7QT on birthdays, kidney transplants, and the Pope coming to Detroit!?!

 1.  Last Saturday, Jim and I went on a date.  We went out to eat and then I was surprised to find out we were going roller skating.  Remember those awkward junior high roller skating parties? Yup me too, only this time I had someone to skate with during the slow skate.

It was a lot of fun, except the part where I totally wiped out on my butt from just standing still.  The later we stayed, the more raunchy the music and tweens skating got...but before we left Jim surprised me with cake and ice cream for my birthday on Tuesday.  Apparently he had to sweet talk to the manager to bring in all his supplies and prove we weren't going to smear cake all over the walls like the last party that came in.

2.  September 9th I turned 29.  I am excited to see what the year unfolds; looking forward to finishing my thesis, graduating, continue paying off debt, and start training for a 10K.
Next year when I turn 30, I will celebrate my new digits by getting a tat and running the Detroit half marathon.

3.  On Tuesday, we kicked off our weekly staff meetings at church again.  Not the most thrilling thing in the world, but before we started this week our pastor shared some AMAZING news with us all!!
Our associate priest (Fr. Beto) who has been waiting several years for a kidney transplant got a call from the hospital that they had one!  The surgery happened yesterday and went really well!  He received a kidney transplant several years ago but his body rejected it after almost two years!
It was so cool to hear on my birthday the exciting news that a perfect match was found!
Please keep Fr. Beto in your prayers as he recovers, and especially for his health and that his body doesn't reject the transplant.

4.  As if Fr. Beto's wonderful news wasn't enough, the folks at work surprised me with cake, singing, and pink jeweled tiara...I like pretty sparkly things so it works out well.  The only bummer is I had an evening class so I didn't get to see Jim until later, but a friend of mine took care of that and we out for tasty BBQ.

5.  Okay. This.is.way.cool.
So a letter writing campaign from students at Catholic schools in Detroit has begun to get Pope Francis to come to Detroit when he comes to Philadelphia next Fall.  Even cooler, the mayor of Detroit and the Archbishop are now behind it too....oh and did I mention they have a Facebook page too?!?  #socialmediaatitsfinest

6.  On my birthday I was on the phone with my Dad asking a question related to something church-y stuff.  We said goodbye and hung but then I realized Dad might have did forget my birthday.  I figured he was being a goof ball, which later was confirmed.  Apparently its a trend now for Dad's to do that? Anyways its fun to ease and joke with him about it...thanks padre, love you too! :)

7.  Fall is gearing up....youth ministry starts next weekend.  Grad school classes have begun and I have to write my thesis by December.  Retreats, talks, parent meetings...this time of year seems to officially kick off wonderful, crazy of my job.  Hoping I can balance work with school especially as I plan to graduate in the spring.


Happy Friday!! :)