Yay for Date Nights!

Kyler and I enjoyed a rare treat on Friday night - a date! His parents are wonderful, and watch the boys on a myriad of occasions throughout the year, but usually because we have some other function to coordinate, volunteer for, or attend. Seldom do we have the opportunity to use these "child-free" nights just for us. So Friday night was an exceptional little getaway.

Last spring, at the end of my 18-week long-term subbing run, the parents (and students) of the first grade class I taught went in together for a very generous gift card to The Bavarian Inn, a restaurant and hotel in Shepherdstown. (I thought this was so sweet, and very thoughtful, since they did the research to find an extra special place near where we live, rather than near where I taught.) I've only been to the Bavarian once before, when we were treated to a celebratory dinner with Kyler's grandparents and parents just after we were engaged.

Kyler, completely unbeknownst to me, arranged for his parents to watch the boys and made reservations for us to have dinner there on Friday, during the middle of a "seafood festival" they've been advertising during the past two months. The Bavarian is up on a cliff overlooking the Potomac, and our early reservation earned us a table at the window, so we had a spectacular view. It was especially nice not only to go out for dinner, but to order whatever we wanted in (what I consider) a very expensive restaurant! Just wonderful.

Just in case you're wondering, (because I know you are...) we had bread and a crab bisque appetizer (yum!) and I ordered lobster tail stuffed with crab meat and Kyler ordered lump crab cakes. We ended up switching, because the lobster had some horseradishy (like that term?) sauce all mixed into the meat. I'm not much of a sauce person (or many condiments, really) and Kyler very much is, so this worked out well. (Don't worry, he ended up eating one of the crab cakes anyway, so he got some of both.) :)

When dinner was finished, we ran a few errands (how is it that we frequently end up at Wal-Mart on date night? ugh...) and then went home for a movie. We were both pretty tired, so instead opted to cuddle up in front of the computer (we don't have tv, so only occasionally follow a couple of shows that are posted online) for an episode of "Castle." It was a pretty good one (ended in a cliffhanger, though...hate that.)

Just for good measure (and because Mom's been asking nearly every time we talk...) I'll throw in a few pictures from before the date - complete with baby bump. I know I've been rambling on this post; it's late, long weekend, I'm tired. Thanks for reading! :)