Pantry Challenge Day 5

Well all, there really is no great update for today, because today was Date Night!!!

We did eat breakfast and lunch at home though. For breakfast the kiddies finished off the rice with milk, cinnamon and sugar, and I had oatmeal with agave nectar and almond slivers (but no strawberries because I ran out!). For lunch, I made up three packets of ramen noodle soup and added about 1/4 cup of alphabet noodles we buy in bulk, plus about 1/4 of a package of frozen veggies. This kind of extends the soup for us. The kiddies had navel oranges for a snack, and I had a clementine, and then later for an after school snack there were leftover Christmas cookies we are working our way through.

Now to explain about the date night. First of all, my husband and I received money from grandparents for Christmas, and one thing I purchased that I thought might enrich our marriage was an entertainment guide for 2010 for our area. I thought that it would be a nice way to save money while indulging in a regular date night to enhance our marriage. Anyway...


My six children attend a Bible Club down the road. The family that runs it as their ministry are very generous with their dedication to the program. They not only pick up and drop off all the children that attend (ages 5 and up!), they also provide a meal in addition to the Bible study and song time. Our family has been so very blessed by the sweet and constant outreach that this family provides. One of the extra benefits is that once in a while Les and I will decide to have a date night out. This gives us some much-needed time to talk about family goals and such. We did that tonight.

It was so nice to sit across from my husband and talk about some of the things we hoped to accomplish in our family for 2010 without the constant interruption of little ones -- or bigger ones -- and the ever-present vying for attention that can sometimes sabotage a marital relationship if the parents are not committed to making their marriage a priority. It's not that the children are not important, but we have always believed in making our marriage the first priority and the children second. After all, some day they will move on in whatever direction God calls them. We wanted to always keep a strong friendship and partnership and love for one another so that when the empty nest occurs we still have love and appreciation for each other and still have fun.

So. Although today did find me using food stores for breakfast, lunch and snacks, I blessedly did not have to cook a meal tonight! And even though we spent a little money, it was a nice and enjoyable evening! God bless all of you! More updates on our challenge tomorrow!

~mary