August 1977 It’s crazy to think our story began back in 1977 when Drew Forhan met Mike Gottron during their Freshman year at Bowling Green State University. Little did they know the friendship they formed over their four years in Bowling Green, OH would bring not only their future families together but bring a daughter and a son together for life. 1977-2012 This date range captures the history of the Forhan/Gottron family get-togethers. What started with Drew and Mike building their friendship at Bowling Green and spending time with their respective families in Fremont and Rocky River, developed into couples’ outings once Nancy and Sheila came into the mix. It later grew into two families coming together for long weekends in Oglebay, WV and spring breaks in Siesta Key, FL. From diving for sand dollars, dinners at Crystal Sands or Horizon’s West, games of salad bowl, and playing sports on the beach, our families made many memories together over the years. March 2012, the week of St. Patrick’s Day, is the last time the two of us remember (and have photo evidence) of being together. Chris was a sophomore at The Ohio State University and Allison was wrapping up her senior year of high school. Life was changing for both of us at that moment, taking us separate ways. Our parents kept in touch, but this was the last family get-together…or so we thought. 10 years later… March 23, 2022: The Setup We never would have guessed that on this day we’d find ourselves sitting in a golf cart together for a four-hour round of golf with our Dads (present to golf or to chaperone the “first date”?). A few months prior to the setup, our parents were in cahoots creating a plan to bring us back together with only the hope that something might click. Well, kudos to our parents. We clicked. What started with 18 holes of golf, soon turned into a committed long-distance relationship. The Hudson to Columbus / Columbus to Hudson two-hour commute became a regular drive for our first six months as we met up for what we like to call “super-dates”. One of us hitting the road early to arrive in the morning and not leaving until late in the evening to head home. The hours passed seamlessly as each super-date was full of adventure, laughter, and endless amounts of fun. In October 2022, Allison made the decision to shorten the commute time and move to Columbus. She’ll say it was to experience a new city, for new opportunities. Both of which are true, but the main reason was because Chris was eagerly waiting on the other side with open arms. November 26, 2023: The Proposal The proposal came on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in none other than Siesta Key, the place where our original friendship began, and the eventual set-up took place. Chris had a perfect plan mapped out – a beautiful, mid-afternoon beach walk under the sun. The only problem…there was no sun, but rather an overcast sky with a steady drizzle. The most important sale of his career arrived in an unexpected way when he had to convince Allison that going for a walk on the beach in the rain was better than spending a few final hours with her family and cousins before they returned home. Thankfully, there was a small break in the rain and the clouds cleared. Chris jumped at this final opportunity and convinced Allison the walk was essential. Not only was it essential, but it was fantastic! Chris got down on one knee and Allison said “YES!”. Our families, including Mike and Sheila who flew down from Columbus that morning, were eagerly awaiting our return from the beach ready to celebrate the newly engaged couple. 2024: Today We’ve had quite the journey in life together thus far and we can’t wait for all that’s yet to come. We are excited to welcome everyone to Columbus in October, the city we call home, to celebrate with us as we take the next step in our life together.