Happy New Year!
So hard to believe that it is already 2014. Writing it for the first time last week was so weird, just like it is every year. It always takes me a good month or two to fully grasp that it is, in fact, a different year. Once again.
2013 was definitely a challenging-yet-amazing year. Definitely the most life-changing year I have faced, thus far. I not only became a wife, but I started nannying again, planned a wedding without having a clue what I was doing, moved out of my parents home, I gained many in-laws, started cooking almost-daily, I had to get used to the fact that my last name is no longer Morris (which I am still getting used to...), tried to figure out how to live with a guy, became solely responsible for laundry, all the while figuring out this new identity I have taken on when I said, 'I do.'
Becoming a wife has been a lot harder than I anticipated.
I know I say this quite often throughout all of my entries, but it's so true. And I think it'll be the same when I become a mom for the first time. Being a wife is the most rewarding 'title' I've ever had, but it has also been the most difficult.
Now, don't misunderstand me when I say difficult. Let me explain.
There are many books out there written on marriage. Countless, even. Chris and I have bought and read a couple of them, and they were really insightful. There are also a ton of blogs and advice columns that are full of 'how to's' and 'don't do's' with your marriage. And, of course, everywhere you turn, there is someone who is ready to tell you how to make your marriage successful and pass on their wisdom to the next generation.
If you want any kind of information on how to have a fruitful, Godly marriage, it's available at your finger tips.
But, even with the technology and the bookstores and the wisdom others have gained, there is nothing that can fully prepare you for what married life is actually like. Absolutely nothing.
I fully believe that God created me to be a wife and mom. From the time I was very young, that's all I ever wanted. I honestly cannot remember a time when there was something else I really wanted to do with my life. All I could ever imagine for me when I was a 'grown up' was to be a stay-at-home wife and mom.
God has placed this desire so strongly in me, so this must come easy to me, right?
Yeah...no.
There isn't a book out there that addresses the tears filling up your eyes while you're trying to figure out how to be a wife, nanny, dance teacher, sister, daughter, and a good friend all at once. There's no blog that can explain just how frustrated you become when you walk in the door after working 12 hours to find dirty dishes in the sink that you need for cooking dinner, the closets going bare while laundry is piled high beside the washing machine, and a starving man sitting in the living room who's also worked all day with no energy to do anything either. And no one can tell you why you are getting emotional when you can't tell if you're getting serious baby fever, or you're just wanting to fill the void of being desperately needed by someone.
No one, nor anything, can fully prepare you for what taking a man's last name fully entails. It brings out feelings and emotions you've never experienced before, and it goes against everything you've been doing the past 10+ years. It requires time, dedication, determination, perseverance, communication, cooperation, faithfulness,humility tons of prayer and even some yelling to make it work. It's changing your mindset from 'taking care of me,' to 'taking care of us.' It's adjusting the way you approach absolutely everything.
It's so much more than just marrying your best friend. It's everything that begins after the honeymoon ends.
Being a wife is tough, and it's more than I anticipated it being.
But, it brings me so much more joy and fulfillment than I could've ever imagined.
There is a man, who was a complete stranger to me just over 2 years ago, that has fallen in love with me the same way I have fallen in love with him. He knows that I'm crazy, I cry constantly, I can't make up my mind, and that I'm quiet when I'm hurting, but will blow up when I hit my limit. He knows I can become overwhelmed quickly, I'm a people-pleaser, that my love of coffee and chocolate may be a little ridiculous, and that I'm crazy.
Did I mention I'm crazy?
He didn't have to love me; but he chose to.
I get to go home to someone every night, who I know is just as excited to see me as I am to see him. There is someone who wants to know how my day went, who desires for me to lean on him when I'm struggling, and who enjoys starting tickle-fights with me (you're never too old for a good tickle-fight, especially with the guy is super ticklish!). I get to say goodnight to the love of my life every night, and get to kiss him goodbye every morning.
There's a man who wanted to give me his last name, who desires to take care of me, who wants to have kids with me, and is looking forward to growing old with me. He gave up the life of a bachelor just to become my husband.
My husband.
Being a wife isn't exactly the most glorious and glamourous role a woman can have, and it's definitely not the easiest, but it's the most amazing title I could've ever asked for.
Especially once I understood what being a wife meant.
Of course, there will be days when I forgot how wonderful the title 'wife' is. I imagine it will probably be when I'm wanting to talk while Chris is watching a game, or when I'm awake at 3:00am feeding a baby while he snoozes away, but I do know that he will continue to give me butterflies anytime I'm around him, and I will always be so blessed to to have him choose me to become his help mate.
******
I promise, I will start including more recipes and other life-experiences in this blog. But, in my defense, I've only been a wife for 4 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days.
I'm still a love-stricken newlywed, and I'm going to enjoy it as long as I can :)
Showing posts with label husband. Show all posts
Showing posts with label husband. Show all posts
Monday, January 6, 2014
Monday, November 18, 2013
The Terrible World of Sinusitis
Sorry it's been a little while since I've posted last. I normally write on my blog while the little boy I nanny takes a nap, but I've had some days off, so I wanted to put the blog off for a little bit while I got caught up on everything.
But I'm back!
In my last entry, I had mentioned that I had made our wreath we're going to use on our front door for Christmas. Here it is!
I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of it! There's something about making my own creations that makes me so happy.
It's also super addictive. I'm thinking about making a wreath for each door in our house. Or at least make something to put on every door. There are just so many possibilities!
For as long as I can remember, I have had sinus problems. I honestly don't remember a time when I didn't have a stuffy nose and constant hacking during the winter. It's been such a reoccurring ordeal that I'm running out of different combinations of antibiotics to try because my body has become immune to so many.
It never fails, I will get a sinus infection once the weather turns cold, and I will keep it (antibiotics or not) until it turns warm. Most of the time I can tolerate it with Sudafed and Alka-Seltzer gel caps, but sometimes it finally gets to the point where I have to get a prescription. Normally, I don't mind it all too much, just because it's worse at night and nobody sees me while I sleep.
Until this year.
Chris said I was 'gettin' it' the other night with my snoring. That's so embarrassing.
I've told him so many times that if he nudges me, I'll stop snoring and go right back to sleep. But, being the sweet man he is, said I was finally sleeping so good that he didn't want to bother me.
Still doesn't ease the embarrassing fact that I was snoring loud enough to wake him up, especially since it takes a lot more than an air horn to wake him up when he's passed out.
(I'm assuming it would take more than an air horn. I've never woke him up with anything more than a vigorous shake and poking him in his side until he opens his eyes. I feel like he would retaliate if I set off an air horn while he's fast asleep, and I'm not sure I want to know what his mind would come up with for payback, so I'll stick with the shaking-poking method.)
I have also woken up in the morning with my mouth wide open and drool that has been dried around the edges of my lips. I know that is not an attractive face to turn over and stare at, and I feel like if he knew that was what he was going to get to wake up to during sinus-season, he may have thought twice before he asked me to marry him.
My poor husband.
It doesn't matter how hard I try to sleep 'attractively' each night, I wake up looking like death x5. And that's on a night when I can actually breathe through my nose! Thank goodness he loves me enough to kiss me every morning, even though I could be Bride of Frankenstein's twin sister.
I know we have only been married for three months, and I have a feeling there will be a lot more in our future that will test just how much he loves me, but I believe this has been the peak thus far. You have to be in love with me to allow me to keep sleeping beside you every night, even though you know the not-so-great sight you will see when you wake up.
Although I miss my little guy, I am thankful for a couple of days off to tackle this sinus junk. The Lord was gracious enough to me to hold the sickness off until I had some time to get a handle on it during a break. But it is definitely kicking my butt right now.
Unfortunately, laundry and the messy house didn't get the memo. So, off to do some chores, I go.
But not before I watch What Not to Wear and eat me some amazing soup I whipped up over the weekend. I think both of those are necessary on my path to recovery :) While I recover, enjoy this little meme that I feel perfectly explains my entry:
But I'm back!
In my last entry, I had mentioned that I had made our wreath we're going to use on our front door for Christmas. Here it is!
It's also super addictive. I'm thinking about making a wreath for each door in our house. Or at least make something to put on every door. There are just so many possibilities!
For as long as I can remember, I have had sinus problems. I honestly don't remember a time when I didn't have a stuffy nose and constant hacking during the winter. It's been such a reoccurring ordeal that I'm running out of different combinations of antibiotics to try because my body has become immune to so many.
It never fails, I will get a sinus infection once the weather turns cold, and I will keep it (antibiotics or not) until it turns warm. Most of the time I can tolerate it with Sudafed and Alka-Seltzer gel caps, but sometimes it finally gets to the point where I have to get a prescription. Normally, I don't mind it all too much, just because it's worse at night and nobody sees me while I sleep.
Until this year.
Chris said I was 'gettin' it' the other night with my snoring. That's so embarrassing.
I've told him so many times that if he nudges me, I'll stop snoring and go right back to sleep. But, being the sweet man he is, said I was finally sleeping so good that he didn't want to bother me.
Still doesn't ease the embarrassing fact that I was snoring loud enough to wake him up, especially since it takes a lot more than an air horn to wake him up when he's passed out.
(I'm assuming it would take more than an air horn. I've never woke him up with anything more than a vigorous shake and poking him in his side until he opens his eyes. I feel like he would retaliate if I set off an air horn while he's fast asleep, and I'm not sure I want to know what his mind would come up with for payback, so I'll stick with the shaking-poking method.)
I have also woken up in the morning with my mouth wide open and drool that has been dried around the edges of my lips. I know that is not an attractive face to turn over and stare at, and I feel like if he knew that was what he was going to get to wake up to during sinus-season, he may have thought twice before he asked me to marry him.
My poor husband.
It doesn't matter how hard I try to sleep 'attractively' each night, I wake up looking like death x5. And that's on a night when I can actually breathe through my nose! Thank goodness he loves me enough to kiss me every morning, even though I could be Bride of Frankenstein's twin sister.
I know we have only been married for three months, and I have a feeling there will be a lot more in our future that will test just how much he loves me, but I believe this has been the peak thus far. You have to be in love with me to allow me to keep sleeping beside you every night, even though you know the not-so-great sight you will see when you wake up.
Although I miss my little guy, I am thankful for a couple of days off to tackle this sinus junk. The Lord was gracious enough to me to hold the sickness off until I had some time to get a handle on it during a break. But it is definitely kicking my butt right now.
Unfortunately, laundry and the messy house didn't get the memo. So, off to do some chores, I go.
But not before I watch What Not to Wear and eat me some amazing soup I whipped up over the weekend. I think both of those are necessary on my path to recovery :) While I recover, enjoy this little meme that I feel perfectly explains my entry:
Monday, November 4, 2013
November 4th: The Day That Changed My Life
Halloween was so much fun! We had a great time with the family, and our costume was a hit! I definitely think this one will go down as one of the best, and I'm already excited about next year's! But we still have Thanksgiving and Christmas to go, so not too excited yet :)
November 4th is a very special day to me.
Up until a couple of years ago, November 4th was just another day. The only significance it had was that it was three weeks from Thanksgiving and 50 days from Christmas.
But that's pretty much it.
Honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal two years ago. It just happened to be the day that Chris asked me out on our first date.
It has meant so much since then.
If you haven't heard our story before, here it is:
Chris and I met in early October 2011. We were both going out with a group of mutual friends, and we were introduced to each other. I did notice that he was very hot (who wouldn't?), but I was interested in another guy hanging out with us, so I didn't think much of it. Chris actually tried to start up a conversation with me while we were out, and we talked for a little bit, but I kind of kept it short. Not on purpose! I just didn't live an interesting life to talk about and I didn't want to bore him.
At the end of the night, we all went our separate ways. The guy I was interested in didn't ask for my number, but Chris sent me a friend request on Facebook soon after, so I think that was the first sign of something stirring up.
A few weeks passed and the other guy and I diminished completely. He definitely wasn't interested and I wasn't going to pursue him. I happened to be talking to our friend Daniel at the dance studio and he mentioned something about Chris liking me. I immediately perked up and started blushing. That hot guy...likes ME?! I didn't believe it at first.
Until Florida-Georgia weekend.
I went over to Daniel's girlfriend Kati's house to watch the game, not knowing that Chris was there too. As soon as I walked in the door and saw him, my heart started skipping and I had butterflies. He was sitting on the smaller couch with another friend of ours, and I had my baby sister with me, so I sat on the opposite couch.
I couldn't focus on the game. The only thing I could focus on was the fact that I wasn't sitting beside Chris, and it felt so wrong.
I knew I was supposed to be beside him. Not because I wanted to (although I definitely did!), but because I knew that's where I belonged. Needless to say, and I was beyond jealous of our female friend sitting next to him.
Looking back on that day, it's quite comical...and quite awesome.
Chris, Daniel, Kati and I ended up going out that night to the Halloween party at a local dance hall. We looked like hot messes, but we didn't care. It was a lot of fun.
I spent the night with Kati afterwards, and Chris left kind of abruptly. We didn't get to say bye, which I was a little sad about. I thought that our time together was over, he would head back to Athens, and I would be left alone. Once again.
Thank goodness he left his sunglasses in Kati's car.
The next day, he came back to get them...and ended up staying all day. We watched a couple of movies, went a grabbed pizza, and FINALLY he put his arm around me. Towards the end of the night, he whispered in my ear, 'Hey...can I have your number?' I went to give it to him a normal voice, but he shhh-ed me and made me whisper it to him.
I knew at that moment our relationship was going to be the greatest ever.
He left that night to go back to college, we started texting immediately after he arrived in Athens, and he asked me out on a date for that Friday.
November 4th.
I tell people I knew I was going to marry him after our first date, but honestly, I knew the first time we sat beside each other.
You can say it's love at first (or second) sight.
Our first date was awkward, yet the best date ever.
He picked me up at my house around 5 or so and, unfortunately, no one was at my house to meet him.
I will say he did kiss me almost as soon as he walked in the house. Normally, I would find that a little soon. Not with him, though. It felt...right.
We drove almost the entire length of Washington Road, looking for which Mexican restaurant to stop at. We passed three or four until we finally ended up at Mi Ranchos, about thirty minutes after we left my house. It didn't bother me at all, I just felt bad that I could've gotten him there sooner without wasting so much gas. He seemed to just enjoy spending that time with me while looking, though, so that made me feel better.
We were sat outside during karaoke night after we had asked to sit inside.
Awkward moment #1.
We were then sat at a high top with two chairs that didn't match. I happened to get into the really tall chair that made me look like a giant, while Chris sat down in a normal chair that made him look pretty short.
Awkward moment #2.
I finally changed chairs so we could be at eye-level, which helped the awkward-ness, but then we realized our table was completely uneven and wobbled every time you touched it.
Awkward moment #3.
We just laughed about it. It was an interesting way to start off our first date, but knowing us now, that's so typical for our relationship.
Never a dull moment.
After dinner, we drove over to the theater to see what was playing. Nothing caught our eye, so what did we do next?
We went to The Christmas Tree Shoppe.
It. Was. Awesome.
We walked around the whole store, joking about how you can find almost anything you need at that random place.
Decorations? They got it. Detergent? You bet. An outdoor hammock? It's there. It's just the most random place ever. And we were having so much fun making fun of that fact.
Once we left there, we went back to his house to watch P.S. I Love You and Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part II.
Both picked by him. Both made me super happy.
I don't think Chris drove me home until after 1:00am. Even then, I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to leave him. I knew that's where I needed to be, that's where I was meant to be.
With him.
Before 2011, November 4th didn't mean much. It was just another day, like the majority of the days I lived through. Nothing special.
Today, November 4th is the day that changed my life.
Twice.
Exactly a year after our first date, Chris drove us over to the Lady Antebellum Theater to exchange gifts.
I gave him a couple of shirts.
He gave me a ring.
My life was forever changed, once again, on November 4th.
To me, November 4th means just as much as August 17th. Of course, August 17th is my absolute favorite day of the year now since I became Mrs. Taryn Johns on that date. But August 17th would just be another day if it hadn't been for November 4th.
We have now been married 2 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days. This time two years ago, I was hoping this is where I would be: happily married to the man of my dreams and living the life I have desired for so long. I still catch myself looking at Chris in disbelief that this is my amazing life now. I get to wake up next to him every single morning and fall asleep next to him every single night, and I can't imagine my life any other way.
That woman I was two years ago today was struggling to find her place in the world, but was hoping Chris could help her discover it. The woman I am today is everything I would hope to be, and so much more.
I still can't believe it's been two years since our first date. It feels like it was twenty years ago; I just can't remember life without my husband anymore.
I feel like my life has re-started twice: First, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Second, when I knew Chris was my Knight in Shining Armor. It's just amazing to see The Lord's hand in absolutely everything, even the tiny details. If so many things had not fallen into place when it did, and if so many prayers I had prayed had been answered with a yes, I wouldn't be writing this blog about how much I love my Chris.
And November 4th would mean nothing.
So, to keep up with the giving thanks every day of November...
Day 4: I am thankful for first dates, for diamond rings, and for the man who gave me both, along with so very much more. I'm thankful for a God who knows exactly what He's doing and who graciously gave me a husband whom I get to fall even more in love with each and every day. I did nothing to deserve this life, but I am so thankful that The Lord is merciful and gave me Chris.
I could go on and on about how much I love my husband and how thankful I am for him, but I think this entry is long enough, and there's some General Tso's Chicken in the fridge that's calling my name.
Have I said before how much I love this time of year?! Yay for autumn and winter!
 |
| Halloween 2013 |
Up until a couple of years ago, November 4th was just another day. The only significance it had was that it was three weeks from Thanksgiving and 50 days from Christmas.
But that's pretty much it.
Honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal two years ago. It just happened to be the day that Chris asked me out on our first date.
It has meant so much since then.
If you haven't heard our story before, here it is:
Chris and I met in early October 2011. We were both going out with a group of mutual friends, and we were introduced to each other. I did notice that he was very hot (who wouldn't?), but I was interested in another guy hanging out with us, so I didn't think much of it. Chris actually tried to start up a conversation with me while we were out, and we talked for a little bit, but I kind of kept it short. Not on purpose! I just didn't live an interesting life to talk about and I didn't want to bore him.
At the end of the night, we all went our separate ways. The guy I was interested in didn't ask for my number, but Chris sent me a friend request on Facebook soon after, so I think that was the first sign of something stirring up.
A few weeks passed and the other guy and I diminished completely. He definitely wasn't interested and I wasn't going to pursue him. I happened to be talking to our friend Daniel at the dance studio and he mentioned something about Chris liking me. I immediately perked up and started blushing. That hot guy...likes ME?! I didn't believe it at first.
Until Florida-Georgia weekend.
I went over to Daniel's girlfriend Kati's house to watch the game, not knowing that Chris was there too. As soon as I walked in the door and saw him, my heart started skipping and I had butterflies. He was sitting on the smaller couch with another friend of ours, and I had my baby sister with me, so I sat on the opposite couch.
I couldn't focus on the game. The only thing I could focus on was the fact that I wasn't sitting beside Chris, and it felt so wrong.
I knew I was supposed to be beside him. Not because I wanted to (although I definitely did!), but because I knew that's where I belonged. Needless to say, and I was beyond jealous of our female friend sitting next to him.
Looking back on that day, it's quite comical...and quite awesome.
Chris, Daniel, Kati and I ended up going out that night to the Halloween party at a local dance hall. We looked like hot messes, but we didn't care. It was a lot of fun.
I spent the night with Kati afterwards, and Chris left kind of abruptly. We didn't get to say bye, which I was a little sad about. I thought that our time together was over, he would head back to Athens, and I would be left alone. Once again.
Thank goodness he left his sunglasses in Kati's car.
The next day, he came back to get them...and ended up staying all day. We watched a couple of movies, went a grabbed pizza, and FINALLY he put his arm around me. Towards the end of the night, he whispered in my ear, 'Hey...can I have your number?' I went to give it to him a normal voice, but he shhh-ed me and made me whisper it to him.
I knew at that moment our relationship was going to be the greatest ever.
He left that night to go back to college, we started texting immediately after he arrived in Athens, and he asked me out on a date for that Friday.
November 4th.
I tell people I knew I was going to marry him after our first date, but honestly, I knew the first time we sat beside each other.
You can say it's love at first (or second) sight.
Our first date was awkward, yet the best date ever.
He picked me up at my house around 5 or so and, unfortunately, no one was at my house to meet him.
I will say he did kiss me almost as soon as he walked in the house. Normally, I would find that a little soon. Not with him, though. It felt...right.
We drove almost the entire length of Washington Road, looking for which Mexican restaurant to stop at. We passed three or four until we finally ended up at Mi Ranchos, about thirty minutes after we left my house. It didn't bother me at all, I just felt bad that I could've gotten him there sooner without wasting so much gas. He seemed to just enjoy spending that time with me while looking, though, so that made me feel better.
We were sat outside during karaoke night after we had asked to sit inside.
Awkward moment #1.
We were then sat at a high top with two chairs that didn't match. I happened to get into the really tall chair that made me look like a giant, while Chris sat down in a normal chair that made him look pretty short.
Awkward moment #2.
I finally changed chairs so we could be at eye-level, which helped the awkward-ness, but then we realized our table was completely uneven and wobbled every time you touched it.
Awkward moment #3.
We just laughed about it. It was an interesting way to start off our first date, but knowing us now, that's so typical for our relationship.
Never a dull moment.
After dinner, we drove over to the theater to see what was playing. Nothing caught our eye, so what did we do next?
We went to The Christmas Tree Shoppe.
It. Was. Awesome.
We walked around the whole store, joking about how you can find almost anything you need at that random place.
Decorations? They got it. Detergent? You bet. An outdoor hammock? It's there. It's just the most random place ever. And we were having so much fun making fun of that fact.
Once we left there, we went back to his house to watch P.S. I Love You and Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part II.
Both picked by him. Both made me super happy.
I don't think Chris drove me home until after 1:00am. Even then, I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to leave him. I knew that's where I needed to be, that's where I was meant to be.
With him.
Before 2011, November 4th didn't mean much. It was just another day, like the majority of the days I lived through. Nothing special.
Today, November 4th is the day that changed my life.
Twice.
Exactly a year after our first date, Chris drove us over to the Lady Antebellum Theater to exchange gifts.
I gave him a couple of shirts.
He gave me a ring.
My life was forever changed, once again, on November 4th.
To me, November 4th means just as much as August 17th. Of course, August 17th is my absolute favorite day of the year now since I became Mrs. Taryn Johns on that date. But August 17th would just be another day if it hadn't been for November 4th.
We have now been married 2 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days. This time two years ago, I was hoping this is where I would be: happily married to the man of my dreams and living the life I have desired for so long. I still catch myself looking at Chris in disbelief that this is my amazing life now. I get to wake up next to him every single morning and fall asleep next to him every single night, and I can't imagine my life any other way.
That woman I was two years ago today was struggling to find her place in the world, but was hoping Chris could help her discover it. The woman I am today is everything I would hope to be, and so much more.
I still can't believe it's been two years since our first date. It feels like it was twenty years ago; I just can't remember life without my husband anymore.
I feel like my life has re-started twice: First, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Second, when I knew Chris was my Knight in Shining Armor. It's just amazing to see The Lord's hand in absolutely everything, even the tiny details. If so many things had not fallen into place when it did, and if so many prayers I had prayed had been answered with a yes, I wouldn't be writing this blog about how much I love my Chris.
And November 4th would mean nothing.
So, to keep up with the giving thanks every day of November...
Day 4: I am thankful for first dates, for diamond rings, and for the man who gave me both, along with so very much more. I'm thankful for a God who knows exactly what He's doing and who graciously gave me a husband whom I get to fall even more in love with each and every day. I did nothing to deserve this life, but I am so thankful that The Lord is merciful and gave me Chris.
I could go on and on about how much I love my husband and how thankful I am for him, but I think this entry is long enough, and there's some General Tso's Chicken in the fridge that's calling my name.
Have I said before how much I love this time of year?! Yay for autumn and winter!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Our October Date
I've been a little M.I.A. for the past few days. But I'm back! So on to writing another entry.
I had mentioned in a previous entry that I had proposed to my husband that we each take six months out of the year (I have the even-numbered months, he has odd) to plan a date for the other. We decided to start it this month, and since it's the tenth month, it's my turn!
I have to admit, I was a little nervous while planning this! I didn't want to do the normal 'dinner and a movie' date, because I feel like that's kind of a cop-out for us. We don't have any children or any pets yet, so dinner and a movie is not exactly something that we can't do very often. We usually have at least one day every weekend free and we always have the house to the two of us, so we can be a little more elaborate and imaginative with our 'planned' date nights.
Since it's October, I definitely wanted to do something that had to do with Halloween and the fall season. So what goes with both?
Pumpkins.
Pumpkins are the staple of Halloween and Fall. I always know my favorite time of the year has arrived when Starbucks introduces it's Pumpkin Spice Latte. There's something about pumpkins that just makes me so stinkin' happy.
So, let's have a date that's all about pumpkins!
I originally was going to make us a picnic and eat at one of the local parks, but I decided to just go out to eat at a restaurant instead. Picnics this time of year can be tricky, especially since the temperature can drop fairly quickly and being cold during a picnic does not sound like a ton of fun to me. I didn't want to take any chances, so I picked Bonefish Grill instead. It has nothing to do with pumpkins, but it has Bang Bang Shrimp. That's a great enough reason to steer away from the pumpkin-theme for just a wee bit.
I kept the entire date a secret from Chris. I even drove the whole time, so he really didn't have an idea of what we were going. It made it even more fun to completely surprise him! And I enjoyed seeing his face of confusion and his many questions about where we were going next.
Before we headed to dinner, we stopped by a local church who has a huge pumpkin patch. They're not on a vine, but they have a ton of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes available to pick off the crates, and that's about as close as you can get to it around here. It's usually crowded on most nights leading up to Halloween, but there's always a ton of pumpkins available to buy.
Until we went.
I'm guessing they stock up their crates once on Saturdays, the day after we went. There were still a bunch of pumpkins, just not the selection I was hoping for. No worries though! We still found us two pumpkins :)
I had mentioned in a previous entry that I had proposed to my husband that we each take six months out of the year (I have the even-numbered months, he has odd) to plan a date for the other. We decided to start it this month, and since it's the tenth month, it's my turn!
I have to admit, I was a little nervous while planning this! I didn't want to do the normal 'dinner and a movie' date, because I feel like that's kind of a cop-out for us. We don't have any children or any pets yet, so dinner and a movie is not exactly something that we can't do very often. We usually have at least one day every weekend free and we always have the house to the two of us, so we can be a little more elaborate and imaginative with our 'planned' date nights.
Since it's October, I definitely wanted to do something that had to do with Halloween and the fall season. So what goes with both?
Pumpkins.
Pumpkins are the staple of Halloween and Fall. I always know my favorite time of the year has arrived when Starbucks introduces it's Pumpkin Spice Latte. There's something about pumpkins that just makes me so stinkin' happy.
So, let's have a date that's all about pumpkins!
I originally was going to make us a picnic and eat at one of the local parks, but I decided to just go out to eat at a restaurant instead. Picnics this time of year can be tricky, especially since the temperature can drop fairly quickly and being cold during a picnic does not sound like a ton of fun to me. I didn't want to take any chances, so I picked Bonefish Grill instead. It has nothing to do with pumpkins, but it has Bang Bang Shrimp. That's a great enough reason to steer away from the pumpkin-theme for just a wee bit.
I kept the entire date a secret from Chris. I even drove the whole time, so he really didn't have an idea of what we were going. It made it even more fun to completely surprise him! And I enjoyed seeing his face of confusion and his many questions about where we were going next.
Before we headed to dinner, we stopped by a local church who has a huge pumpkin patch. They're not on a vine, but they have a ton of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes available to pick off the crates, and that's about as close as you can get to it around here. It's usually crowded on most nights leading up to Halloween, but there's always a ton of pumpkins available to buy.
Until we went.
I'm guessing they stock up their crates once on Saturdays, the day after we went. There were still a bunch of pumpkins, just not the selection I was hoping for. No worries though! We still found us two pumpkins :)
After we purchased our pumpkins, I then drove us over to Bonefish, where we had an awesome dinner. It was so nice to be able to sit across from Chris and just talk. There was no TV, no laundry, no dinner to cook. Just the two of us with all the time in the world to enjoy each other's company. But the restaurant does not have all the time in the world too, so we ended up leaving about an hour or so later.
After we finished dinner, we headed back to the house to carve our pumpkins. Earlier that day, I had gone to Wal-Mart and Kroger to get all of our supplies, plus some ingredients for a couple of desserts that I was going to make (more details on that coming up!). I wanted to have as much as possible done ahead of time, so that way I could just focus on Chris and our time together.
It took us quite a while to carve our pumpkins, but I think they turned out great! We had a great time laughing and cutting up with each other too. I think that's what made it so fun - not the pumpkins and carving out our masterpieces, but just, once again, spending that undivided attention with each other.
I never knew how much I would cherish those moments of undivided attention with my husband.
Once we finally finished our pumpkins, I got out the LED lights I had bought to put into them. Only then did I see that they each needed a 9V battery that was NOT included. So annoying. So, real candles it was! And I think they turned out super cute :)
Chris's is on the left, mine is on the right. Aren't they awesome?!
Once we cleaned up the guts and the utensils, I then brought out the desserts I had baked earlier! I was super ambitious with this date.
Before Chris got home and we started our date, I had baked a Caramel Apple Cobbler and a Pumpkin Crunch Cake. I should've only baked one since I still have over half of them in my fridge now, but they looked so good! I altered each recipe a little (I used Sprite instead of butter in the Apple Cobbler and I used 3/4 cup butter and no pecans in the Pumpkin Crunch), but they were still really good.
I also made us some Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate, which was pretty good. I think I may do less pumpkin and more white chocolate next time, just because the pumpkin wasn't quite 'pureed' and I couldn't taste the chocolate. Still good though!
Once I had made the hot chocolate and loaded a plate full of the desserts for us to share, I popped 'It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!' into the DVD player and cuddled up next to Chris. He had never seen it before, which I found it so hard to believe! And since it had to do with pumpkins, I thought it was a perfect way to finish our date. Unfortunately, we were both still full from dinner, yet I was determined to eat some desserts. I probably stretched my tummy a little farther than it should go, but it was super yummy and so worth it.
All in all, I think the date was a huge success. It seemed like Chris really enjoyed it, and I know I had a blast. I don't think it was the pumpkin carving, or even the Bang Bang Shrimp that made it great. It was the simple fact that it was intimate time we could spend together. No work. No interruption. Just us.
I'm so glad we've decided to plan dates for each other throughout the year. At least I know that, for one day/night, he is all mine :)
I'm excited to see what Chris comes up with for next month...
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