Dating Your Spouse

For the last few years, I've started with the goal of one date per month.
Well, y'all, it just hasn't happened.
This year we started really strong. I think we succeeded in keeping that goal all the way through May. But then life happened. Sicknesses, busyness, or simply nowhere to go. And the dates trickled off to one about every three months for the last half of the year.
Total bummer.
Some people might think it doesn't matter. After all, we're married. We live in the same house, see each other almost every day of our lives (not every day because sometimes I go on retreats ;) ). But it does.

We're parents to two elementary school-age children. That means not much time to ourselves even when we're home. Add that to our busy schedules, and there's even less time to spend just us.
When we make the effort to go out once a month, it is us telling each other that we're important. That we're priorities. That we still like to spend time with just the two of us.
Also, as important as our children are, when they grow up, we expect them to move out and leave us empty-nesters. Which means it will eventually be just the two of us again. And we need to practice now or we won't know what to do then. ;)
Also, I really love spending time with my husband, even if he does sometimes meander every conversation into a sports analogy. We talk about other things too. And by taking the time to just go listen to each other, it helps keep us on the same page. Because how can we help each other get to heaven if we don't even know what's going on in the other's life?
So, I'm sure I'll start again in 2023. One date per month. Or at least every other month.
And, can I just say, I did squeeze in one more this year. Because our congregation offered a Parents' Night Out a few weekends back. Win-win for everyone. The kids had fun with Santa and we had fun with us.
Do you try to date your spouse with regularity? Any tips on making it easier? Any fun stories from a date you've had this year?