Florida

This week I got back from a wonderful trip to Florida! My family had a condo right on the beach. The view was gorgeous (pictured above). I've gone every summer since I can remember to visit family and enjoy the beach. I loved catching some rays every day and reading a good book. Being on the beach for me is just a small taste of what Heaven must be like.

We played a ton of washers, NOT one of my God-given talents, but we made the most of it nonetheless. Here, Michelle and I are fully embracing our terrible skills.


It was great to catch up with all of my family and play with my niece and nephew on the beach. The fireworks show on the 4th was really gorgeous right over the ocean and it made me feel very blessed to be from such a wonderful country.

On the last day, we rented beach cruisers and bar hopped around Neptune and Jacksonville beach. I tried my first snakebite (delicious!) and capped the day off with a yummy pina colada. Riding a bike on a beach looks so pleasant, but I quickly learned it's just not that easy.

The getaway was delightful, and much needed. I absolutely love going to Florida every year. It quickly takes me back to my roots and to my happy place!

Believing

Recently I heard a sermon that really made me think (always the best kind!) The title of the sermon was 'Believe the Amazing.' What a wonderful calling. Amazing was defined as being beyond my experience, expectations and understanding. The pastor was discussing how Jesus affected those around Him.

When his disciples were confronted with this new information that Jesus was their Savior and that he would die, rise again and ascend to Heaven, they were faced with the decision of either fitting this new information into their old understanding (therefore simply dismissing it) or changing their understanding all together. When faced with this crossroads, his disciples chose not only to change their understanding, but to change the direction of their very lives to align themselves with Jesus's mission. In fact, every disciple believed in Jesus so strongly, that they all died a martyrs death. I can't help but wonder just how compelling it would've been to walk by his side. In the same argument though, Patrick posed the question, 'why did Jesus go to Heaven?' This is something I've always asked myself if I'm honest. It always seems as though it would be so much easier if I could see Him face to face. Jesus went to Heaven so that the gospel wouldn't be centered around his presence. Had He been here all along, the Christian faith would have been contained in and around his physical presence. Instead, God had a plan and when Jesus ascended, his disciples took on the mission and started to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.

So even though it seems it would be so simple to travel somewhere where I could be right next to Him, having a faith in something I sometimes cannot see seems more compelling. Patrick described truly believing the amazing by first having an in-person experience with Jesus, one that is personal but not entirely private. Then I become a witness to what I've experienced, not to convert people but to simply explain my real-life experience with the Savior. This is of course not always easy and the struggle will always come when I can't pinpoint or remember how God has worked in my life, my testimony. If I can't cite my own experiences and life changes, Christianity becomes some distant fairytale. To believe the amazing, I must allow myself to both experience it and never forget the way God has always been faithful to me!

Salmon Burgers

Like I've said, we've been grilling out every chance we get! There's nothing quite like these summer nights. I absolutely love cooking salmon. So simple, tasty and healthy. I was looking for a new, interesting way to cook it and salmon burgers seemed like the perfect solution!


Ingredients
1 cup broken herb-seasoned crackers, such as Nabisco® Italian herbed crisp flatbread crackers (8 crackers)
1 lb. skinless, boneless salmon fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 egg
3 Tbsp. Dijon-style or honey mustard
4 ciabatta buns, split (we used onion buns)
Sliced avocado and green onions (optional)

Directions
1. In food processor, place crackers. Cover and process until coarsely ground. Add half of the salmon, the egg, and 1 tablespoon of the mustard. Cover and process until salmon is ground and mixture is thoroughly combined. Add remaining salmon. Cover and pulse with several on/off turns until salmon is coarsely chopped. With damp hands, shape mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties.

2. Brush patties lightly with olive oil. Grill directly on a greased grill rack over medium heat 3 minutes per side or until cooked through (160 degrees F). Grill buns, cut side down, the last 1 to 2 minutes of grilling.

3. Serve salmon burgers on buns with sliced avocado and green onions. Makes 4 servings.

This is best enjoyed with a cold beer :)!

HGTVd: Bathroom Redo

Well, the guest bathroom in my house never did much for me. The floors are white and the walls weren't far from it. The cabinets are white and the counter is cream. Needless to say, the bathroom was blah and bland! Here is a photo of how it looked:

I told Tyler I was ready to work on it, and he was feeling up for it! One coat of paint later with some new globes for the fixture, and here is the finished product! I'd like to take this opportunity to stage my own little HGTV reveal. Total bathroom makeover=$30. It's amazing what paint can do. Needless to say, I love the rich color on the walls and how the accessories now pop! Subtle but such an improvement!

A Weekend Getaway!

Back in March I was already thinking about a little getaway for Memorial Day. When Tyler suggested the beach, I was immediately researching the friendly Texas beach town, Port Aransas. We arrived with some friends Friday evening, excited to finally be at the beach!

Saturday we spent the entire day at the beach, soaking in the rays and enjoying good books. Tyler and Justin spent most of the day playing horseshoes. We had a picnic lunch on the beach and then headed back to our little condo in the afternoon.

That night the four of us went to a precious restaurant right on the port. We sat outside and watched the sunset over a delicious seafood dinner. Afterwards we went to the Port Aransas Brewing Company and tried a few of the local beers. Of course, we left with a souvenir glass to add to the collection. We then went out to a local bar and danced the night away to some of our favorite old school rap songs :) The people watching was totally entertaining and we had a blast!

Sunday we took our burned bodies out to the beach for just a few hours and then we went out for some afternoon drinks! We went to a spot right on the port and watched boats and dolphins as we enjoyed pina coladas. We hit up a few of the local shops and picked up some shrimp to grill for dinner.
Justin and Tyler grilled out quite a feast for all of us, including steaks, shrimp, grilled onions and green beans. We spent the evening relaxing, eating yummy icecream and playing catch phrase. It was the perfect way to end the trip! It was such a treat to be able to relax, and enjoy the beach with great friends!

A Perfect Summer Meal

As soon as the temperatures hit the 90s, I was ready to start grilling out! Sure enough, we've been grilling every chance we get. This meal was delicious and easy!

Doesn't this picture make you hungry?

Barbecued Pork and Apple Kebabs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grill
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds (about 1 1/2 inches each) pork tenderloin, halved lengthwise and cut into 16 cubes
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high. Make the sauce: In a large bowl, combine jam, vinegar, tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Assemble 4 long skewers, alternating 4 pork cubes with 2 onion wedges and 2 apple wedges on each (begin with pork and end with apple). Roll skewers in remaining tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Lightly oil grates. Place skewers on grill; cover grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until grill marks are visible, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Open grill; baste skewers with some sauce, and cook, turning skewers and basting occasionally with more sauce, until pork is no longer pink in the center and is nicely glazed, 4 to 8 minutes more.

So easy and tasty too! Here's to grilling out on warm nights with a cold one :)

Austin Weekend!

This weekend was a treat! Kat, Shelbo, Whit and I met up in Austin for a wonderful girls' weekend. I headed out of Houston toward Brenham to pick up Kat and Shelbo and then, after driving through torrential rain, we arrived in Austin late Friday evening. We took a mini tour of Whit's precious little cottage she is living in and then enjoyed a yummy home cooked dinner. We powered down three bottles of wine and stayed up until 2am catching up and chatting about everything under the sun!

Saturday morning we woke up and enjoyed some coffee on Whit's precious back porch and got ready for the day. We started our day at Taverna where we had $1 mimosas and brunch outside on the patio. Needless to say, life was good. We browsed some of the shops and headed to Barton Springs. It was so relaxing and nice to get a bit of a tan.

We headed back to get ready for a night out on the town! We went to dinner at Vivo and enjoyed amazing queso and margaritas.

Afterwards we headed over to the Scoot Inn to see the Wheeler Brothers, a really awesome local band. The concert was great! We hit up a few bars on West 6th (secretly hoping to run into Brad the bachelor) and then called it a night.

As if we hadn't already packed enough into one weekend, we woke up Sunday and went for a 4 mile walk around Towne Lake (that's right..4 miles)! We had a yummy lunch at Whole Foods and went back to pack up.

It was such a wonderful weekend from start to finish! I am thankful everyday for these girls, the closeness we share and the experiences we get to enjoy together. It's so much fun to chat about where our lives have taken us post-college and our hopes and dreams. It's hard to believe we have now known each other for 6 years and it only continues to get better!