Our First Date

On this day, Monday, November 24, exactly 10 years ago, Alex and I went on our first date. I can't believe it's been that long, but it's true. Here's the story: I met Alex for the first time in January of '98. We were both at the temple doing baptisms. I was impressed that he was spending a Friday night at the temple. A few months later he started coming to the same singles' ward I was in. I didn't really talk to him that much for a long time. I would see him playing basketball after activities, tie-dyed shirt and backwards bicycle cap, and think, "How old does he think he is?" But after a while I noticed that he was at every activity and Family Home Evening and institute class. Impressive. And I heard good things about him from other people. However, even when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn't bring myself to talk to him. One time after Institute class he came up to me and told me he was my home teacher. He was mistaken, but if I had been suave I would have said something like, "You don't have to be my home teacher to call me." But suave I am not. He called me once to ask me on a group date, but that weekend I had to chaperon a group of students going to Magic Mountain. We kept missing each other for a few weeks. Then at last we made arrangements to go out to dinner after Family Home Evening. I thought it was going to be just the two of us, but his friend, the infamous Kenny Taylor, and Cindy Kleinman (now Campbell) and Meridee Robbins (now Turner) joined us also. We all went to Johnny Mac's
To be honest, there isn't much to tell about the date. We said a prayer before we ate our food. I ordered a chicken salad. At one point I told myself I should pay more attention to my date instead of thinking of other things. Alex and I chit-chatted a bit and after dinner we went to his mom's house and watched TV for a while.His mom's house alarm went on when we entered the house and she came out of her room in her nightgown. That was my first glimpse of my future mother-in-law. It was really no big deal. The next day as I drove home from work I thought, "I don't really have any bad vibes about him, or any good ones, but I guess if he asked me out again I would say yes." About seven weeks after that he was my boyfriend, and here we are ten years later-married with three children. Here are some pictures of us at that time.
Me at a faculty Christmas party (I went out with Alex later that night.)
Alex with the lasagna he made for a church dinner.
Us as a brand new couple.


P.S. Happy Birthday to my brother Aaron, who for the next two weeks is the same age as I am!