Wordless Wednesday

re-instilling family dinners...!

I'm entering another new season of life as I start a new job at the beginning of September... it's exciting and wonderful, but mostly I'm looking forward to getting back into the kitchen... for fun. :) 

I've lucked out again and been blessed with two incredible girls for roommates. We are all three very different, but we groove. :) We gel. ;) To celebrate this, I informed my wonderful roommates that we're going to be having a lot more family dinners going forward. There's no just reason not to.

Last weekend while we were in Dubuque, I tried this San-J Thai Peanut Sauce and LOVED it. We had been wandering around the farmer's market and got some spring rolls... they offered this for dipping - whoa, baby. Delicious. 

So, naturally, I bought a bottle. 

Last night, I bought three chicken breasts, marinated them in 3/4 cup of this great sauce, and sautéd them for dinner. We added steamed broccoli & ginger and basmati rice. (Does anyone know if they sell basmati candles?! What a perfect scent. Yum.) 

The magical sauce.

Maybe someday I'll invest in some lids... then again, maybe not. :)

Napkins I found from my time in France! 

So simple, yet so good!

IOWA table wine. :)

courtney & matt | engagement

Ah, Courtney & Matt. :)

So fun, so kind, SUCH a great couple. 

Matt is an adventurous, explorer type all the way from Alaska. He curiously found himself working in a diner in small-town, Po-Dunk, Iowa, one summer only to discover there was so much more there than just a summer with his buddies. 

Courtney had always worked at Bill's. I know it was her beauty that first caught Matt's eye, and can only assume it was her self-less, gentle demeanor that kept his attention throughout the summer. 

For the sake of love, let's rewind just a smidge...

After high school, Matt made his way to the University of Oregon to study all things athletic and beneficial to physical health and prosperity. (I'm sure the title of his major was very similar, but slightly less romantic.) He loved his new life on the continental Best Coast and made many great, lifelong friends. Among those friends, one managed to talk Matt into traveling back to his hometown of Po-Dunk, Iowa for their summer break... if only they'd known what life-long treasures that summer had in store for him!

Now, as for Courtney, she would probably be found on the other end of the spectrum of exploring and such... Her adventures mostly include home-made, delightful creations and maybe a brief exposure to the great outdoors. She's got a giggle that has been proven to make your heart swell (yes, just like the Grinch's). When God made her, he created a woman who was naturally everything you've always loved about your very favorite Grandma, (seriously, her kitchen always smells of fresh baked cookies, she's the most hospitable person I've met this side of Ireland, she's kind, gentle, encouraging, sweet... the list could go on and on.)

Yet, different as they may be, God brought them together one hot, Iowan summer. The two worked side-by-side serving pizza, burgers, and beer to the local crowd of Po-Dunk, Iowa.

Despite their expectations, a bond came from their jobs.

I presume you've caught on from the title and the gorgeous ring and how incredibly happy these two are together that they're getting hitched. :) It's true, but there's just a bit more I'd like to tell you...

Matt and Courtney have a GORGEOUS love story. They now have oodles and oodles of lovey-dovey photos to remember this season of their life with. (That's what happens when you hire a hopeless romantic for a photographer!) But more than these things, they're REAL PEOPLE. Sometimes an outsider might even get the crazy idea that they don't like each other (seldom, but it happens!) Courtney and Matt are REAL PEOPLE with a REAL LOVE. Over the last 3 years they've been through good times and bad, they've made the best of distance and being near each other, they've made hard decisions and been blessed with loads of adventures. They share a beautiful love because they work at it. 

I am inspired by these two as individuals, but also as a couple. They're a great team. They know how special their relationship is because they've been in situations where they've been without the other for much longer than ideal. They encourage each other and challenge each other to be better people and better parts of their communities. One of my favorite things about Matt & Courtney is being with either one of them one-on-one. Regardless of what conversations they've had or situations they are in at that time, they always have something to say about the other and just they way they say it oozes of their love for the other. I don't know if that last bit made any sense at all... but these two have got what it takes! They're an excellent model for what I'd like to be a part of one day when I fall in love. 

Thanks for being such an inspiration and example, you two. 

Love you both to the moon and back. :)

rylee | 9 months

Little Miss Rylee. Full of life. Full of sass. Ours.

This little thing had quite the story before she even graced our presence on this earth! Her journey to be with us was not one every baby experiences. From day one, Miss Rylee has been determined. Gracing our presence at just over 3 pounds, she's shown us what it is to be thankful, what it looks like to be hopeful, and how to trust God in His timing, provision, and sovereignty.

Clearly, she's doing amazingly well and before we know it we'll be celebrating her first birthday! (Honestly, WHERE does the time go?!)

Grace is like oxygen. 

We wouldn't be living without it, but sadly, we hardly notice it. 

Soak it up today and give thanks. 

JOY is at stake.

These pictures remind me of all the grace I've been given and how I so easily overlook it and take it for granted. Specifically, some of the most important people in my life. It seems as though every other person I love so dearly has had a moment of life or death. Thankfully, God hasn't surrounded me with too many timid loves. 

Rylee, here, is one of those loves. The sassafrass you see in the first photo shines straight from here beautiful little heart. Another fighter we've got on our hands. :) SO blessed.

Thanks again, M&D, for letting God use you and your sweet little princess to shine light on such important truths in my life.

New Melleray Abbey

I thought it would be beneficial to my heart to visit a monastery. Our church has been encouraging fasting, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to practice what we'd been learning. 

It was a great experience... but I think it was a bit too much all at once. The monastery has a rule of silence in the dormitory. I thought I'd practice fasting from food as well and created some fruit smoothies to bring with to ensure my blood sugars didn't drop too drastically. 

My goal was to spend time reading and praying and just be still, but I ended up sleeping a lot. 

New Melleray is an abbey located just outside Dubuque. The building is gorgeous. 

The dormitories were very simple. 

Across the street was a cathedral and cemetery with names dating back to the mid-1800's. 

I thought I'd be a considerate daughter and pick up some caramels my mom had mentioned she liked...
do you know how hard it is for a foodie to stop eating for nearly three days straight?
I demolished them - I really should have known to purchase them upon my departure. 

I would have to say that all-in-all, the intent of visiting the abbey was great, but that my expectations were a bit too detailed. I think in order for me, personally, to find the peace of mind and heart I was looking for, I really need a weekend or so in the wild. Some hikes and good food. I'm glad I was able to visit and know what I could expect if I visited an abbey again in the future. 

I very much appreciated the reverence that was displayed for different aspects of tradition. The silence was to devote full attention on the Word and to prayer. The old Latin hymns were beautiful as well. I also realized how much I need authenticity  in my life. In every aspect of my life. I appreciate bodies of believers who dare to go against the grain to really connect and lose sight of the mundane that can often be found in tradition. 

Again, it was a great experience, but very much different than what I'd expected.

Las Margaritas Cantina y Restarante

I've noticed that I have this tendency of forming habits and routines, I like to tell people I'm a free-spirit, but in all reality, I'm definitely a lot more routine than I'd like to admit... sometimes it's not so bad though. One of my routines is having a marg or two before line-dancing on Thursdays. :)

Las Margaritas makes it pretty painless too! It's extra fun though when you get to hang with the 'local celebrities'! This is a photo of the GEORGE ORIGINAL MARGARITA. Or, at least, it's a photo of the photo in the menu.

George is married to my momma's best friend. They're such an incredible couple, but more on that in a moment...

I've only ordered this marg one time... it knocked me off my feet!! It comes in a shaker and is honestly, more like 2 and a half margaritas. At least, that's how many times I filled my glass when I ordered it. The alcohol content might even be more than that. Regardless, it's too much for this lightweight!

On to how amazing Susan and George are. :) Here's a picture of us at Las Marg's: 

Like I said earlier, Susan is my momma's best friend and George is her wonderful other half. These two are CRAZY about each other. And they're nearly inseparable! They're such a great team though, they are regulars at Las Margaritas. They have a way of making people feel so special and validated, it's part of why they're so great. :) They have become part of the family at Las Margaritas either by housing some of their family or by making a point of meeting some of the extended family to those working there while they're off vacationing and exploring faraway places, like Mexico and the beautiful Pacific Northwest!

I could gush about these two for days, but I'll leave that to you. I suggest going to Las Margaritas and keeping an eye out for these two. I promise you'll be insta-friends, just tell them I sent you. :)

Moral of the story: 

1) great margs are found at Las Margaritas (and they're great for assisting in line-dancing)

2) Susan and George rock and are one of the coolest couples you'll ever meet

My most recent trip to Washington, I found this gem in Issaquah.
Apparently it's owned by a brother of the same family!