Alex and Allie's Love Story | 7 Little Johnstons | TLC

Something I love about Allie is just I love her personality. She is really caring and, like, always checks up on me. She's just a great person overall, and she's beautiful. It's about time to FaceTime Alex. Does he want us to? Yeah. They're gonna be getting ready for Allie's birthday party. We are gonna check in with Alex while he is up in Ohio with Allie. We want to just, you know, see how things are going, how the farm is. Are they Eastern time or Central time? Eastern. I mean, it's straight above us because I saw Alex's flight, and it literally was straight up. Heading to the airport, we hit a ton of traffic, and honestly, I was worried I would not get Alex to the airport in time, but I did, and I was able to get him to security. And when I left the airport, went back outside, my car was still where I left it, and it had not been towed. So I was super lucky. Said he was a basket case trying to go through. Friday and a closed parking deck, not the best thing to fly out. I thought that Alex was not gonna be able to make his flight. However, he did, and he met up with Allie and her mom at the Dayton airport. So Emma and Alex have their homecoming dance coming up, and Alex is really hoping that Allie will be able to come down to Georgia for it. Hi. How are you guys? We've been good. What, uh, what have you guys been doing? Oh, we were having a birthday party for me. Yes, happy birthday. Is today your birthday? Oh, happy birthday, Allie. I think Allie is super sweet and just genuine. And I think that that is the perfect person for Alex. Have you ridden any tractors yet, Alex? We rode the gator around the farm. Fun? Yeah. I got to drive it, too. You did? Well, I've told you, you can drive this gator here anytime you want. Yeah, well, I think I like hers better, because it's smaller, and it's more casual. I think Alex would do probably great on the farm, because, you know, he loved, when he was a child, he loved the farming, the tractor, and stuff like that. So he'll do great. He'll sweat all in all. I mean, all farmers sweat, anyway. But you will sweat even more. You sweat walking five steps, so. Shut up. You're missing that. Alex, did you snore and keep the whole house up last night? No, I did not. You didn't? You didn't snore, or you didn't keep the whole house up? I didn't keep the whole house up. OK. Alex snores. He's loud. Are they trying to embarrass me in front of my new girlfriend? Like, mom and dad have, like, a photogenic memory of all the embarrassing things that have happened to me. So, like, let's wait for the embarrassment to come a little bit later in our relationship. Do you snore, Allie? Yeah, I think so. A lot of little people do. It's no big deal. It's just part of our life. Allie is the only little person in her family. We have talked a little bit about, like, how it's different for me between me and her about Allie growing up in a family of all average-sized siblings and parents versus me growing up in a house full of little people, siblings, and parents. So that's kind of an important conversation between us. And I have some more good news. What? Allie can come to my homecoming. Oh, good. That's awesome. I'm excited for it. So you guys haven't seen each other in, like, two months. And now you're going to see each other twice in eight days? Yeah. Well, that's good. Me and Amber have always, we've been telling Alex about long-distance relationships. And it takes work. It takes work. But there's a lot of excitement and enjoyment when you finally, yeah, when you get to see each other. And sometimes you go two months, three months, four months without seeing each other, but. We did it, and we didn't even have cell phones. Yeah, we didn't have, we didn't have this. We didn't have email. You had to pen and paper letter write. Amber, I have to miss you blues. And we have, like, you know, a heart. Look, your heart was about empty. No, this was your heart. Amber, I miss you so much that my heart is running low, real low. Phone love is not working. Phone love. What's phone love? Oh, dad. Ava and I don't comprehend. All right, guys, y'all have fun. We don't want to take up your time on Zoom. And have a happy birthday. Thank you. Happy birthday. Y'all have fun. Love you guys. Bye. He smiled the whole time, big. And then he kept on. He's all cheesy. He kept talking about his hair, because he didn't take his spray bottle. So I was spending the weekend at my girlfriend, Allie's house in Dayton, Ohio, for her birthday. My favorite thing about Allie was her personality. She is super sweet and, like, super loving. And she's a really great person. I've been out to dinner with Allie and her family, and that was really fun. Plus, we made some silly TikTok videos. We rode around the farm on her gator, and she took me out on a tractor ride. I got to meet a lot of her family and friends, and they all seemed to like me, which is good. Allie and I both have, like, a mutual love of tractors. But we both prefer different brands of tractors. So that's kind of something we like to joke around with. So it kind of helps bond us a little bit closer. My sisters definitely helped me out a ton with this, because if it didn't help me out, I honestly don't know what I would have gotten her. You would have gotten her that tractor book bag. No, I wouldn't. No, I would not have. But I came in clutch with the necklace. That is true. I would not deny that. That's so, that's like a necklace that's, it's like the birth, like both our births go to the month when I asked you to be my girlfriend. Aw. I like the necklace. That was one of my favorite ones. But I, but, but I like all of them. Let's get you a Georgia shirt. I thought that one looked the best. I like that. Thank you. No problem. I love you. Here we are, getting some food. So it's homecoming tonight. I'm going with my girlfriend, Allie, from Ohio. And Emma's going with her friend, Sierra. And we're going to have a celebration dinner beforehand. It feels pretty nice to be, like, all dressed up at a really nice restaurant. Like, the mood is set very well. I'm going to get the stroganoff because that's, like, one of my favorite things here. I might get that too. Can I do without peas? You need your vegetables in. There's carrots and other stuff. So are y'all excited for the dance tonight? Yes. Are you? I'm so excited. Hopefully they play good music. Are you going to dance with anyone, Emma? We're going to be dancing with Sierra. OK. Probably not. Everyone else is probably going to have a date. Are y'all going to dance together? I won't be watching y'all. We need some time on our own, Emma. I have to admit, besides slow dancing, I am not a very good dancer. So I hope they play one slow song tonight because it was the song that kind of, like, made me realize how much I actually loved Allie from when we first slow danced. Oh, what's the song? Beautiful Crazy Belly Palms. Yeah. So I really hope they play that because after tonight, I really don't know when I'm going to see her again. Do y'all have anything to drink or any appetizers? Y'all want to do appetizers? We have some smoked wings tossed in Thai chili sauce. It's really good. Do y'all want to try those? Yeah, we can try those. Yeah, we'll take an order of those. It's great seeing Alex, like, happy he found someone. And I'm so glad that he found someone because he is in love. Dad's making drinks. Oh, yeah. Oh. I think we all look pretty great. We're just ready to be on the dance floor to show our moves to everyone else. Just kidding. I'm just kidding. Look at our old Lombardo. Oh, wow. Look at that. Look at our names. My car's on there. What is yours? Golden Cavalier. You know, we got to come up with some snazzy names. And I thought, you know, these kids are all driving now. So drinks are based off of the kids' cars. You can pick any of the drinks. Yeah, I think we want our own drink, our own, like, car drink. Are you experienced? You do not know my past. I am very experienced. Oh, yeah. That is the perfect amount. OK. A little cherry? Yeah. There you go. Oh, OK. A little red cherry and a little red dress. All right. OK. So I made this for you, Allie. It's an origami corsage if you want to put it on. I'll put it on. All right. Thank you. No problem. It looks good. I like it. So when I saw Allie all ready for prom, I thought she looked super beautiful. And it was definitely worth the wait for me to see her dress. It looks good. I know. I like it. I thought Alex and Allie looked really cute together. They were so adorable. And the tie matched perfectly with Allie's dress. I was honestly kind of speechless because she looked so beautiful. The color looked really good on her. And Allie liked the corsage when I gave it to her. I would say socializing is the main thing I'm looking forward to at prom. And just dancing at prom and having a good time. All right. Everybody look here. Lower your flowers a little bit so we can see the drinks. The drinks are very important here. Good times. Early this morning, Alex said, dad, will you help me set up my truck? I want to park my truck in the woods. I want to take a prom photo with Allie, with both of us sitting on my tailgate. You don't get much more Southern than that. I was really happy with the way our photos turned out. I thought they looked amazing. Alex is proud. He's proud of his girlfriend. You know, everybody should be proud of their prom date. But there are some little people that, unfortunately, it's a sign of embarrassment and unwilling or ashamed to go to the prom because they're a little person. I think it's a testament to Alex and Emma that Alex and Emma are going to the prom. They're going to have fun. And we're prom parents again. Feeling good. So tonight is the big night. It's my junior prom. And I'm with my girlfriend, Allie. And it's going to be a super fun time. I'm very excited that I can come to prom. Yeah, it makes the night a whole lot more special having Allie here with me. Y'all look gorgeous. You do too. Emma, I just love the pink on you. Oh, thank you. All right, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to make sure you can all have a party. So we saw Alex and Allie slow dancing. And that was adorable. Yeah, they announced that they were going to play a slow dance song. And we already moved out the way. We already know the groove. It's dirt floor, y'all. Y'all have it. Go at it. And they went at it. They slow danced. It was both of our first proms. I really didn't know what to expect. But I was more than happy with the outcome. It was great. So since I came to Alex's prom, I think Alex will come to my prom. I would definitely love to come to your prom. Yes. For sure. Stay right by my side. Let's take a picture. Honey, look in my eyes. Can you see me? Are you ready? Today is the last day of Allie's visit. And we're getting ready to say goodbye. It is a sad feeling that we're saying goodbye because we don't know when we're going to see each other again. All right. Is she ready? Yep. Yeah. I mean, this isn't our first time saying goodbye. But it doesn't get easier. It's just equally as sad every time we say goodbye to each other. Mm-hmm. Bye, Allie. Bye. Good seeing you. And we will. Thanks for coming to see us. You're welcome. Thanks for having me in Austin. Yep. Just a couple months. I know. The weekend has come to an end. And as I tell my kids all the time, you build strength and determination through long-distance relationships to fight harder. And you will be seeing her in a couple short months at conference. And you will get all week. I hope he loads that suitcase for her. Come on, Alex. Don't let your dad down. He's doing it. Don't let your dad down. You got it. And he's got it. Yep. All right. Good job, Alex. Good job. Bye. Go for it, Alex! I'm just kidding. Bye, Allie. I'm trying to throw some humor out there. I'm like, let's do it, Alex! You know, trying to, like, make him laugh and giggle while he's at it, because I know what's coming. Let them have their moment. You're still looking. Allie and I are choosing to keep our first kiss private. Definitely not in front of my parents, and definitely not in front of the crew. No offense, but that's none of your business. I made it to Ohio, and I cannot wait to see Allie. Hi. Hello. It's nice to see you again. It's good to see you. How was the flight? It was good. It was really short, as usual. That's good. Yeah. Do you want to come inside, and we could just stuff away? Yeah. And get the weekend started? You ready? Yep. I'm not. Allie seemed really confident with the tractor, so that made me feel confident about the whole day. All right. You can start her up. Ready? Yep. Tell me when. We're ready. Good. I'm Allie's father, and we're out here harvesting corn today. The way we do it is I drive the combine, and Allie drives the tractor in a grain cart that follows alongside, so we can unload as we are harvesting. This is so cool. This is my first time seeing this. From what I've seen, you haven't touched any of the floor pedals. No. That's good. In the grain cart, we don't have any pedal extenders or anything. It's all hand controls. It's all on the iPad and stuff. So I don't have to use my foot or anything. When I first did it, it was nerve wracking. And it still is nerve wracking, even though I've been doing it two years now. If I get scared hauling a little trailer behind my truck, I can only imagine what it is like hauling that. I would say it'll take him another year to learn for him to do it all by himself. Oh, he's ready to unload. All right. Show me what to do. This part, you have to concentrate, because you don't want to go too fast or too slow. Yeah, exactly. That's my fear. So Allie needs to get this part right. She needs to be perfectly aligned with Adam and his combine. Because if she's too close or too far from the combine, the corn will spill and spill to the field. And that could be an expensive error, because once that corn is spilled, it can't be used anymore. Make sure you're lined up. Oh. It's bumpy sometimes. Oh. So yeah, this is the high-pressure part of what we're doing. Get a little bit closer to me. Get a little closer to him. Although, I probably shouldn't tell you anything, because you know what you're doing. So I'll keep my mouth shut. Allie did the job perfectly. No corn was spilled, and everything came out good. I did have a few moments of, like, wow, my girlfriend can really do this. Looks like we're about done now. OK, you guys, go put that on the Kenworth. Got it. When the cart gets full, Allie unloads into the semis. And then they take the corn to the next place, where they either export it, or it gets sold for feed. Put the auger down. Coming from a family of all little people, like, all of us proved that we can basically do anything an average size person can. So it was really cool seeing Allie operate the heavy machinery on her farm like all the rest of her farm workers can. I definitely feel like I learned a lot today in the great car with Allie. She made it all look pretty easy. I think she's doing pretty good. I mean, I guess there is something pretty attractive about a woman who knows how to operate heavy machinery. All right, good deal. How'd that go? Good. Didn't spill anything. That's key. Didn't spill nothing. All right. Good job. Ooh, that looks good. Hey, can you wear that? So after a long day of work with Harvest today, everybody on the farm crew is having dinner together tonight. What did you get to do today, Alex? I just rode along with Allie as she, as she, like, taught me some of the features of the tractor and how to do the auger on the grain cart. Did you like it? Mm-hmm. I really enjoyed it. When we first heard that Allie was going to have dwarfism, it was scary. We didn't know what to expect and what to do, and we didn't know anybody. Come to find out, there was about eight babies born in the Cincinnati area the year Allie was born that also had achondroplasia. It was important for us, for Allie, to know other little people and have that support. But then we kept hearing about National Conference and how amazing that was. So flew to Spokane, and Adam was sitting in the lobby talking to Trent. And then Amber came in, and she took Allie, and took him down, and introduced her into Alex and Emma. That was about the last time we saw her all week. She said that's the one week a year she feels normal. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I may take over here soon. For my surgery? Yeah, for your surgery, I may have to take over. So Allie's grown up in a family of all average height people. Mm-hmm. And you've grown up in a family of all little people. So thinking of your house, like, you guys have the accommodations. Like, is it harder for you to come up here? Because we don't. We've got the stools, but we don't have to get lowered. Yeah, you get the stools, and that makes it just as easy. I mean, just extra step. But I mean, it's not any more challenging being here than it is at my house. Yeah. We've always tried to make accommodations, but you have to be able to function out in society also. Yeah, we have to start to learn just to adapt to the society that's not made for us. That's right. I figured I've learned some ways to adapt and to use my surroundings. Right. You know, for your kids, you always want to try and make life better for them and easier. But also don't make it too easy, because she will have to go out into the world that's not made for her size. So she needs to learn at home how to adapt and figure things out. She's really grown to advocate for herself and tell us what she needs. I just need Allie or Jeremy to teach me how to use the auger on the green card. That's pretty much it. OK. Everybody spills. So if you do, you've just joined a really not good club of people, because it happens to everybody. Seems like about every field, we have to do it. I love watching Allie and Alex get to know each other. It's just been really awesome to watch them. It's been fun. Yeah, have their relationship and see it blossom. And a lot of times, farms are passed down generation and generation. You know, your kids get into it. Allie loves this so much and Alex. Gosh, that'd be our dream come true if they could keep this going. Right. Just sitting out there driving back and forth. That's all you do all day, drive back and forth in a tractor or a combine. It's not that hard. Anyone can do it. Anybody can do it. I did it. Honestly, I think tonight is, like, I would say like a little trial run on what our lives could be like in a few years. Like, if I do commit to the farm, like, this is what it could look like. And it's very exciting. I'm OK with that. Maybe I could major in farming and minor in broadcasting. I could do a little bit of both. You could do that. I would like to adjourn the meeting. Very good. Very nice. Stroll. Here, I'll get you one. Thank you, Baptist. When Alex got the stroll for me, it was like, it was cute because he's a good person and he helps me out with stuff. I would say that he's a good man, and I enjoy having him. OK, do you want to get a picture at the Brown's Farm sign? Oh, yes. Something I love about Allie is just I love her personality. She is really caring and, like, always checks up on me. She's just a great person overall, and she's beautiful. I like this area a lot. I would not mind moving up here. I think you should. You seem pretty dead set on staying here, so I don't think I have much choice. I'm really excited about my future with Allie. And, like, my ideal plan is that once I'm through with college, I think that's when I'll start looking at moving up there with her. I feel like my family that I've talked to, like, everybody's saying, like, Georgia has a really good broadcasting program, since that's what I want to go into. Oh, yeah. But then again, they've also said broadcasting is also a thing I can do from, like, virtually at home. So I could be here and still farm and still do, like, broadcasting stuff, too, like, on the side. Yeah. Alex loves the farm life. If you asked me now, I think both of us, we would say Alex would be the first one to really commit to relocating and moving to Ohio. And I have no problem with that. There's a wonderful family out there that has accepted Alex. I'm going to stay at my college for right now, just to at least get my core classes done. But maybe once I get those finished up, I may consider transferring. Speaking of college, I need to find where I'm going. Since I'm almost finished with high school, I will go to, like, a local college to do ag business. Since Alex is doing online college, I might do that as well. If you're doing classes like I am, now you have a lot more free time. I'll find free time to come visit you. I will always find free time. Yeah, the same for you. Yay. Can I have chili cheese fries, please? And I'll do two cheese coneys. Thank you. I stutter too, so you're good. I stutter all the freaking time. So Alex and I both have a stutter when, like, when we get nervous. That is something we have in common. We both like to be very organized, and we both like to know what's coming up ahead. So, yeah, we're both pretty similar in those fields. And she's even about to have the same leg surgery that I had quite a few years ago now. So are you nervous for your leg surgery, Annie? I'm nervous to go under. Like, all the surgeries I've had, going under is, like, the easiest part. Just breathe in a few breaths, and you're out. Yeah, I'm just telling myself that it's a deep sleep. And it is. It really is. Mom, Dad, and I will be there at the hospital on your surgery day. So we'll be there when you wake up. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that. I'm just excited for the whole thing. So in a way, the surgery is kind of a plus for me, too, because I'll get to see Allie more often, and she'll be a lot closer. Yeah, like an hour away instead of eight hours away. Yeah, an hour away instead of eight hours. Yeah, exactly. It's nice. Thanks for having me up here these past few days. I've really enjoyed it. When are we going to see each other again, besides for my surgery? My best bet is, like, New Year's trip I always make, or I've made the past two years. So not too much longer, actually. Yeah, like a month. Yeah, a month, two months. Yeah, not bad. Yeah. And since we're seeing each other halfway through it, it'll make it go by faster. Yeah. It's kind of nice that we're at the point of relationship where we have, like, traditions now. Like, I always make that trip at the end of the year to spend the last part of the holidays with Allie and her family and, like, spend New Year's with them. So yeah, I'm going to miss you. I'm going to fly home tomorrow. Yeah, it's going to be sad. It is hard waiting to be really close with Allie, because I love being up there whenever I get the chance. I've met the woman I'm going to marry, and I just can't wait to count down the days, and we'll eventually be together for the rest of our lives. Take care. Thank you.