That's how we roll with dad.

Father's Day has come and gone, but I'm feeling like keeping the dad's day spirit alive with a little tribute to the hubs, who just happens to be out working overtime because he knows he has a high-maintenance woman to provide for.

The boys and I had a great Father's day, but it was missing one thing, and that was their father.

When Ryan decided at the ripe-old age of 31 that he was going to become a police officer, I was more than hesitant at first. Sure, there was the whole dealing with criminals and life-on-the-line thing, but more than anything, I was just worried that he wasn't going to be around quite as much anymore. This was not exactly a validated fear, and to the contrary he actually has 4 days off a week, during which he and the boys head out on adventures in their painfully mismatched outfits with wild, ungroomed bed heads. When I expressed some concern at the fact that they looked like total hobos when sent a picture of them from the beer isle in Costco ( typical outing), a motto was born that I've been hearing quite frequently of late: "That's how we roll with Dad."

Anyways, we do have to roll without dad sometimes these days, and holidays and weekends just happen to be some of those times. It's a bummer, but I guess it makes me appreciate the one full day a week that I have to spend with him even more. And while on the topic of appreciation, prehaps I will share with you just a few of the items on a very looong list of things I appreciate and love about my husband:

1. I can't believe that I am admitting this, because I roll my eyes at him as he proclaims it every day in the mirror, but he really is getting more handsome with age.

2. Since my dad has passed away, he finds himself in charge of three very unorganized, erratic and emotional women. Despite his grumblings, he can always be counted on to run out and get a jumbo pack of super-plus tamps for my sister, or to help my mom with the eight bags she always feels the need to travel with, even if it's just for the weekend.

3. He makes a mean lasagna, a deadly au poivre sauce and a ridiculous enchilada- and he somehow manages to keep the kitchen clean when he cooks.

4. He admitted to me the other day that I do better impersonations than he does. When I do them- particularly when I do funny animal voices, like the Manatee rationalizing his obesity on Rikki Lake, he gets this big cheesy grin and this lispy chuckle that makes his shoulders shake and makes him look like he's 4 years old. I love it.

5. Despite the depressing effects of childbirth, gravity and too much popcorn, he still thinks I have a great butt. Or at least does a very convincing job of lying about it.

6. He has seen me at my ugliest, at my saddest, at my meanest (yes, I can be mean) and he still loves me. I believe he loved me from the moment he met me and begged me for a kiss only minutes later, just as I did when I met him and had to try so hard not to give in to his request.

Happy belated Father's day Ry. I love you.