The Beginning of a Love Story...

Once there was a sixteen year old girl who worked as a lifeguard at Raging Waters. Her cousin,who was also a lifeguard, wanted her to go on a group date with him and his girlfriend to see the Fourth of July fireworks at Sugarhouse Park. The sixteen year old said she had no one to take so she probably wouldn't go. Her cousin, being the outgoing, stubborn person he always was, said, "Who do want to go with? I will set you up." Just then, the boy whom the sixteen year old thought was VERY cute and very funny walked by. 
"Him." she replied. "He is really cute," (as she giggled and turned red).
 "OK." was her cousins reply. "I will get him to ask you out."


The morning passed and late afternoon was arriving. This sixteen year old was wondering if her cousin was going to pull through with getting the cute boy to ask her out. The sixteen year old's cousin came over to where she was guarding. "Did he ask you out yet?" 
"No" replied the sixteen year old.
"Don't worry. He will." said the cousin.


Sure enough about 30 minutes later, up walks the cute (very shy) boy that the sixteen year old wanted to go out with.


Now, this sixteen year old can't really remember how the conversation went, other than he did ask her to go to the fireworks that night and the cute boy was extremely nervous while doing the asking, but she excitedly said yes. The sixteen year old remembers having butterflies in her stomach at the thought of going on a date with him. 


The sixteen year old and the cute boy had a lot of fun together. There was a group of about 8 people and they took coolers full of food up to the fireworks and sat on a steep hill on blankets. After the fireworks were over they waited for the crowds to clear and they went blanket rolling down the steep hill. They all laughed and had a perfect first date. 

Raging Waters 1994

Those perfect dates continued through the summer. There was hiking, camp fires, hanging out with friends at Raging Waters, swimming, movies, dinners, many late nights (that the sixteen years old parents never approved of), and always lots of smiling and laughing. The sixteen year old girl and the cute boy were having the best summer, but then the cute boy had to start getting ready to serve a mission. He had been called to serve in Bahia Blanca, Argentina and would be leaving the sixteen year old girl in October of 1994. 

Hiking and camp fires with some of Joe's friends
August 1994

The summer ended and the sixteen year old girl had to go back to school to start her Junior year. The cute boy got a job at Deseret Gym working as a lifeguard and started to get things ready to go on his mission. The cute boy took the sixteen year old to her Homecoming Dance in September. He asked her by filling a cleaned out pumpkin with spaghetti noodles and pumpkin  seeds. He put the letters to his name inside the pumpkin in little capsules that took this poor sixteen year old a long long time to find. She was overjoyed when she realized it was her "cute boy" that had asked her to the dance. They had a great time together and she  later realized what a good sport this cute boy was for taking a sixteen year old to her Homecoming when he had already graduated High School!

Bountiful High Homecoming 1994

October 19, 1994 came and it was time for the cute boy to go the the MTC. It was very sad and hard for the sixteen year old girl and cute boy to say goodbye, but they knew it was what the cute boy wanted to do and so the sixteen year old promised to write and they said their goodbyes.

Totally breaking missionary rules
 by hugging instead of  giving a hand shake

To be continued.....