I have been thinking a lot about the great people in my life and how they have helped me get where I am and become the person I am now. 

Michael is not the last person I've met to have had an impact on my life, but he definitely has the greatest impact.  More than anyone else, Michael Carl Borup, my love, has helped me become who I am today.  Not just for the obvious reasons like we got married and had children, but because he has changed the way I look at life and at myself so drastically--definitely in a good way.

First, the shallow stuff.  Knowing Mikey makes me cooler.  My taste in music is a good example.  He has introduced me to this amazing world of crazy-good music that I only glimpsed before knowing him.  He has taught me all about cooking (I couldn't cook when we got married-- he taught me) and great food from all over the place.  He's even got me thinking outside the box about the kind of home we want (possibly a dome-- which sounds weird until you see some of their interiors) and the kind of lifestyle we'd like (among our long-term goals are owning a hip restaurant/movie theater, sailing all over on a yacht-- possibly one we built or restored ourselves, and writing a screenplay together).  

As his coolness has rubbed off on me, I have also found my own ways to be cool, which he has supported 100%.  He encouraged me in my decisions to start a book club, to run again, and to become a certified personal trainer, among other things.  I know he'll be there to back me up in whatever I set my mind to.

Michael has taught me to value myself as a woman and daughter of God.  He has shown me the good in myself as an individual.  He makes me feel safe and valued and cherished.  After being around that so long, my confidence has grown exponentially.

Michael helped me grow up.  When we met I was a shallow, self-centered teenager.  I wanted to marry late, live in Los Angeles, and have one to three children while working like crazy (guess I was influenced a little too much by the feminist movement, huh?).  He gently questioned and reminded and suggested until he had helped me flip my view of what a fulfilling life is completely upside down.  Now I know that life is about love and family, and that the real adventures come through our relationships and what we can do to lift and build one another.  And while my day consists of changing diapers and reading stories instead of world travel and prestigious promotions, I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

As Sister Hinckley once said, life is more than I ever imagined it would be.  Mikey, thank you for helping me discover what's important, who I am, and what I can be.