#7QTs on DG, Travel, & Cats with Instruments

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My first ever post went up on the FOCUS Blog today! If you haven't yet, head on over there and check it out! It promises a list of fun things to do, wit (according to my friend Joanna), an image of me pieing my friend Amy in the face, and a little kid in a big hat.

Here's a quote from it for your previewing pleasure: "If you focus on making memories with your new friend, not just trying to awkwardly force conversation over a latte, trust and community will spring out of the fun. "

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I think we've all discovered new blogs to read via the #7QTs link up, but have you ever discovered the blog of someone that you know!? That happened to me last Friday after I linked up with Jen. 

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Do you live in NYC?? Do you know someone who lives in NYC? Will you happen to be in NYC on October 16? Then you should probably come to REACH | nyc. Or invite your friends to come. Or both!

The Events Team has started helping with FOCUS' REACH prayer breakfasts, and I am so excited. Our first one is about one month away in, you guessed it, NYC! I'm freaking out a little bit because I love New York and not only do I get to go, I get to plan an event there. Dreams really do come true, people. Everyone should also be aware that I might never come back. You've been warned.

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Last weekend, Saint Louis University held their formal recruitment. My sister is a senior in DG there, and 5 (five!!!) of my former campers went through recruitment at SLU. I've known some of these girls since they were 12 (wut).

#doublesisters

It was fun to talk to Steph all weekend about recruitment, but the best news came on Monday...four of the girls went DG!

Some had been in my cabin, others I taught in show choir, and one was a neighbor and camp friend. 

Smoon had a lot of these girls in her cabin and as CILTs, so she was equally excited to add so many beautiful faces to the CT DG Family. We wanna make shirts. 

ITB, ladies, and welcome aboard!

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Tomorrow starts my fall stint of travel. On the list is KC (x3), Chicago, Nashville, NYC, and Atlanta! The great news about that is I've never been to Georgia...taking me up to 23 states! We've got two more to go, people. DC might be added to the list, and if it is, I can probably make it up to 24 states. I'd also be traveling every other week for the next two months, which is crazy.

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My friends Cait, Becky, & Mallory are going to watch Kat while I'm gone this week. They're amazing. But what's even more amazing are these pictures of cats playing instruments that Cait put on the facebook.

AHHHHHHH

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Hey, if you haven't done this yet, I'd really love it if you hopped on over to the Facebook and liked My Life (In Lists)'s page.

Happy Friday, friends!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

7 Quick Takes on Family, Nuns on the Internet, and How St. Lucy is a DG [9]

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I am heading to Aspen this weekend to help celebrate a friend's birthday. A bunch of FOCUS friends have rented out a giant house and we are just going to relax, eat, hang out, hike, and be together. It is just what I need in the middle of this SLS craziness.

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Lindsay is headed home tomorrow to prepare for her wedding next Saturday, which means she is moving out. :( This semester has flown by. In just a month my good friend Jess will be joining Melissa and me in our apartment. I'm so excited to actually live with a Tecumseh friend. It's going to be nonstop CTlove and I just can't wait!

Maybe we can do theme dinners?

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My family got a groupme group. Tommy is the only one without an iPhone, so we naturally named the group "If Tommy had an iPhone we wouldn't need this group." Joey immediately changed his name to "Favorite Child." Five texts in and someone already started being sassy. Typical. It's kind of fun though.

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This week has been a bit of a struggle bus. I think my brain has stopped working properly because of all of the SLS prep. But I really, really like it. Carol, Christine, and I spent 5 hours this week working finalizing all the little details happening in every room at every moment to send to the hotel today. I was event planning nerding out a little bit.

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I can't stop googling pictures of nuns. Whenever I need a quick break from work instead of hoping over to facebook/twitter/pinterest or getting up from my desk to stop staring at the screen, I pull up google and type, "Sisters of Life," or "Nashville Dominicans," or "Servidoras." I can't help it - they're just so beautiful!

Image via.

Image via.

Image via.

I think there's something wrong with me.

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Today is St. Lucy's feast day! St. Lucy is my girl.

Why yes, those are her eyeballs
on a platter.
Image via.

I'm convinced she's a DG - I mean she's the patroness against blindness and for blind people! She would have loved Service for Sight. Aside from Steph's Kirsten American Girl Doll, I first encountered St. Lucy in a homily Father Joel gave on her my senior year of college. I could not tell you what he talked about, but I was struck by her commitment to Jesus. She promised Him that she would be true and devoted to Him, and she stuck it out, despite all the persecution and torture that came after. I met St. Lucy during a time when I was wavering in my commitment to Jesus and her intercession has helped me stay strong in my faith as I've continued growing.

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With all this SLS prep and extra time spent at work, there's been a lot of team bonding, and I love it. Tuesday night, Christine, Carol, John Paul, & I stayed until about 6:15 just talking and laughing. Curtis even stopped by and told us how fun we are!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!