Emily moved to Denver with three fellow teachers from her UW-Madison program—Lou, Grace, and Megan. Grace’s sister, Matty, also lived in Denver and was dating (now married to) Dan. Dan and Connor are high school buddies whose close friend group, named the BLOB, somehow never outgrew their bromance. In the summer of 2017, they merged friend groups to form a volleyball team, Bump Set Whiff—a name that, unfortunately, reflected a majority of the team's skill level. On the night of the first game, Connor was instantly impressed by Emily’s athleticism (her ability to actually hit the ball). He then spent the entire season relentlessly asking about her, only to be shot down repeatedly. A few weeks later, Connor and his friends attended the girls’ annual 4th of July pancake breakfast and Colorado Rockies game. He and Emily spent most of the day chatting, and later that night, against all odds (and her previous refusals), she finally let him kiss her. The rest, as they say, is history! Happy to report that BSW is still going strong today, with slightly better volleyball skills (but only slightly).

After the passing of Connor’s grandma and Carrie’s mom, Dortha Keenan, the Keenan family decided there was only one way to properly honor her, her beloved husband Pat, and their proud Irish heritage—a trip to the motherland. So, in the summer of 2024, the group hopped on a red-eye to Shannon, Ireland, in search of the Keenan homestead, endless pints of Guinness, and a few golf courses fancy enough to make us question our skills. Connor wasted no time upon arrival. After hauling luggage into the rental car and tour bus, the first stop was the iconic Cliffs of Moher. Since we were the first bus to arrive, we had the cliffs mostly to ourselves—just miles of dramatic coastline, gusty winds, and the perfect setting for... something special. As we wandered further from the main tourist area, Emily started to sense that something was up. Connor was unusually chatty. Suspiciously chatty. And even more telling? He kept insisting on taking pictures together—something he rarely volunteered for. After plenty of walking, they finally landed on the moment they'd both been waiting for. With 12 family members watching on, they shared the most memorable moment of their lives. AND SHE SAID YES! We can only hope our marriage will be as strong, joyful, and full of love as Dortha and Pat’s. We feel so lucky to have their example to follow—and equally lucky that Connor didn’t accidentally drop the ring off the cliffs.