Date Night Fun

I came across this on Pinterest and thought it would be a great follow up to my previous post. The girls over at Mom Generations created this list of 101 Things to do with your Husband rather than Watch TV. I love it! There are some great ideas of really fun things that you can do together. I think that this is an important step in keeping a marriage on track – spending time together and having fun doing it. I know that David and I get in ruts and could always use some reminding of different ideas, and this is a great list. Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have other ideas that aren’t included on this list!

Bike ride – around the block or out and about!
Cook together – each taking turns with parts of the recipe
Go to the gym together – I love looking at Matt across the gym, something very comforting about it
Playing crochet – one of my all-time favorite games to play in the backyard
Match socks together – believe it or not, this can be nice to just sit and chat while doing this mindless chore
Plant a garden – my husband’s favorite and dream
Go see a play at a local theatre
Paint a room in your house that you’ve been meaning to re-do
Shopping for something new for you and for him
Scrabble
Head to a vineyard
Long walk around the block – even with the kids
Picnic on the beach
When the kids are in bed, steal the Wii
A game of tennis
Put together a puzzle
Read a book together – I know… I know… but it can be romantic
Put together photo albums of your family
Sit outside and watch the sunset
Cooking class together
Yoga
Head to a coffeeshop and chill out
Day trip to a special location nearby – for us it would be Newport or Cape Cod
Find a band you both like and see if they’re playing anytime soon or nearby. If not, head to a local bar who plays music.
Dancing lessons
Baseball game together – Major or Minor league
Check out a local brewery
Bowling!
House hunting
Head to the zoo (you don’t always have to be with the kids!)
Fishing – something my husband loves trying to get me to do
Canoe ride
Roller blading – we used to do this all the time!
Create a vegetable garden – something we just did at our home
Learn how to play Call of Duty on XBOX
Couple massages
Run a 5K, 10K, 1/2 marathon, marathon together
Volunteer together somewhere special
Create videos for your blog together – if you’re a blogger!
Whale watching
Mini golfing
Real golfing
Play basketball together (or teach her how to play)
Head to the beach and collect sea glass or shells
Monopoly
Recreate your very first date
Dance in the kitchen when the kids are in bed
Head to a flea market
Sit by the fire
Go camping (Matt would have to pay me)
Learn to play an instrument together
Play frisbee
Redo your bedroom together – new sheets, new arrangement of furniture, hang photos, etc
When it’s raining, run outside and kiss in the rain!
Free movies in the park
Walk around the mall hand in hand
Have a fondue night
Kayaking
Make chocolate chip cookies from scratch together
Head to the batting cages
Go-cart racing!
Head out on a boat ride
Head to a car dealer and test drive cars you’ve been dying to check out for you and your family
Strawberry/Blueberry/Apple picking – depending on the season
Movie night outside on an old school projector
Sit and watch your wedding video together
Make a family tree
Spend the night at a local B&B
Go hiking
Head to a local museum
Fitness class together
Make your own sundaes
Go ice skating
Find a place where you can do a dinner boat or a dinner train!
Make your own sushi
Lay in your backyard and look up at the stars
Go horseback riding
Find a local art exhibit
Swim in the ocean
If you have a hot tub, jump in!
Head to an amusement park
Go zip-lining!
Create something for your kids and surprise them – blanket fort, pillow fortress, LEGO cave, etc!
Make a cake
Dress up all fancy and head out to dinner, it doesn’t matter if it’s just for the fun of it
Create a vision board of goals and dreams you both have for your lives ahead
Clean out and organize the garage, your basement or your attic
Go to church together
Make breakfast and eat it in bed
Plant a tree
Create a special space outdoors for the summer
Go to a planetarium
Watch a fireworks display
Take a bubble bath together
Create a scavanger hunt for each other of clues that only the 2 of you would know and understand
Visit a local animal shelter if you’re looking to adopt a new pet
Take a karate class
Whitewater rafting
Head to the casino
Make breakfast together in the morning
Head to a water park

17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?

Some of these have been really hard for me, but this one was easy for me. The #1 thing that I want to be great at is being a great wife (a mother some day too, but one step at a time!!).
I am very thankful that the Lord blessed me with David as my partner in life. It is so neat to look back at the steps that brought me to him. It definitely wasn't always easy and didn't always make sense at the time, but it is clear that I was where I needed to be in order to meet the one that He made for me!

Truthfully, though, marriage is one of the scariest things to me. I don't even want to begin to try to count the number of marriages that I have seen fall apart during my life time. I'm not talking celebrities and politicians, I am talking about family members, friends, and church members. I'm talking about marriages that I thought were solid and were built on a solid foundation.

I'm going to do a combo here and combine this one with # 26 on the list - What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong. I feel like the world (especially the US) has a completely wrong view of marriage. In previous generations, marriage was for life - good or bad, rich or poor, in sickness and in health. Now it seems like people are bailing when things get too rough. Don't get me wrong. I know that there are some instances in which divorce is ok, even the Bible says so. I am not talking about those cases. Well, actually I kind of am. Not only are people bailing, but they are also wandering from the bonds of marriage. Marriage is not sacred any more - to those in a marriage and those outside of a marriage. It amazes me how many people could care less about the commitment that was made between two people AND GOD. I don't know the actual statistics (and I'm not really that great with numbers anyway) but I know that a LOT of marriages are coming to a tragic end because of infidelity. Sadly, this is true inside the church about as much as outside of the church. Extramarital affairs, pornography, prostitution are all stealing the lives of men and women every day. They leave people feeling neglected, unworthy, unlovable, and alone.

Which brings me back to the one thing that I hope I can be great at. I want to be a great wife. I want to take care of David. I want to encourage him. I want to be there for him when he needs me. I want to uplift him. I want to make him feel comfortable. I want to make him feel special. I want to make him feel honored. I want to make him feel cherished. I want to show him what a godly marriage truly can be. I want to love David so much that he would never even consider looking to someone else.

On the flip side...I don't want to nag him. I don't want to discourage him. I don't want to put him down. I don't want to turn him away. I don't want to neglect him. I don't want to make him feel unworthy or dishonored. I don't want him to EVER turn away and be tempted, even for a minute!

Am I that kind of wife? Not nearly enough. I won't lie. I nag. I discourage. I put down. I don't show love like I should. I can assure you, though, that thanks to the Holy Spirit, I know when I do those things. I feel crummy. It eats at me until I ask for forgiveness. I think that means I am at least learning to be a good wife. I know I am not perfect and I never will be, but I sure hope that I can at least continue to learn from my mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and make those same mistakes less.

That's my goal - to be a good wife to David.
**And like I said, one day, to be a great mom! =)

Mikey, Mikey

The time has FINALLY come!!! After 7 LONG months, Mike is finally home from Afghanistan!!

He has passed the torch on to some other guys in his company and returned home to begin his work at the office in DC. I know he can’t share all that he saw and did while he was gone, but I can’t wait to hear the stories that he will have to share. Hopefully there will be some good ones that I can share with y’all too!! I know that the camera he operated was used (and will be used) to help the soldiers as they continue to fight there in Afghanistan. I am very proud of him and his work!!

I am also very proud of Mir. She has been such a trooper while he was gone. Truthfully, I think she did much better than anyone (including herself) thought that she would. Although she was trooper while he was gone, she is SO glad to have him back!

After 7 months, they were so glad to be able to share this reunion at the airport in Raleigh this morning…

Continue to pray for them. They still need to sell their house so that Mir can join Mike in DC permanently. Right now, he will continue commuting to DC in the week and back to Raleigh on the weekends.

16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?

Working on this post has made me realize that I am not a very accomplished person, at least not of big accompishments. Oh well, there's still time to do more, right?!

5 Greatest Accomplishments

• Finishing School

All of them - Blossomwood Elementary, Christian Heritage Academy, Central High School, Lakeside High School, and North Greenville College.

• Not only did I finish school, but I graduated both high school and college with honors.

Oh yeah, and I was in Sigma Tau Delta - the English Honor Society at NGC. *Don't hate! Not everyone was in that cool club!!

• Marrying a good, Christian guy

You all know by now that I LOVE my hubby!! I am thankful that God made us for one another and brought us together at the perfect time!

• Not getting pregnant before marriage, not being addicted to drugs, and not becoming an alcoholic

This may sound crazy, but in looking at some people that I went to school with, I really do feel like this is an accomplishment. The world that we live in teaches a much different message, and I am glad that I was taught to go against the flow and live above all of that junk.

• Not killing or seriously injuring anyone.

Seriously, if you knew some of the people that I know, you would know that this is a MAJOR accomplishment!!

Well, there you have it. I know, it is pretty pathetic! The only thing that makes this tolerable is knowing that I *hopefully* have a lot of life left so that I can accomplish a whole lot more!

Saturday Fun

That’s affirmative…two more off the ole Bucket List!! 

We went on a little road trip with Savannah and John Lewis up to Dollywood on Saturday.

We hit it right during the BBQ and Blue Grass Festival which was pretty fun. We enjoyed some good ole BBQ for lunch, rode some roller coasters, watched the Willis Clan perform, and had a great time.

Call us rednecks, but we love going up there for the day. It is nice to be able to get out of town, even for a little while. It really makes you feel like you took a break and did something fun, espeically when we are with friends!

 Me and David

 Me and Savannah

 Savannah and John Lewis

 The four of us on the trolley back to the car

David and the classic Sevier County Police car

On the way home, we made our famous Mellow Mushroom and Marble Slab stop. Those stops contradict all the hard work that we do at the gym each week, but I guess it is kind of good to cheat every now and then, right?! 

We are very glad to have some friends that love to pick and go like we do. If they would hurry up and tie the knot, we'd make these day trips into weekend trips which will be even more fun!!

Shout out to the Best Sister in Law in the Whole Wide World

I know there is a lot of bad stigma when it comes to In-Laws, so I thought I’d give a special shout out to my Sister in Law, Crystal. I LOVE her!! We have the best time when we are together. Not only do we have fun, but we are able to talk about anything. It is so nice to talk to have someone that truly understands you, lets you speak freely, doesn’t judge you, and doesn’t tell anyone. Plus, she gives good, solid, biblical advice. I love that about her!!

We try to meet up for dinner fairly regularly, but with both of our crazy schedules (combined with our family schedules) we don’t get to do it nearly enough! When I mentioned going out with her the other day, a friend of mine told me that she didn’t think she and her sister-in-law had ever been to dinner, just the two of them. I’m thankful that we are able to and like to do that! Whenever we go out, we try to think of places outside the ordinary, either to eat or hang out at.

Last week we were able to meet at the Liberty Tap Room for dinner to celebrate her birthday (that was the week before! I told you we were busy!). The food there was EXCELLENT!! I will definitely be going back, and if you are in the Greenville area, I highly recommend it. Crystal and I split the BBQ Chicken Pizza (with Gouda, Bor!) and had a salad. It was really good, but I can’t wait to try some of the other stuff they have there – too much good stuff to choose from!!

I love having her so close since my sisters are so far away (and getting further away!). I love that we can just hang out and be ourselves – no strings attached. I love that she loves to have fun and try new things. I love that she understands me. I love that she encourages me. I love that she is a great sounding board when I just need to talk.

Basically, I just LOVE her, can you tell?!

My Answers

I'm so glad that so many of you wanted to play The Question Game with me! Although the Blog version was fun, I promise you it is so much more fun in person! We'll have to play the next time we are together! And who knows...maybe we'll play again here in Reb's World.

I love reading all of your answers, but I realized I didn't share mine. So, here they are...

1.    What is your favorite color?  BLUE

2.    What is your favorite shape?  OVAL

3.    What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  YELLOW BRICK ROAD (even though they don't make it anymore!)

4.    Shoes or Barefooted?  BAREFOOTED

5.    Cake or Pie?   CAKE

6.    Half Full or Half Empty?  FULL

7.    Seatbelt - yes or no?  YES

8.    What is your favorite type of movie?  COMEDY

9.    What is your favorite sport to watch?  COLLEGE FOOTBALL (WAR EAGLE!!)

10.  What is your favorite sport to play?  SOFTBALL

11.  Shorts or Pants?  SHORTS

12.  Hard or Soft?  HARD

13.  Coke or Pepsi?  COKE

14.  Knuckle Popper – yes or no?  YES

15.  What is your favorite fruit?  PINEAPPLE

16.  What is your favorite dinosaur?  BRONTOSAURUS

17.  What is your favorite reality TV show?  SURVIVOR

18.  Skim, 2%, or Whole Milk?  SKIM

19.  Up or Down?  UP

20.  Right Handed or Left Handed?  RIGHT

21.  Virgin Hair – yes or no?  YES

22.  What is your favorite holiday?  CHRISTMAS

23.  What is your favorite drink?  BLUE KOOLAID

24.  What is your favorite animal noise?  BOB WHITE

25.  Black or Blue?  BLACK

26.  Hair – short or long?  LONG

27.  Foreign or Domestic?  FOREIGN

28.  Coffee – yes or no?  YES

29.  What is your favorite sea creature?  SEA TURTLE

30.  Beach or Mountains?  BEACH

Does anyone have any questions, they would like to ask? Feel free!