“Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people shall be my people. Wherever you die, I will die and be buried beside you. We shall be together forever and our love will be the gift of our lives.”

— Ruth 1:16-17

What a year, my dear.

And what good is an anniversary without a link to the wedding video?

Two years ago this week, we were in Virginia getting ready for our wedding.

It had rained Monday through Thursday and I was trying not to panic about our outdoor ceremony being muddy. It ended up being one of those perfect spring weekends, though, where the rain cools everything down and then clears up and it's 70 degrees and sunny and the whole world smells like fresh-cut grass and rainfall. 

This weekend it rained again. We packed. I wrote for hours. We spent two hours loading the car and bringing things over to our new house. And then we returned to the apartment, popped a small bottle of Veuve Clicquot, poured two glasses, and got ready for dinner at Kindred, our favorite place in North Carolina. We ordered drinks and tore into the best bread you could imagine and giggled as our server brought out plate after plate: a beautiful little salad, duck fat potatoes, crispy fried oysters, beef tartare, and homemade pasta.

We left the restaurant in the rain and drove about 15 minutes down the road to where my mom was for the weekend. A quick hug on the sidewalk, and then it was back to Kindred to sit at the bar for a pisco sour and a slice of cake, which came out with a lit candle. I blew it out with Rob's hand in mine and thought about what wishes I could possibly even have at this point.

We have so many changes and transitions coming up that at times it feels like I can't keep my head above water, but we have a happy, healthy family; a sweet pup that brightens our day, exciting job opportunities presenting themselves to us regularly, and; no matter what, each other.

On Sunday we drove over to our new place and I cooked lunch and dinner in the kitchen. Rob sat at the kitchen table watching the NBA Playoff and my mom puttered around, unpacking dishes and folding linens. Ender went in and out as he pleased, frolicking through the fenced-in backyard like he couldn't even believe his luck.

May really can be magical.

This post is sponsored by Hebrew National.

You guys, I am so incredibly excited to be moving into a house so soon! I haven't shared too many details about it so far, but the main thing I'm looking forward to right now is the awesome patio and backyard.

While I have absolutely loved living in an apartment all these years (and I'll definitely miss the amenities like the gym, pool, garage, and courtyard grills), I can't wait to have the extra space and a backyard to properly entertain! Growing up, we'd always have cookouts at our house and they were the best. My mom would make a ton of appetizers and people would gather around the kitchen counter or load up big plates and take them outside, and then we'd fire up the grill for dinner later.

I love spring so much because the weather is perfect, and I always want to spend my entire weekend outside. Once we get our stuff moved into the new place (by May 15th), it's going to be an all-out unpacking fest because I'm already planning our first weekend party.

I've worked with Hebrew National before and continue to do so because we're huge fans of not just their hot dogs, but the brand itself. I think it's so important to feed your guests and/or family quality food, and  believe that all-beef hot dogs are worth paying that little bit extra for. You can rely on Hebrew National All-Beef Franks every time.

They asked me to share some of my party tips and a menu for upcoming spring BBQ celebrations, so here we are!

• Invite everyone to bring something, but give them a little direction--that way you don't end up with four pasta salads and no dessert. I also always like to provide one appetizer and a big salad just in case someone forgets to bring their dish.
• As always, keep dietary restrictions in mind. This goes both ways--I'm mostly gluten-free but I know that people want buns, so I always provide them.
• Keep it easy and fun by doing toppings buffet-style. Grill all the hot dogs, let people take one or two, and then have a toppings bar set up so everyone can customize their own dog with chili, veggies, cheese, etc.
• Don't be afraid to invite a wide variety of people--sometimes I feel nervous to combine my different groups of friends, but every time I've done it it's always been so fun. They do all have you in common, after all!

Wishing you a fun-filled season of outdoor cooking and entertaining! 

What makes a Hebrew National kosher hot dog premium? It's all about what makes the cut (and what doesn't). We're choosy about what goes into our franks--we use only premium cuts of 100% kosher beef from the front half of the cow and then choose the best from that. No artificial flavors, colors, fillers, or by-products. When your hot dog is kosher, that's a hot dog you can trust! For more summer fun with Hebrew National, visit facebook.com/hebrewnational.