Date Night

As I mentioned before, the past few weeks have been pretty chaotic.  Paul and I have both been busy with work and other obligations and the kids have had a lot of activities and birthday parties to attend lately.   As parents, Paul and I really strive to make sure that our kids have the opportunity to participate in a lot of fun activities without over scheduling them and negatively impacting our quality family time.  We do the same with our own activities and outside obligations.  In addition to our full-time jobs, we are both part-time graduate students, adjunct college instructors and runners.  So, it can sometimes be difficult to manage it all and make sure that we strike the right balance.  The past couple of weeks have been particularly busy, and our whole family was feeling the strain.  So, tonight we made time for each other.  We ignored the meal plan and the household budget, gathered up some pads and pens, and made our way to our favorite Mexican restaurant for a family date night.

Ben took this picture and it came out really dark, but it's still pretty good for a 2.5 year old

Even though we had to rein the kids in a few times, it was completely worth it.  It was just what our family needed.  Plus, I got to have sangria, which is just what I needed before I start the Clean Food Challenge on Monday.

So, when life gets crazy and overwhelming, make sure you find the time to reconnect with your family.  It doesn't have to be at a restaurant or cost any money.  It just has to be somewhere that your family can spend quality time together (like your living room).

On a totally separate note, these pictures make me realize how much I need a real camera.  My iPhone just isn't cutting it any more.  I guess I better start shopping!