This weekend we found out my sister, Kimbie, and her boyfriend, Mike are engaged! I saw the ring on her finger before she could tell me the exciting news. Mike proposed in a park near his house and then they celebrated with a romantic dinner. When we were at Haddie’s during Kimbie’s Labor Day race track birthday celebration, Matty brought two bottles of Dom Perignon so we could toast their engagement and then eat fried chicken!
Here is a little summary from my sister about Mike:
Mike is very much a Bostonian (sorry- he loves the Red Sox). He grew up in Weston, a suburb of Boston. He graduated from Harvard, and then spent some time volunteering and teaching. He went to Medical School at UMass, and did a Family Medicine Residency at Brown University. After residency, Mike worked in Africa and Nepal before coming back to Boston.
He currently works part-time as a policy analyst for the Massachusetts Health Connector, the agency that was created to expand health coverage in the state. He also sees patients in an urgent care. Mike continues to help develop a Global Health program for students at his medical school, with a specific interest in Nicaragua.
He comes from a small, quiet family- the exact opposite of our family. But he has really enjoyed getting to know everyone and is great with Mimi and Isabella. He is embracing our big, loud family. But he is still learning to pace himself at our all-day eating events.
My sister’s engagement brings back memories of my own engagement. Jeff purposed on the beach in Miami, one of our favorite places to visit. After a delicious dinner and many, many, many cocktails, Jeff wanted to take a walk on the very very windy beach. I really wanted to change into my pajamas and crawl under the covers of my bed, but Jeff seemed to really want to take this walk. Jeff is many things, a conversationalist is not one of them. He kept asking me questions and talking on the beach (a sign I should have noticed something was up). I think he was nervous because after what felt like an hour of talking (and shivering), I told him I was so cold and started to walk back to the hotel. That was the kick of confidence he needed because he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was an amazing night, I was so excited, it was like a dream. And now six years later, we have two kids and a hot dog shop.
I wish Kimbie and Mike a wonderful life together. I welcome Mike with open arms to our crazy family.
Chrissy xoxo