When We Met.

October brings back so many good memories to me.  Six years ago I met Danny Elder and how happy I am that I did.  I remember the first time I saw him he was washing dishes in the kitchen at Los Hermanos.  I thought he was such a cute High School boy all gung ho and working hard to get the crud and beans cleaned off of those plates.  I was nineteen years old, had just moved back from St. George and had been working at Los for about a month.

About a week after I first saw him, I saw him again at UVU.  He was all dressed up in slacks and a tie.

Sophmore in High School?  Maaaaybe a Junior.
Danny already for his hosting shift.

I asked him, "Hey, what are you doing here?  Are you on a campus visit with one of your classes or something?"
He replied, "Um, no... I go here."

 I felt like an idiot.  He was 21 and had been off his mission for a couple of months.

Look at that handsome devil!

 But in my defense, the only people that dishwash at Los Hermanos are high school kids and hispanic people OR nice people that pick up crappy shifts from high school kids and hispanic people. Plus, he had a total baby face.

It's natural for me to make awesome first impressions. 

On October 13th, about a week after the UVU incident, Roxanne was begging me to take her bartending shift for Saturday night.  I really didn't want to.  I would only make like $20 and it would take up my whole night!  Not selfish at all right?  After her boyfriend Grant said he'd pay me $20 if I'd work for her, I accepted. (Some people took shifts easier than others.)  I worked Roxanne's bar shift and at the end of it a couple of my friends, Shaun and Lisa that had just gotten engaged, said a big group of people were going to the Haunted Forrest.  Danny was hosting at Los Hermanos that night and he asked me if I was going, I told him I probably would.

He had a motorcycle and offered to give me a ride.  I hadn't really ever been on one so I was excited.  We both got off of work and hopped on his bullet bike, I still felt weird about putting my arms around a High School kid though:)  It was a cold night, even wearing his helmet I got a brain freeze. Later he told me he had an intense brain freeze pretty much the whole ride.  Sad.

 Right as we were pulling up to the Haunted Forrest, I realized I had to pee.  (If any of you know me, you aren't surprised)  Having to pee at a Haunted House is a bad combination.  So he drove me back to a nearby gas station.  I couldn't figure out how to get the helmet off so I ran in to use the restroom with a giant helmet head.  I didn't think it was that big of a deal but I guess I was just adding to the awesome impression Danny already had of me.  (Just for the record it didn't get any better.  The first time I met his parents I was wearing an antique purse with a real alligator head on it and my shirt was on backwards, tag sticking out.  I'm awesome.)

Haunted Forrest 2010

So we finally made it back to the Haunted House and met up with our friends.  We asked where the rest of the "big group" was and they said no one else was coming.  So an attractive high school looking kid I have met like twice is being forced to take me to a $40 Haunted House with an engaged couple.... awkward much?  I tried to pay but Danny insisted on paying for the embarrassing red headed girl that little did he know was about to embarrass him even more.  We went through the Haunted Forrest and it was actually so fun.  It didn't end up being as awkward as I would've thought, except for when I punched like 2 zombies and 1 chainsaw murderer.  I spook easily.

It was such a fun night!  He was so easy to talk to and had me laughing the whole night.  I was sad to see the night end because I really liked him and didn't think he would ask me out since he was pretty much forced into our first date.  Plus... he was super hot.  I was so excited the next day to get a call asking me out.

I think this was our 4th date.

He drove me around Provo on his motorcycle so I could take photos for my photography class.

I guess some things never change.

Danny "hand modeling," for my photography assignment.

I can't believe I have a picture of this!  This cologne reminds me so much of when we started dating.  He kept this in the center console of his car.  Danny served his mission in Philippines and apparently they set age limits on their cologne.  All Danny had to do was spritz a couple sprays of NEW MUSK! and I was a gonner.
 "Sixty percent of the time, it works every time."

Our costumes have definitely improved over the years.
I think we were supposed to be a painter and a pirate here? So lame.

*I just want everyone to know that Danny had fair warning for my love of dressing up from the beginning.  The first couple weeks we started dating we literally dressed up for like 5 different parties and dances.   All of these photos are from the first couple weeks we were dating.

Joker and skanky looking Mermaid.
Self tanner anyone?

He looks pretty thrilled about dressing up. 

The first thing I noticed about Danny were his blue eyes.  

We met at Los Hermanos.  The job itself was at times crappy, but the atmosphere was really fun. It seemed like there was always a party or activity going on after work.  You would be surprised how many people actually meet their spouse at this Mexican Restaurant.  Four of six kids in my family married someone they met working there! Seriously this place turns them out quicker than a single's ward.  Los Hermanos has a tradition that if you meet your spouse while you both work there,  you get your names painted on a booth.  But this is Utah County and quickly they ran out of booths so they started the "Tree of love" pictured above.  

A couple years ago, a friend of ours was writing a piece for the BYU newspaper on couples that met at Los Hermanos and later got married.  This photo accompanied her article.  Ha ha, kinda weird.

We had a lot of fun working at Los, for the most part.  

We made several close friends and a lot of memories we'll never forget. 

A couple of Los Gs straight outta the temple.

May Birthdays Luau that Danny and Roman threw for me and Michelle's birthdays.

  SO many good memories with a lot of good friends.  But when it comes down to it,

  I'm just so glad I took that Bar shift.