Feb | 14 | 2026

The days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve have a unique feel. Everyone is full on holiday spirit, work schedules are less of a priority, and people are more accessible. Dinner with friends on the Georgetown waterfront Friday 12/27/24 at 6:30pm proved to be the perfect masquerade. Indulge me, the following is intentionally confusing. This is the story of the organized ‘Sheaos’ that allowed the cover to conceal what was happening. In October 2024, while living in San Diego, Sarah & I booked a house in Georgetown for that coming Boxing Day week. After two years in Southern California, this choice helped make the decision to move east over the upcoming Thanksgiving week…and put something more calculated in motion. The day after Christmas at the Eule’s house in Arlington, Sarah & I arrived at that home on the west side of Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown for the week. The next day, I ‘received’ a call from Aunt Linda ‘requesting’ to take Sarah shopping on M St for a belated Christmas present from Linda & Bobby. Clothing gifts from Kansas are equal parts customary & generous—ask any Eule to confirm. When Kirby mentioned that she had ‘received’ the same call, Sarah hopped off the couch at 2pm—we were off to find an outfit for an evening consisting of ‘a nice dinner with friends.’ After outfit changes, a discreet dress parcel handoff from Joe, a call from Alice asking if “we could dress all the way up tonight,” – we found the dress and the shoes. 4pm A quick Beth Shea phone call on our walk back: “Hi honey, do you think you & Sarah could drop me off at dinner downtown at 6pm? I want to give you two a Christmas present!” 4:15pm Sarah had an hour to get ready so that we could pick mom up, see the traditional city lights, and get to our respective dinners…‘on time.’ 5:30pm Enter traffic + road closures. Spoiler—this was planned for and mapped out the day before. ~Sheaos~ The three of us are ‘diverted’ off Constitution Ave onto 17th St heading south across the national mall, bumper to bumper, and away from both restaurants. Locals know that it’s one way traffic for rush hour out of the city. This is not good for both ‘reservations.’ 5:50pm If we continued, we would be routed the wrong way on a tight Shea timeline. I pulled over into a lot before getting onto Independence Ave to ‘assess.’ Instead of driving on, I handed the keys to mom to take herself to ‘dinner’ and we would ‘catch an uber on the other side of the mall.’ It was the ‘only option for all of us. Go!’ We’re now on foot—mom tells Sarah that “this is what Shea’s do…just go with it!” I had connected with Mack to confirm where his cameras and the champagne were hidden—500 ft from us—it’s go time. 5:55pm I pull Sarah off the path and toward the DC War Memorial—a favorite of mine, and we have 30 minutes to ‘spare before dinner.’ We’re strolling, laughing, and reminiscing on a memorable date we had there years earlier. It was hilarious—believe me—and both ‘situations’ showcase Sarah’s unmatched ability to smile through circumstances. Inside, we’re unaccompanied—a rare occurrence on the Mall during the holidays. It’s an open-air dome and incredibly peaceful—a calming breeze is rustling through the bare trees, and our footsteps are echoing against the marble columns. I ask Sarah to look up to see if the names on the ceiling were readable as I slipped off her jacket (there aren’t any names up there). The house, the dress, the shoes, the photos, the celebration, and the ring are lined up…and are inconsequential compared to the coming question. The iconic DC monument down flood lighting is powerful—and she looks stunning. Thirty friends are beginning to gather for us at Fitzgerald’s, and my facade has come down… 6:02pm “We’re not going to dinner, we’re not late, we’re not lost, we’re supposed to be right here—right now. Are you ready? We’re built for this. I love you. Let’s go to battle. Sarah McKenzie Eule—will you marry me?” “YES!” 💍🏛️🍾