J is for Just Because

If you're new to the blog and wondering what ABC dating is all about, here is the first post I did to explain it all. Enjoy!

J is for Just Because, 9/1/12

Before Trey and I were married, we received a great piece of advice from someone (I wish I could remember who to give that person credit, but my memory fails me!). We had debated whether or not to register for fine china. I really wanted some, but I also didn't want to spend all that money on something we didn't use much. An older woman (this much I know) told me that her family pulled out their china once a week and used it as a family. This meal was then a special meal, an intentional meal, one that made use of their china and reminded them to slow down and enjoy one another.

Trey and I loved that idea, and we made it a habit of using our china regularly during our first couple years of marriage. When we moved here to Canton, there wasn't a convenient place to put my china, so it is stored in an inconvenient location in our cupboards. Because of that, I got out of the habit of pulling it out. A few weeks ago, I decided to pull it out to fancy up a normal meal with the family. This is what sparked Trey's idea for our "just because" date.

So what is the "just because" date? Well, we pulled out the china, of course, just because! We put Kate to bed, we fixed dinner, we dressed up, and we had a date at home, just because!  Trey lit candles, I wore heals, and I even freshened up my makeup...just because! It was a very romantic and relaxing date.

Let me back up and say, I especially enjoyed this date because it was so simple. We didn't have to arrange for a babysitter. We didn't have to pay for a meal out. We made use of things at home the Lord has blessed us with, like our china. We enjoyed a meal of quiet, putting Kate to bed before the date began, and watched a movie in the comfort of our own home. Nothing is wrong with going out on a fancy date and spending money, of course, but it was just refreshing to be romantic and fancy at home! Well, without further ado, here is our date!

The important thing about "just because" date was teamwork. It didn't just come together; we discussed our plan, divided up the responsibilities, and made it happen! I fed Kate while Trey was at work, and when he got home, I worked on dinner for us while he bathed Kate and got her ready for bed. Here is my sweet girl in the tub while I worked in the kitchen:

She cracked us up this night. After Trey put her in her pajamas, Kate got into her closet and got out her white dress shoes. She cried until he put them on her. I'm thinking she wanted to get dressed up, too, and join us for our date. But we just had to tell her that no babies are allowed on our dates :)

After Trey put Kate to bed about 715 (we love early bedtime for babies!!), he got all dressed up in his slacks and dress shirt. When he was finished, he took over setting the table while I got ready. I came out to a candle lit dinner on the table. Also, we had a cd playing in the background with all sorts of classic love songs to help set the romantic, peaceful mood.

I cooked us a new meal from a Rachel Ray magazine. It is called chip & dip burgers, and it is good! We had an avacado/tomato salsa, black beans, and chips and salsa with our burgers.

We ate our dinner slowly and enjoyed conversation with one another. After dinner, I had the coffee pot ready to be turned on to brew us some delicious decaf coffee. We also had slices of Italian Creme cake and strawberries I'd made the other day.

One drawback to a dinner date at home is that there is no waiter to clean up after you. After dessert, we quickly cleaned the kitchen, changed into our pjs, and snuggled on the couch to watch a movie. We did let the dogs in after dinner, as you can tell in the picture below.

Thanks for stopping by. I'd love to hear if anyone else is trying their own version of ABC dating!