If it makes you feel any better Scotty, when I fixed my first flat on the ten it took four attempts, as each time I would nip the tube. My buddy Robin gave me some great and useful tips:
Put air in the tube. It needs to be only a little, but enough that if you hold it over your two fingers on each hand, then the two sides will meet but each will be round, like a black pudding as the tube hangs between them.
Talc it then feed it into the tyre.
Soap the tyre bead.
Line the valve up.
Put the bead of the tyre over at the valve first and get the valve through the hole.
Put the little knurled nut on the valve as it pokes through, but only at the end.
Pushing the valve back into the tyre, start with your levers at the valve, and finish at the valve.
Pushing it back keeps the tube out of the way.
Tyre soap is your friend.

All this is presuming you have already Fixed your flat, and checked the tyre carcass for foreign bodies.