We're Married!! (But) still want to celebrate with you!!

We understand that during this challenging time, one of the best ways to show love and support us may be from a distance. While it takes courage to step back during such an important moment for Pat and Janelle, if gathering to celebrate poses a concern for you, know that those we care about are more important to us than social norms. Our wedding is now taking place on July 31st, and those who cannot attend will still be celebrated in our hearts and minds, and hopefully in person sometime soon.

In April of 2017, luck would have it that Pat and Janelle were assigned to sit next to each other on a 1.5 hour flight from Latrobe to Myrtle Beach. Janelle had planned to listen to music on the flight and already had her headphones on as passengers were still boarding. However, once she realized that the handsome guy walking the aisle- Pat- was assigned to sit next to her, she had to come up with a plan to say hi. Eventually getting the courage, she casually removed her headphones to strike up a conversation. They talked the entire plane ride to Myrtle Beach. Once they landed, they exchanged numbers, and Pat even gave her a shy kiss on the cheek when they parted ways. At the time, Janelle still lived on Mt. Washington, and Pat's role in the Air Force National Guard meant he often came to Pittsburgh for his weekend drills. In the coming weekends, Pat would travel to Pittsburgh and he and Janelle would meet up. They had an instant connection, and from the moment they started talking everything seemed to naturally fall into place. Pat and Janelle would say the same thing about their relationship two years later-- even through a 7 month deployment in the Middle East, Janelle changing jobs, and moving in together. Pat and Janelle love going to brunch, working on stuff around their house, enjoying local restaurants and events, and traveling whenever they can. But most importantly, they love dancing in the kitchen together on the weekends!

This past Easter, Janelle and Pat shared their second anniversary at the Cain's home in Janelle's hometown of Perry, Ohio. Janelle was 100% certain Pat was going to propose while they were there visiting, as her dad travels so often for work and this was the first time they had seen her family since the new year (and as the tradition goes, the first opportunity Pat would have had to "ask for Janelle's hand"). However, the moment never came. Janelle, a bit deflated, shared a very quiet ride back home to Johnstown with Pat. By the time they neared home, however, she decided to snap out of it, enjoy the rest of their anniversary, and trusted that Pat would know when the time was right. When they got home, however, as she was unpacking and putting food away in the kitchen, Pat asked to talk her. Quickly, it all became a blur, but he started reminiscing about the past two years-- all they have gone through and how many fun times they have shared. He then bent down and grabbed a ring box out of a pair of shoes he had brought on their trip-- and proposed right in the kitchen! Before Janelle could say yes, she cried and apologized for being so upset on the car ride home. Realizing she hadn't yet given an answer, Pat asked again if Janelle would marry him-- and she finally said YES!