Shannon Beador Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary with Boyfriend at Same Place They Had First Date

Shannon Beador is celebrating one year of love with boyfriend John Janssen.

In celebration of the lovebirds' milestone anniversary, the Real Housewives of Orange County star and Janssen went back to the same restaurant where they had their first date in June 2019.

"One year ago, the first date @fableandspirit," Beador, 56, wrote on Instagram about the restaurant in Newport Beach, California, where their love story began. "One year later, celebrating at the same place. ❤️ #butsocialdistancing," she added with a wink face emoji.

Beador, who shares three daughters — 18-year-old Sophie and 14-year-old twins Stella and Adeline — with ex-husband David Beador, met Janssen through a mutual friend and went public with their relationship last July.

Like Beador, Janssen is a divorced parent of three and a graduate of the University of Southern California. They both studied at the college at the same time, though they didn’t know each other. He now works as a partner at an insurance firm.

Last month, Janssen wrote a sweet tribute to Beador on her 56th birthday, which was posted to his private Instagram account alongside a photo of the couple taken while they were in New York City at the inaugural BravoCon this past fall.

Shannon Beador/Instagram Shannon Beador and John Janssen with her daughters Stella and Adeline

“Our connection and chemistry are what people dream about,” Janssen, 56, wrote. “You are my person; the one I was meant to be with, the one that makes me feel whole. I started falling in love with you almost immediately and my love has grown ever stronger as our time together has flown by. I find myself thinking and wondering at times if this is real, how did I get so blessed? Then I look into your beautiful eyes and know it IS real and it is how our world should be.”

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“You are such an amazing woman and you surprise me every day,” he continued. “I have never believed that a woman could be so loving, generous, intelligent, creative, determined, funny, fun loving, hardworking, successful, down to earth, nurturing, protective, loyal, encouraging, and have my back no matter what. Then I met you; you are all of that and more.”

In the message, Janssen also recalled how the two first met in June of last year, explaining that neither of them were expecting to fall in love at the time as they had both just gotten out of relationships.

“The timing was bad and made no sense to either of us or to any of our friends and family,” Janssen remembered. “I was not in the right frame of mind to meet anyone and was just trying to get my balance. You were not looking for a relationship, but rather were just spending time and having fun with friends after an emotional two years of ending your marriage. But once we were introduced something inside me knew that I had to talk to you.”

“We started with encouraging texts that warmed my heart and then phone calls for hours that flowed so effortlessly and then came the group date,” he said. “I took you and a friend of ours out to dinner. The night ended with you and I singing karaoke duets at the Elks club and then talking one on one until the Elks staff told us they needed to lock up. Since that night you and I have been inseparable, literally. I have never in my life spent so much concentrated time with anyone. I never tire of you, but rather thrive in your company.”

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He ended his note by telling Beador: “You are my best friend and the woman I can not live without. Happy birthday!!!!! I love you with all of my heart and soul. You are my forever and ever amen.”

The mother of three previously gushed to PEOPLE in August that Janssen was a “great guy” with a “kind heart.”

“[John’s] just a great person,” she told PEOPLE at BravoCon in November. “If I were to make a list of the perfect person for me, he has all those attributes. You see it in movies and you think it’s not real. I’ve never been happier.”