YWIW,
There's not a lot more I can add to some excellent advice on this thread. Just that I remember early on saying that I was learning more about patience than about flying. I was, and believe me it was more difficult. I can't remember the number of times I checked the weather, called the airfield, then things changed by the time I got there. And I must hold some sort of record for hours spent learning to land/going solo - look at the "Changing Instructors" thread on wannabes if you want details. But learning patience, and to change plans if necessary, is important, if not crucial for a pilot.
I agree with all the rest of the advice, but do take your wife down with you, even if only to watch and have a cup of tea. A lot of women feel it's a very male oriented thing (it is!) and can feel excluded - and that shouldn't be the case. If the family finances can survive it, maybe she could learn a bit too - like the safety pilot course, which is only about five hours.
And yes, it's worth it. This summer I've flown a helicopter to Paris, and spent a few days touring in Ireland. Wow! Even after I got my PPL, I never thought I'd do that. And that was only three years ago. You can meet and do things with more experienced pilots, learn a lot, have loads of fun, and include the family too. Yes, you do need to keep current, but you can extend the gaps between flights as you get more hours. It's expensive, but if you do that it's not all that horrendous.
Hope that helps a bit. And if your wife wants another woman to talk to about this weird flying stuff and what it's really all about, tell her she can e-mail me if she wants (especially if she's going to fly helicopters!!!!)