Sweetheart Date (Dinner at Eight)

My sweetheart & I had an at home date for V-day, after the kidlets were in bed.

We've had good at home dates before.

But this one was fabulous.  We had a great time.

At home dates kill the competition of going out.  

(But I still like going out, so long as the food is good.)

I attempted a Maiden Braid "headband".  I thought it turned out pretty swell.  

But it looks a bit retarded in the photo, with my hair sticking out the side of my head.

Oh well.

Also, seems my button was coming undone, when I took my outfit picture.

Oh well.

I love this dress (heart buttons!) from Modcloth.  

Jewelry by 31 Bits is also awesome, of course.

We had a tent of sorts that we built in the living room.  

Sheets, tulle, lights, sparkle hearts.

Rib Eye Steaks with Blue Cheese,

Heart cut Beets on pea shoots, 

and sauteed Spinach.

All could be done very quickly once the kids went to bed.

We opened a bottle of our favorite wine (for special occasions only) Topel.

And we dined fireside.

Dessert was sharing a little box of Lula's salted Caramels.

(SO good.)

Do you know about Dinner at Eight over at Rebekah's?

She & her friend Andi are challenging you all out there to try dating at home.

I think you'll love it.

Ours was so lovely for us.  We talked & shared.

We read love letters to each other.

Oh.  And we broke one of the cardinal rules of married dating.

Have you heard that you aren't supposed to talk about the kids?

I just heard Gary Smalley give this instruction 

when I was listening to K-Love this last week.

Don't talk about the kids or finances, he said.

Instead, he said we should remember the good times.

So, kids aren't part of the good times?

We think they are.  We think they are a good date night topic.

Even the idea of "remembering the good times" is one I am not too fond of.

We are one.  And we walk through the good & the bad together.  

We are not going to avoid talking about the hard stuff, 

in an effort to make a date more romantic.

My sweetheart & I bond over our love for our kids, 

over good memories of the past,  

over telling each other about our struggles of the day,

over learning how to cook a steak sans the outdoor grill, 

over grief shared, over scary roads, 

over trusting God's goodness,

over dreams for our future,

over love notes, whether written on letterpress cards or company letterhead.