happy father's day, love.

dave always gets embarrassed when i write gushy or complimentary things about him in my blog. since i'm in love with him, and he's the most amazing man i know, not writing complimentary and gushy things proves difficult.

since today is father's day, i can get away with writing about him. so i'm going to. and he can't stop me!

dear husband,
i'll try to keep this relatively brief, but you make it impossible. as my partner in this life, i honestly feel privileged to be raising kids along side you. before we were even dating, i knew you'd be a great dad. it's one of the things that attracted me most to you. you just have "it"...whatever that "it" is. and that "it" is something very special- more of a gift than a talent or a skill.

one of the things i love the most is your willingness to participate in raising our kids. there are no tasks you consider "mine" because i'm the mother. there is no area of interest when it comes to raising kids that you aren't interested in. you want what's best for your kids, and you want to read about/talk about/find out about whatever those best things are. parenting to you (and with you) is exciting and joyful. it's a relief to a mom, knowing that she has someone who's got her back, who will step in and give her a break, who will take a turn, who is always involved and invested.

on top of all that, you're fun and playful, and you really enjoy spending time with your kids. it's so amazing to watch you with elias and piper. the way they adore you makes me adore you even more. i love listening from the other room as you and elias sword fight or play chess. and i love how every time piper sees you she reaches for you and snuggles up into your chest. i love how you enjoy teaching them new things, and i am in awe of your patience with them. i especially love how you've taught elias to compliment my cooking and tell me i look pretty. he'll make a great husband and father some day because of you :)

so for every story you read, every skill you impart, every teaching moment, every game of baseball, every venture out fishing, every peek-a-boo, every paino lesson, every tickle-tackle, every snuggle, kiss, and hug, i am forever grateful. not only that my children know you, but that they are fortunate enough to have your genes and be raised by you. you are man i respect greatly and love deeply. and i know our children will feel the same.

happy father's day, handsome. i hope you enjoy today as much as we all enjoy you.

xo, mama, jason bay/elias, and pipski