Our story begins in 2014, as two college kids who met in a little town called Newark (Delaware, of course- New Jersey would come into play later). They weren't looking for love, but somehow it found them.

Chris was living his dream of sportscasting for Rutgers Radio, and Alana was close to living hers as a nurse (organic chemistry and statistics came first though). As time went on, they each had their own paths to their dreams, but they always made time for their nightly phone calls and facetimes.

They lived for the weekends they could see each other. Whether it was trying every Brazilian Steakhouse in the tri-state area, getting lost in a halloween corn maze, or Chris bringing Alana to one of his favorite places in the world - the beautiful mountains near Blair Academy. This is a place that shaped Chris as a student and as a young man, and became the place where Alana had her ah-ha moment - when she fell in love and knew this was the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

It also could have been when they sat on the floor of her college dorm watching Derek Jeter's last game and walk off hit, screaming and cheering so loudly that the RA had to barge in and make sure they were alive. They were more than alive - they had found their person, and the happiness in that moment was so surreal.

They were long distance from the very beginning, Chris coming from Newark NJ to visit Alana whenever he could. But they would truly be tested with the ultimate long distance: being 1,367 miles apart for the next 4 years. Chris left for Oklahoma to pursue his dream of sportscasting, & Alana finished college and moved onto her next adventure: nursing school. The relationship was new, and the thought of being that far away from each other was tough, but they would learn that they were tougher.

Those four years were not easy - there were lots of tears and times they wished they could be together. Chris would come home for holidays and Alana would travel out to Enid when she had a break from school. Chris met life-long friends, and Alana had never seen so many cows in her life.

They each had their individual focus, but one common goal - to get back to each other. Little did they know, that this would happen when they least expected it. Alana graduated nursing school and Chris was given a career opportunity to come back home (Thanks Marino!)

They moved in together January 2020 and then....the world shut down. Finally, they were in the same place, but the world we all knew was so different. They had to face all new challenges for the first time together - like trying to find toilet paper and order groceries online! In all seriousness though, in one of the toughest times the world has ever known, they knew they still had each other.

Alana worked as a nurse through the pandemic (not an easy task), but it was made easier knowing she always came home to Chris. It had now been 7 years together, and Chris knew it was time to find that pretty little ring. Also, Alana wouldn't let him forget - it was ALL she wanted for EVERY birthday, anniversary, and Hanukkah present.

Alana's brother, Jacob, had a friend in LA that worked with diamonds and would send them pictures for months, but nothing was right. Until fate would have it that they found the diamond the one weekend they happened to be in LA for cousin Jessie's wedding. This was it! Now Alana had to wait for the surprise - when would Chris propose?!

Well, it happened one weekend in September 2022. They were visiting Chris's parents in NJ and Chris had planned to propose that Saturday - but his plans changed a bit because his parent's dog went into labor. But don't worry, Alana slapped on some gloves and delivered all 3 healthy puppies!

The next day, Chris drove them up to Blair and stopped by the mountains, got down on one knee and asked Alana if she would marry him.

SHE SAID YES!

This just goes to show that sometimes things don't go according to plan - but Chris and Alana have learned throughout their relationship that when life throws them a curveball, they're going to hit it out of the park. And that Chris will broadcast it and Alana will be his biggest cheerleader.

How it has always been and how it will always be - forever.

NOW LET'S PARTY!