Oktoberfest 2017 - St. Louis, MO
Courtney first met Alan during a work trip of hers to P&G St. Louis. Fate would have it that Rachel, one of Alan's new P&G co-workers, was also a good friend of Courtney's from high school. After inviting Alan and Courtney out to attend the local Oktoberfest, Rachel and their other coworkers conveniently all backed out. Alan suggested ending the night with late-night tacos at a local place called Mission Taco, and the rest, as they say, is history...
Halloween Weekend 2017
Enamored from her first weekend meeting Alan, Courtney could not contain her excitement to come back and visit St. Louis. What better way to spend a weekend than with a handsome Italian plumber in blue overalls? Risky Business, indeed!
Long Distance
Courtney and Alan would end up dating long-distance for nearly two years. While many weekends were spent driving six hours between Cincinnati and St. Louis, a lot of time was equally spent video chatting.
Christmas 2017
Now isn't THAT a misleading Christmas sweater? This was the first time Courtney had a chance to get to know Alan's friends from St. Louis. Alan also learned of Courtney's wine expertise early on in their relationship. She will forever label the moment she crushed the blind taste test competition as her peak.
1st Trip to Aspen - December 2017
Nothing says "I'm a little intense" like inviting your boyfriend of 1.5 months to Aspen to spend a week with your family. Layer that on top of learning how to ski (a non-negotiable for Courtney) and you've got yourself one heck of a vacation.
Growing up in the Philippines didn't give Alan many chances to learn to ski when he was younger, but he committed (and 4 years later finally told Courtney he sorta had fun)! The bruises will fade, but the hilarity of ripping your ski pants down the middle while on a bunny slope...lasts a lifetime.
St. Louis Mardi Gras 2018
Courtney and Alan tried to take advantage of living in two different cities by experiencing the best that both had to offer. Did you know that St. Louis has the 2nd largest Mardi Gras celebration in the nation? Combine that with the time-honored in the midwest tradition of proving you can survive any level of cold with a beer (or seltzer) in your hand, and you have yourself a party! Courtney won't mention the box of spilled Lucky Charms...RIP tiny marshmallows.
Austin Trip 2018
Shown here: Full of Torchy's Tacos and the joy of gallivanting through Austin, Texas
Not shown here: Alan being stranded at the College Station airport at 4AM earlier that week cause Courtney fell asleep while waiting to pick him up.
Halloween 2018
The Dream Team (AKA our Bridal Party) in their Halloween best (Disney should hire us). At this point in the relationship, everyone but Alan had moved to Cincinnati. The gears had been set in motion for a slew of parties and celebrations to come. Wine flights, pumpkin martinis, and dancing to "The Monster Mash" capped this particular night off.
September 2019
After two years of long-distance dating, Alan finally moved to Cincinnati. He ended up finding a new and exciting role within P&G, and from then on, both he and Courtney saved a lot of money on gas!
Here we are celebrating Alan’s first night in Cincinnati at Mecca OTR!
February 2020
Shortly before the COVID lockdown, Courtney and Alan came across the most precious of gems - their little girl Lucy. A Newfie-poo rescue with a lot of hair and a whole lot more character, Lucy has since been the center of Courtney and Alan's lives.
Summer 2020
Finding excitement during the past couple of COVID summers were difficult for most people. Courtney and Alan felt extremely fortunate to be able to spend a considerable amount of time outdoors in Aspen. Alan learned how to catch his first fish, and Courtney learned how to (humanely) kill them!
December 25, 2020 - Aspen, CO
When Courtney told Alan that she would like him to propose "with her family around", she didn't realize he would take it so literally. After opening presents on a perfect White Christmas Morning, in front of Courtney's family, Alan asked her to marry him.