Free Date

I can tell when our lives are getting too busy around here: I start feeling the need for a date with my man, no kiddos to see after for a few hours. That feeling was creeping up on me last week so I planned a surprise date for us just a few minutes from home. Mom and my sister agreed to watch all four kids for us for a couple of hours.

It went wonderfully and Matt really didn't figure out where we were going. I rarely get anything past him, so it was very satisfying. :) I asked a sweet couple from church if Matt and I could come swim tonight and then got busy preparing for our night out.

As far as he knew it was going to be a home-date where we would eat a meal here and then play pool while listening to some smooth jazz and enjoy being together. When I'd begun making the plans, the forecast on Yahoo said it was supposed to be stormy, and I had not gotten in touch with the pool-owners at the time, so I really had planned on a home date. But the weather cleared and I got all the details taken care of. I put his swimming trunks out on the bed before he came home then texted him and said his attire for the evening was layed out on the bed. He checked the bedroom when he got home and laughed as he said, "We're going swimming?" We have a little kiddie pool we get in sometimes, but it is green with algae right now. I grinned a said, "We're going OUT!" I took the kids to Mam's then hurried back and we loaded up. He thought he'd figured out where we were going and began calculating how much actual swim time we would have since the drive (he supposed) would be an hour round trip. I played along, but just knew he'd figure out he was wrong by my laughing. He didn't, and it got funnier and funnier to me.

The pool is at a beautiful home. Brick steps lead from the upper patio down to the pool, there are flower beds all around, lights, a fountain, shade trees, and they even had smooth jazz playing for us through their outdoor speakers. I'd mentioned to the wife when I was first asking about coming that I planned to bring our laptop so we could listen to jazz, and during a later call she said they could just play it through the speakers from the satellite radio in the house.

So we swam, played on the rafts and pool noodles,laughed and acted silly, actually had some conversation, sometimes got out and ate the Mexican dip and chips or all kinds of fruit from the platter I'd brought, and held hands while we floated on rafts listening to some relaxing music. A storm started rolling in about 7:30, so we packed up and headed home after a wonderful hour-and a half of being together. The couple invited us to come anytime we'd like, and to bring the kids too.

It was great to squeeze this in between a busy work/school week this past week and tree-cutting for fireweood at a friend's house tomorrow.

As he was going to bed tonight I knew our basically-free date had been a success when he smiled and told me, "You can do this again anytime you want." :) Hmmm. I think I feel the need for another date coming on. :)