A little love story: part four...

So where was I?

Oh yes, the ballet/nodoze/finals week insanity.

I did manage to survive finals (though I slept for about six days straight to recover).

I attribute Christmas break to the success of our relationship, because it made it much easier to spend time together in those first few weeks.

We met in SLC a few times.

We spent the day before Christmas Eve together -- he surprised me with a rose, I got him cologne.

Don't judge, I really couldn't think of anything else to get him.

We decided to take a spontaneous road trip to Arizona to visit Tara for New Years.

Adam quickly hopped on that bandwagon.

Upon my parents' insistence, Reece came down to Lindon to meet them the night before we hit the road.

He showed up on our doorstep with a new haircut, two roses for me (to signify two weeks since we'd met -- a tradition he carried on until I asked him to cut back right before Lola was born to save $, stupid girl), and roses for my mom.

Direct quote: "I'm really, really good with moms, Jess.  Trust me."

Don't worry, I told my mom he said that about 15 minutes before he arrived.

She got a good laugh out of it, if memory serves.

An actual picture from that night. Yes, we were that hot, even in our youth.

We left for Arizona the next morning -- in the middle of a crazy snowstorm.

I'm fairly certain my father walked me to the car with a menacing snow shovel, which he held above his head as he encouraged the guys to "drive safe."

Reece sat in the back, I got shotgun.

We held hands across the console the entire time.

Barf.

The trip is a bit blurry to me.

I got a cold and was high on medication for part of it, which probably explains the fuzziness.

I do remember surprising Tara at her house.

Reece making me listen to a Christopher Walken impression on his computer (he still does this).

Staying up really, really late in the pool house.

Meeting Reece's aunt and him meeting mine.

Going to Pei Wei and reading our fortunes, which stated:

Others find your charm irresistible

You will like the proposition you hear

You will have many bright days soon

And my personal favorite:

You are headed in the right direction -- trust your instincts

For your viewing pleasure, here's a smattering of photos from the trip...

Boy, was I attractive.

Especially with that perma-zit under my bottom lip.

That's what you get for kissing boys.

I'm going to make sure Lola knows that.

Anyway, I remember going to sleep early one night and fading in and out of consciousness as Tara and Reece talked in my room.

Reece told her he was falling for me.

It kind of freaked me out a bit.

Probably because I was falling for him too.

Even though he thought it was cool to wear an orange bandanna around his forehead like Nephi.