takin' Tuck home

It was time, Tuck needed to come home to Washington. He had already met my whole fam because they all came to Utah for Christmas, so he didn't need to go to "meet the fam". But he did need to officially ask Poppa J for my hand. Besides all that, I really really wanted to share my small town experience and memories with him. I had never taken a guy home with me and I was super super excited to share it all with the love of my life. We drove down the last week of June and made it back for the 4th of July.

Jubilee Lake @ Cabin

Hangin out on Sunday

It was awesome sharing something so special to me with someone so special to me. I got to take him around the farm, showed him my elementary, junior high, and high school. Even took him on the long Hendricks drive I took to school every morning. We also took him all around the Mercantile and we celebrated Jayce's Birthday there. And of course took him to church and he told me he felt like "the last chocolate chip on a cookie." Ha! All eyes were on him, and everyone wanted to talk to him and meet him. Then of course we spend a couple days up at the cabin, boy did he love that! We canoed, jet skied, went on a hike, paddle boat ride, and had some yummy hot dogs and s'mores over the fire. It was an amazing trip and we ended it by stopping by Pocatello at the Wood Family Reunion on our drive back to Utah.

swimming and planting flowers for mommy

             The Mercantile

Jayce's Birthday Party at the Mercantile was a riot! We started with a train ride, then we had an awesome bbq in the big red barn and did cake and presents. Then Tuck & I raced on the blow up obstacle course a few times (cuz I won, then he won, then I won, then he won--we are both very competitive). Next we rode the cute carousel with all the kiddies. Last, we got some delicious ice cream cones and took pictures with these awesome balloons;)

     



         The Cabin

hot dogs/s'mores @ the cabin

Some Tuck & Cori Time...

the lovely progression of our jet ski ride after aaron told tuck to "take me for a good one"..
me: "please don't tip us", tuck: "oh don't you worry", us: "wee", me: "oh if I go--your coming", us: tip, us: "oh yeay that was fun", us: hug... the end

trying to show off this awesome double-cartwheel tyrel and shelby taught us...
"let's see... how do we do this again?"

and SUCCESS!!!

Welcome Home

This is the beautiful sunset that welcomed us when we made it back to utah! So we grabbed jan and ran up to the temple to take this awesome picture. 

the dating continues...

One thing I loved about our dating is that both of our families were very involved form the beginning. Since Tuck was living at home when we met, I got to know his family very well  as we would spend a lot of time over there. Also, since my parents got a house in American Fork and stayed there basically all winter because of basketball season, Tuck was able to get to know my family fairly well too. We would have Sunday dinners at each other's family's and have movie and game nights too!

By this time in our dating it had gotten more and more serious. I remember a few specific chats that really changed our relationship.

--First of all, the night on the front porch swing where Tuck asked me if I thought this was going somewhere and if he should quit his awesome job at Cornerstone so he wouldn't be gone all the time and we could spend more time together. That was a huge decision for Tuck and it put us a huge step forward.

--Next, the night on we sat on his tailgate after glow stick fishing and he brought up the "M" word. Which had been a fear for both of us before this relationship. It was amazing how calm I felt about it when he brought it up.

--Also, the night up the canyon when we had tin foil dinners with the YBH girls. Tuck and I left to another campsite and talked about us actual getting married and the timing of things. Would we get married before season or wait until after season?

--Last, in blockbuster when we were renting a movie to watch, we talked and agreed that it needed to happen before season, which meant we would be getting married very soon!

When I Knew...

Glendwood-Found this bike and took it for a spin

Backing up a tad, it was springtime that I really started thinking about spending my life with this guy and I knew he was the one after the trip with the family to Glenwood. It's a tradition in the Fraughton family that they go down to Glenwood during conference weekend, ride four wheelers, dutch oven cooking, and of course watch conference together. It was the first weekend in April, so it was conference and easter; we stayed in their bishop's cabin/house and we had a blast! We rode the four wheelers high enough up the mountain that we hit snow, and of course that means we had a snow fight:) I'm pretty sure Travis got it all on tape too. Good times! It was after this trip that I knew he was the one I wanted to marry. I didn't tell him right away, but continued to let things work themselves out just as perfectly as they had thus far. 

Glenwood-watching conference

he's a romantic...

He probably wouldn't admit it and probably doesn't like me to admit it, but Tucker really is a sweetheart and since this is our history, I have to write down specifics to some of his romantic evenings while dating. AND...he has continued to surprise me with his clever ideas and romantic side even after getting married, but I will share those later:)

#1- First kiss. Our very first kiss was very cute and worth recording. First of all, I told myself I was gonna let him make the first move, no matter how long it took. Believe me, there was many nights that I thought he was going to, but I guess he just enjoyed letting the anticipation build. Anyways, the night was perfect...we drove up American Fork canyon to Silver Lake and the night sky was beautiful! This October 1st night was cold and crisp, and the sky was so clear, I swear you could see every star in the sky. The moon was full and so bright as it reflected off the lake's glassy surface. It really was a pretty as I'm making it seem.:) We walked out to the edge of the Lake and talked as we just gazed at the sky and our amazing surroundings. We bundled up because it was pretty cold outside and tuck sang his own awesome version of "Twinkle twinkle little star" to me. Then we got back in the warm truck and listened to some mood setting jams... Then somehow he started to tickle me and as I was fighting it he ended up hitting me in the chin. I told him he needed to kiss it better, and he did, then I said no you missed and pointed to me cheek, then I pointed to my forehead, and then pointed to my lips. It was all over from there, as soon as our lips touched, it was fireworks and the prefect Def Leppard song, "When love and hate collide" played in the background. It was seriously the best first kiss I'd ever had. You know how they can tend to be awkward or not feel right, well this was not the case. This one was magic like you read about in Fairytales. All I can say is that it was definitely worth waiting for!

#2- My birthday. At the beginning of our dating, tuck was on the road a lot doing jobs for Cornerstone. I also was on the road a lot playing basketball. But this time mid november, I was home and as he was driving back from one of his trips, he called me on the phone and sang happy birthday to me just as the clock struck midnight. Then, that next day came to my house and surprised me with these!!!

that's a U crossed out cuz he knew how I felt about the university of utah

#3-Surprise Date. All of our dates were a blast, but once in awhile he would get this weird hair and want to surprise me and I loved it! This certain night he didn't tell me where we were going or what we were doing, but just started driving. However, he did have me grab a blanket, so I had an idea it was outside. Anyway, we pull up to the Cornerstone building and he grabs a bag out of his truck when we get out. He says to follow him and we end up in this back closet and I'm like, "okay really funny." But then he hands me all the stuff and starts climbing the ladder to the roof! So I climb up after him and hand him back the stuff once he gets to the top and opens the latch. When we both get on top of the building, he lays out the blanket and gets bowls and spoons out of the bag and pours each of us a bowl of milk and teddy grams (one of my favorite treats)! It was so adorable...we ate teddy grams in milk and cuddled under the moonlight--tell me that's not romantic!


#4-Valentine's Day. Once again, this guy was very sneaky and had a knack for making my day with a pleasant surprise. This time I was on the road and he was home. I flew in early Sunday morning on
Valentine's Day and I opened the door to my room and this was in there to greet me!

This was easily the cutest surprise anyone has left for me and was the best valentine's ever. 

      What a sweetheart!

wonderful world of dating

first photo shoot with jan

arrived to picnic in style

left picnic in style

New Year's 2010

Some of first pictures together

many yummy dinners at brandon and veronica's.

tuck's creation

Some would say that dating is boring and monotonous, but not with me and tuck! After that summer night on August 8th, 2009 (our official meeting) we had nonstop fun. We spent many nights going for rides on his motorcycle, had bonfires up the canyon, went on countless 4 wheeling adventures, called elk, fished--with glowsticks (lol), rides down the road on grandpa's tractor, occasionally made cookies and cinnamon twists and sometimes just hung out under the stars and talked (in the mountains, on the porch swing, in the yard, or even on top of the Cornerstone building):) Then of course we had game nights, rock band nights, and dinners with the fam, and the traditional "dinner and a movie." And can't forget jazz game, nicklecade, and lagoon! Our Default night was drinks, slurpees, maverick frozen yogurt, or hot chocolate and a redbox.

wheelin

takin a ride on grandpa's tractor

where forever started

I figure I should start all the way back at day 1, so this WHOLE adventure is documented:)

                            
                                 HOW WE MET...

It's pretty funny how everything works out and falls into place. I'll I have to say, is the Lord, really wanted to make sure Tucker and I crossed paths...

It all began when I got phone call to come help coach the Utah Flight Basketball Club. It was towards the end of their summer season and they needed another coach to help out in practice and come to the tournament in Oregon City, so I jumped on board at the last minute. Also last minute, was the recruiting of a player name Cassidy Fraughton--the master behind it all. We were needing another player for the third team and literally picked her up a week before heading to Oregon. As I got to know Cass better and better, she realized she couldn't live life without me;) We were in Oregon City for the tournament at the end of June, driving down the freeway in a 15 passenger van, and it was then that she asked me if I was dating anybody, I said that I actually just got out of relationship. She said, "Perfect, you should date my brother!" I said, "Sure, I'll let him take me out." So she snapped a picture of me and sent it off to him with a message saying, "Hey, you should date my coach." So as soon as we got back to the hotel, she showed me his facebook, and his picture did NOT do him justice. I just thought, hmmm, he's okay, at least one date will be fun. Then all the sudden Cass calls Tuck and asks if I want to talk to him, but before I could answer, shoves the phone to my face. So our first conversion went something like this...
"Hey, how's it going?
Good, how are you?
Pretty good.
Sweet.
So how bout your sister, she's pretty funny huh?
Yup.
Well, I'll let you talk to her now.
K.
Alrighty, talk to you later.
See ya.
Bye.
Bye."
Pretty awkward actually.. Anyways, he text me that night and said, "How bout we cut out the middle man" and from there we text back and forth, here and there. But he was working for Cornerstone and was gone pretty much the whole month of July and I was going on road trips with my girlfriends. There was one time we were both home that he invited me over to a bonfire at his friends house, but my buddies said not to go, cuz the first time you guys meet, he's gotta come to you. So we just continued to text. And finally at the beginning of August, he text me and said, "I think we should meet", I said "sure" and he asks me where I live, and shows up at my house and hour later. Right when I opened the door, I thought, "Wow! He is way cuter than his facebook pictures!" I'm not sure if it was my sweaty cut-off and b-ball shorts that won him over or my good looks, but the sparks flew and we talked all night long. I tried to impress him with one of my delicious fruit smoothies, but it was a new fruit mix I tired and it was actually kind of gross. ha! Ironically, he had just done a show in Washington and when I told him that's where I'm from he laughed cuz he said there was some pretty creepy hicks there. We laughed all night, dogged on each other, and ended up cursing each other's kids. Little did we know we would get married a year later and our kids would be each others:) So we hit it off that night and started some unforgettable 11 months of dating before we got engaged!

now it all begins...

I told myself I wasn't going to get caught up in blogging until I started to have kids (so I could document their lives), but my two older sisters talked me into starting one now! They said, "Why not post about all the fun things you and Tucker are doing, cuz you'll wish you did." So here I am now:) 

Here's a little blip about our lives--

Tucker and I are living in American Fork and lovin it! We are both working, Tucker- for Castle Rock Paving and Me- coaching for Utah Flight and individual skill sessions. We have almost been married for a year and we have two doggies, Tank-a bullmastiff and Duke-a pug, chihuahua, wiener dog. We love to go camping, 4-wheeling, and pretty much anything outdoors. Details on past and present and future events will be as follows:) As of now, we are just livin' the dream!