Time for another update!

Wow... a lot can happen in a month! And it's been more than that, so I suppose it's time for me to write something again. It might be a bunch of random somethings, though.

Lol, the only reason I have time to do this is that my English class had its little evaluation thing today so it only lasted 10 minutes. Now I'm just hanging out in the library until French. :)

ONLY TWO AND A HALF MORE WEEKS LEFT UNTIL SCHOOL'S OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow. This semester has gone a lot faster than the last one! I can't believe my first year in college is almost over. I'm ready for it to be over right now... I'm so insanely busy right now. Today's my birthday but I've been forgetting it all the time this past week... just too much else to think about. Besides, I'm not exactly pumped about being a year shy of 20... I'm not exactly upset either. It's weird.

So yeah... between running the last leg of school, dancing 10 hours a week plus performances, going on tour with my choir and getting ready for our concert this Thursday, being a youth group support staffer, being involved in 3 Bible studies, going to a prom, teaching hammered dulcimer lessons and starting a job with Arbonne, spending some time with friends and attempting to find time to clean my room and do laundry once in awhile haha... I'm a little busy right now! It's all awesome stuff I'm doing though and I wouldn't stop any of it... well except maybe some of the school, lol. I do feel like I'm where God wants me to be right now, though, and I'm incredibly happy with where He's put me. I love all the stuff I've been doing! It has been a little stressful at times, though, when it all comes crashing down on my head at the same time.

I am excited though, because after school's out, I'll have a lot more time on my hands. It's been sooooo disappointing this year... I feel like I've really been horrible at dance this year because I just haven't had time to practice at all. Last year I practiced almost every day. I remembered most if not all of the steps, I was prepared for each class, I actually sometimes felt like I was doing somewhat good... and this year it's just been crazy. I've really enjoyed it, of course, but I just feel like I've been doing a really bad job. So yeah... I'm looking forward to having time to get some practicing in. And maybe to choreograph a dance or two, hehe.

Last weekend, though insane, was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! First of all my choir tour was on Thursday. We sang at a few schools did a nice hour long show at the capitol, plus went out for lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse and visited the Bombing Memorial. I really enjoyed spending time with my choir friends and getting to know some of them more. It was an awesome but looooong day. The next morning was the parade, and our troupe danced in it!! It was so much fun!! Perfect weather, though a bit hot for us. Problem was, we hadn't had practice in awhile, so although we had been in hardshoes a lot it hadn't been as much as normal. All this is to say that most of us got HUGE blisters... I had one on the ball of my foot at least an inch wide. Hehe... it was lovely. But painful. Now it's turned into a callous though, so yay. More protection for my poor feet... now I'm really having to remember that verse, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Immediately after that, I went home to take a shower, eat, somewhat rest while doing that, get my stuff together and head over to Kaitlin's house to get ready for the prom! Stephen and I were going to his prom that night!!! And the homeschool prom happened to be on the same night, so Kaitlin, Sara, Lora, Kara, Hannah and I all got ready together. We went to go get our hair done, too... much fun!! Though a little stressful because I was already really tired and I had been running late to everything all day. So that was kind of hard. But as soon as I walked down the stairs and saw Stephen looking absolutely amazing in his tux, I felt a whole lot better hehe. Actually it was God, but still Stephen did look absolutely amazing in his tux. ;)

Prom was AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow. I really don't know what else to say except that GOD IS SOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL. And Stephen rocks my world. :)

Pics should be up on our website or maybe here as soon as we can get them, though it might be a bit.

I did have a little trouble staying awake the next day though... I didn't go to sleep until 7 am because of the afterparty! It was sooo fun though. I woke up in time to go to the Mexico fundraiser dinner at our church for lunch, and then head over to our last real troupe practice of the year... sigh! I can't believe it's already that time of year again! The recital is coming up... I can't wait!

And after the recital... MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SO FREAKIN EXCITED ABOUT MEXICO THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been missing it all year... now I am SOOO ready to go back. I miss it so insanely much. Hmm... sometimes I wonder why I don't feel like I do in Mexico all the time... I mean, the best thing about Mexico is seeing so clearly God working, and often seeing him use me. Also just getting a sense of God's love and holiness and power and beauty. But all that is true all the time... I wonder how to break out of the ordinary while still being in my ordinary world? I guess that's a goal of mine. I've seen it in a lot of ways, like through dance or through Stephen or through Wildlife or a lot of other things actually, but I am so not there yet. But that's okay... none of us are I guess.

See you all later!

Rachel