The first time we ever met, Abbas was a rabbi.... for Halloween 2010. When we later met again after Abbas moved to Iowa State, Alix didn't even realize that he was the same person! We hung out in the same friend group for most of college, but we were only ever acquaintances. We didn't stay in touch after school. Fast forward to 2015. Alix had moved to the Quad Cities early that year and started to hang out with college friends who were also in the area. The more everyone hung out, the closer the two of us got. We started to hang out, just the two of us, on Dec 17, 2015. (I remember this because I was forced to re-watch ALL the Star Wars movies the day before Episode VII came out. -Alix) We don't really know how or when we started to officially date. Sometime during the spring of 2016 we started to spend more and more time together. One day Alix finally asked if we were dating or not, and Abbas's response was, "Well I don't know what else we would be doing." (swoon, he's such a romantic) So there you have it. We were dating.

"I beseech you now with all my heart definitely to let me know your whole mind as to the love between us." -Henry VIII of England c.1528 I don't know if Henry VIII is the best romantic to quote, but it's fitting since we got engaged at his Hampton Court Palace. On the LAST DAY of our trip to London, we went to Hampton Court to get away from the crowds and see the beautiful palace and famous gardens. After our tour of the Palace, we walked around some of the gardens, finally ending up at the far end of the Privy Garden by the Thames. Abbas got down on one knee and asked when no one else was around. ...And of course it was a "YES!"