We're Back!

We are home from Italy! I'll post some of my favorite pics soon, but here is one of my new all-time favorite places. (Lake Como... incredible.)

Speaking of incredible, here's a little announcement that spurred our somewhat impromptu trip overseas... I could have posted this sign across my pack for our little 10-day adventure:

That's right, folks. Brad and I took along a very small passenger! Having been married just a few months, you can see why this is what we call "the surprise of our lives." We are thrilled and still a little in shock that with an October due date, we'll have a two-month-old on our first anniversary! We know God's timing is always perfect... and He continues to teach both of us so much though we still feel like we have so much to learn. We can't wait to see where this new adventure will take us... and are incredibly thankful to have so much support along the way.

Here are a few lessons I have learned (or re-learned) lately:

1. God is in control, even when we think we are.

2. It is not possible to eat too much gelato.

3. It is very possible to eat too much pasta.

4. Pregnancy hormones and jetlag are a pretty brutal combination.

5. The European foot paddle for flushing a toilet is pretty much the greatest invention ever.

Bad Blogger...

I know I am... I'll try and do better. Sometimes I have a hard time completing a thought in my own head, much less an entire post. Am I the only one who feels so A.D.D. sometimes?

I realize that I must, in the proper blogger etiquette, catch you up on all the very important aspects of my life that you may have missed in my absence:

1. I couldn't sleep last night and was wisely spending my waking hours watching American Idol. Did anyone else see the little orphan girl find her sister during the charity promo? Was anyone else bawling like a baby? Good grief.

2. I do not understand this fashion trend:

Please don't be offended if you own a pair... I just don't get this one. With shorts? Really? If you haven't seen this, they are making appearances on the feet of high school- twenty something girls all over the place. I notice them everywhere I go now. (Or some variation of them.)

3. People of Blog Land, you gotta try mashed cauliflower if you've never made it. It looks just like mashed potatoes, has 110% of your daily vitamin C requirement, and tastes veggie-licious. Add a little milk, garlic, etc., and even paprika if you want to be fancy. Mmm... There are recipes all over the world wide web.

4. Brad and I are coming up on our 4-month anniversary. Hooray for us! We are having so much fun and are about to head to ITALY next week! More on that later... we'll have wedding pics soon, but our photographer posted a couple of his favorites. I hope it's ok if I re-post a couple here... (His name is Fred Egan so I'm giving him due credit!)

Our wonderful wedding party

I love this one: Isn't he the cutest groom ever? Ricky did the ceremony and my brother is in front.

Best part of this pic is my dad's face as he pelts Brad in the head with rose petals.