Our friend Todd invited Luanne to dinner with a colleague and friend at a conference we attended every year in Washington, DC. Melissa plan to join us later. Dinner ended up to be two hours of laughter and fun among friends, old and new. Walking back to the hotel, Hutch was a perfect gentleman and offered his coat as it had started to snow. A few hours later, many tears from laughter only, the night had ended. Melissa and Todd knew that this was the first time in a while that someone made Luanne laughed like that. That night started a friendship around music, a love for seniors and great friends that would eventually lead us here to April 23, 2022.
It was December 14, 2020. We celebrate it as the date that I moved to PA. It was still 2020 and still during the pandemic, so we were hanging out at home, having a few cocktails, playing some photo hunt and if you know Hutch, of course, scratching off some lottery tickets. As we were scratching the lottery tickets Hutch said, "you know, even though this year has been tough, some wonderful things have happened." I thought for a moment and said, "you are right!" He went on, "the twins were born, all of us have stayed healthy, we both have jobs. But there is one thing that is missing." My response, " yeah we have not won the million dollars yet!" As I turned, I found him on one knee, "No you have not said yes, yet." Of course with tears in both of our eyes, I said yes! Later, I found out he had asked my parents and my sister already but they thought he was going to pop the question on Christmas, so it was a surprise for them on that night too!