Clayton

Yeah, I guess it's about time that I had a post about my boy toy. It hasn't been very long, so you would think that there wouldn't really be that much to write. But if you're thinking like that, then you're wrong :o) Our first date (and he remembered this, not me) was December 5th. Cheri Mills set us up. She served the same mission as him, and she's in my ward. After getting to know how fabulous I am, she decided that I should meet Fowers, because apparently he's equally awesome. Since Cheri had snagged me a date, I snagged her a date with a boy in our ward, and the three of us headed north to Salt Lake while Clayton headed south to meet us in Salt Lake. We met on Temple Square and looked around at the lights. Now, I had gone more for cute than comfort or warmth, so I was pretty cold on this walk, and so it was a good thing that no one actually stopped to look at the lights. We all just kind of walked and talked, occasionally glancing up. Next stop was dinner. Cheri's date Jake used to work up in Salt Lake, so he listed off some different restaurants for us, and Cheri and Clayton chose Costa Vida. Fine with me. It was funny though, because we ran into two other guys from our ward there who were out on dates. On our walk, we were definitely paired off and kept conversations to our separate groups. At dinner we talked as the four of us, and it was pretty interesting conversation. Poor Cheri will never be able to view the Disney Princesses the same. Sorry hun. After dinner we went to the Planetarium and watched a light show. None of us were too impressed by it, so I wouldn't really recommend it. At the end of the date, it was a little awkward because Clayton hadn't parked in the same place as us, so at a corner he just started veering away. Luckily Cheri wanted a hug, so after she gave him one, I got one too. But we didn't exchange numbers or anything or say we should do it again, it was kind of abrupt. I didn't know what to think about that :o(

When we got home, Cheri of course wanted to know what I thought and how it went, so we had some girl talk. I told her that I had a really fun time, and we seemed to hit it off well. He was pretty cute, and pretty humorous. But really, I couldn't figure out why we got along so well. We are pretty opposite. He's pretty childish and immature, and our tastes don't exactly match up, and our sense of humors differ in certain areas. But, regardless of the facts, I had a fun time.

Then the middle school antics started. Because I didn't have his number and he didn't have mine, we had to rely on Cheri to be our middle woman. She asked him what he thought of the date and I found out through her, and he did the same to find out about me. It was funny, but I wanted to be able to talk to him myself, so I had Cheri give him my number. We started texting each other, every other day. He says he didn't plan it that way, but I'm convinced that he didn't want it to be every day so that he scared me off, so he did it every other so that I would know he was interested, but not desperate. I had already had plans to be up in Ogden the next weekend, but I wasn't sure how to let him know that. Although I am pretty forward in my flirting, I didn't really want to be that forward with him. So one day when I had had a pretty rough day at school I told him that I was so glad that I got a little break coming up. He of course asked what the break was, and I told him I was going up to Ogden. Then he freaking changed the subject :o( But it came back up later and he asked me "so, you know, that area is where I like to hang out, would you be interested in hanging out with me while you're up here?" Um duh, that's why I brought it up, I mean, "sure, sounds fun." So I had a nice visit with Grandma and Grandpa Smith, and then went and hung out with Clayton that night. I drove all the way out to his house, just for him to drive us back to South Ogden for dinner. I'm only exaggerating a little when I say that I was right down the street from Grandpa's house. It was a fun dinner. It was really easy to laugh and joke and have a good time. To keep it less planned, so that I could drive back whenever I needed, we went back to his place to play pool. My pool skills were pretty awesome that night, if you just ignore the fact that I knocked the 8 ball in like right away. So although he technically won both games, I had the better skills :o) I wasn't quite ready to leave yet, so we popped in a movie. He was so smooth too. We sat down and he went to put a pillow behind his head, and all of a sudden his arm was behind mine. Good move! Eew. The worst part of that date was the drive home. It was pretty late by time the movie and the talking was all over with, and I still had to make the 1 1/2 drive back. Not only that, but right as I headed out, it started snowing, so that slowed things down even more.

I was going to continue with the play-by-plays of the dates, but then decided that would take too long, so he came out to Orem the next weekend and we hung out, and then it was time for me to come home for Christmas break. Only guess what? Before I left, we arranged for him to be my personal shuttle from the airport to Grandpa's house, seeing as Grandma and Grandpa were going to Saint George and wouldn't be able to pick me up. Score!!! I went home and we talked the WHOLE time I was at home. Okay, when I say "talked" I really mean "texted" but it's the same thing. I feel that we grew a lot closer that week we were really far apart. I was also convinced that if I wanted it, I was going to have a boyfriend as soon as I got back to Utah. Ha, for once, I was actually looking forward to going back to Utah ;o) Yep, I was right. He picked me up from the air port (the delayed flight and airport hassle is a completely different story) we went back to his place and he started talking about dating, but he would come out and ask me to be his girlfriend, so I wasn't making it easy. But seeing as he's a little shy in the girl area, I finally broke down and asked, "Clayton, do you want me to be your girlfriend?" When he said yes, I told him that he had me then. Awwww :o)

The next day he taught me how to snowboard. That was pretty fun. I was pleased at how well I was doing that first day, and he was pretty pleased to not have to ride the ski lift alone :o) I've been coming up as often as I can to snowboard with him, but I haven't been too much. I think as of Saturday I've been four times. Yeah, so we try to rotate weekends who comes up and who comes down, but I prefer to go up because I can stay at his parents house and see him Friday and Saturday, where as if he comes down I just get him for a couple hours Friday night. Plus, when he comes over to my place, there's roommate drama that is easily avoided if I come up to him. And, we started a new thing where we meet in Salt Lake in the middle of the week so that we don't have to go so long without seeing each other. It helps because we both only have to travel both ways and I'm telling you. Seeing your boyfriend only once a week seriously sucks, so the Salt Lake trips help with that too.

I still find him pretty much amazing, even though we still don't match up on a lot of things, I still like to brag about him and talk him up. This is how perfect and well rounded he is. He works at a car place, so he's very hands on and mechanical. He's going to school to get into computers, so he's pretty smart and able to think through lots of problems. And, in his spared time, he volunteers on the ski patrol, so my little man is a little hero :o) What else makes me smile? Oh, it helps that he has a pretty awesome family, and it extra helps that they all approve of me :o) He's very affectionate and loves to hold my hand in public. Although he was a little bit in the dog house yesterday when he wouldn't give me a kiss in front of his family. Oh well, when he meets mine, I'll probably deny him too, so it'll even out soon. But yeah, he's amazing, and we still don't match up (I'll get there in the Valentine's post) but it's still working, and we're both not quite sure why, but we keep going with it.

So yeah, I keep thinking how weird it is that a random set up/blind date would work out so well, but it DEFINITELY is working out SO well!!!! Thanks Cheri, you're pretty much amazing!