The Big 2-2: 22 is not only Renee’s favorite number, but it represents the number of years her and Rick have been married now

They were not exactly high school sweethearts, but after dating for seven years after meeting in high school, Rick and Renee Bergren realized they were meant for each other. They loved one another so much, and they both realized they made each other’s lives better.

“We went to the same high school, but didn’t know each other until junior year,” Rick said. “She had a classmate, Sarah Reed, who liked me and always talked about me, so that piqued Renee’s interest. She started talking to me and we hit it off right away. We broke up several times, but always kept finding each other, so that’s when I knew it was meant to be.”

Call them soulmates. Call them former star-crossed lovers. Call them yin and yang. But, no matter how you spin it, it is clear the Bergren couple’s paths crossed for a reason.

They did not rush into anything either. They waited a while to get married, and they waited to get married to have kids. What is ironic about that is, on the day Rick proposed to Renee, he became so impatient that he could not wait seven hours to enact his plan.

Thankfully, however, after having seven roses delivered to her, Renee happily obliged, and they were engaged to be married. This couple who had been on such a rollercoaster journey together was finally one step closer to ensuring their relationship for all eternity.

Then, their wedding day came, and the Bergrens made the most of it. Just like how crazy their relationship had been up to that point, Rick and Renee’s wedding was no different.

“Our wedding was amazing! We started a tradition that the wedding party enters the reception with a dance or props,” Rick said. “We had no idea what to do, and when the doors opened, she picked me up and carried me in, so the place erupted. I took a lot of grief, but it was funny.”

And now their special day is just one of the many memories this amazing couple gets to reflect on as their relationship continues to grow. They know their wedding day was just one of the countless days that will live in their hearts forever.

Of course, the births of their four children were four of the most memorable days in the Bergrens’ relationship as well, as it meant they not only got to grow together as a couple anymore, but also as parents. Being parents has rocked their worlds, and it has made them even stronger.

If you ask Rick, he will tell you all of this is thanks to his amazing wife of 22 years. He knows just how special and remarkable she is, and he also realizes that she is the greatest mother his kids could ever ask for. There is a reason (or 10 thousand of them) why Renee is Jillian, Gianna, Brayden and Bryson’s role models, and Rick is grateful for this.

“Renee is our rock, and we would crumble without her,” Rick said. “She pays the bills, keeps us in order and is a great cook. I repair things that need fixed, remodeled most of the house and do the grilling. We both try to better our kids in their sports.”

Rick and Renee complement each other in every sense of the word, and they would do anything for their kids. They both fill in the gaps where the other one “lacks,” and they have a relationship of give and take.

They also have a relationship where they remain focused on loving their children fully. With a young adult, two teens and a soon-to-be teenager running around, it can be a lot to keep up with. Thankfully, though, great parents like Rick and Renee are made for that.

Rick and Renee love being the supportive parents who are their kids’ biggest cheerleaders. They show up to every event and make sure their children know how much they love them.

“She loves to attend our kids’ sporting games,” Rick said. “She loves country dancing and road trips. I love to hang out with the boys at bars and go golfing.”

Rick and Renee are two individuals whose paths aligned with one another, and anyone who knows them knows how wonderful they are together. People realize what a great couple Rick and Renee make, and they know they are great people.

Everyone also realizes Renee is the matriarch of her family. She is their glue and the engine that keeps things running, and she loves to love. She has a lot of selflessness in her heart, and her family first mentality is truly exceptional.

“She keeps our family together,” Rick said. “I keep our house together. We are teaching our kids what it takes and the sacrifices we make to make the family work and stay together.”

Creating a successful family involves giving up a lot of things, and that is exactly what Rick and Renee do. They have made it these 22 years so far because they are dedicated to keeping the family together.

They are also dedicated to one another and making each other happy, and there are a lot of things Renee does to help bring out the best in her husband. She keeps him honest and she keeps him on his toes, but more importantly she teaches him the important things he might not otherwise know.

“She taught me to acknowledge every person in the room at parties,” Rick said. “Shake the guys’ hands and kiss or hug the girls. My family on my parents’ side only say, ‘hi’ and are not physical. My parents understand that when they come over for her family parties to greet everyone.”

Renee has made such a strong impact on Rick’s life that it overflows to his parents. She makes everyone around her better, and anyone who knows Renee is willing to admit this.

“She is beautiful, kindhearted and always willing to help,” Rick said.

Renee is prepared to drop anything she is doing at all times. She is certainly at her children’s beck and call, and she is at many other people’s as well. She cares deeply about everyone, and her big heart runs far and wide.

And for Rick, he realizes just how lucky he is. Through all the good times and the bad he has recognized just how much of an amazing person Renee is, and he is thankful to call her his wife.

“I couldn’t picture myself with anyone else. I kept comparing other girlfriends to her and it wasn’t close.”

That is how Rick knew early on that Renee was the one, and now he can just say he could not imagine any woman in the world being more amazing than Renee. She is super special and super wonderful, and he is glad to have her in his corner of life.

“We have been a part of each other’s lives for 29 years, and I look forward to 29-plus more,” Rick said. “I can’t imagine my life without you or our kids.”

Cheers to 22!