The short story is that we were set up. The longer story starts with Molly Hemingway and her little black book. Molly enjoys matching Lutheran couples, and calls her efforts "Katy's Black Book." Coincidentally, AJ and I are both confessional Lutherans. In January of 2020, AJ was at the March for Life in Washington DC and ran into Molly. Being friends, as they walked they began chatting and she "interviewed" him on what he was looking for in a wife. Back on the west coast the following month, my friend Katie Winterstein, also a friend of Molly's, asked if I would be ok with being entered into Katy's Black Book. It was foreign to me, but I figured I didn't have anything to lose. I received an email asking to share a little bit about myself. Molly and her friend Lucy took it from there. On December 4th, 2020 AJ and I got an email stating that "our names were aligned" and the rest was left up to us. AJ emailed me that evening, beginning our Hallmark love story. We emailed back and forth for about 3 weeks before chatting on the phone for the first time on December 17th. On the 19th, I saw him for the first time over a FaceTime call. He was a real man and oh so handsome! Things were going really well and with his Christmas leave coming up, he asked to come ALL THE WAY out to Boise for a coffee date! He said it would only add 5 hours to his trip to CA for Christmas with his family! I was taken back and attracted to his pursuit of me. Of course I said yes! On December 23rd, we had coffee in Boise. It was fun and easy. We both froze as we walked along the Boise River greenbelt, but we were both too engrossed in conversation to mention it. After he left, I could not wait to spend more time with him! Little did I know then, I would get to spend a lifetime with him!

When driving from Olympia to visit family in northern California for Christmas, Boise is really only about 5 hours out of the way. If you already plan to make it a two-day trip, then you're looking at about eight hours on the road each day. Very doable. I've found that road trips go better with espresso, so if you're going to get a fresh Americano, why not pick it up with an amazing young lady you'd been writing to for a couple of weeks? The drink was good, but her company was even better, so I decided to take the same road back after the holiday and welcome the new year in the Gem State. She was just as lovely on our second date as we got coffee and then perused the Idaho State Museum. After a delightful lunch, she showed me her scrap books and shared memories from camping, hiking, and exploring. As the sun set, we found our way to an outdoor ice rink and laughed as we moved along the ice. We took our first picture together on that ice, in front of a lighted tree next to the rink. We went to church that evening and then visited with friends, kindly welcoming us into their home to close out the year. Moments of gratitude and nostalgia filled the room as we reflected on a hard year. We turned our thoughts to the year ahead, lighting sparklers and counting down the seconds. When midnight struck, I wanted to kiss her, but we weren't ready yet. Still, I knew that the next year held so much promise and that our relationship would grow with time. Holding her in my arms that night, I could feel her melt into my heart and knew that it was going to be a good year. Although the detour wasn't that big, that night I knew it would lead me down a road I'd searched for my whole life. "I'd be crazy not to marry her," I thought to myself. One day.

It was my first visit to WA since beginning our correspondence and I was giddy looking forward to seeing AJ again. Our plan: hike in Olympic National Park. While swaying with the road as we drove through the forest along the river that ran beside us, I could not help but embrace the breathtaking landscape--especially the face of the man sitting next to me! I was in my happy place. AJ and I talked some, laughed, and listened to a podcast. The episode spoke on the life of Julian of Norwich and her dreams that centered around safety found in God and womanhood. Her story revealed the complimentary gift men and women bring to each other. During that drive, I really remember the intense tension and pull between us while sitting so close without touching. There was something unexplainable happening. We were richly unifying somehow. Once we parked, AJ got out of the car and purposefully came around to me giving me a hug. No words were spoken, but I understood his eyes. I was smitten with him. As we hiked, we looked at waterfalls, stopped at view points and steadily made our way up 3 miles to the peak of Mount Storm King. I killed it by the way, "making it look easy" he told me. In all honestly, it wasn't hard--I had to show off! I love mountains, but I'm not fond of heights. This peak of Storm King had a lot of exposure up top, so I welcomed the distraction of feeding birds as they landed right in my hand. Before going back down, AJ wanted a picture of me on a big bolder. I was nervous to stand on top so it took some bravery to sit on it let alone finally stand up while he got his picture. On our decent, I heard him chuckle. I asked what was funny, "You are just so courageous," he said, giving me a hug. Again, I was swooning! We made it down the mountain and headed to the car. He grabbed my hand as we walked and my soul was at peace! We held hands the whole drive home - I was so full. I had never felt such contentment. I was in love!

About 35 years ago, AJ’s family visited the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, CA. While exploring the grounds, the family turned onto the Huntington’s North Vista, a long expanse of pristine lawn flanked by trees and several 17th-century Italian marble statues. At the far end, an impressive fountain provided a backdrop as AJ, just over a year old, took his first steps. In the years since that trip, the family would take several more visits to the Huntington and AJ often thought how it would make a special place to propose one day. He determined to make that the plan. 2021 proved to be a dynamic year for AJ and Megan as their relationship grew across the Pacific Northwest. AJ’s 5-month deployment in Mongolia would further extend their relationship, but he knew he had found the woman he would marry. The Christmas season provided an opportunity to take some time off, so AJ began to plan his proposal. He and Megan planned to visit her family in Redlands, CA and AJ convinced his parents to come back to southern California to meet Megan’s parents in person, too. The day before he flew from Seattle, AJ purchased the ring and he kept the little blue box from Tiffany & Co. close. AJ revealed his plan to propose to his family before meeting up with Megan, as they had certainly anticipated. On December 28th, the whole group went to the Huntington. With a glass of scotch the day prior, AJ asked Megan’s father for permission, which he granted. To dispel expectations, AJ had told Megan that she would not be getting an engagement ring on Christmas. Well, it was three days later, and everything had come together—including a beautiful blue sky. As the group arrived at the North Vista, AJ gave “the signal” to Megan’s sister, Emily. AJ told Megan this was the spot where he had taken his first steps, and also from where they would take their first steps together. Down on one knee, AJ presented the ring and asked Megan Christine to be his bride. “Yes, Andrew James!”