Buffet Date

B+C

Date #5

Racquetball, Picnic in the car, and dessert&art

Kind of a buffet of a date. We had a little bit of everything all in one.

It was a cold, rainy day, so we decided to take it indoors. We started off at the rec center for some racquetball, which was really fun. I always like to be goofy with my husband because life can get pretty serious between tending to the kids, worrying about their needs, paying bills, budgeting, etc.

I couldn't stop giggling the whole time because this is one of those sports where you need to let go of insecurities. There were so many times when I know I looked like such a dork but the ball was coming at me and I had to act fast. Definitely entertaining to anyone watching (ie. Brad).

But we're getting pretty old and we really only lasted about half an hour before getting too tired to continue, so we went to the car and had the picnic that we had packed up beforehand.

We didn't feel like we'd had enough time after that, so we got some dessert and did some drawing. Well, B drew, I watched.  I love date night!!

May the odds be ever in your favor

B+C

Date #3

quickie movie

B and I wanted to see The Hunger Games, so we offered our neighbors a babysitting swap. We did it all in one day. Things never seem to go quite as planned for us. Something usually gets in the way. B went shooting down in Rocky Ridge with some buddies in the morning and was supposed to get back by one. The plan was for us to catch the 1:40 showing and then our friends would go to the 6:00 show. Well, B's friend got a flat tire on the way home, throwing everything off, and the time kept getting pushed back an hour, then another half hour, then another half hour. . . .

He ended up getting home at 4:00!! (Luckily our friends were flexible.) I had a change of clothes ready for him, so he changed in the car while I booked it to the theatre for the 3:50 show, which we were a little late to. We watched the movie and booked it home so our friends could make it to the 7:00 show and B could get to a prior engagement (which he was nearly an hour late to. oops!)

Things don't always go as planned, but we made the best of it. We thought the movie was great and stayed very true to the book. Even though it was a bit (VERY) rushed, we enjoyed our little time in the theater together.

hole in one

B+C

Date #2

dinner and golfing

For date number 2, the husband and I decided to go to Trafalga for some miniature golfing and games. We started the night with dinner at Kneaders. (I don't think you can ever go wrong with Kneaders.) Then we headed to Trafalga. I'm a baby when the weather is one degree colder than 76, so we played indoors.

I had never been there before and wish we had brought the camera in because it was all lit up with black lights (reminded me of our Halloween party a couple years ago). After our game, (which I won! yea! that never happens.) we tried playing a few games but they kept eating our tokens. We ended up giving the rest of our tokens, and our tickets, to a very excited little boy. It was a really fun night!! We hadn't been on a date in awhile and I was in major NEED of some alone time. It was just perfect.

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! 

GAME NIGHT

D + T (Date #   )

C + B (Date #   )

J + D (2012 Date #2)

Game Night

D and I have decided to revamp out date nights this year by organizing them a little differently.  We've decided that one week a month will be for a temple date night (without kids), one for a game night with friends (where kids are invited--since they tend to play the games with us anyway--and we can still have adult time), one for an alone date (going out without kiddos) and one that's either a home-date or a family date.

For us, that's easier because

3 of 4 dates = Potentially FREE

2 of 4 dates = Don't need babysitters

2 or 3 of 4 dates = Just US alone still

2 of 4 dates = Potentially at home

2 of 4 dates = Potentially with friends

We figured by trying it this way, we'd be more apt to stay on the ball without feeling guilty about leaving the kids (which I realize we shouldn't feel that way, but we often do), spending the money, or having to trade/find babysitters so often.  

We'll see how it works out for us as we go along...

Anyway, our date night was super fun!

We had D&T and C&B over for a game called QUIDDLER, a big bowl of popcorn, a pan of brownies, a package of oreos, and some other assorted fingerfoods.

We laughed, we had a great time, we didn't worry about getting back to the kids, and best of all,

I won the game. :)

Laughing.

Here we ladies are--including C's darling baby girl P.

Such a great crowd!

Thanks again for coming!

J + D Playing CatchUp

J + D

Dates 38-47ish

First off, its been a whole year since we started "dating" regularly again.

I must say that it has been an AWESOME and CRAZY and BUSY year for us....

So first, here's a quick anniversary movie I made for the hubb...

We've had several dates that I haven't posted on here for 2 reasons

1..repeats of things we have already done

2..having had the time to sit down and punch it out

So here I am...at the start of a new year:

Dates 38-42 I'll give credit to at-home movie watching.

For about 8 weeks I was INCREDIBLY sick

(thank you non-credited-due-to-not-being-appropriate-on-this-blog babymaking dates :))

so we (I) spent a lot of time on the couch

watching movies

And D would often lay beside me so sweetly.

I wish I could say that at I was this perky and happy....

but I'm still counting them as dates...

Next on the list are our 3 mega fun Christmas parties we were able to attend without babies...
(Dates 43,44,45)

1: Our annual Christmas party that we throw for all of our bestest friends
(a total success--I didn't even feel sick)
2: My work's party at a fancy schmancy country club where we got all gussied up together for
dinner and a hilarous white elephant exchange
3: A fondu party where we nearly hit a deer and ate so much dippable food we came home nearly puking.
All were so fun to go to together.
I have the bestest dating partner. :)

Date 46
consisted of staying up SUPER late Christmas Eve and wrapping gifts together, placing them strategically under the Christmas Tree, and acting joyously like Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Why doesn't she have a NAME?
We were more excited about Christmas Morning than the kiddos were...
Being a parent at Christmas time is SO SO SO fun!

And then Date #47

 was saved for our Anniversary, just a few days after Christmas.

We always go to the temple on our Anniversary, so that's what we did again.

Its my favorite thing to do on our special day...

And then we got some take-out from one of our favorite places and hurried home to put the kiddos down to bed. so we could have the rest of the evening together.

We didn't make it to 52 dates this year, but 47ish isn't all that bad.

We've made a new goal to start up again FRESH and EXCITED for 2012 and 

we're excited that our first official date of 2012 is TONIGHT!!!

Yay for Dating!

End of Year Catch-up/Review

D&T

Dates #46 - 50

Things have been pretty crazy at our house - but I can't just bail and not finish out our 2011 date goals!!  Its been awhile, but here were our last dates of the year . . .

#46

D's parents wanted to have all the grown-ups together for a night, so they took all the kids and spouses out to Tucanos in Salt Lake.  With all the grand kids left at home . . . it was quite a treat for us adults to spend some uninterrupted time together.  It was a memorable dinner for D&I (and everyone else hopefully) because D&I got to announce our big news to the family!  D passed around his phone with a random picture of an ultrasound on it . . . it took a second, but everyone figured out our news . . . Baby #3!!  Also memorable to me . . . this was really my last normal evening for quite some time . . the next morning I woke up with full blown "Morning-but-really-ALL-DAY-sickness". 

#47

J&D threw their annual Christmas Party and its one of our favorite events of the holiday season!  We love feeling the Christmas Spirit with all our friends and having some GREAT laughs during the white elephant gift exchange! 

#48

D's work always throws an amazing Christmas Party.  Nice Dress, awesome food & entertainment - its something we look forward to every year!  This year was no different.  Held at Thanksgiving Point with a Movie Star theme . . . the Vegas entertainer (juggler/funny man) was hilarious!!!  Its always romantic to get dressed up for Dane to spend the evening with him!

#49
Taking from J&D - I am going to count our Christmas Eve as a date too.  It was super out of the ordinary cause we also stayed up super late (thanks to a good round of puking that made me feel much better) wrapping presents and getting the house ready for Christmas morning.  I love wrapping presents by the light of the Christmas tree and I was afraid I would have to lay on the couch and watch D do all the work.  I feel super blessed to feel well enough to be involved as we wrapped presents for our kids and families and listened to Christmas music.  Even Christmas morning was special as our kids slept in SUPER late, but D&I couldn't stay in bed so we got up and made muffins and put on the music again and had a little more time together before the kiddos woke up and we were able to see their little faces as they walked into the room.  I love Christmas!!

#50
As is tradition in D's family - we always see a Christmas movie . . . although this one was more a New Years movie cause I think we went on New Years Eve afternoon.  D's family LOVES movies so we try to go see some of the big ones (well at least one) together every year.  This years movie was SHERLOCK HOLMES.  We loved it!  It was fun to cuddle up with D (and eat popcorn nonstop to try and curb the sickness) and just be entertained for a couple hours.  I definitely recommend the movie . . . Robert Downy Jr. rocks!!

2011 has been AMAZING!  This dating goal has been incredible for me & D and our relationship . . . I hope the other couples feel that way too.  It was always well planned or super fancy or anything, but making sure to take time out for each other . . . and making it a habit . . . really strengthened our relationship.  We have more great memories of dates and laughs and just good times together this year than we have had in a long time!!  I have to thank J& D for their inspiration and including us in this dating group!  For us the timing has been perfect too - a year of incredible dating leading into a big year filled with change for us.  Nothing helps dealing with change better than the stronger, more deeper relationship that we have built this year.  Being pregnant and having a baby are LIFE CHANGERS, but we are ready to handle anything!  :)  I wish I could say 2012 would be just as good or better than 2011 for dating . . . but that's just not realistic.  Between the sickness & exhaustion of pregnancy and then the newborn in July . . . things will be more low key.  But we are SO PROUD of what we have done this year and will keep the spirit alive in a more low key way in 2012.  But watch out 2013 . . . we will be back!  :)  I will keep posting dates - especially the good ones - as they happen - but maybe not keep such great tabs on numbers & such - we shall see. 

WallyBall BonAmie

D&T

Date #44

We got a last minute invite to go join a group of friends for Wallyball and we JUMPED on that!  (thanks to the in-laws for being so available to babysit!).  We had a BLAST with 3 other couples we had really never hung out with before . . . but we love making new friends.  Had dinner at Cafe Paesan after (the italian version of Cafe Rio) and we really like eating there!   I am failing in the picture taking category, but its the date that counts.  :)

Costco Trip

D&T

Date #43

Admittedly, without my in laws being so incredible, I am not sure there is anyway we would be doing so great on our date night goal.  This mini date was very unplanned.  D&I (and the kids) went over to help them with a TV thing (just D was helping really) and we were supposed to be done quick cause the plan was family dinner at Costco before it closed.  Well the "quick fix" was taking much longer than planned - so my in-laws offered to keep the kiddos while D&I had some alone time at Costco and then meet at Shakeys pizza for dinner (then back to thier house to finish the fixing).   I LOVED that plan.  Although SHORT, any alone time with Dane is SWEET (not to mention Costco without the kids - SCORE).  And although it was a whole family dinner - have to put in a plug for Shakeys Pizza (by the AF Walmart - right next to the Petsmart).  Its really well priced and not at all bad for a pizza buffet.  There is a salad bar and the pizza was actually pretty delicious (probably the deep dish).  They also have pasta and yummy potato bites and stuff the kids LOVED. 

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.

J+D

Dates 35, 36, & 37

I'm going to count our little weekend adventures as three dates since we had a little patch during the summer when we couldn't get out together.

I hope that's okay...

Our trip was a busy trip, to say the least--but so super fun!

Thursday evening we flew to LA where my brother picked us up and took us to his lovely family (and abode). After staying up a bit too late laughing, munching, and playing with Ike and Toe, we hit the sac (aka air mattress) and planned to get up around 5:30 to hit the road in the BUG---the car we were to bring home to Utah for mi madre.

Friday morning, as planned, we were on the road super early to drive up north to San Francisco.

We got there around lunch time, so we had some of the Wharf's famous Clam Chowder in sour dough bread bowls as we walked around the pier....

...before hopping on a ferry and taking a site seeing cruise around the bay (this is Alcatraz and my hot hubby)

And this is the Golden Gate Bridge--you can see my tour headphones

(we got to see some dolphins, too!!!)

and

then we watched some hilarious street performers and visited the sea lions

And then we ate some ice cream and chocolate at Guiradelli Square before taking a trolley

up to China Town

before we drove down Lumbard Street.........

And by that time we were thinking we'd better get to our hotel so that we could get the kids down.....

But wait, we didn't have any kids with us....

So we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito and had a fabulous dinner together.

And then we were pooped so we (I) zonked on the bed only to wake up at 3 am and find that I hadn't changed into my jammies. We were just that tired.

But we slept in and headed up to the Muir Woods in Marin County and

spent the morning hiking in the gorgeous Redwoods

and when we were finished there, we drove into Sausalito and walked all around the docks looking, admiring over, and wishing we had a sailboat of our own until it was time to go meet up with....

....some of our dear friends who have recently moved to the Bay Area, The Corotans!

We had a lovely lunch/dinner with them, had a quick photoshoot, and then off we went....

...back in the car on another road trip up to Reno where we had a super late meal and a very fast snooze before we got up early again to drive back home to Utah.

Phewwwwwwwwww.

It was incredibly FAST and incredibly FUN

(Dustin and I are great road trippers together...we love the same music, we laugh a ton, have a ton to talk about, can joke around and be dorks in the privacy of our own little space, and just have a great time driving)

And not too surprisingly, we missed our kiddos a TON.

We were so glad we went, so glad we have a great relationship to make it a fabulous weekend without any blips, and a whole gaggle of family members to take great care of our babies at home while we were away!!!

Yay for love!

Yay for a lovely trip!

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...

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!!

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!!



A Late Night Movie

M&R
Date #30
Late Night Movie

During a crazy weekend, Hubby and I were lucky enough to steal away a few hours to catch a late night movie. We decided to jump on the Thor bandwagon. We loved it. It was much more funny and lighthearted than I thought it would be. Besides the movie, it was nice to just sit next to each other and relax for a couple of hours.

This summer has been so so fun, but I think we are feeling ready to be back in a routine, especially with the kids. Can we really be the nearing the end of August?? And did we really mess up our "one date night a week" track record? Yes! Darn it! I'm afraid so.

We're still trying though. How is everybody else doing? I think we need to have a motivational group date to get us all back on track. :)

Can't wait to see more posts on what everybody has been up to!

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!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (and a dinner too)!

D&T

dates #29 and #30

We have had this particular date night planned for MONTHS!!  Thursday night (or should I say Friday morning) was the HARRY POTTER finale!  We went to  a 12:15am showing with D's fam (and some friends too).  We put the kids to bed at a neighbors house and transformed into our HP characters and then met the HP crew for a pre-party and pictures!!  This date night proves our nerdiness and I LOVE SO MUCH that D will go along with these kinds of things with me (well, not all the time, but he loves Harry Potter too, so for this one anyway).  We were the best dressed group there and had lots of people stop to take pictures with us (of course Bellatrix and Voldemort were the most popular and we were proud to be seen with them!!).  We loved it!!!  And the movie was AWESOME - in case you were wondering.  Only have the energy to do something like this once a year or less (took us a couple days to recover) but it was worth it. :)

Cost: Under $20 for the tickets (that we paid for months ago), if you don't count the cost of putting together the costumes and ingredients for making the treats in there.  :) 

Date #30 

The next evening, our friends invited us to MILAGROS, a new mexican restaurant (by Winco in Orem) we have been dying to try, and they offered their daughter to babysit so we could join them and we said sure!!  I am super picky about Mexican - and this place was DELICIOUS.  I did not love the refried beans (which would normally ruin a Mexican food place for me) but everything else was so great, I could overlook that one minor flaw. 

Our first date night this week we felt like kids back in high school or something and our second date night was very adultish - a great dinner with great conversation and totally normal appearances. :)  A perfect balance.  And I had to count them both cause August is going to be crazy for us and not sure about how our dating life will go so I will take the credit to get ahead now.  :)



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!