Friday, October 25, 2013

Date Your Spouse Challenge

It's 8:15am. I've been lying in bed for over an hour willing myself back to sleep. Finally gave in and snuck out of the quiet room, leaving a peaceful dreamer beside me.
I can't sleep in anymore. I am officially old.

This is our last day here. A week away in the mountains without our children. And though I have missed them, I wish we had a few more days here....



I realized this week that I truly do miss my husband.
Back home we see each other every day.
With a quick kiss here, a (kid interrupted) conversation there,  a snuggle on the couch after dinner, a "hey, how was your day"....

But this alone together week has been so wonderful.
So needed.
Time to just "be" together.
Sitting side by side reading.
Hiking in the morning air.
Late night swims and hot tubs.
Holding hands browsing mountain shops.
Cooking meals for two.
Quiet dinners out.
No schedule.
No set plans.
Just laughing. Joking. Loving.
Time to be reminded of why we chose one another.

It has been such a gift.

We have been married for 13 years and this is the first time we have been away alone for a week. I know that we are spoiled. To have family who spent the last week with our four joys. I know four kids is a lot..... I also know that this relationship, this marriage, is a treasure. In this season of dirty diapers, and school papers, and sports games, and Saturday morning pajamas, and Friday night movies, and bedtime stories, and homemade cookies... my MARRIAGE is important. It's ok to ask for help. It's ok to set aside time for the two of you. It's ok to fall in love all over again.

It's ok and needed.

I have an idea...a little challenge. It's for my marriage and for yours. It's for those of us in the trenches of raising babies and those of you with school aged kids. It's for those who's babies are now teenagers and those who's birds have flown from the nest. It's for any and all marriages.

One day a month let's date our spouses. Let's take the time to put it on the calendar. Let's look forward to it. Let's put in a little effort.
It doesn't have to be fancy. It doesn't have to cost anything. If you can get a baby sitter great. If you can't- put those kids to bed early and make a romantic dinner for two.

Who's with me?

Please feel free to take this image and use on your posts (if you have a blog) or if you don't have a blog just come back and share in the comments what you ended up doing.


Here are a few fun ideas to get you started :)

1- Set up a scavenger hunt for your spouse- or find one online and do it together
2- Go for an evening walk
3- Take a trip to your local zoo, aquarium, amusement park- something you'd typically take the kids to but experience it with one another instead
4- Stay home and cook a romantic dinner for two together
5- Stay home and play board games together
6- Drive to a field and star gaze
7- Go fishing or to the driving range
8- Go on a bike ride together
9- Go to a garage sale/ flea market and spend $10 each and see what you can find
10- Go window shopping
11- Go out for ice cream
12- Ice skating/ roller skating
13- Go out to a restaurant and order each others meals
14- Find a quiet place to make out like when you were dating :)
15- Plan a "secret date night" where one of you surprises the other with the activity. So fun to not know where you are going until you get there!

And here's a link to soooooooo many more great ideas: 101 Date Night Ideas 

Happy Dating!
xo



1 comment:

  1. i'm so glad you two got some time to "be" together.

    because we're awful at taking time for each other i'll take the dating challenge (isn't it ridiculous! and we finally have teens at home, and don't have to fork out $ for sitters).

    ReplyDelete

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