On Christmas Eve we went on a hike up to Poo Poo Point in the “Issaquah Alps”. This fun hike, named after the sound of train whistles that were often heard in the region, is 1760 ft elevation gain and about 1.5 hours up to the top, where we had amazing views of Mt. Rainier, and the entire Bellevue/Issaquah area. The best view though, was when James knelt and proposed to Sarah with the ring they picked out together. We spent a while at the summit enjoying the sunset and views, so when hiking down had to use our phones as flashlights! On the drive home we picked up a feast of Indian food to enjoy that evening and on Christmas Day, when we Zoomed with our families.

Sarah grew up in Boston, however went to a boarding school in St. Louis, where she became friends with Anna Hegarty. Every year before flying back to Boston for summer vacation, she would spend a few days with the Hegarty family. Our first time hanging out, James showed Sarah a video game he was designing and taught her the basics of the animation software. Together, they made a little fish to swim around the docks he was designing by a lighthouse, then we went to Ted Drews with Anna for an ice cream snack. Years later, having completed degrees on opposite coasts (James in Computer Science at Stanford, and Sarah in History at Northeastern University), we crossed paths in New York City while visiting friends. From there, James was moving to Seattle, where Sarah had also been considering locating, and something clicked. We started dating and both moved to Seattle where we have enjoyed many hikes, trips to National Parks, visiting any and all recommended pastry or donut shops, and keeping Sarah’s cat Minnie out of trouble.