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Gretchen and Chi met the only way two people could in the middle of a pandemic: online dating. When Chi came across Gretchen's online dating profile he noticed a beautiful, smart, goofy, Christian, rock climber...a combo of traits he could have only dreamed of. After a few text exchanges and compliments, Chi asked Gretchen out on a date. Unsure of how a pandemic date was going to look, Chi proposed that the two of them get a pizza from down the street and eat it on his front porch. At the start of the date the two of them awkwardly met in front of Apizza Scholls (a famous pizza place in town) to pick up their pizza. Chi expected to greet her with a wave in order to maintain 6 ft. of social distance, but Gretchen threw caution to the wind and went in for the hug at first greeting. After receiving their pizza from the shop, the two of them walked back to Chi's house and proceeded to converse while enjoying their dinner from opposite ends of the porch. Gretchen loved that Chi had clipped and arranged fresh roses for their date. Chi loved how easy it was to talk with Gretchen. After 6 hours of chatting on the front porch on their first date, it became clear to both of them that there might be something more. One date quickly grew into a committed relationship, followed by an "I love you", a "Will you marry me?" and a soon to be "I Do".

Gretchen and Chi spent much of the early part of their relationship getting to know each other over dinners, many of which were shared on Chi's front porch while the weather was nice. The two enjoyed experimenting with cooking new dishes and recreating some of their restaurant favorites while restaurants were closed due to pandemic restrictions. During the summer months Gretchen and Chi spent nearly every weekend camping and rock climbing at a small crag on Mt. Hood. Moments spent together during these weekend adventures are where their relationship started to deepen. Highlights of their summer also included a 4-day, 40-mile, backpacking trip circumnavigating Mt. Hood, and climbing Ingalls Peak in the North Cascades of Washington. During the fall and winter the two retreated indoors as rainy weather descended on Portland, spending much of their time together baking, cooking, playing card games, and knitting (Gretchen). Chi joined Gretchen and her family for Christmas this past year, which was a big step for their relationship. After returning from that trip Gretchen and Chi started to talk about what it would look like to get engaged. The next step was just around the corner....

The morning of the proposal Chi and Gretchen woke up early in order to get to the trailhead of one of Chi's favorite hikes (Tamanawas Falls Hike) before the weekend crowds showed up. This Mt. Hood hike transforms into a frozen wonderland in the winter with the trail covered in ice and snow. Just as Gretchen and Chi had planned, the two of them were the first to arrive at the trailhead. As a result they had the whole trail to themselves. When they reached the end of the hike they sat down to take in the beauty of the partially frozen waterfall. At the right moment, Chi reach into his backpack for the engagement ring, got down on one knee, and asked Gretchen to marry him. She said, "Yes"! Given the amount of time Gretchen and Chi spent getting to know each other on Mt. Hood, the proposal couldn't have happened anywhere more fitting.