THE DATE NIGHT DEBACLE

The date night debacle. The push, the pull, the resistance: it is exhausting. We chose to meet the resistance of booking a babysitter, checking our bank account, and picking a restaurant and just chose our marriage. And in turn, it revealed our value of it to our kids. 

So this is where it began: I swung into Taco Bell for the kids (yes, unhealthy, but an equally delicious rarity for them) to keep the kitchen pretty for our home date (after the kids went to bed at 7:30). And the value began to set in even there, in the drive thru. The nuggets of peace and seeds of truth planted into the hearts of our kids right then, right there: that our marriage mattered. That yes, they are a beautiful part of our family, but that tonight was not about them. It was about momma and papa, about our romance, about chasing after love. That our babies are welcomed members into our family but they are not the only part. 

Set the table for two before the kids go to bed. Build the anticipations of a quiet (and adult-only) evening and share the importance of your relationship with your spouse.

That marriage is about love and romance, goodness and faithfulness, choosing and working, giving and giving some more. The date night we chose was life-giving from early on in that drive thru, explaining why we were only ordering for them, that tonight we would be eating after they went to bed, just us two. It was life-giving because as the music filled the room, the children could hear each note. And as we spoke encouragement and love and tenderness toward each other, they may not have heard the words, but they felt the love. It was romance where the intimacy deepened and the peace hovered. 

Home dates: try it! Walk downstairs, turn on some John Mayer Pandora Radio and cook your dinner together. The music, the chopping, the soft voices of mom and dad will fill your home. Sit, eat slow, hold hands, speak life and love over each other and feel the hovering all around. Experience the PEACE. A peace that sustains a marriage, a family, and a household will come when you choose to pursue it.  

YOU GUYS. We don't eat pasta very often, but when we do, we make it worth it! The capers, the pistachios, the shrimp...mmmmmm. We made this yummy dinner in under 30 minutes (and thank goodness, because we were starving), and we ate every bite! Check out https://foxeslovelemons.com/lemon-shrimp-and-caper-linguine for the recipe! You will not regret it!