#MarriageMonday I don’t know about you, but I am ready for our kids to go back to school! Don’t get me wrong...I love summertime and all the extra time we get to spend with our teenagers. This summer we actually had the best late night patio conversations, talking through serious and silly stuff with the kids. It’s the best part of raising teenagers! But it has made me feel a little more disconnected from Judah. One of the best things I saw my parents do was have a date night every week. Every Friday night my sister and I had a babysitter while our parents went out on a date. I have no idea what they did on those dates but I know they just celebrated 52 years of marriage...and they're actually still in love and still like each other! I think as a kid it must have given us a sense of security knowing that our parents had a relationship outside of us. It must have made some impact on us because Judah and I think our weekly dates are the highlight of our week. We aren’t nearly as regulated as my parents were (we’ve done a lot of day dates recently and honestly not consistently this summer), but knowing we will have a time to connect means so much! Like I said, I can’t wait for the kids to get back to school. Maybe your dates look different-maybe it's putting the kids to bed early and not allowing any more house work. The goal isn't what you do, it's about sitting with your best friend, stopping the chaos of life, and enjoying just being together.