Family Fun

This has been a month with a lot of family celebrations and get-togethers. Two first birthdays, one Fathers' Day, one not-quite-first birthday (mine), one Kindergarten Advancement, and one visit from beloved uncles and aunts. Some of these moments have been captured on film, some only in our memories.

We especially loved being able to see Uncle Stuart and Aunt Malia, who have lived in Hawaii for their entire marriage (most of my kids' lives) and whom we don't see very often. They came to visit for five days before they move to Fiji for two years for grad school. It was wonderful to get to know them better, strengthen relationships, and create some memories for the nephews and nieces to reference while they are gone.


With family spread so far and wide, I am grateful for modern technology that allows us to connect easily. Blogging, inexpensive phone calls, Facebook, Skype, and Twitter help us keep track of each other across oceans and miles. Virtual reality is not a perfect substitute for face-to-face interactions, but it sure beats the alternative of going two years with only a few letters and photos crossing the ocean.

We will miss you, Stu & Malia, and save away pennies, hoping that the airlines offer some stupendous deals to Fiji next year. Thanks for taking the time to come for a visit. It will not soon be forgotten!

We took an adults-only day trip into San Francisco while Evan and Tamara and Stuart and Malia were in town. So. Much. Fun.

Colin (my nephew) celebrated his first birthday in style with cousins, aunts, uncles, Nana, and outlaw-grandparents.

Announcing . . .

Remember my campaign back in February? 31 Dates in 31 Days-- ring any bells? (If not, you simply must go back and read all about it.)

It's funny, because since then, when I run into people that I haven't seen in a while, or meet someone new who reads my blog, they often ask, "So, what ever happened with your brother and that girl with the Dates and the blog?" My answer always goes something like, "They're still dating. No, I don't know if they'll get married, but we all love her."

Well, drumroll please . . . . .

Evan and Tamara are now engaged to be married. Hurray!!!! And yes, I am taking the credit for:

1. Helping Evan get the second date with my blog and Facebook campaign

2. Making him a favorite with Tam's friends and family before they ever met him because who doesn't love a man who: loves kids, has skills, doesn't take himself too seriously, is musical, loves animals, is easy going, and is what every girl wants. How could they resist him once I'd posted all those adorable photos of Evan?

3. Interfering as much as I could get away with and not mess it all up. I got myself a girl-crush on Tamara early on, and really, really wanted things to work out with them. And yet, Evan is a man who will not be pushed. I just had to gently nudge now and then and say my prayers.

We are so thrilled for them! Go to Tamara's blog to see a photo-article about the proposal.

And a question to my local (Sac-area) readers: would you come to a little open house if I threw one for them? I think it would be fun to let some of you voyeurs actually meet them. What do you say?

My Final Moments With Tamara

(Edit: Ahhh! I used "brainchild" incorrectly. How embarrassing. I've fixed it now.)

If you haven't checked in for a few days, you might want to read Part I and Part II of my interview with Tamara Duricka, whose brainchild 31 Dates in 31 Days has captured our interest. And now, the answers to the questions you've all been dying to hear:

Tamara, did you feel like Good Morning America portrayed your date with Evan accurately?

I don’t really know. Our date was an extravaganza. Poor Evan, he’s such a good soul. I was so tired, I basically didn’t sleep the night before because I was having a meltdown about who to take on date 31. And I really feel like I don’t know how I fared on the date—my brain was not functioning. I was all over the place. Part of me was working as the TV producer, trying to be normal and enjoy myself, part of me was so glad it was over, and then part of me was trying to figure out what was going on in Evan’s head, AND trying to play it all cool. (How many parts did I just say?) Man, I hope they didn’t portray it accurately.

If you’ll tell us, who were the runners-up for the 2^nd date?

Here’s the thing. One of the guys someone kept sending votes from the same IP address, so he was in the top 3 of the polls, but someone rigged his votes. We won’t say his name. Jonathan was the other guy (besides Evan) who did really well in the polls. He’s the kind of guy you have to swoon a little when you say his name. He’s perfect. He’s great. Jared, the wedding ring guy, was also popular in the polls. Lots of people voted for Nick, the actor and lots of people liked Adam. And Tyson. And people told me that they would have voted for Tyler, the doctor, but he wasn’t on the list because he wasn’t available for the second date.

I don’t know that I really had a top 5. I would definitely go out again with most of them.

Have you been communicating with any of the guys besides Evan? Gone on any other 2^nd dates?

I’ve communicated with a lot of them. Most of them were so cool about me going out on V-day with the 2^nd date. Some of them have asked me out on 2^nd dates, but I haven’t gone out with any of them. I haven’t committed either way; I guess I'm stalling.

Did any of the guys get a good night kiss? If not, did you want some of them to kiss you?

There was one guy who was all over me, which I was not going for. He was really trying to lay it on thick the whole night. I almost want to send him an email and give him some hints on what not to do on a first date. He’s a nice guy and I’m friendly with him but I don’t want to have to carry mace on my dates. The other dates were all G-rated, which was how I wanted it to be.

Are you bored now that you don’t have a date every night?

YES! (Laughter) And in fact, on day 30, I had a daytime date, and so I was home on Friday night, feeling sorry for myself that I wasn’t on a date. I knew it was ridiculous, but it was true.

Now, tell us as much about Evan as you can without getting into trouble. How are things “heating up” with you two? Have you been on more dates with him? What do you think of him?

What’s crazy is, when I talk to people now, they don’t ask how I’m doing—they just ask how Evan is and when I’m seeing him next. And I’m like, “What about me? Don’t you care about me?” Everyone at work is always asking about him because they got to meet him and know about the project, so after our 3rd date, I went into work and got grilled.

I think it's pretty safe to say that I think Evan is the bee's knees. I feel my best self when I'm around him, I have the utmost respect for him, and I blush like a school girl when I talk about him. So I think those are good signs. I think he's pretty incredible. He's so caring, down-to-earth, funny, smart, and he's real. I dig that. And yeah, I just really dig him.

Even after spending the whole day with him, he'll leave and I'll think, "Oh no! Why did that have to end so quickly?"

I'm at a great point in my life where I'm being extremely active in deciding what I want to do and who I want to date without being influenced by other people's opinions. That feels really empowering. And I really like Evan. And no matter how things end up with us, I really like the fact that I know my feelings about him and for him are genuine and not fearful. That's almost as great a feeling as it is just being around him.

Wow. Dear readers, wasn't that great? Is your heart going pitter-pat like mine? Evan, we know you're reading! Please leave a comment!:) We'd love to hear from you again.

Thank you to Tamara for sharing so much with us on this little old blog and for daring to follow through on a great idea. You have provided not only great entertainment, but have taught us about hope, courage, love, romance, living in the moment, looking for the good in everyone, and chasing your dreams.We hope you really do find what you are looking for.

Another Interview Coming Up

My sitemeter tells me that you can't get enough of Evan and Tamara. It's sad how quickly the hits drop when it's just little old me:). But I am nothing if not devoted to my readers, and have arranged for an interview with Tamara, the one who dreamed up, planned out, and lived through 31 Dates in 31 Days.

Sooooooo, what do you want to know about her? Now's your chance to find out. I have to say that she and I have been emailing and chatting online and I am completely smitten with her. She's positively darling.

Leave a comment with your questions for our favorite bachelorette who hasn't given up on love. I'll wait a couple of days until you've had a chance to put your two cents in, and then I'll try out my amateur reporting skills again.

And by the way, if you haven't yet, check out the new videobar in my lefthand sidebar. The new message this week (picture of a woman and girl) is about creativity and how it makes us more like God. Very inspiring. And you can watch without leaving my blog!

An Interview with Evan

For background on Evan and Tamara, go here, here, and here, and read all my posts from last week. (It will be worth it, I promise!)

The following is a transcript of my interview with Evan. I didn't record our conversation like a real reporter, as I knew this would freak him out (I am his sister after all.) I just did my best to type in his words with a 2 year old straddling my lap while singing Annie songs. So here and there it might not be quite verbatim, but I have tried to preserve the integrity of the interview. My words will be italics, Evan's won't be. (What do you call the opposite of italics?)

So, Evan, now that you’re a big time celebrity, I wanted to thank you for taking some time out of your busy press schedule to talk to me. My readers and I have some questions for you about your 31 dates in 31 days experience. Are you ready for me to fire them?

Really? Your readers? Okay, I'm ready.

My first question is, had you heard about Tamara and the experiment before you got the phone call from their mutual friend?

No, not at all. I had heard nothing.

When you did find out about the premise of the experiment, what did you think?

I thought, eh, good idea. Could be fun.

Did you go on your first date with any preconceived notions?

I don’t think I knew anything about her except that she worked for GMA, that she had gone to Columbia, and that she was recommended by a friend as someone I would have fun with.

How did you feel about being one of 30?

Well, I didn’t really care about the one of 30. What I was more concerned about is, is this date going to be like she’s at work? I’m going in order to get to know her and have fun, not for an interview for a reporter. I just hoped that she was really interested in getting to know me and not just on writing a story, because I've got other stuff to do than give interviews.

Were you jealous of any of the other guys after she wrote about them?

She was very complimentary about all the guys, so it was hard to know. I think the one that worried me the most was date number 5 (the night before me) because I know him and I know he’s a great guy.I could see how he would be competition.

What did you think of her post about your first date?

I thought she was rather flattering.

What was your first impression of Tamara?

I thought she was cute, funny, and energetic.

What do you like about her most now that you’ve gotten to know her a little better?

I like her willingness to go on any adventure—her zest for life. I like that she doesn't just talk about her dreams--she's out there chasing them.

What things do you and she have in common?

Let's see. We’re both right-handed, we both like music, we both like to sing, we both went to Columbia. We both love NYC and the gospel.

What were you most nervous about on your first date?

I was nervous that I might be boring. I felt like she was going on all these dates, and I hadn’t planned or thought of anything because I was the last-minute guy. If we want to do something at the end of the night, I needed to think of something that’s fun to do. She’s probably already been on cool dates and I want to compete with that, rather than be "the boring date".

What about your second date?

I don’t think I was that nervous. I did buy new clothes. The cameras were going to be there. I wasn’t nervous about the cameras, but I knew that it was going to be a little weird. Okay, I will admit that before I left, I told my roommates, “I can’t believe how nervous I am?!” I guess because I liked Tamara and didn’t want to mess it up.

I talked to our brother, Tyler, the day of the 2^nd date, and he said, “We’re going to have to use Michal’s blog after this to get you dates with LDS girls.”

“Dude, she’s LDS!” I said.

“What?! Then don’t blow it, jerk!” Tyler's words haunted me all night. "Don't blow it, jerk!"

(Laughing.) Did you think that you had a chance at the second date?

Oh man, I hoped I did. I tried not to get my hopes up because there was so much good competition. I kind of figured that whether I won or not, I would ask her out again.

How many times did you vote for yourself?

Ho-ho. Good one, Michal! I vote for myself twice. Just to see if I could.

What was it like having all the buildup for the second date? That’s a lot of pressure to have the date be good.

With the second date, the guy couldn’t plan for it at all, since he wouldn't know until that morning. The pressure was less in a way, because I didn’t have to set up the plans. But on the other hand, since there were 30 guys vying for the date, I didn’t want to have it be lame. There was pressure for it to be fun for her--I didn't want her wishing that she'd picked someone else halfway through the night.

You got in some good zings during the restaurant interview. Were you really as cool as you looked?

Yeah, I feel like they were kind in editing—my answers weren’t always so quick and snappy. They edited out the "ums" and the pauses to make me sound like I had great timing. And I got to have two shots at the interview, because the first time their mics didn’t work.

Did you feel awkward when you bumped into another of the guys while you were on your 2^nd date?

It was a little awkward, yeah, especially because I know him, too! We had hung out a week before his date with her with a bunch of mutual friends. He was very cool, but it wasn’t as natural as it had been before we both took out the same girl. Now I was the one on the 2nd date, so yeah, it was a bit awkward.

Now a few questions about your television premiere: Did you get to pick out your own clothes, or did they choose for you?

I just showed up in my clothes.

How early did you have to get there?

I had a car waiting outside my apartment at 6:15.

Had you slept at all? They did announce on the air that the date went until 2am.

I had slept a few hours but I was afraid that I would sleep through my alarm.

What was it like being behind the scenes? Did they give you a lot of prep?

Well, there wasn’t really prep, and the interview wasn’t scripted. We talked about it a bit before the cameras were on, and then they ran the cameras live and asked questions to prompt our previous comments.

Since Tamara works at GMA, did they grill you there off-camera?

Oh, no. They were cool. Everyone was really nice and just said things like, "So this is the 2nd date!"

Are you nervous about dating a journalist—that she’ll expose your secrets to the world?

(Laughter.) What secrets? Nothing that you haven’t already done. I’ll just have to always say “off the record.”

Will you take out Tamara on a third date? Have you set it up yet? Why not? What’s wrong with you? (I had already written this, knowing my brother too well.)

Yes. Definitely. No, I haven't asked her yet. I actually need to call her. I’m trying to give her some space. (Me: Girls don’t want space!) No, I’m giving her some down time after a month of dating. Don’t worry your little heart out, I’m bugging her with incessant chats. I'll call her. I'll call her.

How are you going to top your 2^nd date? Do you have a helicopter reserved?

(Laughter.) There’s an ice climbing expo outside of town this weekend that I want to take her to.

This weekend? Do you realize that it's Wednesday night?

I know, I know, I’m going to call her. I'll call her right now.

And there you have it, folks! I hope it answered all your questions. I must say that Tamara's post about the date made my heart swoon. She has done a great job on this project and I can't wait to see it in book or movie form. But I know that wasn't her main objective in doing this--and we can keep our fingers crossed that that main objective is met, too. (See, Evan! I didn't say "love" or "marry"! I am such a good sister!)

Tamara's Date Rehash

I just finished my interview with Evan, which I promise to post sometime tomorrow. In the meantime, go read what Tamara said about their date and about her plans in the future (yes, Debbie, a book is involved.) Besides, so far the only comments have been from Evan's mom and two sisters, so go leave her a comment!

Evan and Tamara Rehash the Experience

If you missed it this morning, (or like me, if the wind storm blew your satellite out of commission,) here is the link to the Good Morning America clip that featured Tamara and Evan. They both did such a great job--naturals in front of the camera! My only regret (besides the fact that they didn't show my blog on the air:) was that they didn't let us see and hear more of the footage of their interview while actually on the date. Oh well.

Hopefully, once Tamara gets caught up on her sleep, she will post about date number 31. And I won't stop hounding Evan until I get a good interview out of him. Do you have any questions for either of them? Leave me a comment and I'll be sure to ask.

More News Coverage

I got mentioned on Fox and Friends! Not by name or anything, but Tamara did give me a shout out as Evan's campaign manager. They talked a lot more about him than they did about me--and I thought this was all about me! :)

We Did It!

Thank you to everyone who helped Evan win the 2nd date with Tamara!! We couldn't have done it without all of your votes--I know that many of you joined our cause on Facebook and passed on links to your friends.

We can't wait to read all about it on Tamara's blog tomorrow. Also, they'll give a debriefing of their date tomorrow on Good Morning Amercia Weekend. I've also secured an bloggy interview with him, which I'll publish next week!

If you didn't get to see the reveal this morning, live on Good Morning America, go here. I can't find a code to embed it, but if you are savvy enough to figure that out, let me know and I'll just post the clip here.

Have a great time tonight, Tamara and Evan! We'll be thinking of you!

Reason #7: Evan Is Musical

He can serenade you on the baritone or the guitar. He has a gorgeous singing voice and sang in the BYU Men's Chorus and in a touring choir at BYU-Hawaii. Who doesn't want a guy who plays the tuba and sings?

And he can dance, too!

And by the way, my fortune cookie tonight read, "Your efforts in a critical area will soon be rewarded." I'm not sure how critical this date is, but I can't claim to have put much effort into anything else in the last few days, so let's call it an omen!

It's Go Time!

Please go to Tamara's blog immediately and vote for Evan to be her 2nd date. This poll will only be open until midnight Pacific time/3 AM Eastern time. When you go to her blog, there is a pale orange section in the first sidebar (below the bright orange section.) Click on the red "VOTE HERE" and it will take you to the right spot.

Feel free to send an email note to all of your friends and neighbors, encouraging them to vote for Evan as well.

The results will be announced on ABC's Good Morning Amercia Weekend tomorrow, Valentine's Day. Set your TiVo or stay by the TV to see who wins!

And thanks for all your support.

Reason #6: Evan is What Every Girl Wants

He loves walks on the beach

And just watching the waves crash on the sand.

He stands ready to protect your honor.

He looks cool, no matter what he's wearing.

He's helpful around the house.

He's good with motorized vehicles.

He'll never make you feel guilty about your sweet tooth!

Reason #5: Evan is Easy-Going

Evan is the 5th out of 6 kids, and with that came his easy-going personality. We always called him the peacemaker while we were growing up. It is pretty hard to ruffle his feathers. But that doesn't make him a pushover or a milktoast by any means. He is game for anything (including blind dates with girls who will blog about him later). He schedules a visit to see my little family a couple of times a year and never acts like he's sick of the kids, even when they want to climb all over him constantly. He's never the one to pitch a fit about which restaurant we should go to or what we should do on a day together; I honestly believe that he is happy doing whatever it is that we all want to do.
Several summers ago, when I was expecting our 3rd (Ian), Evan lived with us and worked in the area. I worried a bit about having a college student living with us, but it was all delightful. He would get home from work about the time I was making dinner and he would either wrestle with my two boys, play the guitar for me, or ask if he could help me make dinner or run to the store for anything. He even painted the new nursery before he left town. We missed him and have tried to convince him to come back again, but he's always got some other adventure planned.

Reason #4: Evan Loves Animals

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm not positive that Evan loves animals. But I do have this picture of him to prove it (if I wanted to manipulate Tamara, who loves animals). Evan at least isn't allergic to any animals that I know of, even llamas. See how they flock to him like a shepherd?

Reason #3: Evan Doesn't Take Himself Too Seriously

Evan's sense of humor is understated, subtle, and outrageous. You may think that those three adjectives don't go together, but they do with Evan. He is willing to grow bad facial hair and wear ridiculous sweaters for a laugh, all with a straight face. He and a friend made robot costumes for Halloween, mimicking Flight of the Conchords' music video, The Year 2000. He is not the loudest one in the room, but he is almost always the funniest if you pay attention to what's he's saying and doing.

Reason #2: Evan has Skills

He climbs mountains.

He kicks.

He potty trains toddlers. (Okay, he helps.)

He is a whiz in the kitchen. Seriously.

He rows.

He sails.

He swings.

He plays ping-pong like a rock star.

He surfs Southern Cal, Hawaii, Costa Rica, New York, Tonga, Peru, and Panama.


Is there anything this guy can't do?

Reason #1: Evan Loves Kids

Or is it that kids love Evan?

Here are some of Evan's biggest fans, telling why they will vote for him. If you're confused, go to this post and get yourself up to speed.