Hold onto your butts, it’s a long journey.

Ali met Rich through Noodles & Co in 2017. Ali had just graduated from UW-Superior with her BA in Business Management when she received a promotion for Assistant General Manager with work. The catch? It involved moving to St Cloud. Ali decided to pack her bags (and her life) and venture off to her next chapter. Meanwhile, Rich had moved back to St Cloud after spending time in the metro cities areas working in Blaine and Columbia Heights. Evidently, Ali was Rich’s new assistant at the St Cloud State location. One day during a CSO visit, Rich was told by his bosses “You need to take Ali out and see St Cloud.” Rich didn’t hesitate. In fact, he “ran into” Ali while she was in attendance of a Summer Nights by Lake George event with food trucks and beer garden and bands. Eventually, darts league started occurring and the two became good friends and colleagues.

In 2018, Ali took an opportunity to transfer to the Elk River Noodles location to expand her career development to eventually be promoted to General Manager to the Columbia Heights location in 2019. However, the transferring of restaurants didn’t stop these two from hanging out. A while after Ali’s transfer to Elk River, she and Rich decided to make it official and start dating (don’t ask either one for a date, we don’t know XD).

In 2019 and 2020, Rich and Ali take another step in their relationship and move in with each other in what was at first a 1 bed 1 bath apartment in Monticello, MN. Eventually, they did decide to upgrade to a 2 bed 2 bath apartment (because let’s face it, 2 bed 2 bath is a must have).

2020 rolls around and we faced the COVID19 pandemic. With all the struggles and challenges we faced, Ali and Rich also were blessed to bring home a little fur baby named Zelda in March (Thank you again, Colin and Drea!).

2021 was a year full of happiness and unbelievable loss for both Rich and Ali. Ali’s family had struggled with the loss of her nephew, Crosby Maruca in April, in which they realized how important family was to the both of them. In June of that same year (the day after Ali’s friends wedding) Rich and Ali found they were expecting a baby! They spread the news with all loved ones and friends throughout the remainder of the year. In December of 2021, Ali was faced again with tremendous loss in her family. Ali’s father, David, was in the hospital with COVID when the family found out her Gramma Doris Greene had passed away. Her father had passed away five days later. While Rich had only met David a few times, David always said to him to look out for Ali and take care of her. Losing both Doris and David during Ali’s 3rd trimester (while facing pregnancy complications) had tested their relationship in ways the couple didn’t expect. Ali and Rich leaned on each other and supported one another during this time period and their love only grew stronger.

2022 was the year their daughter, Sophie Ellen Muske, was born on February 7th. For those of you who are parents know the rewards and struggles of the 1st year with a newborn. In that same year, Ali and Rich become 1st time homebuyers and are back living in St Cloud raising their family along with Zelda, their Labrador Retriver mix.

2023, on Zelda’s 3rd birthday, Rich sets up a scavenger hunt at home for Ali to go on while he gathers Sophie up to get ready for family plans. While on the scavenger hunt, Rich’s notes and clues follow the timeline of their life of events including Sunday night dart leagues, nights in of drinking tequila, the love they have for Zelda, Tigress and Sophie. When it came to the last clue, Rich’s plan didn’t quite pan out like he initially thought. The clue was our bundle of joy requires this change before we leave the house. Ali knew it involved changing Sophie’s diaper, but rather use their changing table, she set Sophie on the floor (it’s just simpler, you know XD). When Ali revealed the onsie that Sophie was wearing, “Mommy, will you marry Daddy?” She saw Rich on one knee, and after he asked if she would marry him, she said, “Well it’s about damn time!”

Now here we are in 2024, and Ali and Rich will commit to each other on August 30th, 2024.

And the best is yet to come!

Things to Do

Bad Habit Brewery

Collegeville Orchards

Munsinger & Clemens Gardens