Wrong.
Luckily, Josh and I realized this truth pretty quickly: that date night is something to be intentional about, cherished, and thoroughly enjoyed - all to the Glory of God. Just like our marriage.
After reading a couple of blogs by my friend, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Josh and I discussed how much we admired the methods the Russums had put in place for their date nights (to learn more, read Jen's blog posts here and here). We agreed that twice-a-month date nights would be sufficient for us, especially with all the doctors appointments and other commitments we have. We also liked the idea of each of us planning one of the two dates, and I see it as a great privilege and honor to do something special like that for my husband.
Our first date night was Josh's pick. And boy, did he do good! He's always been so attentive and in-tune with my likes and interests, so I consider myself very lucky to have him as my husband. Because he knows I enjoy trying new restaurants and going on long, meandering drives, that's exactly what he had planned for us! I knew he had worked very hard to plan a meaningful evening for us, so I wore the earrings he got me for Christmas (that, up until that point, I'd been terrified to wear because they are just so beautiful).
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| | so purdy | |
| our view of Benaroya Hall from our table // delicious pad thai dinner for two |
After a very nice dinner, where we were both surprised by the interesting take the restaurant had on traditional dishes like satay and pad Thai, we went for a drive through and around Seattle. We drove up near Elliot Bay, saw the Space Needle from every vantage point imaginable, and ended up cruising through the campus of Seattle Pacific University, where Josh had worked prior to us meeting. It should be noted this was one of my favorite parts of the evening. Because Josh and I had such a short courtship (met and married within 6 months), I absolutely melt whenever I get to learn more about who he was and what kinds of things he did before I knew him.
Our last stop of the evening, before heading home, was a delicious trip to one of our favorite dessert chains - Menchie's! We have one near our home, but decided to try out the one on Queen Anne. It was so much fun to hold hands, walking the streets of Seattle, eating our ice cream and talking... laughing... sharing... the little things. ♥
| handsome, hungry husband // my delicious ice cream creation |
I'm looking forward to our next date night - this one will be my turn to plan. I've come up with a few ideas so far and am looking forward to being able to bless my wonderful husband with a fun and care-free evening out.
| Linking up with Little Things at Hello Hue, Let's Go On a Date & Free-For-All at Five Days 5 Ways |
i love this! it's so much fun to see what other couples do on their date nights--definitely keep these posts coming (and i'll try to do some of my own, too).
ReplyDeletei like your idea about becoming more intentional about date nights and making them a priority. dan and i are always complaining that it feels like we never see each other--work and school are just so draining. all we want to do is sit on the couch and watch tv. but where's the romance in that?
thanks for sharing :)
Britt, thanks for commenting! I'd love to see what fun things you and Dan do for date nights - you two are so creative. Plus it's always neat seeing what other regions have to offer for activities, food, etc.
DeleteJosh and I see each other a lot, but it just never feels like enough to me. When you love someone that much it's hard to ever feel fully satisfied with the time you're given, you know? So why not make that time a bit more enjoyable, memorable, and romantic? :-)
Can't wait to see what you come up with! For some good ideas, check out the Let's Go On A Date link I posted at the end. It's a great way to link up with other bloggers, but also to get ideas for future dates (something I definitely need).
Claudia! After seeing your comment, I had to hop over to see your date post. I can definitely identify with the first paragraph, "spontaneously going out to dinner and stuff." I think my Josh and I were starting to fall into that rut.
ReplyDeleteI love this:
"date night is something to be intentional about, cherished, and thoroughly enjoyed - all to the Glory of God. Just like our marriage. "
I just love your blog. "Lashes and Beard" is such a cute name. :)
Hi Kelli! Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!
DeleteIt is easy to fall into that rut. When you see each other, day in and day out, something as simple as going through a drive-thru together can register an extra blip on the romance radar, haha.
After about a week of stressing out over what to name the blog (and literally crying - though I think that's mostly due to pregnancy hormones), I looked at Josh one night and said, "Oh you have a beard. And I have eyelashes. LASHES AND BEARD!!!!" He laughed, I created the blog, and slept very well that night. Now the only hard part to overcome is that, when posting links to the blog on my Facebook, I have to explain to my friends that the link is for my blog and not some hipster band. :-)
Hi Pebble!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the shout-out! I love that you and Josh are implementing our date night plan. It really is so fun and reasonable to plan one date a month and I love what you said about it being a privilege to plan a date for your husband. That's so encouraging and gently convicting! I can't wait to see what you plan for him next! And I have always wanted to try Wild Ginger, but I still haven't had the chance. Maybe someday!
You're welcome! And thank you for the structure. :-) I've already got his date planned - we're going to the iPic theater in Redmond for dinner and to see the movie "Safe House." Should be right up his alley! We'll probably spend some time walking around the Redmond Towne Center, too.
DeleteI love going on city dates! Dining at great restaurants, checking out the sights, walking the city streets . . . what a great date. And I love everything you said about dating and making it intentional. Also, thanks for linking up on my blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Shannon! And thank you for the great linking party - such a nice idea. City dates are one of my favorites - that's kind of what we did for Valentine's Day, too.
DeleteHow cute is your blog!!! And congratulations on the baby on the way :)
ReplyDeleteYour little date night looks adorable, and what a cute couple!
Ashley
www.the29thfloorblog.com
Thanks so much, Ashley! And thanks for the follow. :-)
ReplyDelete