Fun Dates, Part 1!

 First of all, thanks for the kind comments and texts about yesterday's post! I'm glad the words were helpful for you! :) Rest assured, I'm learning alongside you!

I was looking for something fun to blog about today and I happened upon this post about romantic anniversary ideas. I started reading through and not only found some fun ideas for our future, but I found myself reminiscing about some of the things we've done (even if we didn't do them on an anniversary). Mind if I share? (All ideas are from the post I read...memories are mine.)

I got so busy reminiscing that I decided to spread this out over a few days. Hope that's okay! 

1. Getaway weekend.

I am so thankful that we made a commitment early on to recognize every anniversary and our combined birthdays each year with a weekend getaway. We didn't talk about this before we got married (no time!!) but when we hit each of those first occasions, we decided to make a purposeful getaway a tradition, and I'm so glad we did. Our combined birthdays (April/May) and our anniversary (December) give us two little trips a year about six months apart. Perfection. We try to get away at other times too, but if we can't, we at least know we can count on these weekends! The picture above? Hello, Baby Ryan and Baby Bekah on our first weekend getaway tradition!

2. Couples Massage and Spa

We have never done this, but I sure do think it sounds fun! We looked at it once, on a cruise, but $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!! Maybe someday, huh?

3. Spend the day in bed.

I remember in our second year of marriage, we took a weeklong staycation right in the middle of winter. We'd been on the go for weeks on end and were both exhausted. We had such fun that week, and we even spent a few of the days camping out in our living room just for fun. One day in particular, we watched all three Back to the Future movies right in a row. I'd never seen them! I guess we weren't technically in bed, because we were on the living room floor, but close enough, right? It was SUCH FUN!! 

4. Book a Night in a Hotel.

But try not to make it like the time we booked a night in a NIGHTMARE hotel! (AHHHHH, memories.) Anymore, we tend to stay in Airbnbs rather than hotels, because we can get so much more space for the money. But I totally agree that getting away from home is such a treat!! I asked Ryan what his favorite hotel or Airbnb was that we've ever stayed at, and he gave me two answers, both of which surprised me! The first one he mentioned was the Sauder Heritage Inn, in Archbold, Ohio. We stayed there for a weekend back in 2017, when I spoke at a women's conference. His favorite part of the whole place? The tree in the middle of one of the common areas. (It really was a very pretty hotel.) The second one he mentioned was the Best Western in Greensburg, Kansas, where we stayed in 2016 when we went to my niece's wedding. He loved the breakfast. While I agree with him on both counts, I have to go with two Airbnbs that were my favorite. And both were actually places we stayed for anniversaries. The first was a carriage house in Louisville, Kentucky. We seriously wanted to come home and build a duplicate for ourselves. It was the perfect size and layout! And the second? The loft above the coffee shop where we stayed last December, in Richmond, Indiana. I won't tell you how many times I've checked since to see if it happens to be for sale. 

5. Make a "remember when" poster.

Okay, this made me laugh RIGHT OUT LOUD. For our first anniversary, back in 2013, I ordered a print from an Etsy shop owner that I hoped would capture some of the best memories of our first year together. I messaged the owner to see how many things I could put on the print, and the answer came back as some version of "sky's the limit." So I sat down and made a beautiful, thoughtful list and sent it off to the owner. Immediately I received a response: "Okay, so I need you to choose WAY less than what you sent. It's not that big of a print." Clearly he or she had never worked with a Bekah before! 

6. Do something from your bucket lists. 

We actually did make a bucket list when we were dating, and for a while, we were extremely intentional about checking items off the list. I fear in this season of life, we don't look at it quite as often. But on our seventh anniversary trip (to Cincinnati, Ohio) we did cross off ice skating together from our bucket list. Just Ryan, me, and Louis the skating walker! And that was SUCH a fun night, even though I have NO skating career in front of me. Also memorable from that trip? DINNER. I have never forgotten it. 

7. Picnic outside.

Well, since our anniversary is in December, we are rarely in picnic-outside-worthy weather on our anniversary, but we DID go on a picnic on our very first date, and that was one of my favorite memories! Ryan planned (and packed) the entire thing. White River State Park in Indianapolis - a great place to go on a date! 

8. Dine at a special date-night restaurant.

I feel like the most memorable anniversary dinner at a special date-night restaurant goes to...year two! Chicago, Illinois. Ryan planned a special date night for us at the Signature Room on the 95th Floor of the John Hancock Building. GORGEOUS view (even at night!) overlooking the city and Lake Michigan. But oh, what a comedy of errors the night brought about. If you've forgotten, you can read all about it here! 

9. Book a Chef's Table Reservation.

Never done this one...so can I just tell you about another fun dinner we did? This was actually for our engagementversary back in 2017 and was also part of the year-of-alphabetical-dates we came up with that year. This was the Romantic Rendezvouz at the Rotating Rooftop Restaurant. If you can't tell it was inspired by the Letter R, I can't help you! :) Our rooftop restaurant was the Eagle's Nest in Indianapolis, and it was a GREAT meal and atmosphere! 

10. Return to the Location of Your First Date.

We've done this! A couple of times, actually! I referenced our first date above...the picnic in White River State Park. We also took a paddle boat ride down the canal and went to the Indianapolis Zoo while we were there. A few years later, Ryan surprised me with a downtown scavenger hunt date that took us (in part) back through White River State Park and the canal area. That was a really fun date, too! And right before the pandemic arrived, we went back downtown for a romantic Valentine's date (also planned by Ryan) in which we stayed in a darling Airbnb apartment with a great view of the canal. And the next day we walked it in the winter...as part of our Marion County date! 

Come back tomorrow for more?