Date Night at Home

The Happy Housewife asked for ideas for date night at home. Seeing as we are living very frugally (although occasionally treat ourselves to a date that includes paying for a sitter (we don't have any family nearby)), we have been embracing date nights at home for a while now. But, having date nights - at home or otherwise - requires more than just planning something that isn't part of the normal doldrums. We have to keep in mind why we were "dating" each other. Our top priority in dating one another was reconnecting - sharing something that we both enjoy. The cool thing is that we can do any activity that we wish, including ones that we hate, as long as we have the correct mindset. How? Well, aren't we marriage because we enjoy (or at least at one point in time did) our spouse? As we spend our special date nights together, we focus on seeing the blessings of each other. The things that we like about the other person. As it is human nature to dwell on the negative, sometimes I have to stop and remind myself of all of the wonderful things that DH is and does. When we are focusing on the positives in each other, our relationship is strengthen and we feel a greater depth of love for one another.

Other people have wonderful date nights that include a special dinner after the kids go to bed, but by the time we get the kids to bed, I am worn out and would rather just skip the date if I am starving and still have to get everything laid out to create the date atmosphere that is enjoyed by other couples. I wish that weren't the case, but I just don't have the energy for it. (Okay, and it seems to me to be more work for me - more dishes, more prettying the house up, etc. Yes, I can be very lazy!) But, we do enjoy our date nights at home. Some of the activities for a date night at home that we enjoy are:

• Playing Guitar Hero together. We both enjoy it, and as we are working as a team for a common pursuit, we have fun cheering each other on. Okay, and the occasional good-humored teasing helps us to relax a bit.
• Snuggling on the couch together while watching a good movie (one that we already own or that we borrow from the library) or television program. It is nice to just have the physical closeness without thinking about some chore that needs to be completed. We rarely take the time to sit down and watch television of any sort together as by the time the kids are in bed, we are usually trying to unwind in our own ways. So, it is special when we take the time to watch something together.
  
• Laying on our bed (fully clothed! - or not) and talking about our true desires and thoughts. As I said in an earlier post, there is just something comforting and intimate that allows us to talk easier while laying on our bed.
• Playing a board game together. We don't do this nearly enough, but it is fun when we do.
• Gazing into a burning fire - either in the fireplace or on the patio in the fire pit. There is something about an open fire on a clear night that brings great peace to us both. We then share our intimate thoughts and dreams within this special cloud of tranquility.

I can't wait to read what great ideas other people have of incorporating date night into their frugal lifestyles. We will have to try to implement some of them. And, maybe I will even plan far enough ahead that I could cook us a special date night at home dinner with some candles. But, we might just have to settle with a special dessert shared by candlelight.

The Blessing of Our Marriage

There are so many blessings to be thankful for this morning!! The one that my mind keeps returning to is my marriage. Saying that we have been through a lot over the years is a bit of an understatement. We haven't always seen things eye-to-eye nor have we handled situations in the manner that the other needed at the given moment. We haven't been there for each other the way that was needed by the other individual. We have made decisions that have hurt each other - some that cut to the very core and have been difficult to mend and are still requiring care. But, when everything is all said and done, we have both decided to stick together and work through the challenges becoming more of what the other person needs and more willing to open ourselves up to one another. It is hard to open up to someone after they have deeply wounded you. It is hard to overlook those past transgressions and forward to the beautiful future that we have together. Yet, marriage is about the union of two souls and working as one for the benefit of both. As we have grown both individually and together - especially over the past year, we have developed a stronger, more solid marriage that has blessed our lives deeply. As we continue to move forward, wounds are still tender and trust not 100% firm, but each day they heal a little more. We are blessed to have God on our side to turn to and guide us through. We are learning to meet each others needs more fully and our marriage has been blessed 1000 times over. I thank God every day for the blessing he has bestowed upon our marriage and our hearts.

Together Again!

Ah! The joy of someone you love returning home from a trip is wonderful! The boys and I picked DH up from the airport this morning after having gone on a trip to visit his dad. The boys and I had fared well in his absence, but we are overjoyed to have him at home with us again. His presence in the house is warm and reassuring like being wrapped in your favorite blanket in front of a glowing fire.