Date Night In

Michael and I never really dated—we hung out, not dated. They were great hang outs, usually watching movies, always involving food. And the only reason I don't remember them as dates is because it was always so comfortable (even the awkward early dates were oddly comfortable). But date nights have become incredibly important for us in light of current schedules. Michael went back to school this fall so with homework and studying back in the picture, casual, impromptu hang outs are a thing of the past, and consequently we are learning the importance of intentional time. Sure, I miss the ease of saying, "Hey, let's go for a bike ride today," or "How does breakfast out sound?" but there's also something great about planning time together, and looking forward to it throughout the week. So now we are setting aside time each week to date each other.

This week's date almost didn't happen thanks to a nasty cold I've been fighting, but instead of missing our night, we figured out how to make staying in fun and not just another night at home (it was then Rebekah's recent post about resurrecting Dinner at 8 popped into my head). So when I got home, we walked to the store to pick up some supplies: chicken pot pies, brownie mix and a movie from Redbox. I didn't have time to make decorations, or a fancy dinner, or even clean up, but it turns out conversation and pot pies by candlelight feels just as special. Cuddling on the couch and watching a movie wasn't terrible either.

I didn't want taking photos to get in the way of our time together, so I snapped a few while the food was in the oven and called it good. It was a wonderful hang out date. :)