Date Nights

Sweet Russell has surprised me TWICE with date nights since we've been in our new home. The first was last Saturday night, just two days after we arrived. Russell came home with yummy dessert - Blue Bell pints of The Great Divide and Butter Pecan - and a movie, which was a sweet, true story {I cried but enjoyed the movie! What a sweet love story, and I appreciate that it's TRUE! I recommend the movie...what a fascinating story!}

Then, this passed Friday, Russell was OFF from training! That was a wonderful surprise, and it was a great start to a LONG Memorial Day weekend! We went to Aussie Jack's for dinner, which was delicious and another sweet evening together...with Rhys. :)

We shared their signature appetizer - a MOUND of onion strings {before I remembered to pull my camera out, we had already eaten HALF the plate! This may be TMI, but I was burping up onion taste for the rest of the night and, although I enjoyed eating it, I will not be ordering this again! :) I don't like to taste my dinner ALL night long!! :)} Russell ordered the Ribeye steak with potato wedges and fresh greens.

I had to go a bit more aussie-like in ordering the Toowoomba Chicken, a very tender chicken breast, smothered in melted Jack cheese, crisp bacon and sauteed mushrooms, and all of my sides were yummy, too! Rice pilaf, fresh greens, and Rhys was excited to help me eat my meal!

We started him off with the onion strings. Since we needed help entertaining him :), I just offered him some of our appetizer, thinking he'd probably turn down ONION, but he ate it up! The next few diaper changes told us to NEVER feed him fried onion rings/strings UNTIL he is out of diapers! He can deal with that mess when he is older! :)
But he did 'communicate' to us that they were finger-lickin' yummy!! :)

After we got home and Rhys down, Russell surprised me with a movie. Neither of us knew anything about the story line. He just picked it because it was under the genre of romance...for me, of course. :) It was an interesting movie, but I don't recommend it for pregnant, emotional, military wives. I cried my eyes out and couldn't stop thinking about how dificult military life has to be for the soldiers, their spouses and their families! Ugh! Russell and I agreed it wasn't necessarily the movie we would've chosen, had we known what it was about, but we believe that God led him to choose it, and we got to grow through the story.

Russell and I do not get to communicate much during the week, as he leaves sometime in the 4am hour and comes home sometime after 5 or 6pm, which is probably my busiest time with Rhys...feeding him dinner, bathing him, then playing with him, while preparing dinner for me and Russell. Russell has about an hour with Rhys after finishing homework. We put him down together. Then, after we catch up on our personal email and things we need to get done at the end of the day, we're exhausted and ready to crash. We're in bed as early at 8:00/8:30, so communication is sparse. I appreciate that Russell's been so intentional to surprise me with dates nights so that we have time to actually sit, talk, look at and be with each other. So, a BIG THANK YOU to you, Honey! Please keep up the spontaneity!!

And here is a picture of our soldier, just walking in the front door, after a day of training.

We love you, Honey, and we thank you for your commitment to us as your family, as you serve our country!

Happy Memorial Day to all and a BIG THANK YOU to all the veterans and soldiers who have served and are serving US! Thank you and GOD bless you!