Our annual fancy Christmas date night to the Angus Barn is one of our very favorite traditions every year and is an evening that we look forward to with great excitement! It’s where Rob and I do our family “end of year review” and talk about our hopes, goals, and dreams for the year ahead. We also celebrate all of the good from the year, which is abundant – especially when you look for it.

The Angus Barn (where we had our rehearsal dinner and also where we’ve celebrated many milestones!) is decked to the nines with every inch covered in sparkling Christmas decor, and it’s a very special & celebratory spot for a delicious meal together. It’s a favorite spot any time of the year, but it’s especially magical at Christmastime with all of the festive decor and the holiday spirit. Rob and I have been doing an annual year-end date night and dreaming-up-the-year-ahead dinner since we were first married almost five years ago, and this evening is one of the highlights of every year. Carving out a dedicated time to reflect with one another and look forward together is so important for our marriage and for our family life. While, of course, you can do this at home just as easily, there’s something very special about making a dinner reservation, dressing up for a date night (I wore heels, curled my hair, & put on lipstick for the first time in so long!), and enjoying a long and leisurely meal outside of your normal routine. It’s definitely cause for celebration!

Some of the questions that Rob and I talk through and discuss include:

• What did we do well this year? What were our best moments & memories, and why were they so special?
• How can we love each other better?
• Where did we struggle this year? What were the hardest parts?
• What are our goals as a couple? What are our individual goals?
• How can we give and serve more next year?
• Where do we want to travel in 2022? How do we want to celebrate our 5th anniversary?
• What new things do we want to try, what adventures do we want to have, and what traditions do we want to continue or start next year?
• What are our biggest hopes for the next year?
• What about our life now do we most want to preserve and carry with us into the new year?

Of course, we’re certainly not the first couple to have a dedicated end of year date night! We were inspired many years ago by my dear friend Emily (some of these questions are ones she and her husband use!!) and some other couples, and what a blessing it has been to have so many wise and wonderful people walk before us and beside us in life and in marriage. My hope is that you and your spouse or significant other may be even a little inspired to carve out a dedicated time to have deep, honest, and fruitful conversations about the past year or season and where you’re headed together. It’s so important to date your spouse and to prioritize your marriage, and having honest conversations about life, marriage, hopes, and dreams can be life-changing. Having this special and celebratory time together to focus on our marriage and family is so wonderful!

What a fun and sweet night it was with my absolute favorite guy, and I can’t wait to see how the coming years unfold for us. While we never know for certain what the coming months and years will hold, we look ahead with great hope and expectation!