An Unusual Date Night

Since Seth is the Young Men's president and I am the 2nd counselor in the Young Women's presidency, we both have to be at our ward's youth activities each week. I don't say this to complian as I am grateful that we both fulfill our callings in the same block of time, but it is still another night of the week that we don't get to see each other at all (bringing that total to 4 on a really good week when he isn't busy doing homework the other 3). But, the first week of the month brings a happy surprise - a combined activity! That means for a couple of hours we get to do something together - even if there are a bunch of teenagers and often our kids, with us. Last night, our combined activity was especially great because Seth's family watched the kids and our activity started early and went late - not to mention that it involved dinner, shopping and Temple Square lights. That probably sounds like a pretty pathetic date night to most of you, but sometimes you just take what you can get!

In a way it takes me back to our dating days. We really didn't go on many "dates" (in fact I could probably count our official dates over the entire year and a half we dated on two hands) but we spent a lot of time doing fun things together with a lot of other people, juggling the responsibility for the success of the activity and usually as the only ones in a "relationship". As we spent time together doing service projects, finding unique and inexpensive ways to have fun and reaching out to others, we grew even closer as we found time for each other amidst it all. I could certainly be better about that now, after 5 years of marriage and mothering 2 kids! I am grateful for the calling I had then and for the one I have now and even more grateful to share the joy of serving with my sweet hubby!