Our first picture together... Montse and Jarek at a Chi Alpha Pi Winter Formal!

Jarek & Montse running into each other while out shooting stories for work. It's their first selfie together!

Augustana College's "Last Lecture" for seniors with some of our MJMC classmates. M&J seem too eager to chat!

In case you didn't know, Jarek was Chi Alpha Pi's "CAP Cutie", meaning he was the only boy in the sorority. Surrounded by so many women, he only had eyes for one :P

Graduation day!

The first thing Montse asked her roommate Jarek to help with: the impossibly tall wallpaper that Jarek wasn't keen on, but helped with anyways.

So, this was supposed to be a group setting but everyone "casually couldn't make it" and it ended up being us and another couple going. That made this our first date!

Said couple, Taylor & Zack would also join us on on the tennis courts! It was a great summer.

Our story had to change locations, and try out living apart so our love could truly flourish. So, goodbye (for now) to being roommates!

During the summer, Zack & Taylor alongside Jarek & Montse would go to free River Bandits baseball games as our first dates. Now, we stepped it up to the big leagues!

A group outing with some of our Quad Cities friends!

Montse was asked to emcee a Hispanic Heritage Month event, and Jarek tagged alongside her family!

Our first (of many, surprisingly) 5K's! These were the first pictures we posted together on social media.

Jarek planned a whole date day for Montse. It included going out to Matthiesen State Park!

Montse proved to be Jarek's honey crisp apple of his eye... this was the day we officially took the next step and became boyfriend & girlfriend!

Supergirl and Louis Lane aren't the only perfect journalist couple!

Another one of our endless walks, but now in the cold... and where Jarek told Montse he loved her <3

During dinner breaks, M&J would find ways to see each other. On this day, it was a quick trip to Vander Veer Botanical Park!

Our first big date day out! We went to see Montse's favorite band, Hippocampus and visited the Museum of Broadcasting History in Chicago. A journalist couple's perfect date!

From the Quad Cities to the Cream City, we made our big move back in together!

Jarek may have started the cutest new family tradition. SomeBUNNY is making good strides to being in the family.

Through sickness and in health got started a bit early. Thanks to Jarek for sticking with Montse when she got strep and COVID back to back.

A city full of music! Our first of many trips to Summerfest.

Our first salsa lesson together! Combined, we had three left feet.

Jarek took Montse on his yearly family vacation spot: Green Lake.

One year later, we went back to the same apple orchard and reminisced on our journey so far.

Montse's first trip to Cantigny helped set this venue in stone. Jarek planned a family date to see Alebrijes and celebrate Montse's culture together.

From being rivals on the airwaves to finding love sure makes for a great RomCom trope!

The first Ricossa cousin outing with J!

Another Lamphere tradition fusing with the Ricossas: Happy Noon year!

All of that, led up to this beautiful moment: