Our Night Out

We had a wonderful, special 5 year anniversary celebration. We were not really sure what we were going to do to celebrate. We really did not have money to spend on much at all, and it was looking like we might just have a quiet evening at home. I would make a dinner. We would put the baby to bed. We might watch a short movie. Brant would study. You know, the usual, right? :)

On Wednesday night, there was a knock on our door. Our friends and neighbors dropped by to give us an early anniversary gift. First of all, to receive an anniversary gift from someone other than your spouse (or close family member) is rare. Secondly, to receive a gift for our anniversary from friends we have only known for 3 months is almost unheard of. They handed us a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant in downtown Princeton, called Mediterra. They told us we deserved a night out, just the two of us. They continued to inform us that they would take care of Maddie while we went on our date. If you can picture me at all, you know that my eyes welled up immediately. I could not believe this was happening. The generosity, the thoughtfulness, the selfless act of love they showed us was overwhelming.

We made reservations for a 7:15 dinner, allowing us to drop Maddie off at their house shortly before her bedtime. We have never left Maddie with anyone before and we were typical first-time parents: nervous, excited and apprehensive. She seemed to be just fine as we left for the evening. Apparently, five minutes later, she was in hysterics, crying and frantically searching for either of us to appear. Luckily, we were on our date and were none the wiser. :) She was like this for about 45 minutes, in and out of crying and quieting down. I guess another neighbor in the building knocked on their door to see if everything was okay. Gee whiz - she was really doing a number!

Our dinner was fabulous. We were really at an upscale place. For a Thursday night, it was hopping! It was so wonderful to be alone together, enjoying a delicious meal. When we were about done with our meal, I looked at my phone to check if anyone had called. I come to find out that my phone (and Brant's) had no service!! Oh great. When we got outside, my phone beeped telling me I had a voicemail. My heart skipped a little, fearing that I had missed a call from our neighbors. Thankfully, it was my dear friend Lori calling to give us happy wishes on our special day. (Thanks, Lori!)

We briefly wandered through Palmer Square to look at all the Christmas lights. I say "briefly" because, with wind chill, the temperature was in the teens, and it was painful for both of us! We snapped a few pictures and ended up running back to the car a few blocks away. After we returned home and put the baby to bed, we watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" to end our wonderful night.

The restaurant in Palmer Square (upscale part of Princeton, across the street from the University).
Palmer Square shops lit up. The picture doesn't do it justice, at all!
Palmer Square's large Christmas Tree.
Can you tell how cold we were? Our faces are red, and if you look closely, Brant's eyes are watering. It was really windy, too. Brr!