Stressed and tired out from teaching the youth of America, Kendra was invited out to see some local theatre in 2016 by the wife of a co-worker. Smarting from his failed auditions in previous years for Magnum PI and Miami Vice, Jarrod attempted to restart his fading acting career in local theatre. Kendra’s date that night wasn’t just the wife of a co-worker but also Jarrod’s co-worker and she hadn’t just invited Kendra out to the theatre but also to meet Jarrod, knowing they were both single. The night was full of drama and laughs and ironically, while a nice guy, Jarrod’s part in the play was a guy on a date who was more interested in his Facebook posts and “likes” on that post, rather than his date, proudly proclaiming his posts had reached an incomparable 43 likes. After the play, Jarrod and Kendra meet for the first time. And a few days later, Jarrod reached out to Kendra to thank her for coming to the play. Jarrod thought Kendra was really cute and wanted to ask Kendra to hang out but alas there were three issues at hand! 1. Jarrod was leaving town to move 2 hours away for another job opportunity. 2. Jarrod being 33, was led to believe Kendra was in her early 20s, and Kendra, being 29, was led to believe Jarrod was in his late 30s, and each thought the other was too young or old, respectively, for each other. 3. Jarrod had a cat and Kendra hates cats! Jarrod and Kendra push through their perceived age difference and Kendra’s fear of the feline and decide to go for a walk-in downtown Fredericksburg and, after a slow start, eventually find a groove and have a great time. The walk included a passerby informing the duo that perverts hang out in the ridges around the Rappahannock river and Jarrod throwing a ball halfway across the river to a golden retriever – too far for the dog to retrieve it but not for the young pre-teen accompanying the dog and its owner who promptly swam out halfway across the river and retrieved it. After some dinner, Jarrod makes a colossal error by inviting Kendra out for Thai food later in the week – unleashing a love of Thai food in Kendra that results in a weekly pilgrimage for Pad Thai that continues to this day. With Jarrod’s impending departure, Kendra and Jarrod agree to be friends and hang out and just see what happens. For a couple years, Kendra carries the load, visiting Jarrod almost every week and eventually the friendship becomes something more. The couple conquers wineries, concerts starring 80s hard rock bands, and even the zoo choo at the Roanoke zoo. And incredibly, a breakthrough occurs as Kendra begins to actually like cats. Kendra moves to the same city and the same street as Jarrod in 2018. In 2021, Jarrod and Kendra buy their own piece of dock (err…heaven) in the West Virginia mountains. In 2022, after weeks of attempting to get Kendra to go to the winery unsuccessfully to pop the question, Jarrod asks Kendra to marry him while at home on Labor Day. Having returned from Sheetz, Jarrod told Kendra he has something for her, which Kendra assumed was from Sheetz, but it turned out to be a drawing of their home captioned “The Champagnes” as well as a diamond ring and a request! The couple make their home in Inwood, West Virginia, and enjoy expanding their wine palette, keeping up their home, driving the countryside to explore new places, and unlocking the mystery of how to care for their pool. Individually, Kendra enjoys “bro” country music, Hallmark movies, dancing, Derek Hough, and teaching Body Combat as well as trying out the new moves on her soon to be husband. Jarrod enjoys hard rock music as well as Kendra’s feigned interest in it, anything 80s, pony cars, history, paranormal shows, and complaining about the cold weather.