Derek and I got to experience something we don't normally have the opportunity to...date night!
Thanks to one of our second families, the Clarks, we had an entire evening to ourselves as the kiddos had their first non-family sleepover. And boy was it nice!
It started with me coming home, after dropping off the kiddos, to a beautiful $4.99 bouquet of flowers. Yeah. You read that right. Derek knows the discounted Kroger bouquets are appreciated much more than something more superfluous by this frugal gal.
We went to a new-to-us restaurant, The Red Pony, and enjoyed every savory bite of our two hour meal as we chatted away. (No toddler talk, people! I didn't have to ask anyone if they had to go potty. I didn't have to bribe my dinner partner to finish his delicious roasted beets or melt-in-your-mouth blue cheese and sweet corn risotto. And I didn't have to wipe anyone's fingers or face with a baby wipe when we were all through!)
But before all that, as we were getting ready to leave our (very quiet) house, I looked at Derek and asked him, hopeful of his answer, "What car are we taking?"
He looked at me. Smiled. Chuckled.
"The van, of course."
Relief.
We hopped in and were off, like two giggly teenagers on a first date. And it hit me... my how life has changed...
Instead of hoping my date picks me up in something shiny and fast, I'm thrilled we're riding in the Swagger Wagon. Instead of choosing between a Dooney & Burke or Louis Vuitton, I'm lessening the load of my purse by taking out unneeded matchbox cars and crayons.
As our lives change, so do our concepts of contentment.
There is very little I need to be happy. My God. My family. My friends. The rest is just...stuff. And what's the value of all our stuff, really?
Not much, says this frugal gal.
(Well...except baby wipes. Those things are worth their weight in gold when you have two toddlers 13-months apart!)
Thanks to one of our second families, the Clarks, we had an entire evening to ourselves as the kiddos had their first non-family sleepover. And boy was it nice!
It started with me coming home, after dropping off the kiddos, to a beautiful $4.99 bouquet of flowers. Yeah. You read that right. Derek knows the discounted Kroger bouquets are appreciated much more than something more superfluous by this frugal gal.
We went to a new-to-us restaurant, The Red Pony, and enjoyed every savory bite of our two hour meal as we chatted away. (No toddler talk, people! I didn't have to ask anyone if they had to go potty. I didn't have to bribe my dinner partner to finish his delicious roasted beets or melt-in-your-mouth blue cheese and sweet corn risotto. And I didn't have to wipe anyone's fingers or face with a baby wipe when we were all through!)
But before all that, as we were getting ready to leave our (very quiet) house, I looked at Derek and asked him, hopeful of his answer, "What car are we taking?"
He looked at me. Smiled. Chuckled.
"The van, of course."Relief.
We hopped in and were off, like two giggly teenagers on a first date. And it hit me... my how life has changed...
Instead of hoping my date picks me up in something shiny and fast, I'm thrilled we're riding in the Swagger Wagon. Instead of choosing between a Dooney & Burke or Louis Vuitton, I'm lessening the load of my purse by taking out unneeded matchbox cars and crayons.
As our lives change, so do our concepts of contentment.
There is very little I need to be happy. My God. My family. My friends. The rest is just...stuff. And what's the value of all our stuff, really?
Not much, says this frugal gal.
(Well...except baby wipes. Those things are worth their weight in gold when you have two toddlers 13-months apart!)
3 comments:
This is such a cool and heartfelt post! I found your blog via #shereadstruth on Twitter. So excited to be following along. Your heart for Jesus and for grace is very evident in you blog.
Alesha <3
Thank you, friend! What a blessing #SheReadsTruth has been to connect us to women we otherwise might not have. Looking forward to following you!!
I definitely know where you are coming from! My wife and I are 2 years into a church plant in Mt. Juliet and we have 5 kids. Life's an adventure with God!
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