Five Friday Favorites: Winter Dates

Well, this is a bit of a difficult one for me.  It has been a while since the hubs and I have been on a real date (watching Fringe on the couch doesn't exactly count).  However, I've been blessed because we've been on some doozies.  I know that some of these aren't going to be applicable to everyone, but hopefully there will be a little something for everyone.  So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite dates with my hubs:

1.  Our last Navy Ball - I know this isn't an experience that everyone can share, but oh, my, I can't have a list without it.  It got to the point that I was so over shopping for a ball gown and going to yet another military ball.  I really had taken them for granted.  However, for our last one, we made it special.  I wore my favorite ball dress.  NGD's command was so fun so we were able to sit with friends and really enjoy the evening.  I even got a dance out of him!  The O Club served cheesecake for dessert (NOT one of my faves), so the Captain told Nathan he had to get me dessert before we went home.  So we went through the drive thru at McDonald's in our ball clothes and got me a hot fudge sundae (so good!).  

2.  Handel's Messiah & Fine Dining - We are blessed to have some dear friends that live near us around Nashville.  A couple years ago, we were able to go the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall and see the Nashville Symphony perform Handel's Messiah.  Before the music, we went to a fun restaurant downtown, Etch.  It was fine dining, which is something we rarely get.  It would have been great no matter, but it was all the more sweet since we were able to share it with friends.

3.  Marriage Seminar - Most people thought we were having marital problems when I posted on FB that I was going to see Paul Tripp speak on marriage at a conference downtown.  We weren't.  It was just how we decided to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary.  It was a Friday night/Saturday morning thing, so after the morning session, we went to a little brunch place and talked about all the cool things we'd heard and learned over the weekend.  Brunch, Paul Tripp, and theological discussions with my husband = a great time!

4.  Private Concert of "Broken Together" by Mark Hall - Okay, I understand that this one is super subjective, but it was still AWESOME!  A few days before our 14th wedding anniversary, I went to see a taping of The Chat with Priscilla Shirer (if you haven't seen her show, check it out!).  The guests were Mark & Melanie Hall.  He's the lead singer for Casting Crowns.  They were speaking on marriage.  It was awesome.  The song "Broken Together" was about to drop, so he and another member of the band were going to perform.  I was amazed when I saw that the rest of the audience was leaving.  NGD & Chas were out in the parking lot waiting on me, so I asked if they could come in and hear the performance.  The producer said, "Sure." So I ran and got them and we all spent a little time chatting with Mark Hall and Priscilla Shirer.  Then Mark sang that song and I cried and cried.  If you haven't heard that song, go listen to it now!

5.  Fazzoli's and the mall - This is one that will work for just about anyone in any situation.  A few Christmases ago, we were running low on funds and couldn't really afford to do much during our church's "Parents' Night Out" but we didn't want to lose the opportunity for a special date night.  So, we dropped Chas off and used a 2-for-1 coupon at Fazzoli's (breadsticks!) and then went and walked around the mall.  It was supposed to be Christmas shopping, but it quickly turned into an expedition to Earthbound Trading and the other "hippie" stores in the mall.  It was really nothing and certainly nothing extravagant, but it was a special time with my special guy and I still remember it fondly.

In the end, you don't have to do anything expensive to have a great date.  Even some of the more outrageous things we've done were made special by the company and the experience.  Heck, even the symphony tickets were a gift.  Ultimately, a great date isn't measured by what you do, but who you do it with.

Christmas Traditions, Part Two...

When my sister and I were little, we shared a bedroom.  It was so much fun to giggle together and try to figure out what we were getting and listen for any noised that would indicate that our parents were up and we could finally be unleashed.

Now, we set a time for T-dub and J-dub to arrive so we can get things going.  Normally, I get up a little early and have a cup of coffee while I wait, looking at the tree and presents before everything is dismantled.  Even now, Chas sleeps in a bit, but he still gets up and sits patiently waiting for everyone else (the joy of having a teen vs. a toddler).

Since social media is a thing and I love it, I went ahead and began Instagramming, Tweeting, and posting on Facebook.  Adding selfies and pithy comments.  But finally T-dub and J-dub arrived.  So after they settled in with there coffee and the gifts they'd brought, we began to disseminate the gits.  I'm not sure how you do it in your house, I know everyone is different.  We divvy up the gits into piles and then everyone starts opening at the same time.

For the last couple years, we've been trying to find our groove.  We've done presents, we've done gift cards, and this year we did a mix of both.  I think we've hit our stride.  We did a few small things and then some major gift cards.  It works well for everyone and we've still got a little something to open.

I made out like a bandit this year, as did everyone else.  I got yarn, clothes, cosmetics, snacks, and a food processor.  Not to mention gift cards for Target, Amazon, iTunes, and a Visa.

Once the opening is done, Mom and Dad get started on the breakfast feast.  Dad makes Belgian waffles with all the toppings (fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, maple syrup, etc.), sausage, and bacon.  Mom scrambles eggs, and makes biscuits, gravy, and fries up some of the ham from the day before.  T-dub and I aren't allowed to help.  This is their thing.  So we wait patiently and play with our toys or read our books or as was the case this year, color in our Adult coloring books.

After all that deliciousness, we settle in (still in our pajamas).  Sometimes, we'll make plans and go see a movie.  This year, we watched movies on TV.  It was the first time Dad and the Hubs had seen It's a Wonderful Life and the first time the Hubs and Chas had seen The Christmas Story.  After that, T-dub and J-dub left, so Mom, the Hubs, and I watched War Room and by that time, we were starting to get hungry so we reheated some leftovers and watched Chas' new movie, Ant-Man.

Not too long after that, everyone retired, but I stayed up and kept the tree lit.  I looked back on my resolutions for the past couple years and my book lists and began to work on both for 2016.  It's a process.  But I love that time of reflection all alone with the lights aglow.

So, what about you?  What are some of your traditions and fun?