My Family and A Celebration of My Life!

Last weekend, just a random weekend in September, I went home. My brother, Ben, who is a senior at Notre Dame University, was home visiting for the weekend. We weren't all supposed to be home again until Thanksgiving, but I knew how much it would mean to my parents (and to me) for us all to spend a little time together at this point...so I made a surprise visit. My siblings all knew I was coming, but my parents did not. It had been a rough day for them, especially my mom, who had gotten some bad news about a friend that morning, and they were shocked but so happy to see me. My mom of course started to cry. It was a short trip, I got in on Saturday night and left Sunday evening, but it was my favorite trip home from the past two and a half years. I love spending time with my family, and of course I visited with the teens a little bit. They bring such joy to my life...even if they are being pushy :P They never fail, in their own ways, to be reflections of God's love in my life and remind me of my desire to be such for others.

My siblings and I with our dad...you'd never know we were related by looking at us, would you?

This past Friday was my 21st birthday!!! It was such fun. It was Rockhurst Day so we all went to the celebrations on Lower Bourke. I got to go to the Hospitality Tent for the first time, and I can't tell you how much cotton candy I ate. It was wonderful. My friends of course never fail in embarassing me, like by singing Happy Birthday at the top of their lungs for about a hundred people to hear. We enjoyed the Rockhurst soccer game for a bit, and watched Kyle and Ken being presented at halftime with the rest of the homecoming court. Afterwards some people came over to our house for a little birthday celebration. We ate so much chocolate, it was ridiculous...but delicious. It was such a fun night, I can't think of a better way, or a more fitting way for my friends and I, to celebrate my birthday. It was made all the better by Ken and Gabe's antics after everyone else had gone home or to bed. Hilarious!

Yesterday, my mom, one of my aunts, Marcia, and a cousin, Lindsey, came from St. Louis to visit and celebrate. It was wonderful to see them and hang out. We got some supplies for me and then spent the rest of our time at the Plaza. My cousin Steve also joined us for a bit. I think it was really wonderful for my mom to get away from St. Louis for a little while, she so deserves a little break from life. I'm so grateful to Marcia and Lindsey for coming too. I loved seeing them and I know my mom needed them with her on the drive. They didn't get to go on a tour of campus like they wanted, but they seemed to really like what they did see of Rockhurst and of Kansas City.

Lindz and I at O'Dowds on the Plaza

So all in all, two incredible weekends in a row!

Love and prayers

Sarah