We're Getting Married!

In the spring of 2018, both John and Anneli found themselves single after long-term relationships. Somewhat reluctantly, they took to online dating. After all, both of their prior relationships had started in college and now they didn't know of many other ways to meet people. On the afternoon of June 6, after going on a dozen or so mediocre dates, Anneli received a message: "Hello there! How are you doing today?" said the man known only as John. She found out he had two spirited Golden Retrievers, was in the Army, and originally from Arizona. He found out she had an old, stubborn terrier; had just moved into a house in Tacoma, and absolutely loved the outdoors. The conversation quickly turned into paragraphs-long messages back-and-forth and the following week, on June 13, they went on their first date. They talked through dinner and a whole baseball game and ended the night with doughnuts. John said he thought they should just be good friends... you can guess how that turned out.

In October 2018, after four months of hiking together, John and Anneli decided to go big and summit Mount Rainier the following June. Little did Anneli know, she'd be crossing more than a summit off her bucket list. After months of preparation, her fair share of agonizing, and John's unbridled excitement, they hiked to Camp Muir with their 40-pound packs on May 31. That night, they rested for a few hours, slept for a couple, woke up at midnight and pushed to the 14,000-foot summit. Once there, just after sunrise, tired and breathless, John called the attention of the other 10 climbers and three guides in their group—who, it turns out, all knew of John's plans. He faced Anneli and talked about the mountains they'd climbed together and his hopes for many more in the future. Then he asked Anneli to be his wife. She kissed him—it meant "yes!"