While most husbands and wives hope for a romantic evening away from the kids on “date nights,” Holly Crawford ended her evening with something more.

Holly discovered a new outdoor obsession which would allow her to spend more time with her husband and eventually her whole family, doing something they all enjoy.

Holly and her husband Vince had taken their two kids and her mother for a weekend at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb. After a long day, the couple left the boys with her mother at the motel for a night of swimming in the pool. For Holly and her husband it was their chance to sneak away to enjoy some time alone.

As they headed out for the evening, the two decided to make a stop at one of their favorite places. It wasn’t a fancy restaurant, a theatre or other nightlife. Their destination was a place that held something a little more dear to their hearts. The two headed straight for Cabela’s.

As they looked around at all the great outdoor gear, an associate from the fly tying department began talking to them. Vince told him about their interest in wanting to make their own crappie jigs.

The associate politely asked if they would like to find out how to get started. They both agreed. Within minutes Holly and Vince were hooked and realized this was another activity the two of them would like and could do together.

Holly has been fishing since she was old enough to walk. “We had a large pond on our farm that was within walking distance of our house. My father would take me fishing every chance he could,” she said.

While she continued to enjoy the outdoors all her life, she has spent much more time enjoying it since meeting her husband, who is an avid outdoorsman.

“Some couples have ‘date nights’ and go out for dinner or see a movie. We go fishing or hunting, depending on the season,” she said.

Spending time in the outdoors not only allows them to spend more time as a couple but also with their two boys, as well.

“This is an excellent way to get the kids out in the sunshine and away from the video games,” Holly said. “Besides, I enjoy spending quality time with them at the nearest pond, just like my father spent with me.”

As for the Crawfords’ new interest in tying their own lures, Holly described it as an incredible rush. It resembled a Mastercard commercial as she ecstatically described “package of hooks, $1.99. Beginner fly tying kit, $29.99. Marabou, $2.99. Catching your personal best fish on your own lure . . . priceless!”

It’s rewarding to put your heart into the process of creating your own jigs and then take them out to test them and be successful, Holly said.

What sounded even more rewarding for Holly was being able to spend a great amount of quality time with her husband and family doing activities they all love.