Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens, a love so true! It all started with a simple, strange “hi” in 2020; who knew? By April 2023, Biles was saying, “I do 🤍 officially Owens.” Their journey had only begun, and love was still growing. After the vows, Biles couldn’t help but feel like their journey together was just beginning, already thinking, “I want to do it again!” Now, more than a year has passed, and they are planning to start a family soon. But there’s a saying that goes, ‘If you’re truly meant to be, you meet long before you realize it.’ In fact, they met long before they actually knew each other, unknowingly crossing paths long before realizing they were meant to be. That’s why this December marks their unexpected ‘anniversary.’

See, Jonathan Owens started his NFL journey back in 2018 when he signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent. By 2019, he was with the Houston Texans. He made his NFL debut that season against the Colts in Week 12, though most of the time, he was on the practice squad. Meanwhile, Simone Biles was already a huge name, having four Olympic gold medals in 2019. That same year, she served as the home-field advantage captain for the Houston Texans before their game against the Tennessee Titans in Houston, where Owens was part of the team. What a wild way for their paths to cross! And now since then, 5 years have passed, and Simone is finding ways to spend time with her husband, which she rarely gets!

It seems no matter what comes their way this year, Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens are making sure to spend Christmas together this year for the first time since they got married. Normally, Simone would be with her whole family for the holidays, but this time, things are looking a little different. Jonathan, who plays safety for the Chicago Bears, will be getting ready for their game against the Seattle Seahawks on December 26, so they’re keeping things nice and low-key.

Simone, on the other hand, has been busy decorating their house, but as she joked, getting the tree out of the basement hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing! “I’ve been begging Jonathan to go down in the basement and get the tree,” she shared with PEOPLE. Looking back at some of Simone’s past holidays, like that crazy beach getaway with her family in 2016 (sharks, fishing, and all!), this year is going to be a bit quieter, but still just as special.

While Simone will miss being with her grandparents and siblings this year, she’s pretty excited about the chance to have some quiet time with Jonathan. “This will be the first Christmas that we’ll spend alone together as a couple, which is actually really nice.” It’s all about slowing down and enjoying their first holiday season as a married couple, and it sounds like it’s exactly what they both need.

And here’s the thing: while their official anniversary is in April, spending this time together in December is like an unexpected ‘anniversary’ celebration. Who would’ve guessed that their journey would go from meeting and dating to dealing with all the ups and downs of marriage?

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens overcame major struggles to make it work

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens’ love story began in March 2020, when they met on the dating app Raya. It was Simone who made the first move. “He would say I slid into his DMs,” Simone said. “I saw him, and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty cute,’ so I said hi… and then I saw that he was in the Houston area, so we started chatting a little bit, and then we went to hang out a week or two later.” Jonathan, though, didn’t know who Simone was at first. “I didn’t know who she was,” he admitted.

They came close to each other during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was one of the few times in [Simone’s] life where everything was just shut off and she couldn’t do anything,” Jonathan shared. They had profound sympathy for each other and began to visit each other’s houses frequently while spending time with their dogs.

And finally, they married in April 2023. Since their wedding, the two have been very busy, he with his schedule and she with her own. Jonathan is an NFL player with a consequently unstable life, moving from one game or training session to another. Simone also leads a very tight schedule due to her training and Olympic sessions. Still, they’re finding ways to spend time together and to be with each other despite work, deadlines, and flights. That is, after all, that their relationship is full of compromises!