New Years Eve

For new years eve this year we went to Nathan and Sharlyn's house. We had some great food and played games. The thing that I had the most fun with was the Rock Band game that we brought. Cambria and I were playing it at our house earlier that day and she had the idea that we take it all over to their house with us when we went that night. So, I packed it all up. The guitars, drums, drum throne, PlayStation, and microphone all went into the car. It was very worth having taken as everyone had a blast with it including Monty and Linda. Linda enjoyed watching mostly, but I loved seeing her have so much fun. Monty tried the guitar a bit, had fun, but quickly decided not to change professions and enter the music scene. Even Rya and Aiden enjoyed sitting and banging away at the drums, while missing almost every note on the screen.

Most people don't like to do the drums, and after trial and error, usually default to the guitars or the microphone. So, I often get to spend my time on the drums which is what I enjoy most. Linda said it was neat to see me drum a bit, even on a fake drum set since she has never seen me on a drum set before. I miss my real drums and hope to be able to find a way to set them up again soon. They are under my parents basement stairs where they will be safe from my nieces and nephews running around and possibly breaking them. I think our neighbors would kill me if I brought them into our apartment style condos.

We watched the ball drop in New York in television and tried a game Claudia wanted us to do. For each of the last 12 seconds of the year we would put a grape in our mouth and see if we could fit them all. At the end we would yell, "Happy New Year!" with a mouth full of grapes. It was quite hilarious. We spent the next few hours playing board games then went home. We were tired but looking forward to the new year in which we would add our little girl to our family.

Snowboarding at Brighton

Well I went snowboarding again with the Ellison side of the family. Cambria still didn't go since she is pregnant and she is respecting my wishes that she not go even though the doctor said it should be fine. We went to Brighton Ski Resort where Cambria and I always go with her dad, Monty. I wasn't the only one snowboarding this time, in fact, everyone was snowboarding. Nathan taught Claudia how to snowboard while Tyler taught Mindy. Monty and I spent most of the time going down the hill together since we had nobody to teach. It was fun, however, to stop on our way down and see the learners progress and watch them fall from time to time. They did really well but didn't escape the day without getting a few bumps and bruises from some good falls. I ended up hitting a patch of ice near the bottom of the hill and I landed right on my hip. It hurt pretty bad so I went in to the lodge with Mindy and Claudia for the last half hour while Monty, Nathan, and Tyler went to the other half of the mountain and got one last run in. I guess they got really stuck in a gully with a lot of powder and struggled to get out. All in all it was a really fun day and it was great to spend time with the family.

Christmas Time

This Christmas season brought with it a lot of family activies. I am looking over my calendar to try and remember them all. One thing is must include is our Christmas tree this year. There was a really bad storm all along the Wasatch front. It caused widespread damage to homes, due to both the wind and falling trees. The condos behind us had two blue spruce fall over, one of which completely blocked the road that passes our condos and goes into their parking lot. Well I got out my Saws-All and chopped off the top of the tree. Then, not wanting the other tree to go to waste, sawed off its top and carried it inside to use as our Christmas tree. It was beautiful and smelled great. It's not often you ever get a blue spruce as a Christmas tree. Well, Monty had brought advent calendars back from Europe. They are made by Kinder, a german company and behind each door is a large sized chocolate egg with a toy inside. You open it up and assemble the toy. We ended up using the tree as our kinder egg tree and placed the toys all over the tree. It was the best tree ever, aside from my train tree I have every year. Anyway, the week before Christmas I had just gotten done with my fall semester classes. I spent that whole week painting my parents basement. They had bought me new tires a while back and in return I painted their basement. I totaled my hours just to make sure I paid them back. After 73 hours of prep work and painting I more than paid them back. They must have felt the same since when I ordered another pair of surround speakers from my dad's work to put in my home theater, they paid for them. I got all the paint stuff cleaned up, tore up all the tape along the carpet, uncovered all the furniture, moved it all back to its rightful place, then vacuumed. They then did the job of hanging up pictures again and putting all their decorations back. It ended up looking really good and they are very happy with it.

We had a fun time with our nieces and nephews at my parents house that Friday night. I was getting stuff finished up in the basement that night so Cambria baby sat them while my parents went to a Christmas party at a doctor's house who my mom works with. The next morning we were at my parents house again. We had German pancakes for breakfast, a tradition I have always loved. I felt really tired afterward, so I took a nap while the kids put together gingerbread houses. Cambria had fun helping them and even made a nice little one of her own. She thinks it's too plain but I like it. Afterward we all went downstairs into the basement and had our family gift exchange, then did our yearly piñata. This year it was a penguin. My mom said she usually tries to get inanimate objects like a star or a tree, so this year she thought it a bit strange to be promoting the abuse and eventual beheading of a penguin, albeit a fake penguin. We gave all our nieces and nephews their gifts we got for them in Ecuador. Payton, Braden, Paige, and Brooke each got a little hand-carved marble turtle with their name engraved in the bottom. The girls got little indigenous hand-woven purses and Braden got a hand-carved skull. Braxton and Khloe got little stuffed turtles with the word Galapagos stitched in it. One had a top hat on for Braxton, and the other had a bow on its head for Khloe. We also gave the adults their presents since we wouldn't be with them the following week for Christmas. My mom and all my sisters got beautiful hand-made finely woven scarves and purses. My dad got a large marble carved turtle and my mom got a beautiful hand-made nativity scene. It was really fun to give them the presents and great that we were able to get them at such a great price in Ecuador.

The next day was a Sunday. The Worthen family Christmas dinner was to be at my parents house this year. It is the first year that we have moved the dinner so that it wasn't on Christmas day. It was very nice. We had such a fun time seeing all the family. I hadn't seen many of them for some time due to my time constraints with the school semester. We ate, and played our traditional bingo/white elephant game. My grandpa was there and he played an extra bingo card for my grandmother. He misses her a lot especially this first Christmas without her, but he keeps a smile on his face. It was funny when my grandma's card was the first to win. Needless to say we had a blast playing, talking and catching up with each other.

That next Tuesday we had an activity with the Ellison side of our family and made gingerbread houses. It was nice that both sides of the family did it because I slept through making houses at my parents, and Cambria left her parents activity to say goodbye to her young women since she just got released from her calling as their leader. I ended up having Claudia, Nathan and Sharlyn's Spanish foreign exchange student, help me build my house. She was a little unsure of herself at first. She kept asking what she should do next to which I would respond, "what do you want to do?" She eventually was coming up with her own ideas and had a great time. I think everyone's goal was to pile on as much wrapped candy as possible so it would stay fresh for later consumption. In our case it worked very well. It was funny to watch our nephew, Aiden, sneak around the table and pop up at different places to steal unused candy.

The next night they got a baby sitter for all the kids and all us adults went out for dinner and a concert. We drove down to Salt Lake and went out eat at Thaiphoon. Cambria's cousin Kristy Hunt joined us there. It was wonderful food and a great time with family. We then walked to the Abravanel Hall and saw Voice Male, a six man A Capella group. They were quite funny and had amazing voices. It was a great and memorable evening.

The Friday before Christmas we went snowboarding. Cambria didn't come since she is pregnant. He doctor said it would be fine but neither I nor her family would let her. It was a lot of fun but still somehow not the same without my sweetheart. Those who went were Me, Monty, Tyler and Nathan's families and Claudia. I had decided that I would play camera man for the day. I got some great photos of the kids skiing. I was the only one snowboarding that day. Tyler taught Jocelyn to ski while Mindy taught Riley. Nathan taught Rya while Monty taught Sharlyn. Jocelyn, being the oldest of the kids, picked it up really fast. The younger ones didn't do as well but still had a great time. After taking pictures for a while I noticed Claudia was just out on her own so I had her come with me up the larger lift then lead her down a black diamond run. She said she wanted a challenge so that is where we went. She was not too happy with me. She did alright but mostly fell and side stepped her way down. She also hadn't skied for about three years and had never felt powder snow. We found only a little powder and she immediately decided she didn't like it. I said she would like it if she weren't on such a steep run. I gave her my camera and she took some pictures of me, which are nice to have since I am usually the one behind the camera.

Well I spent the rest of the time either seeing how fast I could get down the mountain, hitting little jumps, and just enjoying being on my own for a bit. When the day was over we packed up and headed home. That night Linda had a magnificent Turkey dinner prepared which was welcome after a day of snowboarding.

Christmas Eve was a great day. It was Saturday and we went to my grandparents house in Brigham City. My parents were there and the six of us shared a big breakfast. My grandma keeps saying she will stop doing her cute little gifts for each family but she never fails to have them each year. They are cute and all placed in a large brown paper bag. We all sat down and pulled then out one at a time. One of the most memorable things was a folder with all my mission emails printed out. When we left there we swung by our house and gathered our stuff to stay the night at Cambria's parents house. When we got there we helped set up for the family party the next day. We then had a really good prime rib dinner cooked by none other than Linda. She did a lot of great cooking this holiday and I did a lot of great eating. Later Monty read the story of Christ's birth from Luke 2 which I really appreciated hearing. It really puts in perspective what this time of year is all about. Afterward I read The Night Before Christmas which was really fun and had the most intricate and beautiful pictures. The kids headed off to bed while we played Settlers of Catan. We later went to my parents house to see them. We saw my sister Kari and her kids there too. We were informed that Mrs. Santa would begin bringing 'Mrs. Santa Jammies' to our house starting next Christmas since our daughter will be born before then.

We left my parents and went back to the Ellisons. I read The Littlest Angel to Cambria. She has never heard it. I grew up hearing my mom read it every year to us. She grew up with her father reading it to them. As I read, instead of my own voice, I distinctly heard my mom's soft voice reading and tears came to my eyes. She always did such a wonderful job and brought the spirit of Christ into our home. I hope I always express my gratitude for the things she and my dad have taught me. My mom was the leader of Christmas eve but my dad has always been the one directing Christmas morning. I always loved it as he said who's turn it was to open presents and we would scramble around under the tree finding each other's presents. The year I will never forget was when my dad was out of a job and Christmas was a little bit different. There were a few presents bought for us but the main thing we received were belongings of our parents that meant a lot to both them and us; A beautiful ocean scene painted by my mom, or a scrap booking bag that a sister always loved. My dad gave me his go kart, the machine of his life's dreams. He built it all by hand, and although still not quite finished, means the whole world to me.

We slept in the guest bedroom that night and woke up early the next morning. When we got up we got breakfast ready, baked french toast that Cambria had prepared. It has quickly become one of my favorites. We watched as Jocelyn and Riley opened their stockings. With each item they removed from the stocking they jumped with joy at times not even knowing what it was they were holding. Christmas day fell on a Sunday this year and church was to consist of only Sacrament meeting. We all got ready and walked over. It was a great meeting and a great compliment to our Christmas morning. We then went to work getting things ready for all of Linda's siblings and their families to come over. We had a great meal as we all sat around in the basement and talked. We then did a bingo/white elephant game. Linda loved the idea when we told her we did it at my parents house so we borrowed the bingo game. Between Linda and us, we just bought a bunch of little gifts instead of having people bring them. I was the one calling the numbers while Cambria directed people in what to do during the game. We all had a great time and good memories. We cleaned up and things died down as people slowly left to their homes. We then stopped by my parents house. It's really nice that they live so close. We opened their presents to us. My mom had got us a bunch of things off our our baby registry. It was quite cute how excited she was about it all and I deeply appreciate my parents generosity. Both mine and Cambria's parents have always been so giving and helpful.

Well we finally got back to our house that evening and it was time to open our presents. It was a funny year since a lot of the things we got were purchased when we were both there. The big present for us both was our video camera. We got it for our baby girl since we want more than just pictures of her. We started by Cambria opening up our unborn daughter's tiny little stocking that had among other things a clementine at the bottom of it. Cambria then opened her own stocking then I opened mine. In my family it has always gone youngest to oldest with both stockings and presents, so that is how we decided to do it too. We got movies, new bed sheets, a neat picture frame to put all our families photos in, and a Forgotten Carols book. Cambria got some new boots, a spring form pan, and a bundt pan. I got three pairs of jeans, a subway card to use during school, some wristbands that are supposed to help you feel better which we can return if they don't seem to work, and best of all I got a wonderful Christmas evening opening presents with my wife. I would have to say, as I have said with most, this has been one of the best Christmas' yet.

Thanksgiving

This is Cambria and I am reporting on Thanksgiving, it was a lot of fun this year.  It was our turn to spend Thanksgiving with the Penrod's this year, whereas my parents flew back to Virginia to spend time with Tyler and Mindy's family.

On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, Josh and I met at Lyn and Larry's when I got off work and we were able to do some prep work for the big day.   My sweet husband peeled and cubed all of the potatoes for our mashed potatoes.  We then went up to pie night with Lynn.  Pie night is an annual tradition with the Larry's side of the family.  It is held up at Bart and Becky Penrod's in Brigham.  They are great hosts and it is always fun to see everyone.  This was the first time that Josh and I have actually been able to make it to pie night since we started dating.  I loved being able to see all of our family and enjoy all the different types of pie the night before Thanksgiving.  It always seems that I am way to stuffed to enjoy pie the day of Thanksgiving.

At this stage in my pregnancy I have been feeling overly stuffed when I eat even small amounts of food.  So of course I ate too much pie and the rest of the evening I ended up standing while visiting with everyone.  Standing has been one of the most comfortable positions for me lately.  That evening we spoke with many family members, but for most of the time we were able to visit with Steve and Emilee.  It is fun to spend time with them, we tend to have a lot to talk about.

We drove home later that night and I finished my prep work for the next day and Josh helped Larry set up there new beautiful entertainment center.  I quickly went to bed after that because I was exhausted and Josh was able to finish helping Larry.

The next morning I was able to get up and go to the gym, it was nice to work out before the big feast.  After getting ready I started cooking with Lyn to get everything ready for dinner.  We were able to get everything ready in time.  Of course Lyn set up the dining room so beautifully, we ate with candles lit and the perfect presentation.

The people that were at dinner were Kari, Kyle and their children.  Emilee was there, but Steve couldn't attend because he had to work until three.  Angie's family decided to have a small dinner with just their family this year.  We all missed them.  The meal was perfect. One of my favorite parts of dinner was Larry's homemade stuffing.  I was stuffed... but I couldn't get enough tastes :) everything was truly delicious.

After dinner we went down stairs and enjoyed the new theater and entertainment center.  We watched the movie "How to Train Your Dragon."  Because I was so full I was very uncomfortable so I fell asleep for the movie.  It ended up being a wonderful day!

We decided to stay at Lyn and Larry's again that night.  I went to work the next day and Josh went was able to go Black Friday Shopping.  He went to Kohl's and got a lot things for a great deal.  The best thing he got was a memory foam pad for our mattress.   It has saved my life during this pregnancy!  Sleeping on the memory foam just takes away my pain and has made me very comfortable.  I would like to say that my husband is once again my hero.

All and all this was a wonderful Thanksgiving.  More great memories have been made.  I am so grateful for family and the time we get to spend together.

Halloween Weekend

Halloween this year has been great! On Friday we had a ward party. We took our niece, Rya, and our nephew, Aiden. Our neighbors Charity and Zane came with their son Stone. They brought Zane's brother and his wife and son. We has some food together then waited a while till they started the trunk-or-treat where the kids go around to different cars in the parking lot of the church. It's a lot safer for the kids and they still have fun. Cambria and I were dressed as a king and queen. Rya was dressed as a princess, and Aiden was a pirate. When Cambria and I got home we got Rya and Aiden to bed since they were having a sleepover. Afterward we enjoyed the rest of the night watching a movie together.

Saturday evening we had a party at Nathan and Sharlyn's house. Cambria took the kids back then stayed there and cooked for the party. We wore our king and queen costumes again. Charity and Zane came as well as another couple from our building. Monty and Linda were there as well as Claudia and a few other foreign exchange students. We ate, played games, and sat around talking. Cambria and I ended up getting home really late and went straight to bed.

Today is Monday and is Halloween. I am studying most of the day but thought I would take a break to write in the blog. Cambria might go see Rya and Aiden trick-or-treat for a little while. Linda invited us to go to dinner which I don't think I will be able to make it to. It's been a fun Halloween season. Now it's time to look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Baby Update

This past Sunday night Cambria and I were talking when she said the baby was starting to kick. She had me put my hand on her stomach. I waited for a while but didn't feel anything. After about a minute I felt a small little bump hit my hand. I thought it was the most amazing thing! Up till now all I had seen was a black and white image on a screen that barely looked like a baby. Now I was actually able to feel her! What an amazing miracle. It's true that I am nervous to have a child but I'm excited at the same time.

About a week ago Cambria had an appointment with her doctor. It is a special ultrasound appointment where they measure all the parts of the baby to make sure she's growing well. Monty and LInda came along too. My mom was invited but she couldn't get away from work. It was a longer ulrasound which was nice. We had time to look at all the bones, her brain, and we even watched her heart beating. Everything looked great and she is a healthy little girl. They then did the 3D imaging of the baby. It looked so neat to be able to descipher facial features, and see her little arms and toes. Her arm was above her head and across her forehead. Cambria poined out that that is exactly what I do when I sleep.

Cambria is six months along now, and still doing really well. She has some pain from time to time associated with pregnancy but all in all she feels great and is as cute as ever. Since I wrote the paragraph above about feeling the baby kick, I have felt her quite often. It's still really neat. Cambria was using her laptop the other day and the baby kicked and Cambria said the baby kicked the laptop.

Life is crazy but fun. School is definitely omnipresent and chemistry classes occupy most of my time. This semester I will be done with all of my general studies classes and will have an Associates Degree. From here on out I have three more chemistry classes, a math, two physics classes, and a handfull of microbiology classes. I am trying to focus on enjoying the now and not looking too far ahead. If I do I get down on myself about how much longer I have to go until I'm out of med-school. So now I am going to go study some more

Grandpa Ellison's Funeral

Well earlier this month we found out that Cambria's Grandpa, Don Ellison, in Idaho had fallen and broken his hip. Although he is 93, they still said he was healthy and a good candidate for surgery. Well, even before the surgery was to take place he started to decline in health very very quickly. He went into total organ failure and within hours he passed away. It was truely a blessing that he was able to pass so quickly. He had very little pain. We along with the whole family have been aware that both Don and Afton would be passing within the coming years. We left to Boise the next Friday when Cambria got off work. His viewing was to be that night and the funeral the next morning. It was a pleasant drive with my wife as we listened to a book on CD and enjoyed our time together. The viewing was very nice and it was great to see all the family. They had a slideshow going with pictures of Don throughout all his life, many of which some of his children had never seen.

The following morning there was a short viewing followed by a family prayer before the funeral services started. All of Don's sons spoke. Monty gave a great sketch of Don's life with amazing, funny, and touching stories. Others who spoke touched on Don's great kindness, and loving nature. He was always telling his grandchildren how proud of them he was. He always had a smile and was ready with a joke at any given time. He was faithful to the Lord in everything he did. He taught his children through word and example. It is amazing to me to hear the stories about this great man who I have only known for a short time. I have often wondered what he may be telling our unborn daughter about her mother.

Life keeps happening

Well we are settling down into the day in and day out of the school semester. My time is taken up by mostly Chemistry. Cambria has started her preceptorship, which is where she follows a nurse around and  does the nurses job with her. After work on Mondays she goes to Lakeview Hospital till 11pm. She drives to her parents house and sleeps there for the night. Tuesday morning she goes to work again, then straight to the hospital again till 11pm. Her schedule is pretty normal the rest of the week except Saturdays she goes to the hospital for most of the day. This will only last for six weeks, so only five to go till I have my wife back on Mondays and Tuesdays. It's good for me too as I don't have such a beautiful distraction around the house and somehow I get more homework done.

As busy as we are, we still have time to do things together from time to time. We were invited over to our Saudi Arabian neighbors house last week. We didn't really know them well but we had a way good time. Another American couple was there and we had fun talking about cultural differences. He showed us his wedding video and we talked about his country and how he's trying to learn English better. His wife had made amazing Saudi rice and chicken. Between him and some other Middle Easterners i've met at school they are some of the nicest most outgoing people I know.

Cambria is now five months pregnant and feeling great aside from wicked heartburn which has just set in a few days ago. We got rid of the queen size bed in our guest bedroom too. My sister Kari took the frame and box spring for her daughter, Payton. We gave away the mattress on KSL to a newly wed couple who had a horrible mattress and were very grateful to have an almost new one. While looking into the empty room I decided to take the pieces of a crib out of the closet that we have been hiding since we bought it last year. It was used but looks great! I put it together and it's only missing a bolt or two. It's so weird to have a crib set up in there now. I sat in there a few days ago and just stared at it. I looked at some of the little girl clothes my sister lent us too. It still doesn't feel real. We have been so busy that we don't have much time to think about it yet. Every once in a while I get hit with a realization that I will be a father soon.

Today during Sacrament Meeting in church we watched the little boy of a couple who were both giving talks. He was about 11 months old. It was fun but felt so strange to suddenly have a diaper bag, toys, treats, and a little guy squirming around wanting to hold it all at the same time. Even with crumbs on my pants and drool on my shirt from where he fell asleep I am looking forward to having a child of our own. During the closing song he put his ear against my chest and listened to me singing. He slowly fell asleep as he mimicked the low hum he could hear.

Something I couldn't post in June

This morning I woke up at a decent time with my mind set on getting all our things packed and everything ready for vacation. I walked out to the computer and called Cambria who was at work. After a minute of talking, she asked if I had been in the bathroom yet. I said no, and made my way back there. On the counter I found a piece of paper with the bold letters “Congratulations” typed across the top, followed by “you are going to be a daddy!” Cambria had left the pregnancy test there along with the paper. It was complete with a picture of a stork carrying a baby and an explanation that said our baby is due around February 10th. Needless to say I was excited. It is the first time we have consciously tried to get pregnant, and we weren’t keeping our hopes up. At the same time, it’s a huge thing to have a baby, and I am a bit nervous. Cambria feels nervous too but we are both looking forward to it. I heard a quote on a movie that said having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face, you’d better be committed. All kidding aside, we are fully committed! I’m excited to start expanding our family. Cambria is so cute with our nieces & nephews and I can tell she will be an amazing mother.

Josh's Birthday Party

Today we are going to celebrate Josh's 25th birthday. We are getting the families together at my mom's house. My mom is cooking Kalua pork, rice, onions, a saldas and brazilian lemonaede. Lyn is going to make a fruit salad and Kari is bringing a vegetable tray. We are going to have a lot of food. It will be a lot of fun. I am making a coconut lime butter cake. It sounds so good. The cake I'm going to bring out instead is a "special" ice cream cake for Josh's birthday.

When everyone starts singing happy birthday they will see a pink cake that says "happy birthday, father to be." This is how we are announcing that we are going to have a baby girl. I think some of our family has figured out that I am pregnant, which sort of bums me out... but it will be fun to let them know that we are having a little girl. After everyone calms down I will eventually bring out the other coconut lime cake.

The birthday party was a great success. It was nice weather in my parents back yard and we sat in lawn chairs in a large circle. When I brought the baby announcement cake out everyone finished singing and Josh blew out the candles. Kari who was taking pictures with Josh's camera was the first to get up and go see the cake. She took a picture of it, then I told her to read it. Her eyes lit up and she gasped while saying "Really?!" Then all the ladies ran over to the cake to read it and from there on everybody else found out fast. We got a lot of hugs and happy family members. It's nice not to have to keep it a secret any more.

Josh opened his presents from the family and we sat and talked with everyone for a while. Everyone kept coming back to the topic of our future daughter and our little family we're starting. After we left my parents house we went up to Angie and Rob's house since they weren't able to make it. We took them the rest of the pink cake. You could no longer read the top except for the word "Happy" so I asked Braden and Brooklyn why Josh would have a pink cake. They couldn't think of why, so I asked Angie. It took her about 5 seconds for it to click in her head that I am pregnant and having a little girl. She was very happy to hear the news as well.

While driving to Angie and Rob's and driving back home Josh and I called our friends to tell them. I called Seth, Tammy, and Jordan. Josh called his friend Caleb and people from his mission. We called Grandma and Grandpa Penrod together. I had already told people in my mission when we were down there on vacation. They did a good job keeping quiet and not saying anything on facebook that my family could read. Josh and I are both excited and nervous. But we know everything will be great and look forward to holding our new baby girl.

Another Update

Life has been good lately. Cambria and I have been staying busy with work since we got home from vacation. It is crazy how little free time it seems like we have. When school starts up again next Monday I am sure we will find time to do everything we need to. It goes to show that we always have time for the important things in life when we have to fit them into our schedule. Yesterday we went to the Davis County Fair with Nathan and Sharlyn and their kids. They also have their Spanish foreign exchange student, Claudia, with them now. We had never been to a demolition derby before and had a really good time. One guy even rolled his car over while trying to ram another car. Cambria and I shared a funnel cake. 

I have been shadowing a doctor, Johnnie Cook, for a while now. It is really fun and I have learned a lot at his practice. Today he went into one patient's room and told me to go into another room to examine a patient on my own before he came in later. As an undergraduate I was floored, but went in on my own and examined a 21 year old male with what looked like Shingles. I looked at the outbreak on his skin then explained that I thought it looked like Shingles, then educated him on what Shingles is. I told him that there also seemed to be something else aside from the Shingles infecting the same area and the doctor would have to say more about it. When Johnnie came in to examine him he confirmed that it was Shingles and explained a lot about the disease along with a few of the facts about it that I had explained before. He then explained what the other infection was, perscribed some stuff and we were done with that patient. I felt like I did a descent job for having been thrown in on my own. I gave my opinion not as a doctor, educated the patient on it, and was verified by the actual doctor. It gave me confidence in the field I am going in to. 

Also, I have started volunteering in the ICU and the IMC at Ogden Regional Hospital. I go on Mondays for four hours. They have a lot of little things for me to do around there. It doesn't matter what I do as long as I get to help out, get the hours, and learn something. It is ultimately for volunteer hours for med school but I don't like looking at it as just clocking the hours. Anyway, life is busy but good. School starts on Monday. We will see how life goes this semester.

One other thing I wish to write about is that my Grandma, Barbara Worthen passed away this last month. I don't have many sories of me and my grandmother. She has had declining health for as long as I can remember. I do however remember many Christmas' at their house. She would sit in her chair and love to see each grandchild as we opened our gifts from her and my Grandpa. Whenever I think about her I can't help but picture her smiling. At least when I was around she seemed very positive about life. My Grandpa loved and served her wih all his heart and has been a great example of what being a husband should be. As most would say, my grandparents are the best. I can see my grandpa's lonliness, but he knows he will see his sweetheart again one day. That is what brings me great peace as well.

Ecuador and the Galapagos (My Daily Journal)

June 1, 2011

Day one of our great journey, the guy on the riding vacuum in the airport keeps passing back and forth as I try to sleep. I contemplate his demise.

We missed our flight. Not due to our being late or absent but to our flying standby and people having the nerve to show up to claim their seats. We got here late last night to catch the 1:00am flight. My dad brought us. Both Cambria and I have slept on and off. Otherwise I have spent my time playing on the ipod. What a great time passer!

June 2, 2011

We spent last night in the Salt Lake City airport. The next morning we got on the flight to Quito at 7:00am. We had a short layover in Atlanta where we ate lunch and rested for a bit. We made it on the plane and got first class! I was surprised at the amount of room I had for my long legs to stretch out. It was very nice. If that wasn’t enough, they brought out a whole thousand course meal that was absolutely amazing! In contrast with being a coach passenger I could see how much differently they even spoke to me up here. It quite felt nice in an elitist party sort of way, but I wasn’t complaining. We later arrived in Quito at 10:15pm. We waited at the bag carousel as all the bags passed us by over and over again. The carousel turned off and our bags were nowhere to be found; they did not arrive. Come to find out the airplane was too small and they had to leave our bags behind. Luckly we had a days worth of clothes in our carry on bag till they could bring our bags on tomorrow nights flight. We grabbed a taxi which was too expensive and after searching around town for a while we found the house of Xavier and Vivi Alcivar. They are a member family Cambria knew while living down here. We talked for a while then went to bed. I fell asleep right away but Cambria had slept on the plane so it took her a while. I guess during the night the following story happened. Xavier had turned on the alarm system and, little to our knowledge, there is a motion detector as well. So Cambria strides out into the hallway on her way to the bathroom. Boom! The alarm screamed through the house. Vivi woke up scared and told Xavier that someone was in the house. He came out into the hall half asleep, turned off the alarm, didn’t think twice about Cambria’s dark figure standing in the hallway, and went back to bed. I was too deep asleep and heard nothing.

Well, this morning after an empanada breakfast from Vivi, we headed out to buy a few needed items. Cambria showed me where she used to live and I got to see Carcelin. They are not kidding when they say everything is made out of concrete & cinder block!

We later caught a bus to la Marin, which is an area in the historic district of Quito. We did a bit of shopping and had lunch at a great little hole in the wall for $3.50 total. As we walked through the streets, an older man came up to me and asked in English if I needed any help and said he is a

tour guide. We ended up taking his offer to take an hour

tour through the historic district. We walked all over! We saw where the president lives, the national library, old catholic churches, and the most beautiful buildings lining the streets like walls of a grand hallway. We really enjoyed the tour. The guy ended in a little shop and wanted us to buy some sort of hat which was kind of weird.

Once that was over, we caught a taxi up to El Panecillo which is an enormous statue of the virgin mary which overlooks the city in a breathtaking 360 degree view. I took a few panoramic photos while up there. Since the city is so big and everything is made of concrete it was an amazing sight. For as far as you could see there were rolling concrete hills.

Our taxi then took us to La Basilica which is a crazy huge cathedral. I bet you can’t guess what it is made out of...yep, concrete. We saw quite a few churches and large cathedrals on our tour but none were as plain and beautiful as this one was. The others had walls filled with statues of saints, paintings lined every free surface, and gold leaf adorned all the corners and pillars. When we entered La Basilica there was none of that. It was a bit dark but the smooth, dark gray concrete rose straight from the floor, which a curve here and there. It was just enough to show the beauty and grandeur without having to show off it’s price. As my eyes rose up the columns toward the top, resting in the concrete were the most beautiful stained glass windows, with such vivid colors which perfectly caught the afternoon light. The exterior was more adorned than inside. It had animals, statues, intricate curves and jagged steeples. It had a nice courtyard and some large pretty steps. There was a way to go up on the roof and look over the city but they closed when we got there. We left the wide courtyard and rode a very cramped bus home. That night we played a strange version of Bingo with Xavier, Vivi, and their boys Kevin and Jeremy. After reading scriptures with their family we went our separate ways and went to bed.

June 3, 2011

Today we woke up, got ready, and caught a bus to Otavalo which is a city to the North of Quito. It is a newer city and is very beautiful. The sidewalks are paved with tiles and the streets are cobblestone. We ate at a little chicken place then met up with Jairo and Lucy. Cambria lived in the same apartment as Lucy on her mission. They are awesome people. We are staying the night at their house and the room we are staying in actually has carpet! It’s weird. They are going to drive us around tomorrow to see some of the sights. Cambria put it well when she said they have hearts of Gold. I am excited for the morning.

June 4, 2011

Today we woke up and went to the market in Otavalo. It is an enormous market, full of indigenous clothing, bags, jewelry, rugs, statues, and all sorts of other stuff. It looked like everyone in town had something to sell. We bought a few gifts there. Before that we went to the animal market, but it was nothing special. It was a bunch of undernourished farm animals and smelled really bad. We then went and got a little Chevy truck. Jairo and Lucy drove us up to El Parque del Condor where they had a short walk around a bird refuge. There were large cages where birds were kept including the condor, which is enormous! From there we could see Cambria’s area where she served her mission. It was at the base of a volcano. The whole area was on a slope and she explained how they walked up the hill all the time. I loved seeing it. Afterward we went to a little city called Cotacachi where they do a lot of leather work. I bought a jacket and a belt. Cambria bought a purse. We then drove to a town named Ibarra where they are known for their wood working. We bought some beautiful small statues. We left there and drove back to Otavalo and ate dinner. The bus ride home was long. We took the last few seats by the bus driver and my legs were so squished. There wasn’t much space so the bus monkey offered to put our bag full of gifts on the big dashboard. I moved to another seat when someone got off and had a great conversation with a Columbian man who was traveling to Quito for his first time ever. I was able to tell him about where we visited in Quito and he seemed excited to see the city. I was able to talk to him a bit about the church as well.

Well, we got off the bus, got a taxi and got back to Xavier and Vivi’s house. While getting out of the taxi I asked Cambria if she had grabbed all the bags from our seat. He mouth dropped as she said “Oh no, I left the bag with all the gifts on the bus!” Her heart sunk. We jumped back in the taxi to head back to the terminal where we hoped the bus was going. Cambria was so worried and felt so bad. I was worried too but somehow a calm came over me and I began to pray. I asked that we find our bag. All I desired was the happiness of my wife while on our vacation. I ended my prayer and tried to keep my mind filled with nothing but faith. Cambria ran into the terminal while I paid the slowest taxi driver in the world. I slung all our bags all over me and went jogging through the terminal. I ran past waiting busses supposing Cambria had looked in them. I then heard a man yelling at me to see if I was going where his bus was about to leave to. All the busses do that to get as many passengers on as they can. I yelled “no, I’m looking for my bag I left on a bus!” He yelled back “this is it!” He ran onto the bus and emerged with our bag in hand. I felt so blessed and knew that God was watching over us. Ten seconds later and the bus would have been gone. It took me some time to find Cambria, but she saw me from a distance I held up the bag. She yelled out in joy. There is no better feeling in the world than to see her so happy. We caught a taxi home, showered and are now headed to bed. I am a very happy man.

June 5, 2011

This morning we got up and made French toast for the Alcivar family we are staying with. They enjoyed it very much and had never had it before. We then caught a taxi to church. We took the two duffel bags fill of church clothes to the church that our ward had donated. They were very grateful and the bishop said they were going to give it to families in need. They had a few in mind.

It was wonderful to see Cambria see people that knew her from her mission. The sisters would come up to her and give her a huge hug while almost in tears. I already knew she was a great missionary but to see how much the people love her was a great blessing to me and something I will never forget. How could you not love someone as amazing as her? I truly have an amazing woman as my wife.

We walked home from church since we didn’t have bags full of clothes. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining through the clouds. We walked past all sorts of weird flowers and plants lining the front of brightly painted cinder block walls. While at church Cambria made plans to go by the houses of a few members. We changed out of our church clothes and walked down to Carcelen Bajo to a members house. Their house was huge, and of course made of concrete. Cambria shared pictures from facebook that the sister wanted to see. Her husband walked us to where some other members lived, the Tonato family. They are a family that got baptized when Cambria was there. They weren’t at church because the wife was feeling sick. We only found the husband at home but are going back tomorrow. He said that Cambria had a huge part on getting him baptized. Now his parents are baptized too.

We then walked to the bishops house which is a very humble home as well. We talked of a while then the missionaries came over and we ate bread and cheese with chocolate milk. I am really enjoying hot milk with a little sugar in it. Their milk here is great. We watched a video of a skit that Cambria and other missionaries did while she was here. It was nice to see a video of her while on her mission. They drove us home afterward which was nice because it was really late. Cambria just said she is cold so I am going to warm her up now so she can fall asleep.

June 6, 2011

We got up pretty early today and grabbed a taxi to the Teleferico. It is a lift that took us to the top of a mountain that is 4,100 meters high, or about 13,500 feet. We had to pay more since we are foreigners. I think it’s way unfair and you would never see that in the United States. I don’t know if they are trying to make more money or if they are trying to hinder tourism. On the small tram car we met a British girl who was visiting by herself. We spent the day with her splitting taxi fares to see the sights. We reached the top of El Teleferico and got out. It was difficult to breathe, especially as we started hiking up the trails that took us further up into the mountain range through grass covered mountain tops and small valleys. It was a very cloudy day and we could see the clouds close in around us as we ascended up the tram. It was too bad it wasn’t a clear day so we could see all of Quito and the surrounding volcanoes. We could see a bit more clearly through the fog at the top than on the tram. There was a church up there which made it feel a bit eerie as sheets of fog waved past us like a flag slowly flapping in the wind. For a minute or two the fog lifted and exposed the tip of a volcano which was so close we could hike to it in an an hour or two. Then like all the volcanoes around here it disappeared into the clouds again.

When we got back down we caught a taxi with the British girl and headed to La Mitad del Mundo, (the center of the world). I thought it pretty neat to be on the equator. Cambria and I got a picture of us kissing across the equator. We then went inside the ten story monument and took an elevator to the top. From there we walked down stairs which lead to the interior that held a ten story, square museum. While circling around the central elevator shaft we got closer to ground level as the museum progressed. It mostly talked about the many indigenous groups of Ecuador. We ate lunch afterward ten got a taxi back in to town. We helped the British girl find another taxi back to her Hotel, then went home ourselves to the Alcivar family's house. We had planned to go with them up to Carcalen alto to eat empanadas as a family night treat. We had such a great time, and the empanadas were great. They were stuffed with either meat or cheese and you would open them up a little and pour in either Aji or sugar. Afterward we visited the Tonato family who got baptized while Cambria was a missionary. They are a wonderful and a humble family. Afterward their oldest boy Jefferson walked us to the taxi stop and hugged Cambria goodbye. She got in the taxi and as I shook his hand he looked at me and asked “cuidala” or “take care of her.” He is a great young man at 17 years old is getting ready for his mission in a few years. He is excited. We got back to the Alcivar's that night and packed our bags. In the morning we are leaving Quito.

June 7, 2011

This morning we finished packing and cleaned the room we had been staying in. It was one of their kids, Jeremy's room. He slept in Kevin’s room and we got to share Jeremy’s twin size bed, with my feet hanging off the bed. It was pretty fun and a very great place to stay. Vivi had cooked french toast with the last of my french toast batter and we had our last breakfast at their house. We went outside to watch Kevin and Jeremy go to school and to say goodbye for the last time. We watched as they left down the road in their little Volkswagen bus sized van, waving goodbye out the back window till they couldn’t see us anymore.

It was now our turn to leave. We got our bags together and headed out to grab a taxi to the bus terminal where we would leave toward Baños. As our bus drove around the back way across Quito it wove back and forth, following the curves of the enormous hill which stood at what I thought was the eastern border of Quito. While driving I learned that the hill stood between two vast valleys. The suburbs of Quito stretched past that hill for as far as the eye could see, or at lest until the cement house covered hills blocked my view of whatever lay beyond them.

We got to the south terminal and I had to use the restroom. I walked up to the desk that stood between the women’s and men’s bathrooms. There stood a woman who immediately asked me “urinal o papel?” (Urinal or paper). Feeling a little hesitant of a middle aged latin woman asking me about how I would go about using the bathroom, I answered, “papel.” I paid my .15 cents and was handed my ration of toilet paper which couldn’t have been more than a foot long. At that moment I thought it a bit ironic that I was reading a book about communist Russia and food rations. I couldn’t help but see a parallel. I almost expected to see the Soviet hammer and sickle insignia plastered on the front of each stall as I entered the bathroom.

Once we paid for our bus to Baños and climbed aboard, we headed out with a three and a half hour long trip ahead of us. I was able to read a good portion of my book. We passed through Ambato which is one of Cambria’s areas. I loved looking around and hearing her point out places she recognized and stories about being there.

We arrived in Baños and immediately felt the humidity. The temperature was great and at a much lower altitude than Quito, I found breathing to be less of a chore. A taxi took us down out of the main town toward the river where our hostel was. It is a great place with clean wood floors, a queen size bed, and a hammock out on the porch that overlooks the river at the base of the greenest mountains I’ve ever seen. Also, we can throw the toilet paper in the toilet! I was excited about that. The mountains are quite steep, but people somehow live and farm on slopes I would struggle to even stand on. It is truly amazing.

The owners of our hostel, an Australian and a New Zealander, called us a taxi which for $20 would take us to see the waterfalls for three hours. Our driver spoke Spanish in a strange meter and tone such that it made him sound Italian. He drove along the high mountain roads which had been paved with cobblestone since Cambria had been here last. They also constructed a wall for safety. The first waterfall we went to was pretty cool. We took a tram that looked just like a large metal wire basket. It went out across the gorge and right past the front of the waterfall. We got off on the other side to stand on a bridge almost right above the waterfall. We had a radio that the little latin woman had given us to let her know when we were ready to come back. We stood in the basket for five minutes trying to talk into what we thought was a broken radio before she saw us waving our arms around. She ran back to the little shack where she left her radio. The tram itself is strong but inside the shack resides what may be the oldest, dirtiest diesel engine I’d ever seen. It was the backbone of their whole $1 per person operation. The next tram had an engine just as old but repainted within the last 15 years. It looked like the took the whole front of an old orange tractor off and installed it at their tram. This basket took us downward into the gorge where we were able to walk up to the base of two very large waterfalls. It was great to walk around in the mist that filled the air as the water crashed off the rocks at the bottom.

The last waterfall was by far my favorite. We had to hike down into the gorge along a trail that I swear I saw in an Indiana Jones movie. It was complete with large palm leaves, vines, moss, and the occasional runoff stream crossing the path. I thought a monkey attack or natives shooting darts were both very possible scenarios. We got to the bottom and there was a good hike partway up the other side to the waterfall. We got closer and closer as the ominous roar grew louder and louder. Suddenly we emerged onto a man made stone platform where the waterfall was in full view. It crashed down into a hole that was only about 100 feet wide. The water churned and every inch was a bubbly white which gave it its name “El Pylon del Diablo” (The Devil’s Frying Pan). We carefully walked down wet cobblestone steps to two different landings that progressed closer and closer to the water. I felt small standing at the base of such a powerful waterfall. We tool a small trail that lead up to the side of the waterfall, right next to the top. Dug out of the side of the cliff face, we crawled through the trail. It had a fenced slit only two or three feet wide that looked out over the water below as we slowly curved upward toward the top. Cambria took a picture of me with my hand out in the water. We didn’t go all the way behind the waterfall because there was still water dripping like small faucets scattered all over.

The hike out was pretty tough in the humidity. I was sweating pretty good. We got dropped off at what we heard was a good little restaurant. It stood next to a tall four story hostel down a wide alleyway. With walls partially covered in ivy and flowers it felt as if we were suddenly in Europe. It was a great little place. We were the only ones there for the majority of our meal. They decorated with all sorts of little antique things and tried to make it fell Italian or Mediterranean. An old piano was against one wall which had keys that stuck down when I tried to play it. Our table was near the fire they had started in the large corner fireplace, and a single candle burnt at our table. The food was wonderful and a large plate of vegetables was welcome after living off Ecuadorian rice, beans, bread, and cheese. With such a great atmosphere I couldn’t help but fall even deeper in love with my eternal companion and best friend. We then walked through the town then got a taxi back to our hostel. After a much welcome shower, Cambria climbed into bed and fell right to sleep. I went out onto our porch and laid in the hammock looking up at the stars. I saw a few fireflies down by the river as well. I prayed while staring up at the stars, which have always made me think of things eternal. I almost drifted off to sleep while rocking back and forth and listening to the rushing sound of the river. After a long but perfect day I am ready to climb into bed myself and start all over again tomorrow.

June 8, 2011

Today we took an hour long bus ride to Puyo, a little town on the edge of the Amazon region. It wasn’t a bad temperature there but I was sweating due to so much humidity. Cambria didn’t mind it much and said Guayaquil is worse. We got a taxi to what Cambria thought was the monkey park she’d been to before but as we got farther down a dirt path she said nothing looked familiar. She realized it wasn’t the same place she’d been to before. We said oh well and decided we’d see the monkeys here anyway.

We walked in to the makeshift front booth/gate and paid our $4 entry fee. We got instruction for what to do after walking down the dirt path toward a building and some outdoor cages. It was during this instruction that I realized the monkeys weren’t all in cages. A lot were free to walk around, to climb on you, and to play with. We opened the front gate and a lot of monkeys ran out, which they said was ok because they come right back since they get fed there. The first monkey to get to me climbed up me then jumped over the three foot fence. The next monkey came up to me, climbed to my shoulders and sat down with her feet around my shoulders and her hands on my head. She then climbed over to Cambria where she stayed in the same position for quite a while as we walked around. Then it jumped down to go get food. We saw one little monkey jump into a turtle cage and start poking and pushing the turtle before rolling it on its back and running off. One of the volunteers there was playing with a little monkey, throwing it around and letting it swing all over his arms. Next we took a path that led down into a more dense jungle area with tall trees, vines, and all sorts of plants all over. We were definitely in the Amazon region.

As we began on the path Cambria picked up a monkey who then climbed onto my arm and nestled into my chest like a baby with his arm wrapped around my side. His tail wrapped around the front of me and his head rested against my shoulder. We walked like that for most of the long trail through the jungle. When we circled back to the main area, we talked to a latin man who took us on a guided tour backward through the trail, only this time as he walked he whistled a distinct call so that the monkeys would follow. As we walked he told us about the different monkeys and their names. About 15 monkeys swung along in the trees above us. Others walked along the ground occasionally running past us through our feet. As they swung they would often jump onto our shoulders for a small break or dangle from our arms for a second before jumping to a passing tree. We went to a rocky clearing around which the small river ran and watched the resident five month old rescue otter, Adam, play around in the water while the monkeys searched for food. While walking back, Cambria, having worn flip-flops, got bit by a few ants with pincers that were so big you didn’t need any help seeing them. She danced around as I steadied her and the guide helped pluck them off her feet. She was find and laughed although she said they did hurt a lot. I had the most amazing time and will never look at monkeys the same again. They called us a taxi and we went to a little place to eat almuerzo (a set lunch menu item). After taking the bus back to Baños we walked the 3km back to our hostel where we rested for a while. Cambria read in a hammock chair in our room while I laid out on the hammock on the balcony and swung back and forth while reading my book.

We then got in our swim suits and went to the local hot springs which was a warm welcome to soothe the body after a lot of walking and hiking. We met a couple from Oregon and had a great time chatting about our trips. We were stared at by a lot of people around due to our slight farmers tans and white skin where our shirts had covered during our trip. When we got home we got packed to leave to Guayaquil in the morning.

June 11, 2011

Well, we made it to Guayaquil on Thursday. It wasn’t a bad bus ride since we took a few breaks at stops where we could use the bathroom. When we got here I immediately started feeling the miserable heat and humidity. I swear I have never sweat so much while doing so little. We were picked up from the bus terminal by Oswaldo, the brother of Silvana. Cambria served part of her mission with Silvana. We ate at their uncle’s house, and spent the evening setting up the chapel at the church for the reception. All in all it was very pretty but the latin women were driving me crazy with how much “flare” they wanted and the crazy amount of work they put into it. After setting up tables that I think were scavenged from the ruins of post WWII Hiroshima, we stuffed ten chairs around each of them. The tables should have only fit maybe six people uncomfortably. Later at the reception no more than six sat at any given table anyway. In truth they put a lot into it and in the end it was an a very beautiful evening. Friday morning we got our church clothes on and caught a taxi to the Temple. It was so beautiful and looked almost identical to the Bountiful Temple except it wasn’t as wide. Surrounding the Temple were palm trees both tall and short, flowers, and low cut bushes who’s tops were blanketed in small bright red flowers. It made for a perfect place to take wedding photos. Speaking of which, their photographer fell through on them and they asked me to be their photographer. I was glad I brought my nice camera and was able to get some great photos to help them remember their wedding day.

The sealing ceremony was very nice and my first I’ve heard in Spanish. There were a lot of tear filled eyes in the room, Including Cambria’s. I am beginning to see how strong of a bond she and Silvana have. They seem like two eternal friends, born into this world with a language and distance barrier that was broken when their missions brought them together. I was told by Silvana’s mom that Silvana was struggling on her mission and was very homesick. Then when Cambria later go there, everything in her mission changed for the positive. I don’t doubt it. Cambria’s light shines brightly wherever she goes, and it’s hard not to be happy while around her.

When we got out of the Temple we did photos around the Temple grounds. Their little old sealer walked us around posing in demonstrations of photos that I supposed he’d seen people take in the past. We got a lot of great photos. We then went to the reception. It was supposed to start at 8:00 p.m. But traffic was horrible and people didn’t really start coming till 9:00. The family didn’t show up till 10:30. After taking photos outside they started around 11:00. We ate and danced the night away till 2:00 in the morning. Mostly I followed the couple around taking photos. I took photos of the food, friends, family, decorations, dancing, cake cutting, and bouquet throwing. It was a long night but I was honored to help them capture their memories. Mostly I tried to mimic our wedding photographer who did such a great job. When we got back to the hotel I finally crashed at 3:00 a.m.

Today Cambria woke me up with breakfast she had brought up to our room. I ate then slept till noon. We got up and walked down the street to meet some of Silvana’s family to see what they had planned for the day. We first drive with them to the church to get all the last decorations that had been boxed up and cleaned the building. The floor is all tile so we pretty much swept and mopped everything. Afterward we went to the Artisan’s market, which was really cool. They have all sorts of hand made goods from clothes to leather to wooden and marble statues & figurines. We bought some small marble Galapagos animal statues. We bought them here since they will cost much more in the Galapagos.

Next, everyone was hungry and wanted to go to McDonalds. It would not have been our first choice but it’s what the others wanted so we agreed. It was a funny McDonalds situated on what is known as el Malecón 2000 which is a pier that runs along a large portion of one of many Guayaquil bay fronts. We ate by the floor to ceiling windows, with nothing below the floor but water. I almost expected a gourmet meal as I opened my small box but all I saw was a burger that I’m sure looked the same at a Mcdonalds in the Bronx. As we ate, a large fake pirate ship docked nearby headed out into the bay with its sightseeing passengers.

After lunch our friends went back home while Cambria and I walked the few kilometer length of the pier. It was filled with monuments, large beautiful trees, and pretty fountains. The trees had multiple trunks and had spread out really wide in the tops with fluffy, light brown fur-like plants draped over the limbs, hanging down toward the ground. We walked by an 1800’s clock tower which looked more British than Ecuadorian. A monument to those who contributed to the pier was erected. Around 30 large sheets of glass were lined up like dominoes with the names of thousands upon thousands of contributors etched in them. Green lights lined the edges of each piece of glass, illuminating the whole sheet. As we walked between them and looked down the line of endless jumbles of letters we were suddenly in the matrix itself. Luckily we made it back to the real world and continued down the pier.

At the end of the pier there were stairs up a very large hill. They sat between endless shops and clubs. Each step was numbered with a flat etched rock on each riser. While walking toward the lighthouse at the top Cambria noted that it felt much like how she pictured Greece, with bustling shops and people living on hillside towns with restaurants all around. After looking out over the city for a while we came down and caught a taxi home.

Cambria thought she was starting to get a cold so we bought tablets with calcium and zinc in them. They were large and flat and Cambria handed me one to take. Soon I realized that they were not supposed to be chewable. The effervescence kicked in as my mouth started to bubble and fizz all over. As Cambria laughed uncontrollably I rushed around looking for water. I finally found our camel pack and filled my mouth with water while holding my mouth open while all the bubbles formed. I had to slosh them around to get them out before I could swallow. I did that three times before the tablet was gone, all while Cambria was still unable to stop laughing. It was all great fun. She is now asleep and I’ve been listening to the City of Angels soundtrack while writing. I’m tired and I think it’s about time to join her.

June 13, 2011 (The Galapagos)

We woke up early and got breakfast delivered to our room. We packed our bags and left half of them at Gita’s house. The other half we packed with what we would need for the Galapagos. We left from Guayaquil and landed on Isla Baltra 2 hours later. It is a small island barely off the shore of Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. It used to be a United States air base during WWII and was later turned over to the Ecuadorian government. It was an extremely small airport that was just a pavilion with short walls built around it leaving a 4 foot gap open to the elements. A bus took us down to the ferry. It was a short ferry ride across a narrow channel to the main island where we got a taxi to take us the 45km to Puerto Ayora. While driving he asked us if we wanted him to take us to Las Gimelas (the twins), which are a pair of large sink holes. The road goes right past with a sink hole directly on either side. We then drive a ways to a large area filled with grasses and trees where a lot of wild tortoises live. We were able to see three or four really large tortoises that had to weigh hundreds of pounds.

They said that in this area during their hot season there are around 100 tortoises. We then put on some mud boots and walked to where there were lava tunnels. When lava is running it likes to find the lowest and weakest way to go, so it forms tunnels. They grow and become huge after millions of years. These were well over twice the size of a subway tunnel but at one point near the end it was only about three feet tall. We had to crawl under to the other side. It is all lava rock and the neat thing is that as we walked we could see how it was shaped by the lava. There are curves and cuts in the rick that are so beautiful and unique. What looks like mounds of churned up mud under your feet is actually dense lava rock. Lava dripped down the walls and hardened in small balls periodically along the drips. It looked much like thick sap you find on the side of a tree, only black and red and hard as a rock. Well, it is rock.

When we got out of the caves we waited for our taxi driver who had walked back out to get the car to come around and pick us up. We then took the rest of the drive into Puerto Ayora, the main tourist town of all the Galapagos Islands. We checked into La Peregrina Bed & Breakfast and went out to walk the main street. The street is named after Charles Darwin himself. He did a lot of research in these islands to help prove his theory of evolution. We then arranged a day trip for the morning to go to another island. All I know is that there are probably sharks where we’re going snorkeling, and that freaks me out. I will get over it and survive my fear. We ate at a nice little local/Italian place where Cambria got pasta and I got tilapia. It was great to sit out on the second floor patio and look out over the water. They were showing a great video of the Galapagos while we ate. We then walked around their little artisan market which was neat. After buying groceries we are back in our little room and are headed to bed. We are getting up early for our day trip to Isabela Island.

June 14, 2011

We woke up two hours early because we got confused with the time change and set our clocks the wrong direction. We went back to bed swim suits and all. After waking up the second time we had everything ready to go on our day trip. Isabella Island is the largest Island in all of the Galapagos and was formed by about 5 volcanoes, some of which are still active. On our way to the door our taxi driver from yesterday was waiting with a friend who he wanted us to go with right that instant on a day trip. We had told him yesterday we would talk to the guy and that was all. But there he was, next to another guy who was our actual day trip guy. So we said sorry and left the taxi driver pretty mad at us. Our tour guide said the taxi drivers think they own a certain tourist and try to have them go through the taxi driver for everything. That way they make money for referrals, rides, and every other little thing they can make any profit off of.

Well our medium sized boat left Puerto Ayora with 15 tourists aboard and headed out to what was quite a choppy ocean. At full speed it was to take two hours and fifteen minutes to get to Puerto Villamil on Isabella Island. One guy was sick the whole way there, we felt bad for him. I felt a little dizzy and stared out at clouds the whole way as a means to keep my mind fixed on something somewhat steady. I couldn’t blame the sick guy at all. The front of the boat slammed into the water over and over again. I swear I could feel my spine slowly compressing and I must be an inch or two shorter now.

While fixated on the clouds one actually learns a lot. I watched the clouds to the right of the boat which stood somewhat still, while the clouds to the lt moved much differently. They met the still clouds then turned and followed the boat like dolphins of the sky. Aside from the constant waves, there was another level of waves but on a much larger scale. At 100 yards each these waves arched up and down forming constantly shifting hills and valleys. While our boat was in a bowl we could scarcely see, but once atop an oceanic hill we could see for miles on end. These waves were never ending in all directions. Through all this I imagined many times about how having a wave runner out there would be absolutely amazing! It would make for perfect jumps larger than the ones I am always looking for on the lake. The boat finally arrived at our destination and we disembarked for our day trip. We took a small bus in to town and visited a baby tortoise hatchery. They breed them, wait till they are five years old, then release them into the wild when their jaws are strong enough to fend for themselves. We also walked the local wetlands where we saw pink flamingoes which are not native to the islands. They are an endangered species here but since they have no impact on the ecosystem they are not protected. We walked through the village where they have roads made of compacted sand with palm trees all over. We ate an amazing almuerzo with rice, fried plantain chips, and fresh tuna smothered in an amazing coconut sauce.

Our guide told us we had an hour free to go to the beach before we continued. Cambria and I sat together looking out at the waves while a light misty rain began to fall. Cambria laid down and took a nap while I walked out to a point where there were black lava rocks and a lot of splashing waves. The rocks were covered in marine iguanas like ants at a picnic. They didn’t really run far from me as I walked by. I took a ton of photos there, both of the iguanas and the waves. Afterward we went back to the docks where a smaller boat took us out to Las Tintoreras which are little flat volcanic islands covered in rocks, low trees, cactus, and marine iguanas. We took a small hike to see a channel where sharks and sea lions swim through. We saw both swimming alongside each other while the sea lions played with and bothered the sharks.

Our guide then hurried us back to the lagoon where our boat had docked and hurried us into the water to snorkel for what he said was 35 minutes. He was so laid back for the whole trip then when we got to the main event of snorkeling he gave us no time and suddenly turned into a hurried and annoying man. He was yelling, “hurry, hurry, you don’t have much time in the water, longer you stay on land, shorter time in water!” Well it was a very short time in the water but I enjoyed every second of it. I have never been snorkeling before and it was a great experience. I have always had a fear of not being able to see under the water while in a lake or especially in the ocean. I immediately lost that fear when I could see everything beneath me. In spite of my fear of sharks, I got to where I wanted to see a shark pass me. I didn’t see any sharks or sea lions while in the water myself, but I did see a penguin. He was hanging out near the water on some rocks and I swam right up to him and took a picture. We got a waterproof camera and took some pictures. I hope they turn out well. Cambria said it wasn’t the greatest location for scuba diving either, but I enjoyed it all the same. We saw some neat fish, sea urchins, a small long eel-like fish, and sea cucumbers. The black volcanic rock was also very interesting. It all ended as our pushy and annoying guide called us back to the small dock. Everyone in our group pretended not to hear him and we all swam around for a while longer. Cambria and I were the last ones out of the water and into the boat.

We then went and transferred into our larger boat and headed back to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz island. By default, I sat outside of the covered part of the boat and was in a perfect place to get splashed every so often. I held our towel over my head and down my back but still got soaked. The people next to me got it worse and the older lady got completely soaked. The wind was also very cold on the ocean so I let her use my towel. She covered herself up as tightly as she could against the wind. I took dramamine before the trip back so I didn’t get light headed this time. I had no problem looking around and had a great boat ride back, including the half hour I fell asleep on Cambria’s shoulder. We met a French couple from London and got to know them throughout the day trip. They were very nice and pleasant to be around. When we got back we didn’t tip our guide. He did a horrible job at the end and didn’t deserve it. I usually like to tip something and it takes a pretty bad move to get me not to tip at all. I am going to talk to the tour company about it tomorrow. Cambria felt a bit sick so after showering she went to bed. I on the other hand went to walk the main street of town. I bought things we wanted from shops we visited last night. I went to a great little restaurant for ceviche which is a sort of soup that Cambria wanted me to try. It is served cold and was piled high with fish, onions, and all sorts of amazing flavor. I absolutely loved it! It started to rain that misty rain as I headed back to our bed and breakfast. It was fun to walk around on my own. As much as someone loves their spouse like I love Cambria, it is nice to have a few minutes alone from time to time. I like time to just sit and think. I would have loved for Cambria to have been with me though. Now I get to go to sleep next to her which is a great way to end the day.

June 15, 2011

Today was a more relaxed day. We got breakfast here at our hotel. We then headed down the street to the Charles Darwin Research Center. There were a lot of signs with information about what kinds of projects they are doing. We read about everything from conservation and preservations to repopulation and eradication of unwanted, non-native animals from the islands. We saw a few land iguanas which were a rusty brown and yellow. We also saw a ton of giant tortoises including Lonesome George who is the last of his species that came from one of the islands.

Afterward, we walked to Tortuga Bay. It was about a 3km walk out to the beach but it was worth it. The beach was very long. It was another 15 minute walk to get to the other end. The sand was a very fine white grain and the water, a beautiful mixture of turquoise and blue. There were a lot of waves and we were told that that area was only for surfers due to strong currents. Swimmers had to go around to a very calm bay around the bend, so we walked around to there. We found a lot of large marine iguanas basking along the beach. They let me walk right up to them and take their pictures. They don’t even move. Strangely, none of them smiled for me either.

Well the calmer bay was more of a giant lagoon with scarcely a wave to be seen. There was still great sand so we set up shop. After walking around together in the shallow part of the bay Cambria read her book while I went around taking pictures. It is really a very beautiful part of the island and I’m glad we got to see it. Not much time passed before a light rain began and we decided to head back. Large clouds were on their way. We had wanted to swim around for a while but going back before the clouds got there was good too. If we had known how calm the water was there we would have taken snorkeling gear and snorkeled out in the rain. We enjoyed another long walk along the porcelain beach and then took the long hot trail back to town. The volcanic brick trail meandered through a large desert area filled with all sorts of large bushes and cactus of all types. One cactus looked like very large trees with huge trunks and cactus in the place of leaves.

All of the plants are growing on and around large piles of volcanic rock which we saw covering most of the land as we wove through the desert trail. When we got back to our bed and breakfast I showered all the sand off of me and cleaned it off all our stuff. We were very tired so Cambria went to bed. I was hungry so I headed out to get some more ceviche and to call my dad. I got online to check out bank account and found that our hotel in Guayaquil had double charged us. When we go back through there I will have to go by and talk to them. I am tired now and it’s off to bed for me. It was a great final day in the Galapagos.

June 16, 2011

We left the Galapagos this morning. It was an amazing adventure and a neat place to have visited. We flew out and watched the islands disappear beneath the morning cloud cover. We landed back in Guayaquil and took a taxi straight to the bus terminal and headed out to Libertad. We were going to visit Cambria's friend Kata. They wouldn't turn the air conditioner off and everyone in the bus froze the whole way there. I didn't want to complain too much since it was a better feeling than mid day Guayaquil heat and humidity. We stayed at Kata's house and went out the next day to see Libertad and the beach around that area. We ate seafood at a good little place on the pier then went to the military base to visit La Chocolatera. It is a place where waves come in at different angles and churn up the water pretty good. There were also rocky cliffs where the waves crashed and some tide pools that were pretty neat.

June 17, 2011

This morning we took the bus back to Guayaquil and went to the hotel we had stayed in the previous weekend. They had charged us double and I needed to talk to them about it. After an hour of talking they told me it was Visa's fault and I would have to call them when I got back to the United States. I was really annoyed because I knew it was their problem. Turns out they eventually reimbursed my account themselves. They must have found out it was their problem since the time we talked to them. Well we hung out in Guayaquil waiting around for our flight out at midnight.

June 20, 2011

The airline did something that wasn't normal procedure and bumped coach passengers to first class instead of putting standby customers on first. Due to this, we didn't make it on the airplane, along with five other passengers including the pilot's fiancée. Since we had already checked through their immigration, we had to wait around till the employees got us checked back into the country before they could let us go. We ended up staying there till about three in the morning. We then went with the pilot's fiancée to the Hilton Colón and got our own room at the Delta discounted rate. It was such a nice place to stay. I had to put on the robe and strut around speaking like a stuck up rich man. We could see the Guayaquil Temple from our window. It was all lit up and very pretty. We got breakfast at a little cafe in the morning, set a later check-out, and went back to sleep. When we woke up we left our bags at the Hilton and went out to spend the last of the day in Guayaquil. We didn't do much aside from seeing our friends again and buying a few things before leaving town. Around 8:00 we headed back to the Hilton, got our bags, and took their free shuttle to the airport. The airplane was delayed due to storms in Atlanta and finally arrived at 2:00am. We made it on the flight very easily and had first class. We fell right to sleep and slept till about 7:30am when we woke up for breakfast.

When we arrived in Atlanta we couldn't make it on the flight to Salt Lake so we waited around half the day trying to make it on different flights on standby. I got my shift covered at work for that night since I wasn't sure if we would make it home. We finally made it on a flight that went through Cincinnati then to Salt Lake. We got home, got picked up by my dad and headed home. It was amazing to walk into our house after being gone for so long. I loved being on vacation but being home was great. The only think I don't look forward to is getting back into the swing of life, work, and not being with Cambria all day every day. I loved the time we had together on our vacation. My love for her has grown each day as we shared our time together seeing beauties of this amazing earth. It will be a memory neither of us will ever forget.