Another fortnight has come and gone, and it has been a good one! One of the highlights was last night, when I was able to watch Joanna and the fabulous Orchestra at Temple Square perform at, of all places, Temple Square! It was a delightful program, and had a fun Viennese Theme. Hayden, Mozart, and Strauss highlighted the concert. My parents were able to attend, and they loved it as well. The orchestra played beautifully, and I was especially touched when Vesna dedicated a song to President Hinckley and Igor paid tribute to his father. Afterwards, Joanna and I met up with Teran and her boyfriend, Mike, and we had a delightful time together. We went to the Salt Lake Roasting Company and enjoyed hot cocoa while chatting the night away.
Earlier that day, Joanna went with Ike, Jenet, and Shirley to make phone calls for Romney. There is a call center down the street from UVU, so they made calls all morning. Joanna is hoping to make a few more rounds during the coming week. We're looking to do even more to help Romney get elected, but more on that in the next blog post. Considering how close this election is, a few phone calls can make a big difference. Only 9 days left until the election!
Now that Joanna has finished her rehearsals, she can be my study buddy. I am still devoting most of my time studying the LSAT, but I'm still having a hard time catching on the games section. That's the greatest obstacle left. I hope that by reviewing the material with Joanna I'll be able to make more improvement. It helps a lot to be able to vocalize the concepts, so we are going to give that a try. I feel like I'm almost there. Aside from the test, I worked a lot on polishing my personal statement last week and getting the letters of recommendation in order. I feel like I'm making progress, and I am grateful for my friends and mentors who are writing my letters: Taylor Drage, Larry St. Clair, and the one and only Rick Dawg Lounsbury. Each of them has made a very positive impact on my life. I met up with Rick Dawg last week, and I am thrilled that he is willing to write my letter, as if having him lift weights with me every Saturday morning at 6:30 wasn't enough. You won't find a more devoted friend than Rick Dawg.
Mason has been a little out of the weather lately, and it seems like a lot of it has to do with his teething. He has had a fever the last couple days, and he has been more irritable and grumpy as of late. I keep telling him that the ability to eat steak and ribs will make this all worth it, but he doesn't seem to quite get it. Hopefully he starts feeling better soon because the weather is starting to get colder (much to my dismay). It looks like we are going to get some more warm weather this coming week, so we'll try to make something of it.
On Friday, while Joanna was playing in her first concert, I took Mason to the Czech Consulate in Salt Lake, which is in the office of Jonathan Tichy, who works at the Prince Yeats law firm. In commemoration of Czech Independence Day (Oct. 28), they showed the film Fireman's Ball, a biting critique of communism in the Czech Republic. It was comical and political, so I loved it. It was fun to chat with a few of my mission friends and reminisce about the registration of the Church in Slovakia, which Jonathan Tichy and Ryan Mecham (also in attendance) helped lead.
One of the highlights of the past couple weeks was attending a speech by Ron Paul at UVU! Although I'm supporting Mitt Romney this election, I've always admired Ron Paul and his principles. He's a caring, ethical person who stands for individual liberties. He resonates with a lot of people, and I get the feeling his impact will continue to be felt long after he retires from politics. Even Mason enjoyed the speech:
Last week we had the opportunity to talk to Mom and Dad in the Philippines, and it was good to hear they are doing well and that they are healthy and happy. It sounds like they are very busy sharing the Gospel with the good people there. I can tell they've had the opportunity to impact many lives already. We are proud of them, and wish we could visit them in person! At least we have Skype.
Joanna and I celebrated the two year mark from our engagement day, October 19. While October 19 is known for being the day when the stock market took the second biggest plunge in history, the market forecast for us as a couple has only gotten better :) We went on a simple date--bowling, pizza, and just a good time.
Here's to more good times in the coming week. Time to work hard, play hard!
