New Jersey, Philadelphia, New York...Crazy weekend

This past weekend was...intense. My oldest neice, Taylor, is in the orchestra at her high school, Kirkwood, in St. Louis, and they were one of three from around the counrty to be invited to play at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Of course I had to go up to watch the performance...no way I was going to miss this once in a life time opportunity.

We decided to stay with an old friend of my dad's...they've been besties since like 3rd grade. They live in New Jersey, right on the state line basically between it and Pennsylvania. I left KCMO on Friday afternoon and got up there at night. I've flown over the ocean at night, but never cities so it was really awesome to fly over Philadelphia when it was all lit up. It was absolutely beautiful. On Saturday we drove into Philadelphia for the day. My family just loves history. I don't know how it happened that we all love it so much, but we do, and Philly is just a mecca of American history. We visited the Liberty Bell, the Franklin Museum, and Independence Hall, amoung other things.

The stairs in Independence Hall...if you've seen 1776, you love this:)

We also went to the City Tavern for lunch where they serve colonial period food and they brew beer using the recipes of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and others. I had glazed duck, and I don't think I've ever eaten anything so good. Anyway...we made our way back to New Jersey and we had a big dinner with the family friends. On Sunday, after mass, we took a train up to New York. We met up with my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew at their hotel. We went for drinks and then to an irish pub for dinner where one of my aunts met us. We went to a bakery and cafe and had the best dessert ever. Finally we made our way over to Carnegie Hall. Taylor's orchestra was on first. They were so wonderful. My mom even cried a bit. It was so incredible to be there for that, to see my neice on that stage.

I snuck a shot before the performance...I had to be stealthy because they were yelling at people

We left after Kirkwood's orchestra. It was a long weekend for my dad and he couldn't sit through the other two groups, though we would have liked to if we could. So we headed back to New Jersey, and early the next morning Ben and I were driven to the airport so we could get back to school for our classes.

It was a wonderful weekend, but so exhausting.

Love and prayers

Fight for Air Climb

I forgot to write about this...oops!

A while back one of my cousins found out about this event, The Fight for Air Climb. It's for the American Lung Association and invovles climbing 42 flights of stairs...ouch! My cousin, Michelle, wanted to do the Climb for my dad, and when she brought it up a bunch of us decided to make a team: Bob's Builders. It was great! I mean, painful, but still pretty awesome. I finished in 14:42. Not a great time, but hey, at least I wasn't about to have a heart attack or throw up like some of my cousins who finished in less time. Since I know about it now I'll start training and getting ready for next year's climb early. Hopefully I'll get an awesome time.

There were more than 1445 participants and the event raised more than $350,000. Awesome!

Afterwards we had a little celebration party at our house, and Gabe came and met some of my family. Less than half of my family was there and people weren't there for too long, so I think Gabe got off pretty easily. But I guess it's good to ease him in:)
...one of my aunts did think he was cute though. Kind of weird.

Anyway, thanks to anyone and everyone who participated or supported in their own way!

Love and prayers

Badges Rock!

Unfortunately I don't have a picture from this wonderful day, but...what can you do?

For the first half of this semester I was in a Nonprofit Leadership class, Volunteer Management and Program Planning. Each class session was 4 hours! long. Ridiculous I know, but it only lasted 8 weeks and it really was a wonderful class so it was worth it. Anyway, as a part of the class we had to plan an event and recruit and oversee volunteers. Every year, this class does a Girl Scout event called Badges Rock! It's an awesome program that gives Girl Scouts from the urban core of Kansas City the opportunity to earn a badge or two...unfortunately they don't have that chance very often. It also gives them the chance to see a college campus. My group was made up of four wonderful, extremely fun, kind of crazy people. The theme of the event this year was STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) knowledge...to help get the girls interested in these fields which are severly lacking in female experts. My group decided to focus on science. We had some great little experiments like making slime and creating a rainbow density column. We also had a great speaker, Mindy Walker who is a professor here at RU, come and talk to the girls to show them that women can do great things in science and that it's a lot of fun! We recruited our volunteers, mainly through our friends and groups that we're all involved in, like APO, CLC, and Greek organizations.

We had a freak snow storm the day of the event, but once the girls were able to get on campus it seemed to go smoothly. The volunteers were wonderful! And the girls all seemed to really enjoy themselves...especially the snake that Mindy brought:) They were so excited when they got their Science Discovery badge at the end of the day.

Overall, it was a total success...and we all got A's in the class!

Love and Prayers

Retreat on the Rock - Results of God's Love

Yes, we are leaders, mature leaders...can't you tell?

A while back I was a leader for Retreat on the Rock here. It was so wonderful and exhausting and beautiful and messy. We spent a long time preparing for the retreat and each meeting seemed to get more and more ridiculous, until finally Cindy our Campus Minister said "I'm smokin' what you're rollin'". We all just sort of lost it by the end. But it was an incredible experience. All the leaders that I worked with are just incredible people, so filled with God's love and joy. It was such a blessing share this experience with all of them.

The retreat itself went fairly smoothly. Miracle! My small group was filled with beautiful young women, so open and passionate. And we seemed to share an obsessoin for Apple Jacks:)


Love and prayers

Washinton, D.C...Saving Babies One Step at a Time

At the end of January I went to Washinton, D.C. for the Pro-Life march. I didn't go through Rockhurst, though I'm very involved in Hawks for Life and we did send a group of students; of course, I went with the teens. I served as a chaperone for the youth group.

It was my first time, I'd never been able to go to the March in high school, though I had always wanted to be there. Pro-Life issues are so important to me and my faith, and it made me very sad never to have been there to show that in this wonderful way. And it's not just about abortion, as so many think. Though that is one of the most heated, well-known, and pressing Pro-Life issue, it is not the only one. I went on the March, well, because I love the teens, but also because I wanted to march against abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, unjust war, and any other issue that places life in the hands of man, that takes life before its natural end.

It was a wonderful and exhausting experience (18 hour bus rides aren't quite conducive to sleep). But I do so love Washington and the teens. And may I just
take a moment to say how much I love Lincoln and how the below words can bring tears to my eyes...


Love and prayers

N'awlins

The group outside of St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter

Who Dat?!

At the end of Christmas break I went on one of the Rockhurst service immersion trips to New Orleans. Who would have thought I could fall so in love with a place in just one short week? I've always felt drawn to it for some reason and I've known for quite some time that I want to spend a year working down there after school, but I didn't think it would be so difficult to leave after just seven days. It took a long time for me to feel at home again at Rockhurst, like I wasn't where I belonged anymore.

New Orleans is such an incredilbe city with a character and spirit that you can't encounter anywhere else, food that's beyond this world, and hospitality that you can only find in the South. While we were there we did landscaping at the homes of the elderly and sick who can't leave their homes, we did some organizing, cleaning, and painting around the Catholic Chariities Operation Helping Hands building, we got rid of vines and overgrown plants that were actually growing into the house, and we gutted a bathroom so it could be made handicap accesible (by far the most fun). Our group had so much fun working together and with the long-term volunteers. It was so incredible to hear people's stories, and everyone was willing to tell you everything about their lives. Ms. Kathey, the cook at OHH was one of the most incredible and warm women I think I've ever met. It was also so powerful touring the city, especially the Ninth Ward. It was absolutely heart breaking, but at the same time it gives one so much hope. You see all the destruction and hardship that's still there, but then you see brand new houses being built and people who just won't give up. And to see how people have made any building, tent, etc. they can find into a makeshift church so they can still give praise to God through all of the bad times and loss. It was beautiful to be a part of and to witness. Then of course there was the French Quarter. Need I say more?

On one of the levees





Tearing that bathroom apart


Love and prayers
Sarah

Hello Again

Let me re-introduce myself. My name is Sarah. I know it's been awhile but now I'm back. These past few months have been unbelievably crazy. I feel like I've hardly even sat down. I'll take the next few posts just to get you caught up, and in case you don't remember this is me...

Anyway, we're back at school now and the spring semester is well underway. I'm taking 18 hours right now. It's a heavy load with a new book to read a week for each class. So, yeah, lots of reading, but I think it'll be worth it. They're all good classes and I'm enjoying them thoroughly. I'm trying to get my mind back into my extra-curricular like Hawks for Life and APO right now. So we'll just see how things go. Anyway, I'll write again soon about all I've been up to.

Love and prayers
Sarah