Being a Helper to My Husband

The topic of being a helper to my husband has been weighing heavily on my mind these past few days.   Laura, at www.heavenlyhomemakers.com, is posting a fantastic series about it, and it has really encouraged and challenged me. So I began to think of all the ways that i am a helper to my husband, and all the ways I need to improve on this. Some of the ways I help him are:

-First and foremost, I try at all times to show respect to my husband.  I NEVER intentionally speak disrespectfully to him, and I am learning how to moderate my tone and words so that I never injure him unintentionally or while "teasing".  I also encourage Gabriel to think and speak respectfully to him by always praising Ash while he is at work.  We frequently speak of Daddy during the day with such phrases as, "Don't we have such a great Daddy, who works hard all day long for us?", "Eat your vegetables so you grow up big and strong like your Daddy," "We love to wash Daddy's clothes for him- let me show you the way that he likes his shirts folded- just so."

-I try to always have a hot, nourishing meal ready for Ash when he gets home from work.  I work really hard to update my meal plan to include foods that he enjoys.  This winter, he has really been craving thick soups, stews, and hearty meals with a lot of meat and other protein; thus I have made sure to include meat in every meal.  I have also been cooking (almost) everything from scratch with healthy, whole foods.  This has been a blessing to our Ash, myself, the boys and our wallet!

-When Ash arrives home from work, I know that he needs a little time to unwind and relax.  I try my best to never jump on him with problems that arose during the day.  I save any concerns until after he has had time to eat and wind down.  I also NEVER reserve discipline for Ash to deal out when he comes home.  That would make the boys fear their Daddy's arrival with dread anticipation.  Instead, I train and discipline them myself during the day, so that they greet him with reckless abandon and wild joy.

Ways I need to improve:

-Ash craves a place of peace and comfort when he comes home from his stressful, busy day.  To be a better helpmeet, I need to keep the house picked up and uncluttered when he arrives home from work.  Also, I need to work some cleaning time into our weekends so that the house doesn't become so messy every weekend.
-I have a poor morning habit of sleeping in while Ash gets ready for work.  To be a better helpmeet, I need to set an alarm every morning to rise and prepare coffee and breakfast for Ash.  I also need to lay out his lunch the night before, or prepare it in the morning.  This way, he will be able to focus on his job and not his empty stomach:-(
-Like most men, Ash appreciates beauty and grace.  I have fallen into the all-too-common trap of frumpy motherhood.  To be a better helpmeet, I need to strive to regain feminine beauty and grace in my appearance.  I truly enjoy feeling feminine and pretty, so helping him in this aspect will benefit me as well!

Please help me in my endeavor by asking me occasionally how I am doing in my challenges.  It helps me to be held accountable:-)
You can encourage me and others by posting how you are a helpmeet to your husband, and ways that you want to challenge yourself to become a better helpmeet to him...