Twilight

Ok.

So I've been reading the book Twilight this week, and I've used almost every waking moment to read it. I wouldn't of said that I was addicted, but I started watching a trailer for the movie and I had to stop it because the trailer was showing more than I had read.

I don't know if I'm addicted because its popular to be addicted to the book right now, or if its because the writing is so good. I tend to lost track of time when I'm reading the book. I would say everyone should read it, but I'm not done yet... I'll let you know what I think at the end.

This week has been good. Exhausting, but good. Wednesday was probably the most challenging day I've had so far. I had regular class, 2 rehearsals which were extremely hard and a lot of choreography, and I took a contact improv class. For those of you who don't know, its a class where you improv your dance moves, but your dancing with a partner. You have to learn how to respond to the way your partner touches you and how to move together.... it was very challenging. It showed me how much of a selfish dancer I am... it was hard to learn to respond to another persons dance moves and think more as a unit than one dancer. I loved the class and hated it at the same time. I think I should go back... yet, I dread the thought of going back. I felt like I did a horrible job, but I think its good to be pushed and stretched.

I just want to throw a shout out to all my wonderful friends who let me stay with them and shower at their house/ dorm ;-) Because of gas, I decided to hang out in downtown for 3 days instead of driving home every night. My friends allowed me to crash at their places and I am extremely grateful!

My family is so awesome too! Everytime I come home they get so excited to see me. I love spending time with my family even though its down to a minimum right now. Its so strange because I see my family less now that I live at home, than I did when I was in college last year. Such is life I guess!!

This week has been great! Moment of honesty: I've been slacking on my devotions this week, and its encouraging (in a sad way) that I miss my time with Jesus... Sometimes I feel like I'm just going through the motions, but I miss the deep time... more than just a few minutes with my Savior.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! Me, I'm going to dance my heart out then hang with my small group girls on Sunday!

Love,
Raye Raye ;-)

Raye Raye's Retroactive Review of the Week :)

So yeah, the word Retroactive just popped into my head, and I decided to use it... I generally tend to use the same words over and over, so when I get a new word in my head, I like to use it.

This week has been good...tiring. I found out this week that Vanderbilt is not going to do their certificate program this year. They ended up not having enough applications to continue the program for this year, so now I tell people that I'm taking a year off of college to dance full time. Which I'm ok with. I am truly enjoying this journey.


So, all of Nashville (and probably Tennessee) is panicked over gas. There is none to be found after 12pm. People are waiting for an hour and a half to get gas because it is so scarce. And of course places are price gouging. I think its pathetic, if people didn't panic we probably would have enough gas... the only problem is, now I'm low on gas, so I'll have to join the race to the pump. I really just want enough gas to get me until Thursday or Friday when I get paid.

I'm going to shove off. I have to get ready for church tomorrow, so this is a really random blog.
I hope you all had a wonderful week, and have enough gas to get you through the weekend :-)

Sunny with a High of 75 :)

As I opened my window to write this blog the song "High of 75" by Relient K came on... I love that song. It always puts me in a good mood, and it happens to match my mood at the moment.

This week has been good. I'm am completely and utterly exhausted, but I a loving every moment of the journey. Dance has been good. I was really nervous, but extremely excited for the first class. The classes are pushing me to the limit and kicking my butt. But it is a good thing. The teachers are really encouraging. I have a lot of work to do, and once I lose weight it will make the dancing a little easier, but for now I'm doing my best and working my hardest.

Ragtime rehearsals are going well. Stretching me mentally, the choreography for the show in intense and super hard and the choreographer goes so fast when she teaches the moves... its been good though.

The only downside to my life right now is the fact that I don't get to see my family very much. I live at home, yet I leave before my family is up, and get home after my family goes to bed. Its gotten to the point that when I do come home in the middle of the day my sisters ask, "Raychel, are you staying or going again?" Its slightly heart-breaking, but I'm enjoying staying busy.

At the moment I am looking for a good Bible study. I've done the 'reading the Bible' thing... but I want a commentary of sorts, something to challenge me to think farther and deeper than I normally would. I just got done reading Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastics. But now I'm ready for something else... If you have any suggestions let me know. I was kind of thinking of a Beth Moore Bible study. But I don't know... we'll see.


I hope you all are doing well!

Now on to work!
~Raye~

Update

Wazzup Fellow Bloggers!

I know I've been a while... things have been crazy around here. I've made some pretty crazy decisions in the past month.

Long story short... I've decided to withdraw from Belmont and pursue what I am truly passionate about. Therefore I am going to be dancing full time at Vanderbilt University. I will be dancing full time and taking lecture classes on dance, and I will come out with a certificate in dance from Vandy in May. I am SO excited! The first class went well, I have a lot to do to get back into shape, but I am so excited to see what God has in store for me this next year.

Not only do I get to dance, but I'm doing the musical "Ragtime" with Belmont! Ragtime is one of my favorite musicals, and God was so go to allow me to audition and get into this musical. Musicals are very hard to get into if you're a student at Belmont because there are so many musical theater students, and its not allowed if you're not a student at Belmont. But because Belmont needed more African-American people for the musical, they allowed outside people to audition. Hence, I get to be in one of my favorite musicals with most of my college friends, and I don't go to school there anymore. God is SO good!

I am also leading a small group of 9th grade girls with 2 other women from my church. There are about 18 girls in our group and they are all amazing and so unique. I look forward to being with them the next 4 years!
I also teach 2 modern classes a week, and work at Chick-fil-a.

Needless to say, I am extremely busy, but I am LOVING IT!!

I hope you all are doing well!
God Bless,
Raychel


p.s.
I still haven't forgotten that I need to write a blog about the Haygoods ;-)

(the pic is me and my Belmont friends during our church's Amazing Race)