J + D

Date #3

At Home Date:

Movie Night

After a super-fun evening with the kiddos at a very parent-friendly kiddo birthday party, we put the kids to bed, got in our jammies, watched the snow fall for a few minutes, and then snuggled up to this movie:

CRAZY STUPID LOVE

We didn't know anything about it, nor did we expect much.

BUT WE LOVED IT!

(the trailer doesn't do it justice)

I'm not even hesitant to say that I think I'm going to buy it.

It was hilarious and sweet and thoughtful and totally great.

Go see it with your honey! 

Dinner with the Big Guys

J + D

2012 Date #1

Tonight we were invited to a dinner party with the Executive Leadership Group of our church

and though we were a little nervous about going

(mostly because we didn't know who would be there nor what we'd talk about with whomever was there)

it ended up being a pleasant evening.

We sat with a handful of couples who are mostly our parents' ages or older

and had a delightful time hearing everyone's stories of how they met their spouse and

how it all lead up to their marriage.

We laughed and were pleased to feel comfortable afterall.

We were served HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS and played a few games

with everyone afterward.

The one thing we took from this date was that you can't always assume

fun can only be had with those you feel most comfortable with.

It was a great learning experience

and a great evening for us both!

Epitome of Romance

D&T

Date #45

I realize I may be stretching it just a bit . . . but I get to define what a date is right???  Our Thanksgiving Date was Thanksgiving morning at the Oborn family Turkey bowl!  At the family reunion in St. George for the long weekend I had written off a date for the week.  But the grandparents all offered to watch the littles while we played football in the morning.  I have not played in a Turkey Bowl since I had kids - so I was thrilled.  I am not great at football, but D&I love to play sports together and running around for a couple hours in the gorgeous St. George weather with him and our cousins that we love was plenty date like to me.  D & I were on opposite teams - and my team kicked trash.  :)  Just couldn't forget to document that. 

Trying New Thai

D&T

Date #42

We had a restaurant.com certificate to a Thai place in Sandy and decided to use it.  Dropped the kids off at D's sisters on the way up there.  Although - I forgot the gift certificate, so we had to turn around - and it took us over an hour to get to Bluffdale cause traffic was so bad.  Not a great start to our date . . .  but D was SUPER patient and once we were at the restaurant it was all okay.  We were starving and really enjoyed the food - as always - but tis not our favorite Thai place for sure.  Always fun to try something new!

Temple Night

D&T

Date # 40

This weeks date was Ward Temple Night!  We had lots of stuff come up that almost got in the way - but we were determined!  It was a great, calming date.  Although we don't actually spend much time TOGETHER :), it was fun to get dressed up for each other.

Blind Dating

D&T

Date # 38

So this weeks date was a set up for a two people a friend and I have been trying to set up for 2 years.  Timing finally worked out (they live it totally different states) so we had a late night game night and ice cream at a friends house (we were setting up her brother with my cousin).  No sparks flew for the blind daters and I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.  D & I got last and second to last place in the game of QUIRKLE.  But that ice cream was DELISH and that set up is off the list - and so is the date for the week!  :)  Oh - and I did not break out the camera cause I did not want to cause any futher awkwardness to the already sort of awkward date.

Dinner & Diapers & A Movie

J+D

Date #33

By the books, this wasn't a very unique or exciting date night.

We dropped the kids off

We went out to dinner at Chilis (a usual place for us) to use up a gift card we had

Then we stopped by target to get the last pack of diapers I'll ever have to buy for Garrett (hopefully)

Then we picked up the kids and visited with some of our favorite friends

Then we went home, put the kids down, and popped in a movie & snuggled.

But what was exciting is that we got to talk about a lot of things

IN FULL SENTENCES

WITH FULL ATTENTION on each other

and on our FOOD

That's always a unique and exciting thing with kiddos...

Love Lazy Dating!!

D&T

Date #36

We did a impromptu home date this week.  Kids were in bed and D and I were both craving some ice cream.  D ran to the store and we had a red box so we settled on ice cream and a movie and cuddling on the couch.  Things have been crazy busy so this lazy date night at home in jammies was just what we needed!!  Movie was SOURCE CODE.  Pretty good.  Fast paced and entertaining. 

Oh Baby.

D&T

Date #35

Date night this week was similar to one of the first dates of the year.  Back in Feb, D and I went to visit our new nephew in the hospital.  This week, we left the kids with the in-laws to visit some great friends and thier new baby boy.  We stopped at the Purple Turtle along the way to pick up milk shakes for us and the new parents (well new to having 2 kids anyway).  I LOVED seeing the beautiful baby!  I LOVE BABIES!  :) Of course it reminded D & I of the times we have been in the hospital with our new babies, and how I am getting that feeling I would like to maybe do that again.  (NOT an announcement, just a thought). 

P.S. - It seems CRAZY that it is already fall - with so many wonderful dates to look back on!!

Not E---But Outback.

J + D

Date #32

For D's birthday dinner, we had planned on eating at the E Cafe (a place I had bought another Groupon for--a place that, if you look at the site, looks super yummy) but when we got there, it was closed for Labor Day weekend still. Laughing.

So, instead we went next door to Outback Steakhouse and shared a meal. In our nearly 7 years of marriage (9 years of being a couple, 22 years of knowing each other), we have learned that we do best when we share a meal. We like the same foods, neither of us are huge eaters, and if we are still hungry afterward, we can easily top it off with dessert. So that's what we did tonight!

We had so much fun! We didn't mention the kiddos once (we love to talk about the kids but try to keep them out of our alone time), we laughed non stop, and by the end of the evening, we thought we were a young dating couple again. It was a blast!

"Just" going out to dinner is sometimes "just" what we need.

Happy Birthday, D!

Love you!

Building Bunk Beds

D&T

Date 34

We were doing some organization this last week so for date night we sent the kids away so we could have some uninterrupted time building the girls' new bunk beds.  In my mind, I thought we would work together and laugh and feel so accomplished in a couple hours and go pick up the kids.  ha.  After the two hours - here is what we had done:

Between the prep work (cleaning up and getting out and sorting all the boards) and the frustrating use of the allen wrench - we not exactly laughing and having a great time.  It took about 25 min. to put one of those end boards together.  Then D got smart and borrowed a drill, ground down the wrench and suddenly the world of building changed.  We put the second end board together in 5 min.  The it was time to get the kids.  :)  But we put them to bed and finished the job together.  Its fun to do projects with the hubby, although as far as date nights go - for us anyway - its a once in a while thing. :)

We love the finished product and love the reminder of our time spent together building it!!



CLIMB ME A WALL

J + D Date #31

B +C Date #22

Since both of us had Groupon Coupons to The Quarry that were expiring at the end of the month, we got together and made a date out of it.

We always love hanging out with B + C, so having them with us while we used up our Groupon was like icing on the cake! We all cheered each other as we tried to conquer each wall---and then laughed about how quickly our forearms fatigued.

Climbing is certainly something we should do more of...not because we need to get into better climbing shape, but because its so dang fun!

Anyway, it was a fabulous outting followed by a delightful dinner at Zupas!

Thanks again for making it so fun, B + C!

Lets do it again soon!

CLIMB ME A WALL

J+D Date #31

B+C Date #22

Rock climbing at the Quarry

Since both of us had Groupon Coupons to The Quarry that were expiring at the end of the month, we got together and made a date out of it.

We always love hanging out with B + C, so having them with us while we used up our Groupon was like icing on the cake! We all cheered each other as we tried to conquer each wall---and then laughed about how quickly our forearms fatigued.

Climbing is certainly something we should do more of...not because we need to get into better climbing shape, but because its so dang fun!

Anyway, it was a fabulous outting followed by a delightful dinner at Zupas!

Thanks again for making it so fun, B + C!

Lets do it again soon!

Wings and Wandering

D&T

Date #33

Loved this week's date night.  Got a GROUPON for the Wingshack - D's favorite food maybe.  Then since he was so spoiled with food, he wandered from store to store with me just looking at things for the girls back to school and birthday lists.  We did not even buy anything, but we had a great time!!

TV SHOW & TELL

J+D

Date #30

Trying to catch up......

July was a nutso month but we're back into making sure we're focused on each other.

This date, after we put the kids down, we turned off our phones and I pulled out my clippers.

I usually cut D's hair while the kids are up, but we made it part of our date tonight. :)

Then, after D was all cleaned up, we snuggled up to each other and played TV SHOW & TELL. I chose my favorite show to watch and he chose his and, even though they were TEVOed, we took turns flipping back and forth between the two each commercial break.

While we fastforwarded through the commercials, we snacked on jelly beans and sour candies and giggled about how silly each of our shows were.

We love to snuggle. We love to watch shows together.

We love home dates!

A night with knights

J+D

Date #29

All of last week was spent in Las Vegas taking care of my neices and nephews with my sister-in-law. There were 8 kids for two mamas and, to be honest, I had a great time. Can't say I'll want to have 8 kids of my own, but at least I know now that I wouldn't die doing it.

Anyway, the original plan was to fly D down the last day of my Nannying and as payment, my sister-in-law who had been gone all week was going to watch our kids for an evening so that D and I could go see a show in Vegas. I mean, who goes to Vegas without seeing a show, right? And "Ka" was what we had planned to see.

But once D flew in, we realized quickly that plan A would need to be changed to plan B, so that's what we did. You gotta do what you gotta do, you know?

So instead, we went to see The King's Tournament with everyone--6 adults and 8 kidlets. The kids loved the horses and knights, we all loved eating the meal with our hands, and most of all, I just loved to be back with my hubby again. Though it wasn't ALONE time and it wasn't plan A, I'm still counting it as a date for us.

Maybe once August is over we'll be able to be more in tune with our alone-dates again. But for now, we're doing all we can to keep up with you guys. :)

Temple Night

D&T

Date #31

We had a short a sweet date night this week.  A quick trip to the temple for a session of sealings.  We had never done them before and it was awesome!  Totally recommend it for a date night to the temple.  Quiet and rejuvinating and getting to sit by each other and hold hands for most of the time was a nice treat for a temple trip. Just what we needed this week.  Happy Dating!

Upstairs, Downstairs, and InBetween

J+D

Date #27

July has been a hard month to fit in date nights. Between both of our crazy work schedules taking up babysitters and evenings, we just couldn't find moments to run away together.

But finally, last night we put the kids down and went upstairs (monitors in hand) and had a rip-roaring good time playing ACES & FACES. We laughed and laughed and had a great evening.

Game nights with friends are the BEST--especially when the kids are safely and soundly asleep close by.

The end of our little get-away game date was where the sadness came in. D and I curled up in bed together and reminisced about all the many game nights we'd had with T+D when they lived downstairs from us. Those were the best of days...

WE MISS THOSE DAYS!

But for now, we are just grateful that our upstairs neighbors are cool enough to play late night games with, that T+D aren't too far away to play games with on other nights, and that we have so many other great friends who play games with us when we get together on other occasions. Games are the best.

And making a date of it is even better!

The Mighty Thor

T&D

Date #28

D was out of town most of the week on a High Adventure Camp out.  For a minute I thought about just skipping the date this week since he would not be home till late Sat. afternoon and I knew we would both be tired.  But the thought of breaking our date streak was sort of heart-breaking when I was fully capable of planning something - and then I saw that Thor was playing in our favorite theatre - Water Gardens.  They had a 10pm showing Sat. night so I surprised him and got a after-kids-to-bed babysitter (couple neighbor girls) and we went to the movies.  D had already seen it once but could not wait to see it again and insisted that we see it together at the theatres.  D loves Norse Mythology and has always had a thing for Thor.  Its possible we will have a dog named Thor.  I can now assure you, after seeing this movie, that I have a thing for Thor.  And D is perfectly okay with it. 

Great date - just to hold hands and have him next to me in the movie after a long week apart was perfect -   both of us too tired to be super entertaining so just happy to be together and very happily entertained by the movie!

Game Nights Galore!!!

D&T

Date #27

I think game night was the theme of the date night blog this week - and we totally did steal the M&R idea!  A couple years ago a game night with friends could not be considered a date night cause it happened so frequently, but sadly, not so much anymore.  We invited our neighbors over after kids bedtime so play my favorite two games and eat some DELICOUS homemade ice cream D and I created a few days earlier.  Much to D's dismay - I won BOTH games.  That has never happened before and may never happen again, but it won't be forgotten cause now its in the blog.  :)  No pictures of the game playing couples cause my neighbor friend and I (the women of course) were both having allergy issues and I totally looked like quasimodo with one eye swollen shut. 

But I still won the games. :)