Our Story

Jen and Matt met on a softball field seven years ago. For those who know Jen this comes as no surprise. They played against each other in a Friday night coed league and after their games, both teams would hang out together at a local bar.

Long before Jen and Matt started dating, Jen’s brother Jamie (Groomsman) and Matt became fast friends over numerous pitchers of beer and discussions about sports, history, comic books and movies. In the surreal and twisted world that is Arvada, Matt soon discovered that Jamie coached his twin sisters, Germaine and Charmaine, in soccer and was married to Becky (Matron of Honor), the older sister of Matt’s high school friend Nate.

Matt and Jen admired each other from afar as they were both seeing other people. Jen’s mother would later tell Matt that her daughter had dated “Many, many boys.”

Matt remembers the day he fell for Jen. She had talked him into being a substitute for her coed flag football league. Jen’s squad did most of the scoring while Matt’s side had difficulty getting the ball in the end zone. During a break in the action, Jen walked over to Matt and said, “Are you going to score some time today, princess?”

Jen claims that Matt was responsible for her town home purchase. At Matt’s cousin Kendra’s graduation party (Arvada comes into play again; Jen coached Kendra in softball for four years at Arvada West High School), Jen ran into Matt and mentioned that she was in the market to buy a place. Matt told her about some units for sale in his area. A few weeks later, Jen purchased a town home in the same complex. She is still quick to remind Matt that he did not attend her housewarming party although he lived five minutes away. Matt is quick to remind Jen of the numerous mornings he drove by her and waved only to be snubbed.

After one year of Jen and Matt living in the same town home complex, their worlds finally aligned. Jen was recently single and inquiring about Matt’s “status.” Their mutual friend Stacy, incorrectly informed her that Matt was on the verge of marrying another girl. Matt, in the meantime, had ended the relationship with the other girl and began asking Jamie about Jen’s “status.” Jamie informed Matt that his sister was single and to be careful because “she is a flake."

Jen and Matt began courting in the summer of 2003. Taking a page from his Dad’s playbook, Matt took Jen to see Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines for their first date (Years earlier, Matt’s Dad took his Mom to see True Grit for their first date and then to a roller derby match for their second. As Matt’s Mom puts it, “It’s a wonder I ever married him.”) Matt was impressed that Jen followed the Terminator story line with no explanation (“My brother made me watch the Terminator movies,” she would later confess on the car ride home).

Jen and Matt discovered they were alike in many ways, sharing similar interests and wanting the same out of life; being together just felt right. Matt even talked Jen into watching him play hockey at some of the most pungent rinks in the Denver metro area.

In the spring of 2005, Matt bought a ring and asked for Jen’s parents blessing. On a snowshoe trail atop Sunlight Mountain near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Matt dropped to a knee and asked for Jen’s hand in marriage. Shocked by the proposition, it took her a few minutes to compose herself and say yes.

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