date night

April iPhone dump.

I realized after reviewing my iPhone pics from April that I need to take more pictures.  Regrettably, some of the best memories from last month have great video footage (ie: every single at-bat that Rachel had during multiple softball games) but am lacking instagram-worthy still shots.

Regardless, this blog is a record, first and foremost, so here’s our April recap in pictures:

 

Breakfast omelette in bed – courtesy of my loving husband.

 

A birthday tradition – roses from Costco.

 

Proof that I finally perfected my homemade french fry recipe. Devoured in mere minutes.

Date Night to the opera – A Streetcar Named Desire. Downright weird music and a total downer of a plot but Tim and I both agreed that it made us think. So there’s that.

Jack enjoying the beautiful spring weather with his very best buddy.

Anna singing with her quartet (and their male counterpart quartet) at a junior high band concert.

More fun outside with friends.

A fun visit from family – and daring antics on everyone’s favorite swing – just two weeks before one of the ropes snapped.  I can’t imagine why…

Anna’s choir trip to Washington.

Rachel competing in the “soccer ball throw” (aka: discus) in the city track meet.

Family night at the park. Jack’s the only one who got his picture taken because it was all hands on deck to keep him from falling off each precipice he insisted on scaling.

Add to that piano recitals, a voice recital, softball games galore, several art lessons, a belated birthday party for Anna (it’s my “off” year for party planning so she did the planning and failed to capture any pictures), and prepping our house for a home addition and you’ve got a pretty full month.  Now, on to an even busier May!

Keeping marriage alive.

Date night.  I used to think there was no way we could pull it off.  Our kids were difficult, babysitters were expensive, we were so stinkin’ tired by the end of the day that doing anything besides hitting the sack seemed ridiculous.  We wasted many years justifying our low frequency of date nights.  Then our oldest turned 11.  And suddenly a whole new world opened up to us.  Tim and I could pay her far less than hiring outside help, but enough to keep her honest.  So date night became a thing for us.  We have a basic rotation of what we do for our dates – a monthly lunch date, an evening at the temple, an occasional game night with friends, movie night at home, a walk or bike ride on the Greenbelt.  My favorite though, and of course it’s the most expensive of the lot, is our season tickets to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.  4-5 plays a summer and we book the tickets ahead of time so that it’s on the calendar.  Works like a charm.  It’s a built-in date night doing something we both love.  Outdoor theater with my man.  Building our relationship one act at a time.  Genius.