I've said it before...

....but it bears repeating: I love this man. This man who always ends up on this random collection of reflections known as "the blog", making ridiculous faces in pictures that we have to take of ourselves because we're just that vain (but ironically self-deprecating enough to smear food on our teeth before the shutter opens). This man who wrestles my kids to the ground, reads them book after book, shares an endless supply of original songs and stories fine-tuned to make them giggle, tucks them in with a kiss, and hates when they hurt. This man who cooks breakfast, COOKS breakfast, every morning, EVERY morning, for his family. This man who says the craziest things, as well as some of the most profound, on a daily basis. This man who goes to work every morning, calls during the chaos of his schedule, and happily returns home at the close of the day.
I love this man. This man is to me and for me and with me so much more than I was ever smart enough to think of or ask for. This man is my best friend. This man is my lover. This man is "Daddy" to our babies. This man does not have an equal.
He left in the wee hours today for a week-long trip overseas. We ate sushi and piddled around, wrangled Jack, played a game of Life with Bella, and held each other tight as we faded to sleep before his hour to depart chimed from the alarm. I love him. To say that I will miss him seems almost pathetically ridiculous. But I will. We will. Till this man is home with us once more.