{five on friday}

YAY for Friday and SO much to be thankful for... it was so hard to choose my "top five" for this week, but here we go!

1. MACAROONS. Just the name sounds fantastic, but when they are personalized to say, "Will you be my Maid of Honor," they mean so much more! I am so honored to be part of Caroline and Craig's big day in May 2015.

{macarroons from Swallow My Words... LOVE!}

2. LONG DAYS. I absolutely love that the sun is rising when I wake up, and sets as I go to bed at night. JK and I have taken full advantage of the extra time outside and with friends. 

3. BEING CONTENT. 

This verse can apply not only to our work but also the other areas of our lives where we compare. Comparison is a trap of pride we often willingly walk into because we take our eyes off Christ and focus on ourselves. When we look at other people's work, home, belongings or bodies it keeps us from experiencing happiness with the gifts God gave us. Refocus your life on the positive, many blessings from Christ and find peace with Him. 

4. NEW EXERCISE ROUTINE. I have such a hard time just doing one type of exercise, I get bored and end up not working out at all. SO, I found an incredible workout routine that mixes different types of exercise and time commitment. It has worked great this week, so I am going to try my {very} best to keep it up!

Sunday: 30 minute cross training

Monday: Barre class

Tuesday: Run 3 miles

Wednesday: Cross training

Thursday: Run 3 miles

Friday: Day off

Saturday: Run 3 miles

Sunday: Walk 2-3 miles

5. EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES. Complacency is my worst fear, so we have a few new, exciting and challenging opportunities coming up in the next few months. We will definitely need your prayers! I am smiling just thinking about it! More details coming soon... 

{may in pictures}

Where has May gone? This month has been {crazy} busy with weddings, Naples, Dolly Parton Concert, Children's Festival of Reading, and wonderful nights spent on our porch. Here is a little recap of the month. 

{live a well read life}

The Blue Bistro
By: Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand is my all-time favorite "beach-read" author. In the Blue Bistro, Adrienne, a young, adventurous woman who has never quite found her calling in life, sets out to Nantucket in search of two things: financial stability and to find her true self. After years of moving from place to place, she is ready to settle down and find a true family. The Blue Bistro offers just what she is looking for, after falling for the owner, a mid-western, Thatcher, who is torn between the love for his friend and business partner and Adrienne. 

This novel explores the inside dynamics of the restaurant lifestyle and Adrienne's search for her future, which was stolen from her in various ways. 

Overall, the perfect beach read. I couldn't put it down on our Naples vacation! 

{naples}

THIS WEEKEND we celebrated our two year anniversary in Naples {florida} and had the absolute best time! JK and I were both able to take a few days off, which is pretty unusual given our work schedules, so we took advantage of the opportunity. I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful downtown Naples was and the amazing seafood... oh, the seafood was incredible! 

For the past few trips, we have not had the best weather. In fact, it rained pretty consistently during our honeymoon in Antigua and the Grove Park Inn saw the coolest, wettest weekend in May last year for our one year anniversary. 

Thankfully, things just keep getting better and better, in Naples we only had ONE small rain shower! Next year, we are hoping for a completely dry weekend (:

We were able to enjoy several gorgeous days on the beach for some much needed R&R {reading and relaxing}.

The best part of a beach trip is a great read, and Elin Hilderbrand never disappoints on the best beach reads. Her book, Blue Bistro, was a page turner. Book review coming soon!

Now, for the good stuff... Seafood! Downtown Naples presented the most incredible display of restaurants, shops and gelato for dessert! Our goal was to have seafood each night, and we did! Here are our picks for best Naples dining...

{hob nob... the shrimp and grits are impeccable} 

                                                  
 

{yabba!}

We are so blessed to have each other and to celebrate two wonderful years of marriage. I'm looking forward to the amazing plan God has for our future!

{the masters}

THIS WEEKEND John and I were surprised with two tickets to the Master's Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. We had to arrange other plans {special thanks to wonderful, understanding friends} and planned a last minute trip to the most exclusive golf tournament in the US. 

Being married to an avid golfer, you would think I would know the difference between a birdie, par, and driver, but I was a fast learner and picked up on the golf lingo pretty quickly. We had a wonderful time following several players, watching at the practice greens, touring the course, and of course, enjoying the Master's signature pimento and cheese. 

I was surprised at how absolutely {silent} thousands of people become as one of the golfers approaches the tee. It's incredible! As a former teacher, I would love to have had that effect on my students. 

The Master's is one of, if not the most formal golf tournaments in the world. We were not allowed to bring in our camera, so I only got a couple of pictures from the day. We did love being completely "present" at the tournament without any technology. It was truly an experience we will never forget. 

I hope you had a lovely weekend!

XX,

{weekend wishes}

THIS WEEKEND JK and I were so very productive and took the opportunity to catch up with friends, pick up some of our to-do shopping items, and even grill out in the gorgeous Spring weather. 

Saturday, I took my little sister from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program to The Great Llama Race, which Imagination Library also sponsored. We named our Llama the "Dolly Llama" in honor of Dolly Parton. She even had a long blonde wig to complete her look!

{the Dolly Llama}

The event consisted of Llama races, vendor booths, funnel cakes, and crafts all to benefit Casa de Sara. The event was just crazy enough to work!

{TT with the Dolly Llama}

{Llama, Llama Red Pajamas anyone?}

Saturday afternoon turned out to be my lucky day! I finally convinced JK that we NEED a bobbin chair for our living room, and he complied {only after I agreed he should get a new Green Egg}. I love the unique design and details on the chair, I would recommend one for any space. 

{close up of bobbin chair, on the left}

{full view of living room}

This weekend was also the Chi O house dedication and open house. I missed the open house, but did attend the Chi O reunion, we took a picture, and as soon as I find it, I will add it to the post. It was so great to see so many Chi O's!

Of course, the best part of the weekend was making a homemade pizza on the green egg. It was so yummy!

I hope your weekend was wonderful!

{live a delicious life: shrimp and basil pasta}

{ingredients}

• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 package of angel hair pasta
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 pound large shrimp- peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 can of Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

{cooking instructions}

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Place pasta in colander, and give it a quick rinse with cold water.

2. Heat remaining olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add shrimp, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from the skillet, and set aside.

3. Stir tomatoes, chicken broth, parsley and basil into the skillet. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by one half, 8 to 12 minutes. Add shrimp and continue cooking until the shrimp are heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve the shrimp mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Side dishes: Texas toast and side salad

Note: This dish was absolutely divine. It was light and fresh. JK and I enjoyed it on the patio and it made for great leftovers as well! 

{march in pictures}