Try a new restaurant

Since making my summer list I've actually tried a few new restaurants, unfortunately, I only documented one to show you. Sorry guys!

The new place was....*drum roll please* Old West Café in Denton.

I know, 5 years in Denton I haven't eaten there? Well...it was everything I ever hoped for!

I got the French Cinnamon Roll (a cinnamon roll cooked like French toast) with the usual bacon, eggs, and hash browns.  I was going back and forth between the cinnamon roll and French toast. As I was eating the cinnamon roll I kind of wished I got the French toast. It wasn't bad....it's just that French toast is my favoritest! And I would've switched out my hash browns for fried potatoes. Those were bomb! Overall, I would definitely go back again!

My French Cinnamon Toast with eggs, hash browns, and bacon.

Sarah, it was her first time here too!

Consider try a new restaurant crossed off my Days of Summer 2014 list

xoxo, lishernicole

Twilight Tunes

Just about every week on the Square during the summer there is live music played on the Courthouse lawn. I got to catch up with a good friend I went to Thailand with 2 years ago, Amy. I didn't realize much a big deal Twilight Tunes was until seeing all of these people there. This visit was definitely not my last time experiencing Twilight Tunes.

It was also both of our first times going to this lovely event. After catching up, of course went to go eat at a Thai place for old times sake. We really miss Thailand. It made me thankful that I got to share that summer with her. Man, that Kautiao really hit the spot! Gang Mak, Kha.

Consider Twilight Tunes crossed off my Days of Summer 2014 list!

xoxo, lishernicole

Days of Summer 2014

Hey Friends,

I'm back (again). We are halfway into the year now! Crazy, huh?  I am officially five days into my summer. I really want to have a productive, yet relaxing time to slow down and smell the roses. I have made a list of enjoyable things to do this summer to help keep me on track. Here we go!

Finish 2 books
Pack winter clothes
Twilight Tunes on the Square
Take a walk and picnic at the Heritage Nature Preserve
Bike ride
Go to a concert
Take a road trip to somewhere I've never been
Painting with a Twist
Host a game night
Go to a museum
Go to an aquarium
Try a new restaurant
Bowling
Get some fresh flowers
Swim at a pool
Canton Trade Days
Pedicure
Go to a Festival
Take Big Mike to Dog Days of Summer
Sundance Square
Eat snow cones
Happy Hour at Chuy's
Pick Berries
Two-stepping at Red River
Thrift shopping
Pop my own fireworks
Make something with materials from SCRAP
Cook or Bake something from my Pinterest board
Stargazing
S'mores in backyard fire pit
Blog posts for adventures

I hope that you are enjoying your summer! I'll keep you updated on my adventures.

xoxo,
lishernicole

And So It Changes

There's always distinct characteristics that you can recognize when seasons change. It may be a bit harder for Texans to recognize when the seasons actually change, but nonetheless, they do! As the trees here in the North are starting to change from green --> red -->orange -->yellow I think about how seasons change in our lives. This current season I am in is that of much gratitude for my Father in Heaven. This season, despite this broken world, I am learning and seeing glimpses how He has designed and intended things to be. Another thing is He is showing me that he is a Giver, The Giver of good gifts. When I ask with a right heart, ask with belief that He will give; He does-according to His will, my good, and His glory. 

As I think about this season I also think about previous seasons of my life just as Solomon describes in Ecclesiastes 3 where I have just mourned with a weak heart, danced, wept, laughed at days to come, kept, and cast away...etc. In those different seasons of my walk just as the distinct characteristics of new seasons here; so my heart has them also. I grow in what I hunger and thirst for. I hunger to trust Him more. I thirst to be in his presence more. I hunger to know Him more. I hunger for wisdom through His Word more. I grow in new tastes for things; things that are holy, righteous, and pure. What I once yearned for, I no longer do. What I searched for satisfaction in, I grow in distaste. 

All the more I am growing in wisdom and belief in the abounding characteristics of God. All the more as seasons change I become more and more dependent on The Lord in every circumstance. How gracious of The Lord to do that?! How humbling and easy yoked am I as I grow in belief that He sustains everything.  I see that He is faithful because He has never left me. I see that He provides because I have never been without anything I didn't need. I see that He is the God of all comfort. I see that He is pleased because I am His daughter. In every season that changes my God is constant and true, I can rest and have confidence in that. 

This is His will for us: our sanctification. Oh, brothers and sisters, to be more and more like Jesus.

More Belfast: Overdue

Sunday night after we picked up Sarah she was understandably just as tired as I was on my first night. We all decided to stay in with some pizza and movies with Meg.

The next afternoon Stacha took us to a quaint restaurant named Maggie Mays, by the looks of it you woulda thought we were in Denton. I got the fry plate. So. Good. Delicious.



After our tummies were full Stacha gave us a wee tour of Queen's University. I finally got to see the infamous CS Lewis Reading Room that she told me about over Skype when she first got there.

Our last stop before we made our way into the city was the Botanical Gardens. Unfortunately, the flowers hadn't fully bloomed just yet because it was still cold. Nonetheless, it was so beautiful-we spent quite some time there and left with a plethora of flower pictures.

Stacha had to go to work and so that left Sarah and I to Belfast. It was another chilly day. By this time I'm pretty much on expert level on Belfast and kind of show and tell Sarah of what I have come to know.

 After a warm-up break in a coffee shop named Café Nero (later personally renamed Café Nerd). We were so lucky to catch a free tour of City Hall! We learned much of Belfast...so much that trying to remember this today, it seems most of it has left me.

We got to sit in the meeting room where the swanky politians make serious decisions. Saw the beautiful, beautiful architecture. We heard some more of Belfast's pride in their building the Titanic.

And in perfect timing by the time we were done Stacha was done with work and we were all reunited. Tesco to get some groceries for dinner.

 

 

 

We busted out our domestic skills and had us a wonderful down home meal of fried chicken, garlic parmesan mashed potatoes, and lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Perfect. It tasted just as good as you read it.   

 

 

 

 

After dinner we chatted for a wee bit. By this time Sarah is tuckered out and is anticipating our trip to London. Soon after Sarah decided to go to bed. Stacha and I opted for a pub- Filthy McNasty's to be exact. With this being my first pub it was nothing like I had imagined a pub to be. Filthy McNasty's had live music with multiple differently themed rooms. We made our stay in the eclectic all white country-esc room. The bartender was not sure about American concoctions so we took what he suggested instead. A while later we were in a cab on our way back home, eating left over dinner, and warm in bed.

 

That next morning Sarah and I flew to London.