anyone whose spouse works nontraditional hours knows time off together is such a gift. i think the knowledge that we aren't guaranteed those uninterrupted hours from friday evening until sunday night each week compel us to make the most of the days when our schedules do align. i noticed when we were both on similar schedules we tended to veg more, figuring there was always tomorrow, or next weekend. or maybe that's just a hallmark of your early twenties - you're in no rush, you have all the time in the world.

our weekend rituals have varied a little over the years, but throughout the phases of our marriage we've always developed somewhat of a routine when we're able to enjoy a leisurely weekend day off together. i can mark different periods of our lives by the evolution of how we've chosen to spend our free time.

our latest since bringing tavi home [and getting her vaccinated!] - is sleeping in, grabbing a cup of warm coffee, then taking the pup to the beach to frolic in the nice weather, followed by lunch at hammy's. despite her rapidly growing size, tavi sleeps in my lap with her head on my shoulder (she thinks she still weighs about 8 pounds) in the car as we drive from destination to destination, goes full bore the entire time at the beach, which is our strategy to wear her out so she behaves at lunch, and by the time we're headed home she's ready for a nice long nap. each saturday we've met some super nice people (and their pups!), and we've never failed to have a relaxing day - it's the perfect way to unwind at the end of a stressful week.