Father's Day

As a Father's Day present to my sweet husband, I decided to write a little about him.

We've had our ups and our downs in our 8ish year relationship. But we've always stayed friends, and usually stayed best friends. I can honestly say that I married my best friend, and I could not be happier because of it.

He has went from a good husband, to a great husband, all in a month. Since we got married, he has been promising me that he would give up dipping tobacco. I've begged, I've pleaded, I've cried, I've yelled, I've been silent... all of it. I was scared to death of him getting cancer. Both of my grandparents died from lung cancer, and I did NOT want my husband to follow. He had quit a few times in the past, but not for a very long time. He promised he'd quit by the wedding, by Christmas, by my birthday, by Keevia's birth, by Christmas (the second in a row!), but finally, he said when we moved in the house, he would quit.

And he did. And it was rough. I have an argumentative personality, and it was very difficult for me to just clamp my mouth shut when I knew the only reason we were arguing was because he was going through withdrawals. I gritted my teeth when he moved furniture around, only to say he didn't care where it went the next day. I took Keevia next door to visit her grandparents when he would yell at me for no reason (and he NEVER yells!). And we made it.

And he is a different person. Completely. Before I would have to ask, and ask, and ask, nag him to do anything. To take out the trash, to pick up his dishes, to get me his dirty clothes, ANYTHING. Now, he does it without me asking. He cleans up the kitchen several nights a week. He has energy. He doesn't lay around on the couch lethargically for hours on end. He is a totally different man, not just physically but emotionally as well. He used to get super testy if he hadn't had a dip in a few hours, and now he's just mellowed out some.

He is the best father to my daughter that I could ever imagine. He stays up with her when I'm exhausted, he gets her for me in the middle of the night, he snuggles with her, plays with her, towels her off after bath-time, and loves her deeply. He supports my parenting ideals 100% (even when they're a little wacky!). He is top-notch on the daddy ladder!

I love you so much Carl, thank you for being the light of my life. Thank you for taking such good care of us, and thank you for loving us so much. I fall more in love with you every day when I see Keevia light up when you come home. Happy Father's Day, I love you.