Merry Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas from Michael Borup on Vimeo.


Merry Christmas everyone.  This year, instead of sending cards (which, let's be honest, we've never done), we made a Christmas video to share.  And as if that wasn't already enough, I thought I'd use this post to give you all an update on our life right now!

Samuel has learned to walk, talk, and give kisses and hugs.  He is our sweet little guy who is always ready to comfort a sad sibling, cuddle a weary parent, and entertain extended family with his big smiles and silly words.  He loves bananas, telephones, and running wildly through the house with his family.

Truman has turned from a toddler to a kid this year.  He loves superheroes, including his very own made-up Super Sock Boy, who runs really fast.  He is afraid of most animals (particularly  cows and dogs) and is kind of a delicate little guy at times, but he still knows how to have lots of wild fun and charm all around him because he is ridiculously cute.

Evelyn Clementine is in preschool this year and so big I can hardly believe it.  She's learning to spell things like, "Famlee," "Party," and, "Rolorty: Kwyn & Kying."  Evie loves to draw with a lot of detail and has pictures all over the house, including a kind of mini-art gallery in her room.  It is fun to have a girl around, and she fills the role well-- she loves to dress up and be pretty, enjoys making her bed and decorating her room, and of course adds a good amount of drama to our lives.

Andrew is in first grade this year.  We put him in a Montessori Charter School this year, and has gone from playing sick as much as he can to LOVING school!  Andrew wants to be an inventor and build his own flying machine.  He loves Leonardo DaVinci, and spends a lot of time building and flying paper airplanes.  He is learning to read well, and one of his favorite things now is reading chapter books together-- we've read a whole bunch of them this year.

I am enjoying this stage of life-- I do a lot of cuddling, reading, hiding, seeking, tickling, dancing, running, laughing, comforting, helping, encouraging, watching...  Phew!  When I put it that way it sounds exhausting.  And I guess it is, but it's also really great.  This year, just for me, I trained for and ran my second marathon.  While training, I got to join a Ragnar Relay team at the last minute and had a really cool experience with that, made some "token non-Mormon friends," and loved it so much we're doing it again next year!  I also started my own in-home personal training business.  I am thankful for a VERY supportive husband.

Michael lost his job this fall, but we immediately saw it as an opportunity.  He started his own video production company, working from home, and has done well already.  Michael is also teaching a new class at BYU-Idaho on video production.  He has really enjoyed teaching there and his students seemed to really like him and appreciate the class.  Michael started a songwriter's group where they write a new song every month.  It's been fun for him to focus a bit on music.  He's also working on a perpetual motion machine. Obvious defiance of the so-called "laws" of thermal dynamics.

This year has been one of peace for us, despite some big changes and challenges.  We feel very blessed to be here in Eastern Idaho and to know that this is where we should be.  We are thankful to have so many good friends and family in our lives to love and support us.