Our Engagement Story

On our second date, we both decided it would be great to go on a hike together. Kay, in an attempt to impress Matt, mentioned that the most challenging hike she'd done before was to hike to the Camp Muir base camp on Mt. Rainier. "Oh, then we should hike Mt. Si!" said Matt. "I've never done it, and if you did Mt. Rainier base camp, you can definitely do Mt. Si," he added. That fateful second date lasted for 11.5 hours, 7 hours getting from Belltown Court (where Kay lives) to the top of Mt. Si and down again, and then 4.5 hours sitting at Tutta Bella in Columbia City talking over Neopolitan style pizza.

Fast forward 1 year: October 19, 2008 - Matt & Kay's 1-year dating anniversary. A plan to re-create our 2nd date, except this time, instead of two people who'd barely spent 2 hours together, we are two people about to decide to spend the rest of our days together.

Matt packed all the food and water we would need and dutifully carried it all the way to the top of the 4 mile 3,500' elevation climb. At the top, we had sandwiches and snacks, and the same special iced tea we'd had a year ago.

After eating, we scrambled up some rocks to get a better view, and while Kay is taking pictures and in general taking in the incredible view, Matt says a myriad of wonderful things, gets down on one knee, and asks Kay to marry him. Kay responds with an enthusiastic "Oh Yeah!!!" and out pops a gorgeous diamond ring that Matt had picked out himself.... it fits perfectly.... and that is the beginning of our beginning....