The Toast I gave at Courtney and Amy Lynn’s wedding- well what I had written down anyway. I think I just started babbling at some point. Anyway, I cant begin to describe the abundance of love and community surrounding these two when they got married in Taos New Mexico, under a full moon, with both of their dogs standing witness.
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So Courtney and I have been friends for a long time and I Elise thinks this love story started with her… But the creature I think we really need to thank for the incredible love of these two dreamboats is actually a little dog named Julio.
You see–A few years ago, Courtney and I were neighbors in a little north Denver neighborhood under the train tracks and the highway called Globeville—We were “Globeville Dreaming” as we called it.
Somewhere between the time when Court was Glamping in my backyard and hosting an amazing comedy show in hers, we found a stray chihuahua mutt in Courtney’s bushes. The dog wouldn’t come near us and slept under a tree for 3 days. Courtney’s friends were insistent this was the dog for her but at the time, Courtney was playing landlord to a house of 3, was preparing to run a 100 mile race and just didn’t want to be needed by another thing.
Before it was allowed in the house and before we realized it was in heat, Courtney named the Dog Julio. As if I wasn’t already pro-the dog, I was absolutely convinced Julio was the perfect gender non-conforming companion for Courtney.
But Courtney kept trying so hard to find Julio a home. She had herself convinced she had zero space to love another thing. I was obviously no help because I take in every stray animal and divorce that needs a place to call home.
After 1 adoption placement feel through and more of my insisting, Court finally took Julio in. I promise this is really about Amy Lynn…I’m getting there.
It was at this point that Courtney started coming home for her lunch break to walk Julio—and she’d often invite me. I loved spending this slowed down time with Court (Since I clearly wasn’t in the 100 mile running club and she was doing a lot of that during this time).
It was during these walks with her new companion that Courtney first started to talk about a new person she’d met—–that person was Amy Lynn.
It was just a name drop or two at first, but entire walks soon became an Amy Lynn gush-fest. There was so much love in the air it almost overpowered the smell of the Globeville purina dog food factory.
When I asked her for more details about this mysterious woman, Courtney told me she was planning to buy ALO a telescope for her upcoming birthday because ALO was (and this is a direct quote) “into space and a little bit witchy.” That was it! I was convinced ALO must have put a love spell on my once curmudgeon of a best friend. Two months before, Courtney had been unable to open her home to a tiny dog and now she was giddy to gift The Hubble to a relative stranger.
But when I finally met Amy Lynn I got it. She is a complete dreamboat with the warmest personality, the kindest heart and the most perfect nails. Even better, ALO sees and celebrates everything that makes Courtney-courtney—from her aspiring comedy career to her extreme Golden Girl fandom—and she even has a Lord Winston for Courtney’s Julio.
Having Courtney as a friend has been one of the biggest wins in my life. And now, it couldn’t feel more special to see the two of them doing life together and becoming each other’s family. And they have both become part of mine. It’s seriously better than the Costco hotdog deal.
*Looking at Couple* ALO and Courtney: Bryn and I love the closeness we have with the two of you and wouldn’t trade the birthday celebrations, the dinners at your place, the 6 hour brunches, and group Halloween costumes for anything in the world.
When Courtney opened up her heart-door to make space for little Julio dog, she didn’t quite shut that door and ALO snuck right in there. And I couldn’t be happier that she did.