After spending a whole week in Cleveland, we arrived back home late afternoon yesterday. We had a ton of fun... spent a ton of money... and made a ton of memories. But more of that later, when my pics are all uploaded and edited.

I wanted to share what I came home to... my very first blog award. :)


Thanks, Melanie, for the blog love! If you haven't read Mel's blog, you should. She always makes me smile. And my favorite posts of hers are the Not Me Mondays posts... because I can so easily relate! Oh! And she's clearing off her nightstand with book giveaways right now! Go! Enter!

So from what I understand I now tell you seven {very random} things about me. So here goes...

1. I despise cilantro. I chalk it up to when I lived in Ecuador and had to eat Ecuadorian food. And most Ecuadorian food has a lot of cilantro in it. Or at least in my mind it does. Ew.

And that leads me to...

2. I lived in Ecuador. Twice. The first time I went with a group of kids (of course we weren't kids back then, but man, that was ten years ago!) for a semester abroad in college. Then, after college graduation I returned with a good friend of mine to teach for a semester.

3. I get really excited for alone time when grandma and grandpa take Luke for a day or four. Then, I complain because it's too quiet in the house and I'm bored.

4. I just bought a Nook for myself. Well, technically, Joel bought it for me and I bought one for him. Early Christmas presents. But we do this every year- this buying early Christmas presents thing. And we still end up getting each other Christmas presents at Christmas time.

5. I want another child. I've wanted one for about five years now. We've come close twice, but lost them early on in the pregnancy. I'm learning that God's plans are not always mine. And I'm ever-so-grateful he blessed us with Luke (who was a pleasant surprise, btw).

6. I have a farmer's tan. There. I said it.

7. I'm kind of liking this blogging thing. I just hope I can keep it up once the school year starts. (I'm a teacher, in case you didn't know. And that would make eight things about me.)

And now it's time to pass along the award. Today's recipients are...

Shannan from Flower Patch Farmgirl

Heather from The Life of a Modern Day Hippie

And my hubby at Too Long for 140, who won't follow the directions and resend to anyone else, gets it anyway