The Ultimate Travel Bug

Look how tardy we are in posting again...and ALOT has happened with us! Would you like to hear our engagement story?

I (Jess) have decided that it might be cute to do this post from the two perspectives of the story...so, here we go. (Oh, and sorry this is so long...but it is lovely and it is your choice to read! :)

Here is the story according to Jess: To start, for a few months, and more intensely, a few weeks, Josh and I have been talking about getting married, to each other of course. This was very exciting, and we were deeply grateful for the excitement and willingness of our respective families to show support for the monumental decision we were making. While Josh was at my house, during which time we did much geocaching (which you know if you've read our previous blog posts). Also during this time, we decided that we wanted Josh to talk to my parents about his marrying me.

So, one morning Josh told me that he had asked my parents if they would be around later in the afternoon to talk. Yes, they would. I was excited all day and ready for him to talk to them. While doing so, I was told by Josh to go in my room and shut the door...a difficult task for an extrovert such as myself, especially when all this excitement was going on!

Well, Josh traveled downstairs and proceeded to talk with my parents, a conversation that I thought would take about 5 minutes. No no. I sat in my room for 30 minutes, trying to read, trying to pray, trying to do something! But alas, I was too excited and nervous. After my confinement, Josh came upstairs to let me know that everything was a go...the parents were happy about it and completely supportive! Whew, that life milestone completed! Way to go Josh for doing such a brave thing!

Now, I knew. The greatest man that I know was now in the clear to propose to me! When would it happen? Thankfully, Josh allayed my antsy-ness (that may not be a word) by telling me he would not do it at my house and that he would not do it when we traveled to Annapolis soon. In my mind that could only mean when we got back to Cleveland to start school again. Thus, we fast forward to January 10, 2010.

1/10/10 was a Sunday and it started out at church. I remember walking into Christ Community and seeing Josh play the drums as he practiced with the band. When practice was over, he came up to me, very happy that day. After church we went back to his apt for a bit, during which time he asked me if I wanted to go on a "little date" and could we "get dressed up a little bit". Immediately a huge flag went up in my mind...."He is going to propose tonight." Everything crashed through my head at once, and I even told him that I was nervous about something but that I couldn't say what...he was kindly ambiguous and didn't hint one way or another that he knew what I meant.

Then, I had to go and spend 4 hours in my apartment...alone! Josh sent me home and told me he would pick me up later. I was going crazy, running through everything my head with no one to tell but Jesus. I washed dished, unpacked my clothes, sang songs, anything to calm the butterflies! And I couldn't eat a thing! It was crazy. And yet, through all that the side of my brain convincing myself that I didn't know what was going on was hoping to see my roommate Katie when she got in town before we left. I had asked Josh to wait for her to get back before he came to pick me up.

As I neared the end of anything else I could find to clean in the apartment (which was already mostly clean!), I got a call from Katie telling me that she was stuck in traffic in Knoxville, to which I replied that we would probably leave before she got back. Then Josh called me soon and told me he would pick me up at 4:15. Ok, finally I had a time to tell my crazy self, a definite end to what felt like another confinement! Josh also said that he wanted to go find a geocache before we left and it was still light outside...hmmm, ok...this is getting fishy, I thought. I put on my best I have-no-inkling-of-why-that-would-be-weird voice and told him sure!

Then, I got ready...trying to look as nice as I could. I put on some new clothes, and put on a pearl bracelet on my left wrist...hmmm I wonder why that wrist? :) I sat down, ready for him to come, and my nervousness left. I simply breathed deeply and prayed, "God, help me say yes to my best friend today." And I felt peace :)

Then, Josh got there, looking very handsome in his new sport coat. He seemed very cool and calm and told me that I looked beautiful. Then he told me that the geocache we were finding was within walking distance...I continued to play along :) We walked down the sidewalk on lovely Centenary Ave and across Ocoee Street to Lee' campus. We walked across the front lawn by the fountain, and Josh pointed out the spot, asking, "Do you remember when we used to sit there?" "Yes," I replied. We passed a bench where we sat a few times on those cold Spring nights of Spring 2009, when we had just started dating and had no where else to be together but outside on a bench...and lovely times they were :) We walked between Walker Memorial and the Vest Building, across 11th Street, and in view of the Dixon Center Park...and I smiled. There, at the bench where we sat talking for two hours, at the bench where Josh first slid his fingers around mine...was a geocache unlike any other. He walked me across the grass and stopped at a birchwood candle holder and beautiful rosewood jewelery box with a rose perched in the open top on top of black velvet. The moment was so surreal, you don't want to be anywhere else at all and yet don't know where you are all at the same time. Josh began speaking to me...words you want to remember yet can't hear all at the same time. I tried to absorb everything.

He showed me the candle holder, which he made himself of birchwood, in which he placed three candles, only one was lit. They represent, he told me, the three Hebrew word for Love: Dod, Raya, and Ah Hava. Dod stands for the physical love between a husband and wife, Raya means "wife", and Ah Hava represents the companionship between a couple. He told me that the candle for Ah Hava was lit now, the only one we have lit together thus far, and he wants to light all three with me on our wedding day. Then, I remember him kneeling down toward the box and opening a drawer...and there was the most beautiful ring I've ever seen. He pulled it out, turned back to me, and got down (of course!) on one knee...He told me that this ring represents over a total of 130 years of love in his family and that he wants to continue that with me. He told me, "I want to spend everyday for the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

And, ladies...you think if he spends all this time preparing a beautiful speech and asks you to marry him in this beautiful setting, that you would be able to think of something equally eloquent with which to reply...no no. I blurt out, "Of course I'll marry you!" Haha, of course I think, "Who woudln't?...Look how amazing he is!"

Then, I leaned down and kissed him and he placed the ring on my finger, and we hugged and smiled...and then realized how cold we were! It was a beautiful, surreal, memorable moment. I wanted to absorb it all and keep it locked away forever...but I know it will always be a part of me, because I know he will always be...and for that I'm grateful.

You might be wondering why I titled this "The Ultimate Travel Bug"...well, of course, don't you think that my engagement ring was the ultimate travel bug? I took if from that lovely geocache and get to take it everywhere with me now!

Now, don't you think you want to hear his side of the story? Tune in to, "The Ultimate Travel Bug Part 2"

*We will do a photo post too!