Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have had a difficult year, but it seems to be ending on an upswing.

After announcing in August that they were "taking some time apart to evaluate and work on their marriage," the pair has been photographed together for the first time. Looking happy — and, even more telling, wearing their wedding rings — they spent the day with their children in New York City on Dec. 22.

[Related: Rep: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas 'Taking Some Time Apart']

On the agenda? Douglas, and Zeta-Jones, who were last photographed together in the spring, were snapped leaving their Manhattan apartment building with children Dylan, 13, and Carys, 10, and heading to lunch at Italian eatery Orso in the theater district. After that, they took in a matinee performance of Broadway's "Motown: The Musical" and were on their feet dancing during the sold-out show. Later that night, they were seen going into a movie theater to catch "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug."

The family fun activity wasn't limited to one day either. That same weekend, they also dined as a quartet at Ocean Grill, a restaurant in the family's Upper West Side neighborhood, omg! has learned.

Regardless of the bumps in their marriage, the couple has stayed connected for their children. While appearing on "Live With Kelly and Michael," Douglas, 69, talked about how they went trick-or-treating near their Bedford, New York, country home, where Zeta-Jones has been spending much of her time since they announced they were announce they were living apart. The "Behind the Candelabra" star said Dylan dressed as a hobbit — appropriate considering their movie selection — Carys was a flapper, and Zeta-Jones as Snow White.

Last month, the movie stars, who celebrated their 13 wedding anniversary on Nov. 18, were also together while visiting a private school in Westchester County, omg! has learned. They were considering the posh private school for Dylan and toured the campus.

The year 2013 probably won't be remembered fondly for the couple. The "Red 2" actress, 44, went into treatment for her bipolar II disorder in April. In June, the couple's sex life was in the headlines after Douglas said in an interview that HPV possibly caused his tongue cancer. He later issued a statement clarifying that he was not saying he got the sexually transmitted disease from his wife, nor does she have it, but "things went downhill from there," her friend told People magazine.

[Related: Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas: Signs of Trouble]

Douglas's son Cameron's drug addiction and incarceration has also caused stress for the pair during their marriage And in July, Zeta-Jones candidly admitted that Douglas's cancer was a "trigger" for her bipolar disorder.

After the pair announced they were reassessing their marriage in late August, they spent their joint Sept. 25 birthday apart. Reports the next month of a reconciliation were quickly shot down, but later in September, Douglas was promoting "Last Vegas" and told reporters that "things are great. Onward and upward." And during a late October appearance on "The Tonight Show," he shared, "Everything should hopefully be on the up and up. Sometimes people take a little bit of a break, but it doesn't necessarily mean that's the end. I'm very hopeful."

And these new photos in which they're looking happy and healthy adds to that hopefulness.