Out to eat

Shane and I normally go out to eat (not counting Little Caesars like Shane does) maybe twice a year.  

And even when we do go out, we always take the kids and we always go to Red Robin.

Well, this last Saturday we went with our friends, Kim and Kevin, to the Cheesecake Factory!!

WITHOUT KIDS!

It was my first time ever leaving the kids with a babysitter that A) we had to pay and B) was under 20 years old.  I've been babysitting since I was 11 years old, but after Kaden was born I looked at the 11 and 12 year olds in our ward and thought, "Who in their right mind would leave their children with a 12 year old?!?!"

Anyway, Kim has connections with the child whisperer of babysitters (she's 12).  

And nothing bad happened!  I think Ari only cried for a few minutes after we left.  It helped that we had all of our kids (so there were 5 kids total) together - they didn't even notice we were gone.  ;)

So, we headed down and were told it was a two hour wait.  

What do you do with that kind of kid-free time and no hotel room?  

Shopping!!

We walked all over the mall and Kim even got the people at Godiva (chocolates) to give her a free sample.

Yummy!

It was Shane's first time at the Cheesecake Factory and I laughed at hearing him say how huge the menu is, because that is exactly what I said when I had it in Chicago.  It was delicious food and I told the waitress that it was Kim and Kevin's anniversary (it really was-I didn't lie!) and all the servers came and sang to them.  

It was so fun.  :)

 

I think Kim liked being sung to more than Kevin.  hahaha

It was a really fun, kid-free night!

 

Monday, Shane and I celebrated Valentine's Day since Tuesday I would be gone. 

My mom had given us a gift certificate to Flemings Steakhouse (at the Gateway).  She watched the kids while we ate steak!  Good trade off, I think.  ;)  It was really good!  SO expensive, though.  But the steak was just so, so tender!  Anyway, so that's TWO kid-free, non-Red Robin meals this year (for both of us)!  

I'm keeping track because I think last year we had ZERO.  :)