On Friday, Josh and my parents and I went to Naperville's rib fest. And yes, It's exactly what it sounds like, a festival dedicated to consuming tons of ribs and all things deep fried.
We had a great time picking out our favorite ribs from the different vendors, as well as taking advantage of the free samples of chips, drinks, and pig-shaped cookies that were being distributed. The heat was pretty overwhelming but we camped out in the shade and enjoyed the live bands that played throughout the night. It was a blast, and a good opportunity for Josh and I to spend quality time with my parents.
We called it a night fairly early because we had big plans for Saturday. BIG plans.
Saturday morning we headed over to a friends house to go boating for the day. We arrived at the des plains river around 10:30 and started to prepare the boat and jet skis. Josh and I were kind enough to volunteer to test out one of the jet skis while others unloaded the boat. Riding on the back of a jet ski with Josh at the controls was quite an adventure! He zoomed and bounced on the water while I clung to his life jacket and was the worlds most annoying back seat driver. After a few minutes (and being tossed off a few times) I realized we weren't going to die and enjoyed myself a lot!
We were on the water for about an hour and there was no sign of our friends on the boat so we went to the dock to check things out. The boat hadn't left and it became apparent that it was in need of repairs and there was no mechanic on staff. We made the best of the situation by sharing the jet skis amongst our small group of friends and picnicking along the river. The morning didn't quite go as planned, but we all had a great time.
Josh and I then headed home and went our separate ways to shower and nap. We had signed up to participate in a late night bike ride in the city that began at midnight (or so we thought) so we knew a nap would be necessary.
I went to Josh's place around 3:30 with glow sticks and bikes in tow. He greeted me awkwardly ("so, how you up to?"), jumped in my car, and we drove downtown. The awkwardness continued after we parked. Josh kept saying that his shorts weren't fitting comfortably and was constantly stopping to adjust them. And when I say constantly, I mean he stopped in the middle of a crosswalk on Michigan avenue to adjust them. We found a bathroom so he could compose himself. Remember this detail, it's important later!
We ate dinner at the cafe below the bean, which was fantastic! I love being able to admire the city, enjoy the weather, and EAT. And the bean has always been "our place". We ended up there on our romantically tense first date and have loved it ever since!
After wandering around the city without much of a plan, we decided to take advantage of having our bikes and rode them to navy pier. We locked up our bikes and walked along the pier where we got ice cream and enjoyed the great views of the city.
We then took our ice cream and bikes to watch the spectacular fireworks display that navy pier does twice a week during the summer. Josh was very particular about where we sat to watch the show. It had to be secluded and far away from all other people, but still maintain an unobstructed view of the fireworks display. Keep in mind, I had no idea a proposal was coming, so I didn't really think twice about it.
After sitting and relocating several times, Josh found a spot that he thought was perfect. We were laying on the ground talking about how perfect the day was, how great the fireworks were, and of course, how much we love each other (duh!). As the finale of the show began, he said "let's stand up!!" so I stood up, and he didn't. He stayed on his knees and pulled a ring out of a baggie in his pocket. I knew he had purchased a ring, but he had told me (and all of our friends) that he wasn't going to propose until August. I was shocked and so excited, it felt surreal. It was such a sweet moment, I held onto him and didn't want to let go, and now I don't have to! He's MINE!
We rode our bikes back to the bean, snapped a few pictures, frantically changed into our biking clothes, and called our families. It was 11:30pm Chicago time so getting in contact with everyone was a little tricky, but we did it!
I later found out that Josh talked to my dad on Friday about the proposal and asked for his "permission". Of course my dad was 100% supportive, my parents adore Josh! And I know my dad appreciated the gesture. Josh is such a thoughtful man, I hit the jackpot!
Now about his shorts. I also found out later that he had taped the ring to his leg. Yes, taped. If you haven't seen Josh's legs, believe me when I say they are HAIRY. He chose tape because he knew I would be able to see the outline of a ring box in his shorts, which is definitely true. It was very clever and very much typical of Josh's fun personality. Don't worry, he assured me that he used athletic tape that is self-adhesive so it didn't rip off any leg hair. But as soon as he sat down in the car, the tape stretched. When he stood up, the tape (along with the ring) started to slide down his leg. He panicked and kept trying to tug it up as we walked, and blamed his strange behavior on his shorts. When we found a bathroom he quickly ditched his tape contraption and realized he had a small coin pocket in his shorts, in which he promptly placed the ring.
We ended the night with a bike ride that ended up starting at 2am and finished at 6:30am. It was fun to be able to see all of our friends and share our excitement with them. And hey, I had a great time attempting to flash my ring in every picture that was taken. It caused for an exhausting day at church the next morning, but we were so happy to show off the ring and tell the story, we didn't care!
I am so grateful for Josh! He is everything I could ever want and more. He makes me feel like I'm the only person in the world that matters. He's responsible, caring, driven, and has all of his priorities in line. I can tell that he genuinely loves my family, and that is an incredible feeling. I can also tell that he would do anything for his family. They are amazing people and I cannot wait to be a part of their family! His parents have been so supportive and kind and have made me feel so comfortable and at ease since we were introduced. Transitioning from being a Duffield to becoming a Cribbs is going to be a breeze thanks to their kindness and fun-loving attitudes.
I can't wait to start the rest of my life with Josh!
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