Date Night "in"

One of my favorite parts of our Christmas travels was the opportunity to sit and talk with Shawn as we drove.  Each mile we journeyed proved to be a catalyst to connect, recalibrate, and listen to one another.  We are still adjusting to the long days (and nights, and weekends) that Shawn's new job requires of him and we haven't totally figured out what it looks like to care for one another amidst the busyness.  Not every day is long and not every weekend requires work, but when the time comes for Shawn to be home after a normal day of work and I don't hear the garage door opening, I can't help but miss my friend.  I sometimes find myself wishing for the days when our lives were more predictable and our schedules naturally yielded themselves to spending copious amounts of time together.    The luxury of having large quantities of time to spend with one another gave way to the quality time our relationship needed to mature and grow.  Our needs were met, our communication was strong and we had lots of opportunities to invest in each other.   Don't get me wrong - this shift in careers and the move to Texas that came with it has produced deep and rapid growth in us.  By faith, we have faced the challenge head on and we will be forever changed because of it.  The need to grow and change seem to be the most consistent part of our new lives here in Texas and our trip helped us recognize our need to find ways to intentionally and meaningfully connect amidst work, dishes, laundry and a very active toddler.

Somewhere between Oklahoma and Kansas City we came up with the idea of having date night "in".  You see, we've never really been the dating type.  Even from our earliest days together our activities have been low maintenance and restful.   Walks around the park by our condos,  grocery shopping, cooking, and occasionally sharing a work out or two.   We were much more interested in ending our evenings with a show on Netflix then we were in hitting the town.  The Saint Paul Bagelry was our preferred Sunday morning breakfast spot, warm evenings often merited a drive across town to pick up a couple of ice cream cones and Saturday errands were concluded with a sausage and pepperoni pizza from Mansetti's.   We have always cared more about spending time together than we have about our destination or activity.   As we reflected on our dating history in the car, it seemed like the most natural way for us to intentionally spend time together in this new stage of life was to have date night "in".

All the pressure of finding local restaurants to call our own, coordinating schedules and finding a babysitter suddenly vanished.  All we need is a free night to enjoy each others company after Nicole is tucked safely in bed.  Our goal is to find time at least twice a month to leave our evening chores undone, keep our laptops closed and our phones on silent.  Once our sweet little girl has her pjs on and her stories read, our date night will begin!

Whether we share a warm cup of tea and a cozy blanket on the couch, a bowl of popcorn and a card game or enjoy cheese and crackers by candle light, the point is to interrupt our nightly routines in order to spend intentional time together.  We're really looking forward to it!

What is your favorite way to connect with your loved one?

With love,
Erica