Party Party Party

The last few weekends have included a whole lot of events. First I think was my friends' Jaclyn and Brian's 2 year old son Luke's birthday party. The party was just days after his sister Norah was born. Luke received a wide array of vehicles, trucks, boats, planes, steam rollers. After Luke's party came his dad Brian's birthday at August Moon. Then after that, three weekends ago was my friend Greg's 30 birthday party. Then the next weekend was Greg and Kristin's daughter Cate's 1st birthday. I was also Kristin's birthday the day of Cate's party. Then after that was Achazia's 2nd birthday, we had cake at cell group. This past Wednesday we had an end of the year cookout type event to celebrate the women's basketball team and the 5 former players who were graduating. Then after that, this weekend my friend Holly graduated from grad school so there was a little shindig at her house yesterday afternoon. Then after that a family from my church with an AWESOME house had a game night, AKA random party, which lasted well into the night last night. It has been pretty busy, but also exceptionally fun. I think one of the highlights was the 2 random kids, Lucky and Thomas, who invited themselves to Holly's graduation party. They were not acquittance's of anyone at the event, just two random neighborhood kids that invited themselves in for some food and fun. I remember when I first moved here I felt was bored a lot of the time. I felt disconnected so to speak. I would try to find stuff to do on the weekend. I think the amount of events on the calendar the last couple of weeks is a clear indication that I am now connected to this community. There is a woman who works at the university that I have been getting to know better of late. She lives on my street and so she has been randomly driving by as I have been walking Brady and beeping at me. At first it kind of scared me cause I didn't know who it was driving past me. But now that I know who it is, it kind of fun. A few months ago I was asked by one of the assistant athletic directors at Murray State how long I thought I would stay here. I told him that I didn't know, and that is the truth. Beyond that though, the more rooted I become in this community the more difficult it will be to leave. Also the more rooted I become in this community the more balanced my life has become, the more perspective I have been able to gain, the more blessed I feel to live in this community. A lot of people who work in college athletics bounce around a lot from one job to another. On one hand it makes it okay that they spend excessive amounts of time at work, and also it makes it easier for them to leave, because they never are attached. However I am beginning to see that that lifestyle is incredibly lonely and unhealthy. So here are some photos from the last several weeks, most of them were taken by my friend Kristin.

That's Luke at his birthday

That's Norah at her brother's party

That's Brian and Greg trying to cut ice cream cake at Brian's Party

That's some of the guys playing cornhole at Greg's birthday

That's Kristin, Tuvia, and Kristin's neice Milla helping Cate open her presents

That's Cate and Holly at Holly's graduation party
Next up in a suprise birthday party for a woman at church. That will be tuesday. After that I'm not really sure. However I am considering celebrating my half birthday right before I leave for Taiwan. I mean I was in Morehead, KY for my real birthday, and since we are all about parties in Murray, KY why not...