Sunday October 22, 2006 4:30 PM

What a crazy day! After a speedy recovery from the virus that hit me like a truck, I was treated to a day with my extended host family. And let me tell you, they are LOCO! Danny, my eldest host brother turned 22 today, and because Andrea, the middle child (18), just returned from Canada where she's been studying English for the past year, it was an occasion that called for the gigantic presence of Rosario's mother, father and sister.

Within 30 seconds of meeting me, Rosario's mother decided that Danny needed to marry me. I protested with the obvious problem that I'm already married. It was decided that "En los estados unidos soy casada, pero en ecuador, soy soltera." So now that I was deemed single in Ecuador, I was free to marry Danny. Ok a little embarrassing for me, but super funny. I can tell you Rosario´s mother isn´t a woman with whom you argue. When this woman says no, the answer is NO!

However, once I busted out the wedding photos (mi esposo es muy guapo), the conversation turned from marrying me off to Danny to the amount of sex I will be having with my husband after four months of being apart. I can't quite explain the color red I turned (and Rosario too), but it was enough to make the jokes continue for a good half hour. It was one of the few times I was grateful not to be able to understand the whole conversation, as I could tell it was getting pretty raunchy. But I can honestly say that I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

The family was absolutely lovely and has invited me to visit them in Quito - probably because seeing the gringa blush is now the new past time. It's great that I now have a new family in Ecuador. Although my time here ends pretty soon, I know this won't be the last I'll see of them.