Our story begins in July 2023 on a Sunday at Missio Dei Church in Cincinnati. After service, Alex went to go talk to a friend who happened to be talking to a girl. The three of them got to talking and Alex couldn't stop staring at her eyes. Turns out, this girl also thought Alex was quite good looking... this girl happened to be Val. 


After service, a few of Val's friends were going to play Pickleball and she invited Alex to come along. This led to several games of Pickleball later in the week where Alex and Val were partners for the entire series of games, which they mostly lost, but it gave the two some chances to get to know each other better. 


About a week or so passed and Val went to play Pickleball again, but Alex was not there. She found herself wishing that Alex was there. So, it begins...


Alex had just passed a BIG exam for his job, and he texted Val that he had passed! Val, of course, congratulated him and asked a day later if he wanted to get dinner and celebrate. When Alex read her text, he knew Val was interested, and it forced his hand a bit earlier than anticipated. Since Val's text did not specifically say this was a date, Alex decided to say yes to dinner, but use it as a half date where he would officially ask her out if it went well.


Alex was busy for a short stretch, but the two got dinner a few weeks later and Alex saw how kind, sweet, and fun Val was, leading him to officially ask her out on a date. Of course, she happily said yes! Val had so much fun at dinner with Alex; but as it turns out, Val did think this was a date, leading her to arrive home afterward and exclaim, This might be end game for Val and it was, but a very positive end game. 


And the rest is history. 






In September 2023, about a month into Alex and Val's relationship, Alex and his friend Brian were talking about going to a NEEDTOBREATHE concert at Red Rocks in May 2024. Knowing Val was also a fan, Brian asked if she’d want to join. It was early in the relationship, but Alex decided to invite her anyway, hoping things would work out so they could all go together. Val said yes, and Alex felt both excited and hopeful for what might be ahead.

In the following months, Alex and Val grew closer with every shared adventure, conversation, and laugh. They talked about life, faith, and random goofy things, and by January, they exchanged their first "I love you." Over the winter, Alex thought and prayed about their future, and by early March, he knew he wanted to marry Val. Then it dawned on him—he could propose in Colorado, during the upcoming trip if he moved quickly enough.

Determined to keep his plan a surprise, Alex went into “secret agent mode” to buy a ring and coordinate with Brian, who agreed to pick it up and bring it through Indianapolis security to avoid any suspicion from Val. A bit after they landed in Denver, the plan was set: they’d hike on Saturday at Rocky Mountain National Park and hike Sunday at Eldorado Canyon State Park, and Alex would propose there.

On Sunday, with the ring tucked carefully in his backpack, Alex kept Val from peeking in the side pocket as they walked the trail. Near the end of the route, he spotted the more private, grassy area he’d picked out beforehand. With Brian ready to capture the moment, Alex suggested they step off the trail for a better view. Val agreed, and as they walked further into the clearing, Alex stopped, turned to her, and told her how much she meant to him. Taking off his backpack, he pulled out the ring, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. Val answered with an enthusiastic “Yes!” as Alex got up to hug and kiss her… then he realized he forgot to put the ring on her finger! Laughing, he knelt a second time and finally placed the ring on her hand.

With spirits high, they hiked back, sharing stories about all the secret planning Alex had done. That night, they celebrated at the incredible NEEDTOBREATHE concert at Red Rocks, marking the beginning of their future together!