Date Night: August 2016

In January my husband and I committed to dating each other this year. This meant that we'd set aside one day or evening to purposefully go on a date with one another. This would require planning around his schedule and the kids, and so far, it has worked. Our June and July "dates" were more like "hey, let's grab a bite before going home from Lowes." We've been super busy and these past two months have reminded us why this time together is so important. With August winding down, we needed to get a date on the calendar. Every weekend was taken by his work schedule so we dared to opt for a weeknight. I know, we're such rebels. My in-laws came and watched the kids and we were off.

I've lived in our little part of VA for 9 years now and I've still yet to visit all of the local favorites. We decided to try Robin Alexander's. It's a lovely bistro set in downtown.

We loved the atmosphere. It was a place you could get a little dressed up for, but would find yourself perfectly comfortable in a pair of jeans. And the food...the food was delish.

We started off with their wings as an appetizer. We chose bone-in.

My husband chose a specialty drink as well since this place is known for its drinks. He got the James and the Giant peach martini. I don't personally drink but he said it was excellent.

We then chose our main courses. Their menu is pretty versatile and it was hard to make a selection. We eventually decided to try their gourmet burgers.

I loved their Big Kahuna Burger. It's a delicious combo of Hawaiian flavors.

My hubby tried their Bison Burger. Yum!

The meal did not disappoint and our time together was much needed. I'm really looking forward to our next date.

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March Date: Richmond

Things don't always go as planned. For this particular date we had planned to make a quick trip to see our friends, but plans change and agendas are sometimes cut short. Regardless, we made the best of our quick outing together.

We had to go to Richmond for a Lasik consult for my hubby. We love visiting Richmond so we thought we'd take advantage of our time there. After his appointment, we made a mad dash to get something to eat. Our original plan was to go to a local firehouse themed restaurant. It was closed until 4pm. On to plan B. We opted for a delicious meal at Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant*. It was a new restaurant for us and we were excited about trying their fare.

Pardon his squint eyes...he was still dealing with dilated eyes

*I was not compensated in any way to give my opinions of this restaurant. They are completely given on my own accord.

It was a difficult decision of what to eat (because everything looked amazing). We both instantly agreed on an appetizer. We chose the Firecracker Shrimp.

I finally decided to go with the their Jambalaya. I really don't have words. It was SO GOOD! The flavor was completely on point and it was super filling.

Hubby chose the Maker's Mark Burger. I had a nibble and from the look of his plate by the end, it was a definite win.

We did a quick run into a couple of stores at the Short Pump Mall and began making our way back home. I happened to see a sign for Tom Leonard's Farmers Market. It was our last stop before heading home to the kids. I found some great deals on some fresh veggies. They were having an awesome sale on fresh jumbo shrimp but considering we were almost 2 hours from home and I had no cooler, they were a no go. I was so sad.

I got over my shrimp induced sadness and enjoyed delightful adult conversation on the way back home. While the date was brief, it was so nice to just be with him. I'm so glad we made the commitment to start dating again.

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February Date Night: We Were Here Tour

This year, my husband and I committed to dating one another. We had another date scheduled for this month but when opportunity knocks, we answer. This past Friday we went to the Jason Aldean concert. If you get a chance to see his We Were Here Tour, do it! I do however suggest you not go if you are battling a double ear infection accompanied by a major sinus headache. The volume level is almost lethal (but hey, it's Jason Aldean so I suffered through).

Despite the ear infection and headache, everything was perfect. My husband is a firefighter for the city and was offered special tickets...for FREE! Talk about a blessing. We would not have been going otherwise since concerts, no matter how awesome, are currently out of the budget.

We began the evening by grabbing a bite to eat at Moe's Barbecue.

It is one of our favorite places. I must recommend their smoked chicken wings and macaroni and cheese. Their complimentary jalapeño cornbread is also amazing...really you can't go wrong with anything there. *I was not compensated in anyway; it's just that good.

Afterwards, we walked back to the stadium where we waited for quite some time in the cold. Despite having tickets in our hands, the search process made for a long wait. Upon making it into the warm of the building, you could sense the level of excitement.

We found our seats among several of my husband's fellow coworkers and enjoyed the show as it began.

All of the performers were excellent. Thomas Rhett is such a cutie and puts on a great show. He had gotten so caught up in the excitement that he even took a little tumble off the stage.

My medic friend standing to the right of Thomas sent this to me after the performance.

If you follow him on IG you may have seen this picture. The guy checking him over and the medic next to him are two of our really good friends that were working that night. Lucky ducks.

The remainder of the concert was incident free. I can't speak for all of the highly intoxicated folks around us, but the show was definitely memorable. Admittedly,  watching some of the sloshed viewers around us was almost as entertaining as the concert.

We headed out right before the end to relieve our sitter. I'd say this month's date, minus the accompanying illnesses, was one for the books. We're already looking forward to March!

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Committed to Dating My Husband

With two little ones (2 1/2 years and 6 months old) consuming our time and energy, my husband and I have not had a lot of time for us. We'll be married 8 years this fall and we do not want another year to pass consisting of such small amounts of quality time. His job as a fire fighter keeps him away from home a lot and my work as a teacher has me exhausted before my feet ever hit our doorstep. Then we take into account that our evenings consist of making dinner, baths, bedtime, prepping for the next day etc. By the end of it all we're dragging ourselves into bed, falling asleep almost immediately. Romantic I know.

One of my goals this year is to work on some of my relationships. One of those is dedicating more time to my husband and I. We have a great marriage, but with a little more effort and together-time, it could be that much more amazing. Thus our Dating Commitment was formed.

He and I decided to plan for at least one date night a month. We choose our date, mark it on the calender IN PEN, and then decide where we'll go. I've begun collecting a lot of ideas for local dates and we're looking forward to making the most of this time together.

We recently went on our first date of the year. It was super low key and perfect.

We began by heading out midmorning to the local farmers market. We enjoyed browsing various venders and some delious, fresh ground specialty coffees.

We tasted the sweet treats made by Mrs. Joy. She is the winner of this past year's Food Network Christmas Cookie Challenge. Her chocolate chip cookies are some of the absolute best I've ever had. Seriously. I know cookies.

We then browsed a local antique store where we found some inspiration for our future home. 

For instance, this table...

We took part of the afternoon to enjoy an uninterrupted meal.

We finished the afternoon by running a couple of errands. It was so nice to have conversations that didn't revolve around unexplained messes and dirty diapers. We got to talk about our future, our dreams, and hold hands. Normally our hands are holding children, bags, etc. All in all, I honestly would not want to go back to the days before we had kids for anything. However, I did enjoy this first of many dates with my husband. It's so important to take the time to focus on one another...to remember why you fell in love in the first place. You owe it to one and other.

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