Hot Stuff

When I'm not busy being a mother of three, I am my husband's full-time lover...
I can't even type that with a straight face!  
But wouldn't it be nice if that were the truth?  I'm certain he would think so.
 
It seems like life is rolling along too fast for me lately.  Before I know it we are running at breakneck speeds, trying to keep up with the ever growing to-do list, and have totally missed spending time together.  There have been days that our typical good morning kiss has not been accomplished until we settle in for the routine goodnight kiss!  That's terrible.
I know that taking time for us to be a couple is the best thing for us as a family.  For the life of me I can't fathom why we have such a hard time making it a priority.  I love going out on dates!  I love being alone with my husband...we don't even have to actually do anything!  I just really like the guy!
Now, I'm cheap and he's super-fun, so we don't even have many "normal" dates together.  Here are some things that we like to do.  You can try 'em too!

Incognito:
Find a department store that has a family dressing room.  Then make up categories, such as: black tie event,  most expensive outfit, old folk fashions, etc.  You have 10 minutes to find your partner an outfit for the selected category.  Meet back at the family dressing room and take turns modeling the outfits you and your spouse have chosen for each other.  Change and repeat! 

Shopping Spree:
Give each other a modest allowance.  We usually do 2-5 dollars.  You have 20 minutes to find the perfect gift for one another within your limited budget.  Exchange gifts and giggle over what your spouse considered a "perfect gift".

Lowe's Lovin':
If you don't have a bookstore nearby, pull up a seat in the lawn and garden section at your local hardware store.  Grab a magazine or book from the shelf and cozy up together on the patio furniture display.

State Parking:
No better place to make out then in the great outdoors!  Most parks are fairly vacant during the off season.  If the weather is too terrible for a romp in the weeds, you'll finally be glad for that roomy minivan!

Kids are the direct result of loving your spouse.  But the result of having kids is often a lukewarm love life.  Sheet Music, by Kevin Lehman is one of our favorite books.  We read it together before we were married and recommend it to every couple we counsel.  Under the Sheets: The Secrets to Hot Sex in Your Marriage is also fantastic, especially for couples that have been married a while.     
We live in a culture that has made sex a taboo subject.  Your kids need to know what love and sex look like in the light of God's perfect plan, so model it for them.  Society may have made sex dirty but God made it delightful!  So make time for your spouse.  Hold each other's hands in public.  Steal kisses when nobody is looking.  Play together because someday those kids that are keeping you so busy now are going to grow up.  By then it may be too late to rekindle a burned out romance.        

Got any more great cheap date ideas to share?  Don't be shy!