Even though she was a Baylor Bear, Jen joined the A&M Aggie alumni "Howdy Club" kickball team with a few friends. Mario, an alumni of A&M, had also decided to join the team. Little did he know he was signing on to gain a wife! One night after a kickball game, the team decided to walk over to Saint Arnold's brewery for a post-game beer. Jen and Mario ended up standing in line next to each other to order beer, and Mario began trying to get to know Jen better. His genuine interest and dad jokes worked so well that the two of them ended up sitting and talking at the end of their team's table for nearly three hours. When Jen got home that night, Mario slid into her DM's with a dumpling restaurant he wanted to take her to. Thus, Dumpling Day was established. Sunday, August 4th, 2019 was the first time Jen and Mario went on a date, and to commemorate the start of their relationship, every August 4th Jen and Mario get dumplings to celebrate.

On September 21, 2019, Mario asked Jen to be his girlfriend. Immediately after Jen said yes, Mario pulled up "September" by Earth Wind and Fire on his Spotify, and they danced and laughed to the song. He admitted that he wanted to ask Jen officially on September 21st, because the song would help him remember their anniversary. From then on, they have been inseparable. They've been through the pandemic, a move across the country, job changes, long distance, and health issues together. Through it all, they have grown a strong bond as a couple and keep laughter a key ingredient to their relationship. Anyone know any songs about July 31st??

Jen and Mario decided to take a trip to Leavenworth, WA to hike the Icicle Gorge trail for Thanksgiving 2021. About thirty minutes into their snowy hike, they reached a wooden bridge crossing the rushing river of the gorge. Mario suggested they take some pictures, so Jen started making silly poses for the camera. Little did she know Mario had started recording a video and had a plan. Mario dropped down on one knee, gave a very heartfelt speech, and asked Jen to marry him! Jen yelled, "of course I will!" and the rest is history. They spent the remainder of their two hour hike talking about their excitement for the future, having a snowball fight, and taking plenty of pictures to remember the day.