FINALLY!!

When Don and I started dating over a year ago, I was done wasting time on the wrong guys... and I wanted to get married and start a family as soon as possible! I told Don a year ago... that we would try this relationship out for 3 months, then re-evaluate. Well, things went great the first three months, the next three months after that, he moved to Utah and things were still OK. I knew that he was totally marriage material for me, Don needed more time and would ask me to be patient with him.
We set a year mark for a goal to make a decision about our relationship... (at least that's how I took the conversations we'd had). Came and went the end of June (our 1 year dating mark) with no proposal, I felt like I was getting dragged along again, only this time by a really neat guy! I felt like he should know by now how he felt for me by now, and if he didn't know by now... then I was done waiting for him to figure it out.
It was a rough time, I was tired of him asking me to be patient. We hadn't talked in a few days, then I get a text from him to look up one of his cameras of a house he was building on the internet. I texted back, OK. These cameras were video only, no sound. I logged on to his job site camera at the appointed time and there Don was with a spiral notebook with messages written on them... these were the messages... He first said sorry, then asked me to be PATIENT, but had crossed out patient... and wrote MINE FOREVER, then the last note that said, will you marry me... then the "thank you".
I immediately went to call him, but first had to text him to say, "YES!" We had to keep the whole technology thing going. teehee In these pictures, Don is sitting down talking with me on the cell phone. I made him sit there and flip through the notebook so I could get pictures of each note... teehee We got engaged on July 10, 2006 and set our wedding date for September 23, 2006... just 10 weeks later!

The next 6 months...

Over the next 6 months after Don had moved to Utah and I was still in California... we made an effort to see each other about 2 times a month, taking turns going to Utah and California. We went to Yosemite, I went snowboarding with my niece, I attended the Singles Winter Retreat (sad Don wasn't there), we went to the Homestead in Utah, Carmel, Rexburg and Jackson Hole for my brother's graduation from BYU-Idaho, we met in Las Vegas and Winnemucca, I spent a weekend on the lake with my sister's family and called Don to tell him about the big catfish I caught... then we flew together to Oregon for Don and Dan's 20 year High School reunion late June.

Don's Farewell and Move Day... sad!

Don started the Utah job in January... and at the end of the month, he came back to have a last party with us and to pack up and move out. There were many friends at both his farewell and move day. A good friend Sai, put together a slideshow of Don and friends over the years. Several friends and I put together a photo album of pictures and memories from several people of Don. Several people came to his place on his move day to help pack, load the truck, including his dad from Oregon. Several girls were there cleaning his place! Don is loved and will be missed by many, especially me!

Aspen, Christmas and Bad News! :(

Don had been laid off from his recycling job since earlier in 2005. Good news was that he got a job offer to be a Superintendant for a house builder! Bad news, was that this new job was in UTAH! :( Don was sure that the move to Utah was the right thing for him... and so we had the talks about if we were going to stay together or break up. I'd done long distance relationships before, and didn't want to do it again unless there was reason to. (an engagement in the near future!) Don couldn't propose, but could tell me that things are going "well and maybe would lead to something more".
I spent a weekend in Aspen with my family for my nephew Cayden's blessing and upon arriving home, I immediately flew to Utah to spend Christmas with Don and his family there. It was nice spending time with his family, but also I was very sad that he was going to be moving to Utah soon and left wondering where that would leave our relationship...

Officially Dating, The First 5 Months

Through the next few months as newly dating people, we did fun group activities such as BBQing, hot tubbing, karoake nights, I met Don's mom for the first time in August and we had dinner in Santa Cruz, went camping with the young singles ward to Camp Ritchie, country concerts (Don and 7 girls), game nights, Ghiradhelli Chocolate Festival in San Francisco, Corn Maize FHE activity, the annual Service Auction... only this time we were each other's dates! We also went to Disneyland, celebrated Don's birthday as a surprise my roommates had set up when we got back from Disneyland... and I went to Oregon for the first time for Thanksgiving with Don's family.

Rucker Lake, Father's Day... AND A FIRST KISS!

So the story continues in June of 2005... and there is finally a turning point! So, the annual Rucker Lake activity is an annual activity where the singles go up to a Girls Camp location and clean it up for the winter. I'd never been to this activity. I was still dating Eddie, but of course he couldn't come because of work... and I remember Eddie called me while I was there and I was super annoyed by him for some reason, ouch!
I was looking forward to this activity since I loved camping and of course Don was going to be there. teehee We did our service, picking up twigs and branches, etc. I can't remember what else we did... but we did camping stuff, like cooking food over open flame, slept in tents, rowed canoes, Don fished, etc. I think Don and I rode in a canoe together... and we got this picture together.
On the way home from this activity, we (all the singles from my ward) stopped off at my parent's house for dinner! A few days later... I had lunch with my parents, they said that they REALLY LIKED DON. I kinda confessed to them that I liked him too, but hadn't been sure... but because they said this to me... it was a done deal. I decided to jump in with both feet to go after Don. :) **SIDE NOTE, THAT I FORGOT TO MENTION** Merridon, my old roommate who had a crush on Don, moved back to San Jose and mentioned to me that she had heard that he and I were an 'item'... I said, well, we hang out now and then or sit together in church, that's it... Merridon told me, I think you two should date. I said NO! She asked me why, because of me? I said, well kinda... and I'm not sure if I like him like that... (all the reasons I mentined before) Then Merridon said to me, "Tiffany, you are a neat person, Don is a neat person, you two should date to see where this could go... and you can't worry about me!"
A week or two later, my family was going to go on a house boat for Father's Day Weekend... and I didn't want to take Eddie, I wanted to take Don... so I broke up with Eddie and invited Don! Don agreed to come with me, we spent the weekend with my family, and we had a good time AS FRIENDS. Don started inviting me to his place (a HUGE deal, since he never had people to his place normally) We would play rummikub game after rummikub game. We kept tally of how many games we had each won. (I was ahead!)
Father's Day fell on, June 19th, 2005 and just a few short days later... on June 23rd, Don and I had our first kiss and made our relationship "officially exclusive to see where it could go".
(sorry I dont have any pictures of dinner at my parents with all the friends, all the rummikub games or the first kiss... but that's OK!)

Abalone Diving

I had been abalone diving each year for a few years. A friend from work had property up there and would let people come and camp on the property, hang out, eat and dive for abalone.
This time I brought Jenny and Brianne since they wanted to go pretty bad. :) Girls trip, no boys! I was still dating that one guy Eddie... but he always worked and couldn't ever come. And if we did ever go anywhere, I always had to drive (most of the time) since he was always too tired from his jobs. Another annoying thing about him. Anyhow, Jenny, Brianne and I went diving in the freezing water, caught the abalone, shucked it, sliced it, pounded it, breaded it, fried it. YUM!