1. Michael wa
s born on February 28th, 1970. His older sister was only 11 months old when he was born.... and he was only 11 months old when the next sibling was born... so he is unique in that for one month a year he is the same age as Cindy, and for the next month he is the same age as Stephanie!2. Michael used to spend endless hours folding paper airplanes. He would sit on the top bunk with a stack of paper and fold and fly planes until the entire bedroom floor was covered ankle deep. He perfected this art and it finally came in handy when he won an Elder's Quorum paper airplane contest a few years ago. This also comes in handy when entertaining his own kids/nieces/nephews!
3. As a kid, his interests were varied: soccer, computers, science, riding his bike, lighting matches, scouting, reading, and a genuine interest in learning. He also played the piano and french horn, had an oil-changing business, and helped restore his dad's '64 Mustang.
4. In high school, Michael was involved in as many activities as possible. For example during his Junior year, he and a few buddies decided that on a dare they would try out to be cheerleaders (this was unheard of at their school to have male cheerleaders.) They actually made the team and figured they were the smart ones during the football games... what guy doesn't want to hang out with all the hot cheerleaders?
5. Michael received a scholarship for his smarts to BYU where he decided he wanted to pursue a degree in science. He took a break from school to serve an LDS mission for 2 years in Morristown, New Jersey. This time he spent as a missionary prepared him spiritually for the rest of his life. It was a time for leadership growth while he assisted the president.
6. He returned to BYU and focused his efforts in Physics (I think he was double majoring in "dating".) A year of school went by and the following summer he joined the cast of the Oakland Temple Pageant, where to his good fortune I was also involved in the pit orchestra. In the fall we were both back at BYU and he and I began to date, were engaged right after Christmas, and married the following summer.
7. We spent our share of time in married student housing while Michael pursued his Bachelor's in Physics, then a Master's in Physics, and then another Master's in Business. We like to say he achieved three "degrees" of glory... Michael finished school after six years of marriage (three babies born plus one on the way!) and then we were off to Phoenix for our first taste of real jobs, real money, and real life!
8. During Michael's work on his Masters in Physics, he emphasized in Astronomy (not Astrology as I like to tease him) and became very skilled at programming while doing his research. This programming has been very useful in every job he's had since college although he doesn't really use his physics much anymore (except to make interesting conversation and to fuel his inventive hobbies). His current job is for a company that runs the State of Utah's website, as a project manager. His additional job is tech support for me over the phone-- he can fix anything over the phone without s
eeing the screens I am working on!9. Michael is an exceptionally good dad and spends lots of time doing things with our kids. He plays at the park with them, actually sliding and swinging! He takes them swimming, to movies, and teaches them the art of working hard by working alongside them-- whether it's cleaning bathrooms, working in the yard, or cleaning the cars. The kids adore him and view him as a jungle gym that is indestructible!
10. Most of you who know Michael know that he is kind of quiet, has lots of patience, and is a doer. Maybe something you don't know is that he likes to participate in triathlons (I know, sick), and he has strong interests in family history, gardening, energy independence, and politics. He also likes to experiment out in the workshop/garage, go on high adventure scouting trips, and set up computer networks for gaming, etc.
11. Most of all, he is a great
husband. I can't say enough about how tender he is toward me and what a support he is in my interests. He actually thinks I'm more beautiful after six kids than the day we were married! (At the very least he's good at feeding me lines, right?) We have a lot of fun together laughing at ourselves and our kids and I don't believe he has ever told me "no", no matter how ridiculous a request I dream up. He is diligent in his church callings, gives impressive Sunday School lessons and talks, and keeps a quiet focus on the Savior.He's only half-way through his life and already he has achieved a full lifetime of goals. I have to wonder what else he has in store for the second half and feel grateful that I get to have a front row seat for the show! I love you Michael. You are amazing!
