Of course, this was only the beginning for the two. Weeks later, Chris and Amy ended up at a pool party together. Recognizing each other from the wine and painting event, the two struck up a more robust conversation. There, Chris was surprised to learn so much about the TLC series and Amy's role on the show.
"For me, [the pool party] was just a fun wine event," Chris says. "I’d never even heard of Little People, Big World before meeting Amy."
Before the day was done though, Amy had overcome her nerves and filled Chris in on a lot about her life on and off camera — from what was going on with her home on Roloff Farms to her ex-husband, Matt. Even though Amy had her reservations about meeting new people, there was something about Chris that made her curious.
"For some reason I did keep my eye out for Chris," the 55-year-old TLC star remembers. "He was hard to read … how he felt or what he was thinking. Then we got on the conversation about motorcycles and going for a ride ... not thinking anything would come about.”
Before they both knew it, they were on a motorcycle together. That one motorcycle ride turned into casual lunch outings, which then blossomed into a full-blown relationship. By September 18, 2016, the two were officially a couple.
While they grew fond of each other pretty quickly, stepping into Amy’s world wasn’t easy for Chris. The 57-year-old was used to his small-town lifestyle, which revolved around his love of motorcycles, spending time outdoors, and growing his real estate business.
"It was definitely very different dating someone that is involved in the reality business, [with all] the cameras and people asking questions and getting personal," Chris says. "Some [strangers] saying nice things, some say very mean things."
Lo and behold, when Chris was introduced on the show, viewers of Little People, Big World accused him of being fake and a paid actor. Despite Amy warning Chris to avoid the harsh online comments, it was easier said than done.
“Of course, I couldn’t help it. Part of my business comes from online and it was very hurtful in the beginning,” Chris explains. “I wasn’t used to being under attack by so many people who I didn’t know and didn’t know me. That was hard.”
After seeing her boyfriend receive enough backlash to negatively impact his real estate business, Amy understood that her fame came at a cost to those around her. “I was like, ‘Okay this is one of the downfalls of dating someone like me because you’re not used to that.' That’s overwhelming, it can destroy you. I was sure he’d be out the door.”
Luckily, Chris wasn’t deterred and stayed true to himself.
“I think now the people that are watching have figured out that I’m not a paid actor, I’m real and my intentions are honorable," he says.
While Chris grappled with a sudden influx of attention, Amy faced trials of her own early on in their relationship. Following the end of her 27-year-long marriage to her ex-husband in May 2016, the Roloff matriarch had found herself in an unexpected place in life. All four of her adult children — Zach, 30, Jeremy, 30, Molly, 26, and Jacob, 23 — had begun building their individual lives, and she was on her own.
“Being an empty nester and also going through divorce was like, ‘Whoa, this is not what I had expected,’” she says. “It was two different worlds. I was very, very happy for them, that’s the natural progression ... But I did go through a bit of withdrawal. I missed seeing my kids every day.”
Meeting Chris, though, helped take her mind off of the loneliness, as did a healthy renovation to her mindset.
“Your attitude and what you think about yourself plays a huge part of it,” Amy says, reflecting on her life post-divorce. “Now, that I’m on the other side, it’s like, ‘Yeah, this is different, but this is a good different.'"
Her new relationship with Chris was exciting and felt wholly natural. Eventually, their love grew and evolved into making future plans.
“Well, I can’t say that there was an ‘a-ha’ moment," Chris said about deciding when to propose. "It was just an easy, natural progression that worked out well."
On September 18, 2019, their third anniversary, Chris got down on one knee and proposed to Amy with a heart-shaped engagement ring. In the blink of an eye, Amy's life changed forever. She had recently closed on a new house and had so many questions on what her next chapter in life would look like after moving off Roloff Farms — and just like that, she suddenly had some answers.
Today, not much has changed since the Little People, Big World finale left off with Chris and Amy working on their very first home project together. Now, the happily engaged pair is still busy making their soon-to-be shared home a space uniquely their own. Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the couple hopes to move in together by this summer (pending it is safe to do so).
Greetings, dear viewers!
The Little People, Big World stars may not be walking down the aisles soon, but the two
have already said, I do, to the rest of their lives.
It was a summer night that seemed like any other while filming Little People, Big World.
But little did Amy Roloff know that on this particular evening she would meet the man
who would become her fiancé, Chris Merrick.
The story goes that the two first crossed paths at a singles wine and painting night
Chris's friend happened to find out about the event and asked him to tag along for fun.
He obliged and while there, Chris briefly had a chance to talk with Amy.
Alas, because the two weren't paired up during the event, they only got to share a few seconds
together while enjoying appetizers and drinks.
The person named Bob I was paired up with was a great and funny guy.
It was a wonderful and fun event, Amy recalls to Good Housekeeping.
Everyone had a great time and I met a lot of good people that I'm still friends with,
but I didn't really get to know Chris at this event.
Of course, this was only the beginning of the two.
Weeks later, Chris and Amy ended up at a pool party together.
Recognizing each other from the wine and painting event, the two struck up at a more robust
conversation.
There, Chris was surprised to learn so much about the TLC series and Amy's role on the
show.
For me, the pool party was just a fun wine event, Chris says.
I'd never even heard of Little People Big World before meeting Amy.
Before the day was done though, Amy had overcome her nerves and filled Chris in on a lot about
her life on and off camera.
From what was going on with her home on Rollo Farms to her ex-husband Matt.
Even though Amy had her reservations about meeting new people, there was something about
Chris that made her curious.
For some reason, I did keep my eye out for Chris, the 55-year-old TLC star remembers.
He was hard to read, how he felt or what he was thinking.
Then we got on the conversation about motorcycles and going for a ride, not thinking anything
would come about.
Before they both knew it, they were on a motorcycle together.
That one motorcycle ride turned into casual lunch outings, which then blossomed into a
full-blown relationship.
By September 18th, 2016, the two were officially a couple.
While they grew fond of each other pretty quickly, stepping into Amy's world wasn't
easy for Chris.
The 57-year-old was used to his small-town lifestyle, which revolved around his love
of motorcycles, spending time outdoors and growing his real estate business.
It was definitely very different dating someone that is involved in the reality business,
with all the cameras and people asking questions and getting personal, Chris says.
Some say nice things, some say very mean things.
Lo and behold, when Chris was introduced on the show, viewers of Little People Big World
accused him of being fake and a paid actor.
Despite Amy warning Chris to avoid the harsh online comments, it was easier said than done.
Of course, I couldn't help it.
Part of my business comes from online and it was very hurtful in the beginning, Chris
explains.
I wasn't used to being under attack by so many people who I didn't know and didn't
known me.
That was hard.
After seeing her boyfriend receive enough backlash to negatively impact his real estate
business, Amy understood that her fame came at a cost to those around her.
I was like, OK, this is one of the downfalls of dating someone like me because you're not
used to it.
That's overwhelming.
It can destroy you.
I was sure he'd be out the door.
Luckily, Chris wasn't deterred and stayed true to himself.
I think now the people that are watching have figured out that I'm not a paid actor.
I'm real and my intentions are honorable, he says.
While Chris grappled with the sudden influx of attention, Amy faced trials of her own
early on in their relationship.
Following the end of her 27-year-long marriage to her ex-husband in May 2016, the role of
matriarch had found herself in an unexpected place in life.
All four of her adult children, Zach 30, Jeremy 30, Molly 26 and Jacob 23, had begun building
their individual lives, and she was on her own.
Being an empty nester and also going through divorce was like, ooh, this is not what I
had expected, she says.
It was two different worlds.
I was very, very happy for them.
That's a natural progression.
But I did go through a bit of withdrawal.
I missed seeing my kids every day.
Meeting Chris, though, helped take her mind off of the loneliness, as did a healthy renovation
to her mindset.
Your attitude and what you think about yourself plays a huge part of it, Amy says, reflecting
on her life post-divorce.
Now that I'm on the other side, it's like, yeah, this is different, but this is a good
different.
Her new relationship with Chris was exciting and felt wholly natural.
Eventually, their love grew and evolved into making future plans.
Well, I can't say that there was an aha moment, Chris said about deciding when to
propose.
It was just an easy natural progression that worked out well.
On September 18th, 2019, their third anniversary, Chris got down on one knee and proposed to
Amy with a heart-shaped engagement ring.
In the blink of an eye, Amy's life changed forever.
She had recently closed on a new house and had so many questions on what her next chapter
in life would look like after moving off Roloff Farms.
And just like that, she suddenly had some answers.
Today, not much has changed since the Little People Big World finale left off with Chris
and Amy working on their very first home project together.
Now, the happily engaged pair is still busy making their soon-to-be shared home a space
uniquely their own.
Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the couple hopes to move in together by this
summer, pending it is safe to do so.
When it comes to designing their home, Amy vows to be more direct and forward with her
opinions, something that she has been working on over the course of her relationship with
Chris.
There will be things that come up that you'd never expect, but hopefully you have enough
with each other communication-wise that you'll be able to work it out and talk about it,
Amy says.
I think that's one thing Chris and I do well.
As for the wedding, the two want to take their time planning the special day and are looking
forward to walking down the aisle in 2021.
I didn't want to plan a wedding on top of everything else that is going on, Amy explains.
Chris hasn't been married before, and so I really wanted us to focus on the wedding and
each other and who we're going to have there.
So far, the lovebirds know that it'll be an outdoor wedding and have only briefly thought
about who will be invited.
That said, Amy and Chris both agreed that they will extend an invite to Matt and his
girlfriend Karen Chandler, regardless of Karen's on-air comments about not being comfortable
attending.
I just want people to be there who are happy for us, who are in our lives right now and
we think they'll be in our lives moving forward, she says.
For me personally, if they would like to come, they're welcome, Chris adds.
If they don't want to come, the last thing that we would want is Matt and Karen to go
just because they feel obligated to, that's not the atmosphere we want.
But guests who will certainly be there include all of Amy's children.
Over the past several years, the family has come to love Chris, even if there was some
initial hesitation early on.
Her kids have always been great about making me feel welcomed and they're just good people,
Chris says.
I guess what has changed is, maybe we get more personal with each other now, maybe share
things we wouldn't have before.
All of this makes Amy ecstatic.
Thinking back to where she was when she first met Chris, Amy acknowledges that she was self-defeated
at times.
Ultimately though, she learned to trust the process of starting over and look at the positive
side of life's biggest changes.
And doing that only brought her more happiness in the end.
Going through divorce was quite hard and very difficult for me, but challenges are meant
to be overcome, and I've definitely done that, she says.
It's great to have Chris in my life, and I love the journey that we're on right now.
That's it for now, thank you for watching!
Please subscribe to stay tuned!
