Day 9: At Home Paris Date Night

I love my husband.  I love dating him.  With three kids, sometimes it's hard to get out of the house on an official "date."  This is why I love the idea of at-home date nights.  Don't get me wrong, I like to be taken out on the town, just like any other girl, but this is a nice alternative if babysitting is lacking or it's raining and you just feel like being cozy with your hubby.

Troy's birthday gift:  A year of dates!

In August, my husband turned 40.  I wanted to do something unique and special for his birthday.  With the help of Pinterest, I came across the idea of giving him a year of dates.  The blogger (Find Joy in the Journey) who first posted about this did one date night a month.  I decided to do two---one at-home and one away from home date each month.  It was a lot of work to pre-plan and pull this together, but it was so much fun.  And, here we are, months later, still having fun with this gift!

Our candlelit dinner.

An extra dinner guest showed up.

January's at-home date night was Paris Movie Night.  The "date" really started with the kids awake.  I put my PJs on and when Troy came home from work I handed him his PJs to get comfortable.  I then took him into the kitchen and treated him to a candlelit dinner of tomato soup and cheese and bell pepper paninis while the kids watched Curious George in the living room.  Of course, we had Owen visiting us throughout dinner, but it still was romantic.  We then had a "PJ dance party" with the kids so we could wear them out and send them to bed.  Oh, yes, I had fun at the dance party, but it served many purposes!  We sent them to bed and the "date night" continued!   I made chocolate fondue and we watched Charade, which is one of my favorite movies that takes place in Paris.  We had so much fun and the fondue was a very special treat!  We went somewhat healthy with what we dipped---strawberries, marshmallows (only 2!), graham crackers (only 2---and natural ones at that!), and some clean eating cookie dough bites, which will be tomorrow's post.  We drank orange flavored mineral water out of a wine class, lit candles, and sat fireside to enjoy our fondue.  As I said, SO MUCH FUN!

Dance party---wearing the kids (and the parents) out!

The Paris-themed movie

Fireside Fondue

Us!

I have really enjoyed dating my husband.  All the ideas on Pinterest are a great help to get creative and cheap ideas!  Please visit my "30 Days of Pinterest" board to see all the ideas!

Dates with my Hubby!

November 24

Thankfulness Day 24

Today Michael and Genevieve so kindly watched our kids so Troy and I could go out to breakfast.  I am thankful that I still get to date my husband!  It has been such a privilege to get to know him over the years as he has become a husband to me, and a father to my three children.  I still love finding out new things about him, even though I know so much already.  I love the times when we get to hold each other's hands!   That does not happen when we are out with kids, naturally! :)  I am thankful for the people (you know who you are!) who watch out kids so Troy and I can date!

24 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 3

I'm thankful for my husband who let me sleep in this morning because Owen was up and down most of the night.  Usually I get up and make his breakfast and lunch and see him off with a kiss.  After last night, he suggested I stay in bed.  Sleepless nights are difficult, but its mornings like those, and that graciousness displayed, that makes those mornings a bit easier to swallow.

It's been 7 years since Troy first said "I love you" to me and since then, we have experienced what love truly means.  I am so thankful for our marriage in which I can honestly say I enjoy.  I am more in love with this man than I was 7 years ago.  He is hard working, patient, gracious, funny, creative, tenderhearted, and, on top of all that, an amazing father.  I am thankful for the man God has molded him into.  Thank you, God, for this precious gift of a husband you have given me!

Our First Date

Troy and I went on our first date since having three kids on my birthday last month.  Our friend and neighbor, Mendy, was nice enough to watch all three kids!  We went out at Jackson and Madelyn's nap time and saw Midnight in Paris and did a little mall shopping.  It was so nice to get out and actually be able to hold my husband's hand!  All in all, it was a great date and a great birthday.

5 Wonderful Years!

5 years...Then and Now

A few weeks ago, on July 2, Troy and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. Seriously, I have no idea where the time has gone! I in no way deserve the amazing husband that God has blessed me with, but I so extremely thankful for him! I remember when our wedding day was drawing near and a few people would say to us, "Oh! You are getting married. (Insert snide laugh here) Just wait. Your lives will NEVER be the same!" or they would say something a long the lines of, "Get ready...the 'ol ball and chain!" To those folks who gave us that "advice," I beg to differ! Yes, marriage is hard work, but the pleasure and joy that comes from a good marriage is WELL worth the "work!" We don't tie each other down (or weigh each other down, like a ball and chain would), we strive to lift each other up---spiritually, emotionally, and even physically---i.e. keeping each other from eating that extra scoop of ice cream! :) When we first started dating, we had one goal in mind, namely, to strive glorify God more together than we could apart. I still am reminded of how good of a goal that is to keep! Sometimes, when we are in the midst of sleepless night with kids, mounds of laundry, a sink full of dishes, bills to pay, and a social life to balance, its hard to keep that perspective. But, in the end, it pays off!

I love my wonderful husband. God has given him a such a caring spirit, a tender heart, a keen sense of humor, and an amazing ability to communicate (which helps in the marriage!). Troy has an incredible sense of joy, rooted in Christ, and he has such an immense love for the kids and myself. I am so thankful for these last 5 years, and look forward to many, many more years of marital bliss! I'm sure, with God's grace, it will only get better from here!

For our anniversary get away, we left the kids with my mom and sister (THANKS A MILLION!) and headed to our favorite place---the beach. We got an unbelievable deal on an ocean front hotel room in Huntington Beach at The Shorebreak Hotel. The room was amazing. We just had to open our sliding door and there was the pier and the Pacific ocean staring back at us. The people at the hotel were very friendly. They even gave us a homemade card with the staff's signature and chocolate covered strawberries for our anniversary. They also gave us free Chardonnay, made a wine cooler for me, and gave us free water (the nice kind---in a glass bottle!). Seriously, folks. This is the place to stay! It was extremely relaxing, just the rejuvenation I've been needing for quite some time! We also went to Duke's and shared a Hula Pie for desert (YUM!). After spending a night at the beach, we headed to lunch and to see Knight and Day. All in all, we had a wonderful time! We need to do that more often!

We arrived to find this thoughtful card and these delicious chocolate covered strawberries!
The view from our bed.My complimentary wine cooler. Don't worry. I only had a few sips, so I avoided getting a migraine! Me and my guy relaxing!On the pier.
Our view from our table at Duke's. Beautiful!
Mmmm. Hula Pie!
Our breakfast on the balcony: Strawberry Kefir, Bagels with cream cheese, and fruit!
We loved our room!View from our balcony!

Date Night

Last week, Troy and I got some much needed time alone. We left a sleeping baby girl and a fussy little boy (temporarily satisfied with a Happy Meal) at home with the in-laws and headed to Chick-fil-a and the movies. We sat in Chick-fil-a's outdoor seating. The mild fall night air was wonderful, and most importantly, it was peaceful. We had nice adult conversation over sandwiches, waffle fries and sweet tea (and a side salad, if you must know!).

Next, we went to see Julie & Julia. I haven't seen a movie in the theaters since "UP" at the end of May. Needless to say, I didn't want to waste my time on any bad movies. I was so glad we decided to see Julie & Julia! We really enjoyed ourselves, and I walked out of the theater feeling like cooking a really good roast and giving my husband big, long kiss. There was a lot of cooking and romance in the movie. It was a very pro-marriage movie. Julie & Julia showed the good, the not-so-good, and the simply realistic side of new and older marriages. And there wasn't any shortage of mouth-watering footage of good food!

Overall, Troy and I had a wonderful time to ourselves. I have seen the importance of alone time (aka without kid time) with my husband. I honestly can say that each time I go on a date with my hubby, I feel our love is a bit renewed and refreshed! I also discovered that going out without the kids renews my love for them as well. I come home from date nights feeling that I can handle the somewhat sleepless nights and extremely busy days with a little more sanity!

Oh, and by the way, does anybody have a good recipe for Beef Bourguignon?

I love him...

It has been exactly 5 years since Troy first told me that he loved me. I recently found an excerpt from my journal about how much I loved him, written a few weeks before we actually told each other, "I love you." It reads:

...There are so many things I love about him and I am going to attempt to list some of them. I love the way he holds me in his arms. I love the way he prays almost every time we say goodbye. He prays that above all, our relationship would glorify God. I love the way he calls me beautiful. I love the way he looks into my eyes as if nothing else exists at that moment. I love the way he desires to learn more about God. I love the way he puts his arm around me every chance he gets. I love the way we both can talk about our faults. I love him. I think I seriously do. And I think he loves me.

Reading this little bit out of my journal reminded me of how good it felt to be newly in love. The romance of it all is incredible, isn't it? It also was a challenge for me to cherish those same things about Troy---to not take them for granted. It may be five years and two kids later, but that love is still there, and it is stronger than the day we first said "I love you." I have to admit, though, I sometimes forget how nice it is to ALWAYS be able to hold Troy's hand in public, or for him to always be able to have his arms around me. That isn't possible, for the most part, with two kids in tow. I want to remember to take every opportunity I can to hold his hand or put my arm around him, even if it is just while sitting on the couch watching TV, or for a moment before we get the kids out of the car.

I will also admit that I think I can get into a rut of saying "I love you." I will say it, and I mean it, but I may not think about it because saying that to Troy now comes so naturally. So, tonight, when Troy gets home from work, I am going to look him in the eyes, like nothing else exists ---no kids, no chores, no to-do list, just him and I---just for a moment, and tell him wholeheartedly that I love him.

4 Years of Bliss!

July 2 was our 4th anniversary! We both decided this would be a great oppurtunity for us to take a night away from Jackson (I had never done that before). Michael and Geneveive came to our place and stayed with Jackson overnight. Although he ended up going to sleep around 12am in between then in our bed (he wouldn't stay in his crib), and, reportedly kicked Michael in his sleep all night long (sorry about that!), it turned out good. Jackson had a lot of fun with his "Mike and T(ia)" who took him swimming and when to see the ducks down the street, while Troy and I had a lot of fun spending much needed time together watching the sunset on Newport beach and staying in the Ayres Suites. I enjoyed the R&R so much that I think we need to do this again REALLY SOON!

On that note, Troy, my amazing husband, who I enjoy spending time with so much and love even more than the day we got married, is such a blessing to me. The thing I love about him most is his genuine love for Christ. Because that love is so real, it resounds in every aspect of his life, especially in how he loves Jackson and I. I thank the Lord for the man He has made Troy! He finds joy in everything, even the simplist of things! I love that! I have immensely enjoyed these last 4 years of marriage and look forward to many more! Happy (late) Anniversary, my Love!

Speaking of love...Troy got a pedicure with me. We both found it relaxing! Now, that is a REAL man! :)...I don't know if I have a comment for this photo...
My 29 wk pregnant self!After taking pictures of the sunset, we enjoyed shortbread cookies and fresh strawberries! It is was delicious!

Congrats, Alistair & Lizette!!!

Photo by Marlin Munoz Photography

Our friends (and neighbors....yay!!!) Alistair and Lizette were married last Friday. The wedding was beautiful, the cake was delicious, and the photographer was absolutely, amazingly talented! Most of all, though, it was a wonderful blessing to see how happy Alistair and Lizette are together! They are both, by the grace of God, amazing people and I'm sure they will glorify God in their marriage! Congratulations, Alistair and Lizette! We are so glad that we got to share in this experience with you! We love you guys!

By the way, if you want to view the "absolutely, amazingly talented photographer's" photos, visit Marlin Munoz Photography's blog. Once again, great job, Marlin!

Happy, Happy, Happy Anniversary!

Troy and I celebrated 3 years of marital bliss a couple of days ago (July 2). I can't believe it has been 3 years!!! I guess time flies when you are having fun! To celebrate, we went down to Duke's at Huntington Beach and then we walked on the Pier. It was great fun being with my hubby! I love him so much! He is waaaay more than I could've asked for in a husband! Here are some pictures from our date!

This is the GIANT Hula Pie that Duke's gave us for free being it was our Anniversary! It was sooo good!

SLEEP S.O.S!

The time has come. I can't go much longer without sleeping next to my husband! Jackson must go to sleep in his crib. There is nothing that can put a damper on intamacy in marriage like a child sleeping in between you and your husband. We are looking into the "Cry it Out" method that has gotten some bad publicity, but it really isn't as bad as it sounds. It doesn't involve you leaving your child in his/her crib to cry with the door shut. This article on BabyCenter.com sums the method up nicely. What do you all think of this method? Does it work? Is there another method we can try?

We have tried putting Jackson in the Bassinet, but with no avail. If he sleeps in it, he will only sleep for a couple hours, and then he won't go back into after a feeding. We are going to move onto the crib. So, with that, I must ask...plea...with all you mothers/fathers who read this blog to comment. Please share your advice, even if you've never left a comment before! We can use all the advice we can get! Also, if you have tried rice cereal with your child to get him/her to sleep through the night, let me know how it has worked out for you!