august bbq

My parents' birthdays were both last week, so I had them over yesterday along with their close friends, for a wine + cheese + BBQ party (and for them to escape to the beach to get away from the heat of the valley). There was entirely too much food, but delicious and worth the calories.

Homemade bruschetta, salami, cheeses, breads, and olive oil all started the afternoon off perfectly (along with wine of course). Dinner followed with the Barefoot Contessa's pork tenderloin recipe, along with the quinoa and arugula salad I previously posted.

Of course Emma loved having everyone there, and got plenty of attention and snacks!

Happy birthday, Mom & Dad! xoxo

maui day 5: revisited

We ventured out early and headed south, then along the north shore to find some waterfalls. We hiked to the "Twin Falls" and then to one above those. It was a truly tropical experience when it suddenly started to pour--warm water and then the sun would burst out and illuminate the forest.

getting a coconut at the end of our hike

The foliage on the north part of the island was very lush, and flowers and plants so vivid. Forests of bamboo lined Hana Highway. Although we didn't make it all the way to Hana, we did experience some of the beauty along the road--as well as the famous hair pin turns and one way roads.

Oh, and I almost forgot--Drew and I both jumped from above one of the falls!

Once again, we made it back in time to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sunset from the lanai.

"For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods, in whose hands are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, and His hands formed the dry land." -Ps 95:3-5

journal entry, day 5