Two Cougs Meet and Fall in Love

Steve and I met the summer of 2010 at the Porthole Pub in Ocean Shores, Washington. We were both there to play in the Susan Coffer Memorial Golf Tournament put on by friends of ours. Dave and John Coffer were AKL fraternity brothers with Steve and I have been friends with John's wife for quite a few years.

Heidi and John introduced us, but sparks didn't fly at first. Steve requested me to be his Facebook friend as soon as he returned home to Gig Harbor, and I accepted. Little did I know what would be to come.

We started spending time together with our dogs on the weekends, but I didn't clue in on his interests at first. We went camping with friends, walked the dogs around Green Lake and chatted online. It wasn't until I finally agreed to go to dinner in early September, that I realize that this could be something. We then went camping, took a trip to wine country in California and spent the holidays with our families. After Christmas we had to put down his 12 year old beloved yellow lab, Max. I knew we had a pretty special bond then, as I helped him through that difficult time.

That fall Steve and I also planned a trip to Maui, as my dearest friend had moved there with her family and it was a perfect opportunity to visit. Just before we departed in January, I remember Heidi asking me if I thought he would pop the question while we were there. The thought had never crossed my mind, I was happy where things were at the time.

Steve booked a romantic helicopter trip around Maui, which was so exciting because I don't know if I have ever been on a helicopter! It was the day after a big storm on Maui, so some of the visibility was poor and some of the roads were flooded. It was a great flight, with a planned champagne toast on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Steve told me he was going to ask the pilot to take our picture, so he went to speak to her and i was facing the water.

As he returned, he said 'ok, turn around, she is going to take our picture'. As I turned around, he wasn't where I expected. He was down on one knee, with tears in his eyes. He asked me to marry him, presented me with a beautiful ring and started to cry. I said 'Yes, yes, of course I will, just stop crying!'

We had to get back on the helicopter quickly, yet I was so excited, I had to brag somehow. I didn't have a cell signal, but I was able to log into Facebook and post 'He went to Jared' with a photo of my ring. That post went viral and before we knew it, I think everyone we knew had found out, including our Mothers! Steve hadn't told anyone, it was a complete surprise to me and everyone.

We spent the rest of the week in Maui, proud to say we were newly engaged! From there, we got married 4 months later at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, with over 50 friends and family members there with us.

It has been an amazing journey! Steve graduated from WSU in 1989 with a degree in Construction Management Degree, I started at WSU in 1991. A couple years later, Steve returned to Pullman in pursuit of a Bachelors and Masters in Civil Engineering, so we were actually there at the same time. I was a Kinesiology major and a thrower on the WSU track team. We joke that he was in Nerd Town and I was in Jockville, and never did our paths cross.

We are very thankful that for some reason our friends brought us together and that we have our love for WSU in common!