Chris and Kayla met in 2017 when they both worked for a machine shop in Albany, Oregon. Over the course of the next year, they worked well together and realized they wanted more than a professional relationship. Chris took the leap and asked Kayla if she'd like to go on a date to Christo's Jazz club, and she accepted.

Their relationship grew quickly and in 2019 Kayla moved in to Chris's Salem home. While the pugs Knucklehead and S'pug were skeptical of losing their side of the bed at first, the four of them became a happy little family - and just in time for them to quarantine together through the pandemic. Thankfully they adopted their cat Shiva the same year, who established order in the household.

In 2020, and with the help of their friends, they moved to a new home in Albany where they are still living today. They adopted their great dane Indiana shortly after, and together decided that Kayla would go back to school to finish her degree.

In 2023 they took their first international vacation together and toured central Italy. On the last leg of their vacation, Chris asked Kayla to marry him on the balcony of their fourth floor Venice apartment and she accepted.