Catching up from the weekend? Check out some fun things I shared:

• A Special Announcement (also the week’s FFF Features)
• 10K Race Recap (smashed my goal time!)
• Self-Love Reflection of the Week: Forgiving Yourself

PS – Last call for anyone interested in the spin-off on my Strengths Out Loud post. Email me a photo to go along with the strength(s) you gave in the comments or that you want to say out loud and proud!

Saturday night Peter and I had the chance to go out for a date to celebrate our four year wedding anniversary.

We played like a happy couple. I actually got in a dress. Peter wore cologne. It was like our first dates all over again. 😉

Actually, it really was. We hit up The Cheesecake Factory since it holds special memories as where we went to dinner the night we became “official”.

Plus, I love this restaurant. I guess it should come as no surprise I love a restaurant that will inevitably end with an epic dessert. You know me too well.

We grabbed a table outside to have a little bit more of a quieter atmosphere.

The two of us can still talk forever about all sorts of things. Communication is key in any successful relationship, right? We talked about the various crazy dreaming ideas I keep having pop in my head, things Peter wants to accomplish on the house, the kids (because we can’t ever leave them fully behind), our upcoming vacation, and people watching. We love people watching.

Then, it came time for the food. I still had quite the appetite from the race earlier in the day so I ate a bunch of the tasty complimentary bread.

It took me awhile to decide on my dinner because the extensive menu had so many things that sounded amazing. I finally settled on two appetizers as my dinner – the ahi tuna tempura roll appetizer…

…and the French Country salad which included mixed greens, fresh beets, goat cheese, and pecans in a balsamic vinaigrette.

The flavor combos of each dish were completely different, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t decide and each was phenomenal. I left with a very satisfied belly and some cheesecake to go. Please don’t judge when I tell you we planned ahead and brought a cooler to stash our cheesecake while we went to a movie. Oh, yes we did. We had to save our cheesecake to enjoy for when our bellies had room. The 2 hour length of a movie = the perfect amount of time to make room for dessert.

We had a deal for Fandango to use up so decided to tack a movie on to our date. It took a little convincing to get Peter to agree to Bridesmaids, but I knew I wanted to see this movie after hearing so many rave reviews on its hilarity. Reviews = confirmed. It really was so funny. We laughed the entire movie!

Good ole belly laughs worked off our dinner, so we ended the night at home with our cheesecake. A slice of the red velvet and the Reese’s peanut butter cheesecakes to share. Be still my heart. Be still.

I almost shed a tear at the knowledge that it will likely be another year before I get to enjoy their cheesecake again. Fortunately I know there will be many more anniversaries…which means many more special annual trips to Cheesecake Factory.

• Do you have any restaurants that have a special memory for you?
• Do you like Cheesecake Factory? What is your favorite thing to order if so?

Tags: date nights, dining out, dinner