All About Andy Day!

I’m not sure anything gives me more joy than planning and pulling off something really special for someone that I love. 

I realized a few weeks ago that our family would be traveling on Andy’s birthday AND Father’s Day this year. Poor guy. That’s not a very fun way to spend your special day. So I started racking my brain for ideas of what I could do to make those events meaningful celebrations. 

After pursuing half a dozen options, I finally landed on “All About Andy Day”. On Thursday morning I gave Andy the following paper to let him know that the next day would be his special day!

Thursday afternoon I picked up Andy’s dream car (a Jeep Wrangler) from a friend of ours. They were so gracious to allow us to use the car all weekend. It made the whole experience feel like a rugged adventure. So fun!

After the boys went to sleep on Thursday night, I prepped all of our food for the picnic the next day. Andy prefers healthy food, so In-N-Out was not an option on a day especially crafted for him. Made egg salad, assembled fruit kabobs, sliced fresh veggies, and whipped up some homemade hummus. 

I told Andy, "I think I must express love through thoughtfully prepared food!"

Friday turned out about as perfect as a day could be. One minor glitch in the plans was that Andy didn't really get to "wake up slowly and snuggle with his boys" due to the fact that his boys thought it would be great fun to bust out of their room at 6:40 and begin opening and slamming all the upstairs doors. Oh well. Not all variables can be controlled. :-/

A yummy breakfast

Andy went for a long walk while I made these beauties.

We hit the road a little after 10 and took the scenic route to Santa Cruz.

We stopped at a playground to play and enjoy our picnic.

Who do you think had the most fun at the playground? Watch this 6 second video to find out!

After the playground, Andy introduced the rest of us to frozen Acai. Ahhh! Where have you been all my life?! If you haven't had it, evidently it's a type of fruit that is popular in Brazil. There's a place in Santa Cruz that mixes the frozen Acai with your choice of toppings, such as granola, bananas, etc... So good!

Then, of course, we had to head over to the beach for a bit...

After the beach, we drove home to take showers and get ready for Date Night!! We dropped our boys off at the Santos house and headed over to Maggiano's for a delicious, romantic dinner. What a perfect way to end a wonderful day!

The day took a bit of planning and prep, but not a whole lot of extra money. Investing in the people we love is so worth the effort and it's mutually beneficial! I got to enjoy all the fun, too. Plus, a husband who feels loved and blessed delights in loving and blessing his wife! It's a good cycle to be on!

Happy Birthday & Father's Day, Andy! My admiration and respect for you is constantly growing. You are an amazing man and I'm SO THANKFUL to get to call you mine!