Happy Father's Day, Honey!

Aren't Father's Day cards stupid? Of all the dads in my life--my own, my father-in-law, my baby daddy--there isn't a single one who sits around on the couch drinking beer and wanting to be left alone on Father's Day. And yet that's how the majority of the cards portray these super important men. It's really sad.

Zach is basically the opposite of that stereotype. I am so proud of the father he has been these past 13 months and the father he is becoming.

Zach posses all the qualities that are truly important in a father, the ones that aren't portrayed in greeting cards. Starting from the more mundane and ending with the most important, here are some of the roles that Zach has played as Izey's Daddy:

• Bread winner. We have been really blessed by Zach's flexible and fun workplace this year. Zach is really great at his job and I know RPh on the Go appreciates him. I am thankful that I have had more than a year off of work now and have been freed up to finish my degree and take care of our boy. What an amazing gift!
  
• Partner in Discipline. I know some dads who sit by and make their wives be the mean ones, so I'm grateful that Zach sees himself as an equal authority figure. He totally backs me up on what Spike is allowed or not allowed to do, eat, etc.
  
• Relief for Mom. There are certainly days that Zach comes home from work to me pacing the floor because I need a break. He is so amazing at giving me whatever time and space I need, even if it means we eat dinner super late or throw a frozen pizza in the oven (again).
  
• Meeter of Needs. When Zach is home, he prepares Isaac's meals, feeds him, changes his diapers, puts him to bed and cleans up after him more than I do. He is also always the one to give Izey his bath. I couldn't survive stay-home parenting without these breaks and Isaac loves doing these special things with his daddy.
  
• Tickler, wrestler, chaser, thrower, giggle-maker. Zach is certainly Isaac's favorite playmate. Every single day after work, Zach gets down on the floor and plays with his boy. And I know they both love it.
  
• Attentive, adoring audience. Zach gets just as excited as I do about watching Izey learn new things. We share our enthusiasm for his love of books, his first steps, his up-coming swimming lesson... And it's usually Zach who suggests we go peek at Isaac every night before we go to bed.
  
• Comforter. Izey's lucky to have a daddy who's not afraid to show his affection--who says "I love you," who gives kisses and hugs, and who scoops him up quickly when he's hurt or sad.
  
• Model of Christ's gentle love. Zach is an amazing model of a myriad of positive traits--integrity, discipline, thoughtfulness, hard work, intelligence--but most importantly, he humbly demonstrates as well as any human can how much our Heavenly Father loves and cares for us.
  

I put together a video of Izey and his daddy, and I think the pictures speak for themselves: Zach is an awesome dad.
(It's 8 minutes long, so if you're not interested in the whole thing, you may still want to see the funny 30 seconds.)