It was cold but not so cold December 2016 day in Southern California as Skyler and Jojo matched on a little something called Tinder. You could say it was a “Tind” for the ages. As Jojo was not much of a Tinder chatter, the 2nd message from Jojo to Skyler on Tinder was “Do you want to meet in person and talk?”. Skyler found that interesting (also wondering if this guy could be crazy) so they set their first date at Newport Beach for drinks, video games, and conversation. The rest was history …. A history so interesting one would say Gee-Wiz!

Then in 2017 – A year of opportunities and love – Skyler and Jojo were heaing towards officially being in a relationship on February 22nd, 2017. From there, it’s been a tale for the ages with every high and low one could imagine in a particular love story like this. Skyler and Jojo loved doing things from 4th of July festivals to underground wrestling matches to random explorations. There are two things in particular that they loved the most: Food & Drinks + Games, especially Magic the Card Gathering. While there were low times, the bond of love and best friends is what always brought them back together. In the spring of 2018, Skyler and Jojo realized they both wanted to leave SoCal and move somewhere else. After many applications, Skyler received a job in Portland, OR that made the decision to move together to the city that keeps everything “Weird”.

It was the summer of 2018 in San Diego, CA at Jojo’s 30th birthday. With a fantastic celebration with friends, Skyler and Jojo were inching closer to the big move from SoCal to Portland. Before you knew it, they packed their bags, got into two cars, and drove over 2 days to their new life. With their new corner 2 bed and 2 bath apartment that would be the place that grew this couple's love into what everyone sees today.

Our first pet “Mitsy Benge” came into our lives in January 2019. Mitsy was the couple’s first dose of responsibility, which threw the couple into a frenzy when they found out 6 months later that her left eye needed to be taken out. This event became a pivotal moment that made Skyler and Jojo realize that as opposite as they were, they were a great team when the going gets tough. With their one eye kitty, they started to build the life that would set the foundation for the rest of the future.

One thing to know about Skyler and Jojo (besides the fact of being avid Magic the Card Gathering players) is that they argue quite a bit. While they love each other, they challenge, push, and argue with each other to become the best versions of themselves. These arguments and debates would be the reason that Skyler falls deeper in love with Jojo. It helps him to see what is important in life: family, friends, and stepping out of your comfort zone. This led to two main events: (1) Echo Bravo Benge and, (2) the greatest day in the couple’s lives, engagement weekend.

In a two-week period, two events would bring this couple deeper into the next phase of their adult lives. It was June of 2020, the world is burning down from a deadly pandemic AND other events that would change for the better. Did that affect Skyler and Jojo? Yes, but 2020 was turning out to be an important year for the couple. In fact, the couple would both agree that 2020 wasn’t the worst year they’ve had. Back to June 2020 – It was a month before Echo Bravo Benge would come home to meet Mitsy and be a part of this wild family. The weekend of June 12th was a normal weekend, and Skyler’s parents (Renee and Dave) were visiting to hang out over the weekend and nothing more (at least that is what Jojo thought).

As Saturday came, Skyler’s grandparents happened to also come to go winetasting with the family at Stoller Winery. The day was filled with laughter, stories, and A BIG SECRET kept from Jojo. Unnoticed by Jojo, it was almost time to leave the winery (new COVID policies), so Jojo goes to the bathroom and comes back to seeing Skyler’s grandma crying. Jojo thought it was odd and got worried that something happened in the bathroom to which Skyler’s mom, Renee, said “she is just happy we’re all together. Before we go, let’s go take some pictures outside.” Jojo taking that as fact, kept moving with the group outside to get the best surprise in the world…. Skyler in an open field with sprinkle of rain coming from the sky, gets on one knee and asks “will you marry me?”. Overwhelmed with confusion and happiness, Jojo says “Absolutely” to take this day to a new level of happiness.

The rest of the day becomes a blur (partially due to the whiskey and champagne) that makes it feel like a dream. Two weeks later, the couple was engaged and picked up the newest member of the family Echo Bravo Benge. From there, 2020 became a year that while the world was burning, this little family of a one eyed cat, a Bernedoodle dog, a couple that pushes each other, and a wedding in the future would think of 2020 as something great.

Fun Fact: Skyler and Jojo actually booked their wedding venue and date BEFORE even getting engaged. More to come about the details!

While this gives you a glimpse of the world of Skyler and Jojo, this tale of unexpected endeavors continues to bring new memories, arguments, happiness, and loved ones. The couple is excited to talk about more stories from the past while making new memories with everyone in their life and those still to come.

Here are two quick updates to get you caught up:

(1) We bought a house in Portland! Address: 3826 SE Liebe Street, Portland, OR 97202

(2) We have a chicken now named Apricot! :)

Get ready for the celebration of the century! Skyler and Jojo is excited to celebrate with everyone! Don’t forget your dance shoes!