Dancin' the night away

On Saturday night Keith & I went out with Melissa, Chanda & Garrett for Melissa's big 29th birthday celebration. (And yes, it is her real 29th birthday!) Per Melissa's request, we went to Bushwhacker's, which is actually named "Bushwhacker's Dance Hall and Saloon." They have an hour group lesson before the dance floor kind of "opens up" for the night, and it was so much fun! We learned country swing, and it was good exercise, too. Keith and I hadn't ever taken a dance lesson together before, and it was such a neat thing to do as a couple. We are going back as soon as we can, because we got to observe some other dances that would be fun to learn.
The rest of the time was spent practicing our new country swing moves (complete with spins!) and trying out some of the line dances. All of us seemed to catch on okay, and it was just good to do something where we were hanging out & enjoying each other, while still getting some exercise!
Here are Chanda & Garrett showing off their moves:

I didn't get a pic of Keith & I dancing (so we'll have to go back!), but here is a cute one of Melissa, Keith & I:

On a side note, couples dancing is really a great illustration of a Godly marriage relationship, because just as in scripture, women are told to submit to the man's leadership. While this can be difficult for me in life & on the dance floor, I realized that once I let go of my desire to control our "dance," Keith was able to lead me with so much more grace and ease. At the same time, in order for me to let go, I had to trust that Keith wouldn't lead me in a way that would be harmful or hurtful to me. This is why men are supposed to love their women as Christ loves the church--simply ruling or dictating the relationship for the purpose of holding the power is not going to make a woman feel comfortable, safe or honored. On the contrary, by leading out of love & respect, the marriage--and the dance--can be a beautiful display of the equal give-and-take that is necessary to make the partnership look enjoyable, loving & desirable.
Okay, that's my soap box/metaphorical moment for today. :)

All in all, we had lots of fun & laughs, and we'll have memories to last at least until Melissa's next 29th birthday. ;)