Just one more reason why my husband is incredible!!!

So, once a week, as a way of staying comitted to our relationship, Brian and I do "US" nights. We comitt to doing something just for us after the kids go to sleep. Because finances are tight, we try to get creative around the house. It could be turning off the TV and having a beer and talking, playing a board game, getting and neighbor to sit with the kids so we could go for a walk ( in warmer weather), making popcorn and renting a movie, etc. Sometimes, we even get a babysitter but mostly, we just stay home. We switch off each week who the planner of the event is.

Well, yesterday was US night and Bri was planning. Since we have 23 people coming to our home for an early Thanksgiving dinner and our house and kitchen are already destroyed, I assumed we would be staying close and doing something really simple. BUT NO!!!! My hubby called at 2:30 to tell me he had been doing some research and we were going out!!!

We left Monticello at 4:15 and arrived at my parents house for FREE babysitting at 4:45PM! We then headed to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on the U of I campus where every Thursday at 5PM, they have FREE live entertainment and wine tasting! It was wonderful!

You get to sample three different wines and then partake in this huge spread of grapes and crackers and cheeses and pretzels. We had a blast! We sat at a tiny bistro table and took turns going back and forth to the wine table and the snack station. We talked about our day, watched the swarms of people who also loved this event, and just relaxed! it was trememdous!
Then, we had a $25 giftcard to Fridays ( thanks G-ma Fulton) so we headed there for dinner and this amazing dessert called brownie explosion). With a few extra bucks to cover the dessert and tip, we had one of our best date nights ever for $9!!!!! We were back to my parents house by 6:45PM!

"US" nights have been one of our favorite additions to our crazy life- a necessity for a family like ours who is always doing and going and running on empty. These nights remind us that our love and our comittment to each other must always come first and allows us to refuel and remember the countless reasons we fell in love and call each other best friends!