Date nights

Thanks to Keith's mom, we've managed to have numerous date nights since January.   Life is such a blur, that I can't tell you exactly how many there have been, but I can tell you that they were enjoyable. It was good to get out and just talk about us, our plans, dreams, etc. without having to worry about whether Cole was going to make it through the dinner without having a meltdown. The first date night we went on, a couple brought their toddler. Hearing him giggle tugged at my heartstrings and made me miss Cole something fierce.  We learned our lesson and don't go to dinner so early anymore.

Sometimes we plan out our date nights, but more often than not, we're still deciding what to do as we drive off in the car, leaving Carolyn to have endless fun with Cole.  We try new restaurants, we go on walks, we have coffee or tea together, we drink good beer, good wine. But the real advantage is spending time with each other alone, something we can't even do when Cole is asleep because the monitor is constantly on, the noise of the mountain stream ever present in our ears.  We're hyper aware of his presence (READ: always wondering if he's going to wake up or sleep just a little bit longer).

I think date nights are something all couples need, young or old, because when you have children, as my co-worker says, you take all those years of marriage before the children and throw them out the window. So going out on dates, for us at least, helps us rejuvenate our relationship and appreciate each other more.

The last date night we had was April 30. It was a beautiful day and a gorgeous evening. We went for a leisurely walk at Poet's Walk, a park along the Hudson River just north of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. The park is owned and maintained (beautifully I might add) by Scenic Hudson. There was even a "strenuous" hike along the trail that most people avoided (they doubled back), but was something we forged ahead on. We are big fans of trails that loop.  

Here are the pics from that lovely date night two weeks ago...

The "easy" part of Poet's Walk, the beginning...

What a spectacular view of the Hudson and the Walkway

I know, you're probably thinking, Haven't I seen this picture before? Alas, we always end up taking the same photo of ourselves.

The "strenuous" part of the trail. I love trails that are carved into hills. Reminds me of The Shire.

Kisses (incidentally, that's a new word of Cole's!)

After this we had a yummy dinner at The Local in Rhinebeck, where we've gone before. The beer was awesome and the food was just as spectacular as it was in January when we went last.