The Light at the End of the Tunnel

This has been another great week. As always, there were some bad moments, but mostly good moments. It was fairly average with the routine of going to school, going to work, and then coming home to do homework and then relax by reading or watching a show. Last Monday my ward had a culture night/talent show which was a lot of fun. This has been one of my favorite student wards at BYU, second only to my freshman ward. I love the Bishop and it got me really excited to hear him play some Beatles songs on the piano as the activity was getting started. There were several memorable performances from various members of the ward including several great piano numbers, a celtic band, and a performance of a Phantom of the Opera piece. The food was good too, with food from various parts of the world. There was also 'cake' which is always a plus for any activity. All in all, a very good, fun night.

I have to admit I've been obsessed with something this past week. I've been obsessed with Adam Lambert's performance of "Mad World" on American Idol. It is my favorite Idol performance ever. I was enchanted by it on Tuesday night and thankfully I taped it and I've been watching it over and over again. I also purchased it on Itunes and have been listening to it on my ipod nonstop as well. I've never been this addicted to a particular song before, it is crazy. I am really rooting for Adam on American Idol, but even if he doesn't win, I think he has a strong career in music ahead of him. He is a born performer and has an incredible vocal range. Just awesome.

Besides that, Kevin and I had fun on Easter Weekend. We got some Easter candy and watched Stardust on Saturday. We also went to this great restaurant called 5 Guys which is a hamburger place. It was really good! We dyed Easter eggs and watched Lion King 1 and 1/2. It was a nice way to forget about the fact that I wasn't home for Easter. It brought back memories of my childhood, so that was fun. Then, on Sunday, I went to church and really felt the spirit during sacrament meeting. There were several short talks on various conference talks, and it was cool how the speakers linked all of their talks back to the Savior and the Atonement, since that is what Easter is all about. The Bishop spoke last and really talked about the Atonement and how we need to rely upon the Savior for help in our journey in life. It was really great. Then, after that, I went to Kevin's family's house for Easter dinner and it was awesome with Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Salad, Asparagus, Deviled Eggs, Jello Eggs and Rolls. Then, to top it all off we had Strawberry Pie for dessert, which was really awesome. I was very happy that night.

I also got to talk to my parents on Easter night and it was great to hear their voices. They each gave me a great piece of news. My dad said that for my easter gift, since I've outgrown candy, he is going to buy 2 tickets to Prog Nation this summer for me and 'a friend'. Hopefully my dad can be the friend that I take, but it depends on if he has a gig that night or not. I am so excited for this concert! It is four bands that I really love, including one of my all time favorite bands: Dream Theater. I'm excited! Also, my mom told me that on Monday, April 20th, my family is going to Disneyland to celebrate my sister's birthday and they want me to come with them. I was planning on getting home that evening, but now I'm going to leave the day before so that I can go to Disneyland with them, so that should be tons of fun! I'm excited about that too!

So, there is a lot to look forward to. These last few weeks have been a little tough, but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to get through this week of finals, and then I get a nice break where I get to spend time with my family. I was starting to feel bogged down with all the papers I have to complete and revise for my finals, but, with the promise of spending time with family, I feel I have the strength to push through and do well on my finals. This is often my approach in life, I like to have things to look forward to as motivators to get past what I'm worried about right now. It is nice to start seeing that light at the end of the tunnel and to be out of the tunnel for a while before I head right back in.