There are a few recreational activities that went by the wayside once I had kids. The most obvious here is golf. It was possibly the easiest to shed, given my (ahem) gift for the sport (read: I am really good at driving the cart, flagging down the concessions cart for a Snickers and a beer, and at finding the 19^th (watering) hole.

You can imagine why I could not justify getting a sitter for 18—or even 9—holes. But given my sheer love for the sport, I could always find it in my budget (and my rationale stash) to get childcare for a day of skiing with my hubby.

The picture here is my “happy place” talisman. I snapped it just as I was getting off the Silver Strike lift on a day we managed to get out together. I was in a mood that was nothing less than ebullient, and just looking at this photo (which I do every time my husband calls, as it’s the photo attached to his contact in my phone) gives me a jolt of joy.

Yep, these dates have been fewer and farther between in recent years. Our work schedules and the juggling act that involved two kids four years apart (read: totally different schedules) rendered these dates an exception rather than the norm, but this year, that’s going to change. Both kids will be in the Sunday Ski Experience specialty program at DV’s ski school. Big Guy for his fifth consecutive season, and Little Guy for his first time ever. And we will get ourselves up on the hill, together. I can’t wait.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a ski date with your spouse? (Keep it PG, this is a family blog.) We’re fans of dining at Empire Canyon Lodge, scoring the homemade chips alongside a shared panini and soup.