Let the adventure begin!

We met at Ravenswood on Tap, a craft beer fest in Chicago, with a few of our closest friends in tow. We grew closer that day once we realized that we aligned on 3 key things: neither of us are Cubs fans (sorry to all of you Cubs people - we love you!), pineapple on pizza is absolutely disgusting, and it is definitively pronounced GIF not JIF (oh, and I guess our mutual love of craft beer). Bill sent a lovely text afterwards in order to make future plans to which Mandy infamously responded, "Sounds good [thumbs up emoji]". A year later we were back at the fest for a lovely photo that would soon make its way to be the main advertisement for tickets to the festival for 2019.

Mandy was gracious enough to take Bill to a Packers bar to watch them play one Sunday afternoon in 2017. Bill, riding a cheese curd and bratwurst high, began talking up his amazing home team and how they could go all the way that season. Catching him off guard, Mandy took him up on a bet and they immediately settled on some conditions. Bill would win if Green Bay went to the Superbowl, and Mandy would win if they didn't. The loser would have to be a fan of the other person's team the following football season. They shook hands and five minutes later Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone and ensured Mandy's victory. Thus began Bill's single season career as a Chicago Bears fan. They have since agreed to compromise and switch off on the team they root for each year. Mandy, a current Packers fan, is looking for a way out of this deal.

On what would be a very lovely Saturday in April (a rarity to be sure), Bill and Mandy planned a nice day about town. It started with brunch at Bixi, moving on to record shopping, and stopping at some local bars along the way. What Mandy didn't know, Bill had a very special ring he was going to propose to her with. In fact, Mandy didn't think Bill would be in possession of said ring for another month! Seizing probably his only opportunity to legitimately surprise her (Mandy has a tendency to guess all surprises), Bill planned a proposal day that Mandy "knew" couldn't happen. She was beginning to get annoyed by how great and perfect the day would have been for it, she didn't realize what was happening when Bill called her out to their back porch. Bill had their song playing and the ring in his hand when she walked outside, when Levi (the chocolate lab that is not one to miss a special moment) barked to be let out, Mandy turned around to open the back door to let Levi out and turned around to the surprise of her life - Bill on one knee. She nearly turned around to head back inside from shock, but managed to utter "How do you have it?!" - the surprise worked and she definitely said yes!