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?

I wish I had made extra of these Peanut Butter Banana Flax Muffins I made to bring as part of a meal for someone who just had a baby.

[I used this recipe but instead of 2 cups all purpose flour, I used 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 cup ground flaxseed.]

I wish there were more hours in the day. I had so much to do yesterday that I did not sit down for lunch until 1:30. That also meant I had to eat lunch whilst nursing.

I wish laundry would fold itself. 

I wish my phone screen actually worked.

And I wish my husband didn’t bum phones off friends recycling them at our church.

I wish I was a better mom some days. I don’t believe I am a bad mom, but some days my patience wears a little thin with Makenzie and I hate that.

I wish I could get more creative in the kitchen. I have eaten a version of the following three things way too often recently.

Actually, you know what? A lack of creativity isn’t so bad. Those meals are delicious!

I wish you all knew exactly how much I appreciate each of you. It saddens me that recently I have not had as much time as I would like to read/comment on your blogs. I hope you can recognize my support and care for you regardless.

I wish date nights happened a lot more frequently.

Saturday night was fabulous! And for those wondering about my dress decisions – I ended up borrowing one of my mom’s dresses. Haha!

We ventured to the Buckhead area of Atlanta for dinner at Via, an Italian restaurant we purchased a Groupon to awhile ago. Who says date nights can’t also be frugal nights? I loved getting to try someplace new.

I ordered the spinach salad to start. It came with caramelized onions, hardboiled egg, and pancetta in a balsamic dressing.

It had so much flavor. I loved every bite. Peter even preferred it over his house salad.

We ended up sharing two things for our dinner. A pizza with basil, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, red onions, black olives, and pepperoni.

As well as some goat cheese fritters with strawberries and a balsamic glaze.

I really liked the pizza. It reminded me of some of the pizza I had in Italy. As for the goat cheese? You all know me, right? If you think I loved it, you would be correct. I could have made a meal out of those alone.

After dinner, we started heading home because I didn’t know how Braedon handled taking a bottle from my mom (he can act finicky with bottles of my pumped milk). Luckily, he did great so we decided to stay out a little longer. We checked into seeing a movie and I was thrilled to remember Water For Elephants is now out.

So, we killed some time with an ice cream pit stop before seeing the late showing of the film, which I thought was very well done. I love the story line and think Reese Witherspoon & Robert Pattinson portrayed it well.

I hope we can have date nights more now that Braedon is old enough for others to watch him and Makenzie together more easily. I missed dates! Plus, Peter & I believe they matter so much in a marriage. You have to keep the relationship fun. We also believe in keeping our marriage at the forefront because a solid marriage helps make a solid family in our opinion. Here’s to more in our future! 

• What is your perfect date? I actually adore dinner & a movie dates.