Christopher's POV: Growing up we were always around each other. Whether it was in a hotel lobby at an AAU basketball tournament or going to school dances. Courtney was very sassy and I thought that was hot. So I decided maybe I should date this chick. Then we got to high school and she went to my baseball game where she decided I was the best looking one on the field. ;) The rest is history. Courtney's POV: Our story began long before we ever realized where it was headed. We’ve known each other for what feels like a lifetime, we had our friendship years before we even set foot in high school. Freshman year, I put him in the friend zone, and to make things even, he returned the favor sophomore year... though his lasted only about three weeks. On April 26, 2019, I was in Reno watching my brother run track—my dad rushed me home just in time to make it to the theater. Christopher had invited me to see Avengers: Endgame. After the movie, Christopher drove me home. It was in my driveway, where he asked me to be his girlfriend. From that moment, we both knew. All those years of friendship had been leading us to this. We were meant to be together from the start, and now we’re ready to start the next chapter of our lives, side by side.

Christopher and Courtney had been talking about getting engaged for a while, and he had promised that once Courtney finished school, they could take that next step. As June 2024 came to a close, Christopher decided it was time. He took Cameron, Jacob, and Emily along for a special trip—ring shopping. After browsing, he found a diamond that he absolutely fell in love with. The following week, he brought his mom along to get her final approval, and she loved it just as much as he did. On July 3rd, 2024, Christopher made the big purchase. On July 16th, Christopher told Courtney he was off to "meet his mom at Home Depot," but in reality, he was meeting with her parents to ask for her hand in marriage. Her mom quickly gave her blessing, while her dad took a couple of days to think it over. Thankfully, after some sarcasm, he also said yes! Fast forward to August 2nd, 2024. Courtney thought the day would be spent taking pictures and enjoying a nice dinner afterward. However, by that afternoon, the "pictures" had been canceled, leaving her disappointed. To lift her spirits, they decided to stick with the dinner plan and enjoy the sunset. They dined at the Chart House in Lake Tahoe, while their parents and close friends were secretly setting up something special at Round Hill Pines Beach. After dinner, they made their way to the beach. As they descended the stairs, Courtney began to realize what was happening. When they reached the spot, Christopher took her hands, looked into her eyes, and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. (And yes, of course, she said yes—otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this story!)