In July of 2019, Emily & Craig met on the Hinge dating app. Craig was not new to dating apps and Emily finally decided, after much encouragement, to give-in to her mom and sister-in-law's constant comments about getting back on the dating scene using these apps. Craig & Emily took the first step in their relationship by swiping right on each other’s profiles. Messages were sent back and forth for a couple of weeks and that turned into the very responsible decision to meet at a local forest preserve (a mother’s worst nightmare) for a first date, rollerblading down the Fox River bike path. Emily didn’t realize that the rollerblades she rushed to grab for their date were decades old and in bad shape. This was quickly realized by Craig when he was concerned with her lack of athleticism because she couldn’t keep up with him down the very level path. Emily’s wheels had completely shredded on the pavement…she was riding on rims. Craig chivalrously removed his blades and walked back to the cars in socks with Emily. They both didn’t want their date to end so they decided to go to lunch. Lunch went so well that they still didn’t want their date to end, so they decided to go to Dick’s Sporting Goods (Cross Strike - coming to a store near you!) to grab a new pair of blades for Emily to see just how athletic she really was. They headed back to the same forest preserve and skated until that evening. Their first date turned out to be a 7-hour adventure. An adventure that they had no idea was going to shape the rest of their lives. 
 


The rock that is pictured above is the same rock where Craig grabbed Emily on their first date and gave her the best first kiss of her life…the one you see in the movies, minus the rain. 


And, that First Kiss Rock is now the same rock that Craig took her to in September of 2022, got down on one knee and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him.