Chat Night

If you've read my "About" page you know that one of the things Matthew and I are serious about is investing in our marriage. You probably already know that this marriage thing is hard and messy work - vulnerable conversations, self sacrifice, swallowing your pride, confrontation, quality time, and so on and so on. One of the things we've learned on our short 11 year journey is how to be intentional about pouring something in instead of expecting it to always pour out.

One of our intentional practices is "Chat Night." Once a week, after the kids go down for the night, Matthew and I leave the TV off (which is a sacrifice for us, let me tell you) and spend some quality face to face time just chatting. Sometimes it looks like wine and cheese over candlelight. Sometimes it looks like mixed drinks on the couch. Sometimes, when we're exhausted, it looks like a short chat full of yawns before we throw ourselves into bed.

This night we played with drink recipes using homemade caramel sauce.

His and Hers.

Sometimes the night feels like a small and easy commitment - sharing a drink with a good friend. Sometimes it feels hard and long because all we want to do is eat dessert in front of the television or just go to sleep. Whatever form it takes from week to week it's always a commitment kept and an investment. 

Chat Night connects us in a way that's hard to experience with a 50 hour work week + commute time, 3 little kids demanding things and attention, a house that collects mess like a hobby, laundry that never ends... . You get the picture. It ensures that at least once a week we will look into each others eyes, remind ourselves of what the other looks like, and say something to each other - it doesn't really matter what - just chatting. Chatting to invest in each other and what we have together. Chat Night!