundry, host a baby shower, and get our Rachel back from Honduras where she spent her summer with Amigos de las Americas, performing community service. It was a big sacrifice on her part, considering how much fun we had while she was gone.

Not 24 hours after Rachel came home, I was gone again, this time to Ecuador, where I am now. I am getting to do something I have dreamed about, for most of the 29 years I have been a nurse. I landed in Quito, and soon met all the team. We even went to church in the same church where Sam was baptized three years ago!

We are teaching in Quevedo and Santo Domingo Ecuador. They are ugly (sorry if I offend anyone) little cities in Ecuador’s banana belt. I must say, that teaching in Quevedo was really scary, because my Spanish can use a LOT of improvement. However, I love the people we taught, the 45 mostly doctors that came to learn neonatal resuscitation. I also enjoy the team I am working with—Dr. Brown (from Logan), Rufino Rodriguez, a respiratory therapist (from Provo), the Flakes, (from Centerville), theYosts serving there humanitarian mission here in Ecuador (from Rigby, ID), and Fernando, our very attentive welfare representative from Quito. I am looking forward to tomorrow, hoping to improve my presentation, and to meet another group of learners.

Could it be a better summer? I don’t know—I have never had one this good. Sorry to those in my family who haven’t seen me much, and to those who have (four weeks with Mom has probably given Annie her fill for a long time). There is a potential this summer to get even better –there is girl’s camp with Rachel and Ruth, and a trip to Idaho coming up. But for right now, I am very content. It has been a good summer. I have gone bananas! And I LOVE bananas!

She's home!

Rachel got home from her Amigos summer in Honduras today. She taught children classes about hygiene, clean water, gardening, vegetable, and handwashing. She helped them make murals, and helped to initiate a community based project of forming a school band. There are a lot of percussion instruments in it, and the community is excited. Rachel seems to have enjoyed her experience. Thanks to all of you who helped to make it happen!

Happy Birthday, Neil

So we went from Cancun to Merida last Saturday. There is a lot to be said, but I will just have to do that when I have some decent internet access. A quick summary:
Sunday we spent at church with our ward friends, and at one of their homes after. They put together a potluck for us with all of our dearest friends. Everyone was the same, but only 10 years older.
Monday: We visited the Ruta Puuc and tied our record of seeing 5 ruins in one day. IT IS HOT HERE! At Uxmal, the biggest ruin, we trudged across the grass and ruins, everyone was without energy. Things were better later in the day when it dropped a few degrees. Everyone was asleep by 9 30 pm.
Today, Tuesday. Neils Birthday. He turned 22, and like 6 out of 7 of the last birthdays, he was out of the country. To recount those countries: Nicaragua, Brazil, Home, Honduras, Paraguay, Paraguay, and here in Mexico. Perhaps we should say FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS instead. So what did we do¿ We went to Dzibichaltun, a ruin close to Merida. Neil, with renewed energy from yesterday, climbed everything, and swam with all of the fish, including us, in the cenote there. After that, we went into Merida. We visited the governors palace with the pictoral history of the Mayas, and went to the cathedral which was built with Merida starting in 1542. Then, we went into the Mercado, doing what only Neil would find the greatest joy in doing: looking for unusual fruit! We found only a few pitihayas, our favorite fruit from here in the Yucatan, but Neil found sapotes, chirimoyas, rambutans, avocados, nances, and mamoncillos. Then to top off a really good day already, we stopped by the zocalo and got paletas, which translated, are the best ice cream bars in the whole entire world. Sam and I got coconut, and Ruth, Annie, and Neil got Guanabana. Neil got a second, because it was his birthday. He got mamey, a fruit that tastes, according to Neil, like a combination of a peach, watermelon, and a sweet potato. For those of you who know Neil, it was a good birthday!

Pictures will come when we have a decent internet connection.

Cancun

Annie and I flew from Belgium to Chicago to Miami on Sunday. We overnighted in Miami, then flew to Cancun on Monday. I have a nursing conference here this week, so Annie came along--an extension of her "Senior trip".
As we walked off of the plane, heat, humidity, smells, and Spanish greeted us--all familiar and good memories. We are back in the Yucatan! Europe was really nice, it is true, but they don't smile a lot there, except Michele and her mom. It is hard not understanding the language, although a good experience. And while I am not fluent in Spanish, I certainly am more familiar with it than French. Plus, after living here for almost half a year, it seems like coming home.
Until we got to the hotel, that is. It is a ridiculously nice hotel, the nicest Annie says she has ever stayed in, and is nothing like the Mexico we experienced when living here. It is an all inclusive resort, about 25 minutes from Cancun. It is a compound, sequestered away from the road, from everything, really. Food and some entertainment are provided.
My main purpose is to go to the nursing conference, so I have been going to that. Annie has been hanging out at the pool enough to get burned even with sunscreen, and I have gotten to be there a little bit, but not enough to even get a little burned WITHOUT sunscreen. We have had some good food, although I am bummed to not be able to get Mexican food at a Mexican resort. We have gotten to eat a lot of flan. Oh yeah!
Annie's favorite thing about this resort, though is the huge jacuzzi tub sitting on one side of our room, as large as one of our beds. Bubble bath is provided, and with the jets, well, look at the pictures of happy Annie in the tub:

Annie is loving that tub. Tonight she got the bubbles a couple of feet high, and then played for a while sending handfuls of bubbles into the air.
I don't have any other pictures yet, partly because I don't want a bunch of pictures of the swimming pool. The ocean water is murky, and there is some sort of weed growing there so no white sand. Basically everyone stays in the pool, and a few people at most have been out in the ocean. Not to worry--we plan on spending some time on the north side of the Yucatan Peninsula--hopefully the water will be better there.
I do have a funny story. Our rooms are very clean, and are beautifully furnished. Today after I returned from a conference session I was waiting in the room for Annie. A medium sized spider ran across the floor, and not wanting it here, I lobbed one of my flip flops at it and killed it. Later, I was telling Annie about my amazing spider-killing skills as we walked back to our room. Just as we started across the grass and I was telling her about this, an iguana popped up. Both of us jumped a couple of feet and let out very loud screams, then realizing it was just an iguana, had a very long laugh at ourselves!

Au Revoir: "Senses" of Belgium"

Today we are leaving Belgium, "Au Revoir". Here are some of our experiences here, through the "senses"
Taste: CHOCOLATE! Panini, Michele's mom's wonderful cooking, Belgian Waffles, "French" fries (which Michele says were really invented in Belgium,crepes:

This particular dessert is a cheesecake with red and black currents, Ligonberries, and blackberries.

Dinner with Kaoma. A few of the tasty things we got to eat included tomato salad with basil and vinagrette dressing, whipped carrots with potatoes, fish cooked in cream sauce, and chocolate mousse.

Sounds: French (of course), cars, bells ringing, the beeping of the crosswalk.

Smells: Cigarettes, chocolate, body odor (what is it about people that use public transportation, keep their arms up to hang on, and never shower?), lotions in The Body Shop, flowers.

Touch: The hand grip on the tram, the feel of lips on the cheek during a Belgian "Hello", rain on our cheeks, grass underneath Annie's and Michele's handstands, plus their non-stop friendly bantering/squabbling/wrestling

Sight: Amazing architecture everywhere! Crazy Michele hairdos, the Belgian public transportation melancholy, beautiful greenery and flowers, blue skies with billowing white clouds, stained-glass windows, windmills, bicycles, cathedrals...

Merci beaucoup, Michele and her mom! Au Revoir, Belgium!

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Okay, so we might still be in Belgium, but I want to be the first to wish Mike a Happy Birthday!

This is a "cake" we saw of gummi candies in a shop window. Almost as good as the Marzipan fruit here:

Happy Birthday Mike!

Köln, (Cologne) Germany

Today we took the train to Germany, specifically to Köln, the fourth largest city in Germany. The main sight to see is the large cathedral the Dom, one of the only structures that didn't get leveled by bombs in WWII. Take a look:

The last picture is from the "Treasure of the Dom" exhibit, showing treasures amassed for centuries by the Catholic leadership at the Dom. In this picture are things discovered in a tomb of a boy from a prominent Frank family, whom they estimated was buried in 537 A.D. Talk about OLD. We saw other relics, the supposed remains of the Three Kings, and some of the chains holding of of the apostles. We saw a coin from the Holy Roman Empire, minted in 408 A. D. Talk about OLD. We saw an excavation of a Jewish settlement with rocks from 100 A. D.

Another thing we got to see was the Lindt Chocolate Museum/Factory, which looked like it was right out of the Willie Wonka movie

Finally, a view of the Rhine

Our "taste" of Germany was as good as the chocolate!