We're getting married!

We first crossed paths at our mutual friend and now Groomsman's house, Mitch Johnson, for a mere five minutes in 2013. The first time we exchanged words (more than “hi/bye”) was later that night out with friends. We yelled over loud music and shared some late night french fries. It was a week later at a Forever Alone Valentine's Day party at a local bar/club that dance moves and phone numbers were exchanged. From there, Eli spent almost every weekend coming up to Bellingham (he lived in Seattle at the time) to spend time brunching, biking, adventuring and getting to know Emily. Brimley the Goldendoodle was the most skeptical of Eli, but once she figured out they were bound to be best friends, everyone was on board. Eventually, the long distance was too much, and Emily moved to Seattle for a new job that just happened to be in the same city as Eli. They spent a year exploring Seattle together (until the traffic became too annoying) and their set sights on the next adventure. That love of a good challenge lead them to Bend, Oregon without jobs or a place to live. Both resourceful and industrious, it wasn't long before they both landed jobs and found a little old yellow house to call home. From cold winters and very hot summers, Bend was new on every level. They learned how to shovel snow, escape the heat and build a life together. Eventually, a new career for Eli brought them home to the PNW. They decided to put down roots in Mount Vernon, five minutes from Eli's family and about an hour from Emily's. It wasn't long before Emily had fallen in love with Eli's home town and they decided to make their roots a little deeper, buying their first house in January 2017.

Anyone who knows Emily, knows she has a bit of a stubborn streak. It doesn't come out too often, but the night of Eli's proposal was one of those times. Eli had been away all Saturday completing his in-class hours for his Electrical Apprenticeship, so when he got home he suggested a fancy dinner in La Conner. Emily said no. It was too close to the holidays to be spending money on fancy dinner, she thought. Persistent as he is, Eli suggested a less expensive option. With a little convincing, she agreed that dinner out would be a nice treat. Dinner was good, Eli was a little quiet but Emily assumed it was just his long day in class. Much to her surprise, Eli suggested they get another drink at their favorite bar down the street. Emily said no. It was getting late and she was ready for bedtime. Persistent as he is, Eli insisted. Okay, okay Emily thought, if you're going to insist! They headed over to The Oyster and Thistle for a fancy drink and some cribbage on a stormy December night. They arrived right before last call, got one drink and learned how to play dominos instead. The last guest headed out into the rain and so did they. “Let's go walk down by the water”, said Eli. “It's raining”, said Emily. With the promise of it only being a minute and reassurance that her rain jacket would keep her dry, Emily agreed for a quick walk. Hoods up, hand-in-hand they headed down the hill to see the boats and dim light along the channel. Sweet words and special memories made up conversation. And then right along the boardwalk, Eli stopped and grasped both Emily's hands. There in the pouring rain, walking down memory lane, Eli got down on one knee and asked the most important question of his life, “Will you marry me?”. Completely taken by surprised and speechless for a rare moment, Emily couldn't believe was was happening. Was this real life? And for once that night, Emily said “YES”!