I don’t know why but I am just like a school girl with a crush sending love notes via text back and forth in the days leading up to date nights with my husband.  It’s reminiscent of high school…and almost 14 years and 3 babies later he’s still got me giddy in anticipation of spending time with him.  It’s an I’m going to make time to paint doors, trim AND my toe-nails kind of day today!

These dates are certainly few and far between and I make every effort to look my best…which means wearing what he likes…which means flare leg jeans (no skinnies) and no “weird shirts” and absolutely NO lipstick…he hates it…he says it’s because my lips are “the most perfect lips he’s ever seen…the most perfect shape and color”…but it’s also just as much that he doesn’t look very good in lipstick I’m thinking.  I try to chillax throughout the day so I’m not at all stressed and pack the kids ahead of time for Grandpa and Grandma’s house (who are a HUGE blessing because they LOVE to spend time with our kids which is so totally mutual and tomorrow’s post)…and I know it’s funny…but I also think of things to actually talk about with him while we’re out besides being tired, diapers, sibling rivalry and home improvement projects.

How could I not have something to talk to my husband, the love of my life about?  I know it sounds odd but there was one time we actually went out on a much-anticipated, very much looked-forward-to date night and ended up talking about something that ended up making us both feel very disgruntled and it took the entire time and ugh…date night was over and we were on our way home before I knew it!  So…we vowed never to do that again!  No conversations that are negative or annoying or frustrating…a Philippians 4:8 sort of mantra when it comes to date night I guess.   The moments I once took for granted with Nathan are now a precious few.  Not only do I not want them to end, I don’t want to waste them.

The thing is that with Nathan…there’s always something to talk about.  I remember the first time I got into his car when he picked me up for the junior prom and for some odd reason even though I didn’t know him very well I was an open book.  We talked the entire time!  I want date night to be just like that.  I know, I know we’ve been married for almost 10 years but that night was magical…just like it is whenever we’re together…if we don’t let other things get in the way!  There is nothing wrong with talking about our kids and we will most certainly do that tonight because the joy God has overwhelmingly poured into our lives through them makes us want to burst.  But we need to talk about us, too.  Because even though it’s impossible to fathom now, one day the kids won’t be here and it will just be us again!  Just us again…you mean there will come a day we can get in the car and just drive to Grand Haven without worrying about bed times and blankies and sippy cups and “Oh shoot…I forgot the paci!”?  We can sit on the beach for hours, long after the sun has set and listen to the waves crash on the shore and lay in the sand gazing at the stars in wonder of God’s breathtaking creation.  Hmm…sounds blissful…kind-of like high school…but better!

I do so love this season in life, but I can see why God creates many of them throughout the course of our lives.  I know I will miss these babies being babies…but oh what fun the next season will bring…and the one after that…and the one after that!  I also know without a doubt there is no one I would rather go through all of the weather with, rain or shine, than my beloved Nathan.  He’s just the best…both in the calm and the storm.  So I am going to enjoy every moment because I don’t want to miss a thing!

Song of Solomon 2:10-13
My lover spoke and said to me, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”