Sunday

I admire Amy's insistence on driving us home, but after another sleepless night with Ian I had to override her request. A woman can only take so much sleep deprivation. She got the clothes packed and linens washed while I packed the car. When we stopped for gas at the half way mark she came out with a treat for me: little candy sharks. Earlier in the week she bought me a shark travel mug. She knows what I like. We got back home just in time for me to get to Bible study. Amy dropped my off at church minutes before study began. She then came and picked me up. When we got home I saw that she had unloaded the ENTIRE CAR including the bike rack! I was floored. Walking I the door I was greeted with the sounds of our neighbors who had come over to watch Ian while Amy went to get me. I cannot say enough how much of a blessing our neighbors are.

Saturday

We tried something different today. After my parents went home we checked out the water park on the island. We all had fun but Amy made sure to watch Ian while I ran off to ride a water slide or two. Later that day after Ian's nap we went to the beach for a little while. It was then my turn to watch Ian while Amy body surfed in the leftover storm waves. It is so much fun watching her and Ian play together at the beach. When we got back we let Ian watch so e tv while we started packing. Brilliantly Amy had been washing clothes all week, so when we get back home she will not be buried in laundry. Smart woman.

Friday

No beach today. The storm offshore has really kicked up the surf. We went for a bike ride with Ian instead. I must say that the bike trailer has been a great purchase. We rode all around the island and stopped a few times to see the epic tide that was coming in. Amy did such a great job planning our meals this week. We have kept very close to our budget thanks to her planning.

Thursday

Another great day at the beach. Amy whipped up breakfast for everyone. Ian has not been sleeping well so we have both been up at night with him. We ran some errands today and Amy got to have lunch at her favorite seafood restaurant. It was also nice for her to eat a meal she did not have to cook herself. We took my parents to our new favorite beach spot on the south side of the island. Nana and Papa got to see just how well Ian can swim. Everyone had a great time. Amy and I got a little time for a bike ride alone while my parents watched Ian. Not exactly a traditional date, but it was nice to have some time away.

Wednesday

My parents joined us at the beach for a few days. For dinner Amy fried and boiled fresh shrimp. She even remembered that I like my fried shrimp double battered, and I like to eat my boiled shrimp with crackers and butter. My parents really enjoyed dinner, and so did I!

Tuesday

Another fantastic morning at the beach thanks to Amy's excellent planning. Plus her new bkini improved the view :) My parents arrived today and Amy cooked up fresh shrimp, both steamed and fried. Her fried shrimp are awesome. Homemade hushpuppies topped off the meal. Why go out to eat when food this good is right here? We will go out to eat though at her favorite place soon.

Monday

Beach time! Before I could even ge my suntan lotion on, Amy had us set for our morning at the beach. Snacks for Ian, water for us all packed in the cooler. Even better, all that time she has spent working out at the YMCA meant she felt like wearing her bikini. I definitely enjoyed the beach scenery a bit more, even though she also looks great in her one piece diving suit.

Sunday

While my in-laws and I went to the sand flats, my wife stayed behind and cleaned the house. She also helped them load their truck for the drive home. She cooked a chicken in the crock pot, but for some reason it was not done enough for dinner. No problem, we still had veggies to eat and Ian got a good meal. I am amazed at how fast she can put together a meal.

Saturday

First day of vacation! Amy and her mom cooked up a bunch of steamed shrimp for dinner. We went to the beach for a while early in the day. I could definitely tell that the swim lessons Amy had been taking with Ian have been great for him. Unfortunately Amy had a rough time getting Ian to sleep. He was wound up for a good two hours while she tried to get him to bed.

Friday

Vacation! I have no idea how she was able to get all the luggage, toys, and food packed in one day. When I got home from work all I had to do was load bags in the car. Then I was able to just sit back and enjoy the ride to the beach since she prefers to drive. She has driven this route a lot more times than I have thanks to her many family vacations to the family beach house, so I do not mind being a passenger at all.

Thursday

Vacation dinner night! I came home to find Amy and Ian dressed in their finest Hawaiian beach attire. Ian was sporting a hawaiian shirt like I wear, and Amy was wearing a hot two piece island dress that she wore on our honeymoon. On top of that she made Hawaiian chicken for dinner. Only she would think to do something as fun as that.

Wednesday

Date night, again! Wow, two dates in a week. Amy arranged for a sitter so we could go out to the movies. When I got home she already had our son bathed and ready for bed, and dinner ready for me. I quickly ate, the sitter showed up, and off we went to the movies. She had already scoped movie times and everything. Apparently everyone else had a Groupon that night (just like us) but we got to see Captain America. I find it really cool that Amy likes geeky superhero movies. Our son was still wide awake when we got home but my wife put him to bed while I played some Plants VS Zombies on the DSiXL she bought me for my birthday last year.

Tuesday

My wife gave our neighbor a lift to pick up her car from the shop. Unfortunately that meant our son didn't get home in time for a nap in the afternoon. She went to her parent's house and cooked dinner for everyone. By the time I got there my son had fallen asleep in my wife's lap at the dinner table. She then ran to church for a quick meeting while I took our son home. Her parents really appreciated the dinner since they were leaving for vacation and didn't want to deal with groceries. Amy is pretty good at thinking of things like that.

Monday

Back in town and great to be home. My wife let our son greet me at the door. While I was gone she decided to attack the mountain of pocket change I had been stowed on our bedroom shelf. I did not think much of it but when I got home today she had rolled it all and was set to deposit it in the bank. It ended up being enough money to pay for gas on our vacation! Smart woman. And what a great welcome home dinner, pecan crusted fried chicken, beans, mashed cauliflower & potatoes, and peach tea. And to top it off she was wearing one of my favorite dresses. The homecoming almost makes the business trip it.

Sunday

While I am out of town my wife is keeping things going at home. Truthfully, even when I'm in town she is keeping things going at home. She mentioned that grandy has offered up a snake as a replacement for the frogs. That is fine with me. Marrying the daughter of a ecologist means you never know what kind of creatures you will get to meet. I admit that even though I was a Boy Scout, she has far more outdoor skill than I. Someday she will make a fantastic Den Mother.

Saturday

Frog day! I wish I could have been there to see Ian's face when he released his little frogs into grandy's pond. Grandy brought the tadpoles over for Ian's birthday and they had already grown into little frogs. My wife was great about teaching Ian about the frogs while we had them. Even though I'm out of town I did get to talk to them on the phone a little today. It is a blessing to know that when I'm out of town I know that my wife has everything in good hands at home.

Friday

Her turn for some time away. I had our son for the morning before I had to leave town. We played with play dough, went for a walk, and watched the birds. My wife went out to breakfast with her mentor. They saw me off to the airport. We had already been telling our son that I had to go out of town for the weekend, so he knew I was leaving. She is good about telling our son all about when I travel.

Thursday

Date night! We met at the mall to do some window shopping. She wore one of my favorite dresses too. We had a great dinner that for once didn't have to be rushed or shared with a toddler. Just a nice dinner where we could spend some time together. We are truly blessed to have great neighbors who could watch our son for a few hours.

Wednesday

A funny thing. My wife said she's packed me a lunch, just grab the containers from the fridge. Unfortunately I grabbed one correct container, and on incorrect. Luckily I recognized that the mac & cheese in the bowl was not the same as what I'd had the night before. She laughed a little but was glad I didn't eat the food of unknown date.

Tuesday

Our son woke up a few times in the night. My wife got up and put him back to bed so I could get some sleep. I know she was tired too, but she also knew I had a big meeting in the morning. When I got home she had fried pork chops and asparagus waiting. She hates asparagus but it one of my favorites. She was out in the front yard with Ian for some run around time before bed. She makes homemade popsicles from fruit juice for the kids and they love them.

Monday

Don't tell my mother this, but my favorite mac & cheese in the world is made by my wife. I ran and picked up her car at the dealer so she could get our son to swim class no problem. Since the dealership gave us a free car wash coupon I went ahead and washed her car and vacuumed it out. I know she likes a clean car. Even better I came home to find her sporting pig tails and a nice summer dress. Very nice. Unfortunately our son was on a roll with energy so I took him with me to do some chores around the house. How on earth does she get anything done while also spending quality time with our son I will never figure out. Somehow she keeps the house in order, cooks, does laundry, cleans, and fits in a million other things. Mind boggling.

Sunday

Started off with fresh coffee and getting to church on time. Another two great sermons from Rick before he had to move on. I took my wife's advice and went to speak with a businessman in our church about how to be a Christian in the work place. He had some great things to tell me and I am glad she convinced me to go talk with him. Tomorrow I am going to pick up her car from the dealer to save her the hassle.

Saturday

Got to sleep in a little. She is still dealing with our sick cat on top of everything else. Back to church for revival today again. It was a real blessing having Rick Bonfim pray over us and our family. He even mentioned her great cooking! She took our son to a pool party that afternoon while i fixed my car. Cannot forget she made me fresh coffee for breakfast too!

Friday

Met at church for the start of revival. What an amazing night. I really admire how she has found a mentor. We did not leave the service until almost 10:00 pm, but she was great in getting our son to bed.

Thursday

No idea how she pulls off so much in one day. First she had to take her car to the dealership for a recall, which also required getting a rental car. Then she went to return some things at the mall and use up a gift card to buy some necessities. She is really doing great with the budget and I'm glad she doesn't mind doing the bills. It makes much more sense that she track the numbers since she is the purchasing manager of the household. But the topper was dinner, homemade spaghetti sauce and something called peanut butter pie for dessert. Oh...my...wow. I've never had it before but I sure hope it isn't the last time. She wasn't thrilled with how it turned out, but I was in heaven.

Wednesday

Quick dinner but a favorite, chili dogs and tater tots! It was a really busy day for my wife. The cat is sick again, so she had to deal with that, plus it was swim class day for our son. That night she put our son to bed while I went to a TV show debut for work. She knows how important networking is in my job and I really appreciated her taking the night shift (after pulling the day shift!).

Tuesday

Right now she and our son are making homemade applesauce muffins. She is letting Ian actually add the ingredients in the bowl and mix. This kid will definitely know how to cook! Coffee is piping hot in the percolator already.

Monday

Nothing better than homemade blueberry muffins. She even made enough for me to share with the office. Rave reviews from my coworkers. Dinner was homemade fried okra, pad thai chicken and rice. Today was also swimming lesson day for our son.

Sunday

Homemade mac & cheese for dinner. We set up a terrarium for the tadpoles/frogs our son got for his birthday. My wife got the area prepped while I got the terrarium set up. While I got some work done she put our son to bed.

Saturday

Our son's 2nd birthday party. My wife made homemade cupcakes and arranged them in the shape of a train! The party was a huge success. She made homemade play dough for goody bags, a great budget saver. We went to Five Guys for dinner so she wouldn't have to cook anymore. Definitely a well deserved dinner out.