Back Home Again

After weeks of waiting with bated breath, I finally made it to Maryland to visit Lindsey. It's always good to come back to the Ganey house because it truly is my second home. I love being here - I love the smell of the house, the different furniture, crazy Louie the beagle and the pounds of teenage snack food.

In the eight years I have known Lori, I have become part of her family. I stayed with the kids while her and Tom went to California to celebrate Lori's birthday, I was here for Lori's surgery a few years back, and I baby-sat Jake and Lindsey for the entire summer before I went off to grad school. Most importantly (to me), I lived here while I was in the hospital day program recovering from my eating disorder. I was admitted to the hospital May 31st, 2006, and wouldn't you know I was back in this house three years later. My treatment program was in Baltimore so I would drive from here to the hospital each day and then back home again. I had a little apartment downstairs and having Tom, Lori, Jake and Lindsey here each day made my time at the hospital much more bearable. They played a huge part in getting me to where I am today and I love every single one of them.

My Jakey boy.
Graduating from St. Marks this weekend and then headed to Dematha in the fall! So so so proud of him!!

We have had a great time since I arrived on Saturday, hanging out, watching movies and catching up on life. Today Lori and I went book shopping and found the best used books in the world. I went a little wild because they were all like fifty cents. :-)

Ok - update on my girl. Lindsey is doing great. You would never know she went through brain surgery two weeks ago. She's tired (obviously), but up and moving around just fine. She's herself, smiling and just being - Linds. We had a slightly traumatic incident on Saturday. When I walked in Lindsey was on the deck getting her hair cut by my old stylist Gionni. Because of lying on her back for so long while recovering, she had a MASSIVE knot in her hair that was impossible to remove. I'm not talking just a little knot - this was a huge HONKING knot. I've never seen anything like it. Anyhow, she had to get about 8 inches cut off and was understandably very upset. We got to commiserate together over the loss of hair and discussed what we could do to make it grow back faster. (I think she cut it just so she could be like me). HEHEHE. We decided that it would just take a little time to get used to our short hair.

This is courage. I chose to cut mine, this girl just survived brain surgery. She never ceases to amaze me with her bravery.

We spent time looking through bridal magazines and I was excited to get an email today saying that Lindsey's bridesmaid dress shipped and should be here on Wednesday. I'm so bummed I won't be here to see it arrive. I'm so blessed she agreed to be in the wedding - she'll look great in green. :-) While discussing wedding arrangements, Lori and I realized something really bizarre. We have the EXACT SAME engagement ring. Same exact band, same setting, same size diamond. The only difference is hers is white gold and mine is platinum. I have never seen anything like it - it was amazing. We decided our men have great taste and we are soul mates - ha! Tom bought Lori's just a few years ago and I remember oogling over it thinking "oh that's exactly what I've always wanted." How funny is that?!?!

Sunday while everyone napped, I ran over to campus to take some shots with my new camera. I miss Maryland's campus and I always get very nostalgic when I visit. I'm really looking forward to my OTHER friend Lindsey's wedding this coming July - she's getting maried at the Chapel. It will be great.

M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D

This has been the greatest few days and I am so sad that I have to leave. I have an appointment on Wedesday that came up at the last minute so I have to head back home tomorrow morning. Christopher has been working like a little worker bee so I was going to stay a few more days and enjoy the time with Lori while she had off work. BUT, I'm sure I'll be back in no time...

Thank you again to everyone for your prayers. Lindsey looks amazing and she really is a miracle.

Bling Bling

Every little girl dreams of the moment the love of her life will ask for her hand in marriage. Will he get down on one knee? Will he say something romantic? Will we be alone - or with friends and family? Will I immediately scream "YES!" with the most beautiful, naturally surprised looked on my face? What will the ring look like? And most importantly, will he have asked Daddy's permission??

I have yet to hear of a girl who dreams they will be in sweatpants and a t-shirt, having just woken up from a 4-hour-nap in a Volvo station wagon. That she will be coughing and have snot running down her face. That her voice will sound utterly romantic - similar to that of a 90-year-old lunch lady with emphysema. And finally, that she will scream, "No, no, no - this is not happening. That ring is not real. No. I am in the car. I am still sleeping. No, no, no, NO!"

Christopher is one lucky fella.

Our engagement was a stereotypical Kristi Minsterman moment - an utter disaster. But it was beautiful and wonderful and romantic. I can't remember a single word he said. I don't remember what he was wearing or how many knees he got down on. I can't even remember if I said "yes" or just shook my head, or if "uh huh" eventually sputtered out of my mouth. It was PERFECT.

We had just gotten back home in Virginia from visiting Mama and Daddy in Pennsylvania for the Christmas holiday. I was just starting to get a terrible sinus infection so I slept the entire way home while Chris drove. By the time I walked in the door I was just so happy to be home that I didn't pay a lick of attention to anything else that was happening in the house. Mama had gotten me the rest of the Willow Tree nativity set for Christmas and I was so excited to set it up. So while Christopher unloaded the Volvo, I sat in sweatpants attempting to arrange the donkey so he had a clear view of baby Jesus. (A daunting task by the way; there are a lot of animals and Jesus is a TEENY TINY baby).

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chris put my "guys" under the tree and they were holding a note. For those of you who are unaware of my childlike qualities, I am very much attached to my yellow baby blanket (Fluffy), a stuffed hippo I got from AK after my second arm surgery (Tubby), a lion from Joey, Robin and Sarah before my endoscopy (Leo Lionni) and a silly looking giraffe named Georgie. I assumed the note wasn't important so I ignored it. Don't judge - I could not be bothered by notes when I had sheep to position!

Finally, Chris said, "Look - your guys have something for you." I decided to humor him so I scooted over under the tree and read the note telling me to look up at the first ornament we had as a family. I was still utterly clueless and I glanced up to the cheapo Santa sled imprinted with "Our First Christmas" to see bling. Just bling. Shiny shiny bling. The bling was hanging from the sled ornament. No, that bling is not real. It's HUGE. ENORMOUS. He's playing a trick on me! What a mean boyfriend! He hates Christmas!


And then it clicked. It was real. It was a real diamond. It was a real ring. He wanted to marry me. Now get ready for it - every man's dream response: I start backing away from the tree. "No, no, this is not happening." And he's trying to get my attention. "Kristi, Kristi look at me." I keep moving toward the door. "No, it's not real, this is not happening." I find the courage to glance at him quickly and then my eyes shoot back to the tree. Here is where I basically collapse onto the ground.

I think he got on two knees since I was no longer standing. He grabbed my hands and starting saying stuff that for the life of me I can't remember. (I'm really angry about that too - I bet it was good stuff). I do recall him saying something about never wanting to spend another day without me. Here's where the screaming entered the scene. "YOU WANT TO MARRY ME. YOU WANT TO MARRY ME." Over and over again. Hugging and screaming. And then looking at the tree and again, "YOU WANT TO MARRY ME!" I didn't care about the ring at that point, or the wedding, or my runny nose, or my sweatpants - not even the fact that it was coming out as "YOU *cough* WANT *cough cough* TO *gag* ..." Chris got up, got the ring off the tree and put it on my finger. I think he asked again if I'd marry him but I don't remember. All I understood at that moment was that he was never going to leave me. And I told him so.

"Now you have to marry me and you can't leave me because divorce is a sin!"

Very romantic, Minsterman. Way to bring a little Catholic guilt into a beautiful moment that you want to tell your grandkids about someday...

For all you Curious Georges:
1. He DID ask Daddy while we were in Pennsylvania. He asked Daddy AND Bubby (my brother) at the same time. I admire his respect for my family so much, not to mention his COURAGE. There were guns in the truck!
2. He picked out the ring HIMSELF. Robin gave a little guidance, but I had nothing to do with it. I had no idea the engagement was coming and was completely oblivious to his ring shopping extravaganzas. The ring is GORGEOUS - exactly what I always dreamed of - very classic.