On a humid day in May 2011, Joelle ascended the escalator at Dupont Circle in Washington, DC to meet Adam for the first time. In typical DC fashion, the metro escalators didn't work, and it was a humid day. Joelle trudged up the really long flight of stairs, and Adam, wearing an ill-advised cardigan sweater, met at the top of the metro station and walked to the "classy" (only to Adam) DC establishment Madhatter. They hit it off over hot dogs, mac & cheese, and beer. They had a fun evening together, and little did they know it would be the first step in a lifetime journey together.

It was mid-December in Washington DC, and it would not stop raining, which would make proposing to Joelle in front of the United States Capitol building a bit tricky. Adam had chosen the Capitol as the proposal site because it was a symbol of the home city they shared for eight years. Adam spent the week leading up to Proposal Day frantically checking the weather app on his phone. Friday came and it rained, Saturday .. rain all day. Sunday afternoon brought a 30 minute window of reprieve from the rain, just enough time for Adam and Joelle to jaunt down to the Hill (Adam's excuse was, "hey let's take Charley for a walk to the Capitol, it's a balmy 38 degrees with overcast .. perfect weather!") They made their way to the Hill, the ring box protruding from Adam's jacket pocket. If Joelle had paid any attention or, God forbid, had come in for a hug, she would have felt it and the jig would have been up. With that potential crisis averted, when they got to the Capitol, Adam bent the knee, asked the big question, and the rest is history. Good news: Joelle said yes on the way home!