The Tangrens

So the day after the blind date I knew I'd be seeing Derek and have some explaining to do. We got together that afternoon to have a BBQ and Derek was naturally rather stand offish. He had pretty much decided he was done with me. I tried to act normally and talk to him. I don't think he was mean to me at all but he certainly was guarded. After the BBQ we went to a Provo Angels game (a Pioneer league team that played their games at Miller Park on BYU campus - they later became the Orem Owlz) I made sure to sit beside Derek at the game. During the game I tried to give subtle hints like resting my hand on his back when he leaned forward, he smelled really good and I'm pretty sure I told him that. This was also the night of the "Y Mountain" wild fire and we could feel the heat from the fire in our seats at the game. Crazy!

On the way in to the game they were giving these little envelope with a "baseball diamond" in it. Pretty much a ploy to drum up business. Both Derek and I got one. This little thing will come in to play later.

After the game we went back to our apartment to watch a movie. I snuggled right up to him for the rest of the night. Neither of us can remember what movie we watched. His head was completely scrambled and he was completely confused but I think I successfully changed his mind about writing me off...at least for a day.

Derek and I had been going on dates and hanging out for a little under two months but there was yet to be a clear understanding between the two of us. Honestly I don't know if I was ready for a clear understanding to be between us.

Also for a long time a old roommate of mine who was also one of the florists I would sell to at work had been telling me she needed to set me up on a blind date with a guy she knew. She set up this date on July 20, 2001 to go to the Days of '47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City.

When I got home from work that night I found this from Derek, who got home later than me from work.

Which sent me on a scavenger hunt around my house with coupons for things in each clue...

At the end of the scavenger hunt I found these

He had talked to my roommates to have them figure out what my favorite flowers were and had a bouquet made up of all of them.

I. felt. a w f u l.

I called him and got his voice mail and left him a pitiful message where I said something like this

I don't really remember much about the date except we went to the rodeo which was interesting and then went to get some ice cream and the guy had issues with me being older than him. It was a group date and I don't even think that my old roommate was there. Lame.

Hyrum's friends in the neighborhood have a pretty big blow up pool that they put a slide into and make a mini water park in their back yard. Hyrum thought it was really cool so today we went out and bought a smaller blow up pool and put our smaller slide into it for the boys to play in. They loved it!!!

Hyrum is one of those brothers.

Poor Noah! It's tough to be the little guy. :)

Of course Noah gets himself into trouble all by himself too. Little brother syndrome for sure. He thinks he can do everything Hyrum can do.

I don't know what it is with boys and ramps at least my boys and ramps they LOVE running cars down them...they will be ready for the pinewood derby someday.

Those cars go down the slide every bit as much as the boys do...a lot of the time more.

Of course these types of activities are fun for the parents too.

I can't show you the video when he got his hair wet because there was a full moon out ( I really need to do something about those swim trunks- why do they make them so big?!?)

I love that despite it all my boys are friends.

P.S. I LOVE my backyard.

Noah is a momma's boy...always has been. Probably because he doesn't get access to Dad very often but he calls everybody "Momma" Derek has worked tirelessly to get him to say "Dadda" and he flat refuses.It's only fair. I was "Dadda" forever with Hyrum. But he does know his own name. (I'm pointing to Derek first and then to myself)

His face was still coated in a thin layer of fudgesicle so his skin was really tight that's what the squint was at the end.

Really I think "Momma" is his title for everyone in his family. Everyone that loves him. We sure do.

I got home from an trip back east for the Hill Comorah pageant with my sister Nikki and her family and found this

From a young man who I asked to water my plants while I was gone.

It was a trip I almost didn't go on. When I got to the airport I almost missed my flight and then when I got on the plane the overhead bin where I put my things wouldn't close. Then there was something wrong with the plane so we had to all get off and get on a new flight so our take off was delayed. I would miss my connecting flight so I was sent to Ohio instead of Michigan where my sister and her family would pick me up there on the way to New York by way of a Six Flags amusement park in Ohio. While I waited for my flight I considered just going home and not going. Just kept feeling I should stay in Utah.

While on the vacation my thoughts frequently turned to a young man I had recently gone to Timp caves with. I had pictures from that trip at the end of June with me and even though I'd had a crush on someone else that was there I found myself looking longer than I thought I would at Derek Tangren, the young man who I asked to water my plants for me when I was gone. I ended up picking up a leaf from the Sacred Grove to bring back to him and a pamphlet in German that they had at one of the sites because I knew he spoke German.

A bunch of us had gone up to Timpanogos caves together. Derek being one of them. The hike up to Timp caves is a long winding and tiring.

Along the way I stopped to rest and although most of the group was on ahead of me, Derek stopped to wait with me and talk. At the time I thought it was just him being nice. In retrospect it was probably more interest than simply being nice. Regardless of intent it made an impact on me. It further made an impact to come home to fresh flowers on my dresser ( complete with hand made card) , burned out lights replaced in my bathroom and a full container of bleach ( we'd been running low ) in our laundry cupboard.

I was more excited than I thought I would be to see him when I got home.