Who Could Ask For Anything More?

Besides finding a mannequin in my car with a sign asking me to prom,  this month's been pretty normal. It's also been ruled by rehersals for our school play Crazy For You. As you know, I haven't always been fond of the character I was casted as. I really knew nothing of the play at the beginning other than my part was to keep up a high-pitched voice and say super-ditzy lines. In retrospect I'm not sure why that bothered me so much; it sounded like a home video of me when I was five. I guess they just handed me my script on an off day.

Anyways, near the deadline of our rehersals, things got pretty chaotic. There were disagreements on sets, people who didn't know their lines (guilty), and still songs that needed to be learned. I came home from each rehersal tired and ready for the whole thing to be done with.

And then the actual performance came. Miracles of miracles, things seemed to add up a little better a few days before with our dress rehersals and somehow we pulled it off. Not only did we pull it off, but we had fun! Show girls were no longer getting in each other's hair and the audience could actually hear us singing. The leads did amazing and there were several side-characters that became my absolute favorites. Now I was coming home from performances excited for the next night and a little bummed that it'd all be over.

Thanks to all who came. With rehersals before and after school I really don't have much else to write about this week other than this. And a tribute to those in it. Since everyone from the ever-giving piano players to the ever-patient choreographers (my mom included :) got flowers and cards, I just want to say something about my peers in the play. I love them all--stage makeup or no! Each time the female lead would give all us show girls a hug before the show began and the lead-lead was exactly what the word implies. He basically put the whole show on his shoulders and helped to keep us all going. There was the Zangler guy who put so much into his part that he became favorite character, the cowboys who made it hard to fake-laugh while we were 'fake-talking' in the back of the scenes, and whoever it was that suggested we have a group prayer before each performance.  The improvising was amazing and the behind-stage people rocked. Then, of course, our choir teacher who took us to get pizza afterwards :)

Now I wouldn't want to be casted as anyone else! I don't have any kissing scenes, I have a punchline in every one of my lines, and don't have to act much for the whole ditz thing--it comes pretty naturally. Who could ask for anything more, right?

Hakken-Kraks

I think its been what...a month?

Sorry. So again I will proceed to give excuses. 1. My brain has been void of any new topics. Most the problems I've been facing I've already written about on here and I'm still just trying to master those hurdles. 2. General Conference (LOVED IT!!) And 3. I've spent the last two Sunday afternoons at my Grandmas. I've been having far too much fun being both a Victorian-Era business fraud and the darn' tootin' county sherriff to do much else.

So here's to trying to be at least a little more consistent. Because I need this blog. More than I sometimes realize. And it's not anything that has to do with my writing skill, rather just the writing. I have this weird brain that doesn't always see a lesson in something until its finished putting it into words. That's how my Seminary Project worked out a least.

Anyways, Easter has been great!! The best I can remember since those days when I used to get  a little pink dress, gloves, and a bonnet too show off at primary.

Part of it is because of Seminary. As those of you who follow our class' facebook page know, we had an assighnment where we were to read the Easter story from all the gospels and then record what we learned.

Again, with the writing thing, my seminary journal has helped me learn and be reminded of a bunch! As a young women's group we went to the Easter Pagent in Pheonix and then camped in the front yard of our Bishop's relative. I have scraggly notes in there from early morning scripture study in my tent and with a morning like that--what with the singing birds and cool air--it was hard to be grouchy after a late night.

I've also been able to feel so much closer to my savior through it. So much! A relationship I realized I've been slacking a little in lately what with all the senior year business and going to college anxieties. But I have since made many committments to, as President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "Stop it." Because a lot of that chaos clears when you allow the spirit and His love to be with you more fully.

The pagent was amazing. I've been to it before but this time still struck me. I also got my earful of protestors standing outside and of ill-timed motorcycles loudly circling the grounds but I've realized that, no matter what the world tries to prove, I'm part of something greater here. I may not know just how great and I may not be very great in it, but as of now I am a part of it and have no plans of leaving. Whenever those motorcycles outdid the speakers or whenever a protestor said something that sort of jumbled up my way of thinking for a moment, I just clung to the simple truths. I knew the gopsel was true. I knew God loved me.

And its those truths I plan on using when I go to college or anywhere else. I've been told lots of stuff this year like, "One day, Annelie, the world's just gonna hit you like a brick wall." or "See? That's why I'm glad you didn't go to that college; you'd be seriously rattled."  It's probably true. And it probably stems from all the VeggieTales comments too. But still, its not comforting. No one wants to be shoved off into the great deep--all alone--with the advice to look out for falling bricks.

So the pagent helped me with that. Because I know I tend to put myself in this little 'Annelie bubble' and chances are something's going to come along and pop it.

It absolutely terrifies me. It's sent me to my knees a few of times and is even the reason why I have yet to experience "Senior-itis". But that experience taught me that while I might not know everything--and I certainly don't--I know enough.  Yes, I'll make mistakes. Yes, I'll probably witness things that'll make me want to curl up in my closet with my disney movies. Yes, I might feel like the needle lost in the haystack on that big campus. But I've repeatedly felt that I'll be alright. In the end all will be well and--as is the usual solutino with me--I can stop worrying so much.

So, like the mature, college-aged person I'm becoming, I've decided to take advice from my favorite Dr. Suess book, Oh, the Places You'll Go:

"All Alone!

Whether you like it or not,

alone is something you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance

you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won't want to go on."

"But on you will go

though the weather be foul.

On you will go

though the Hakken-Kraks howl.

Onward up many

a frightening creek,

though your arms may get sore

and your sneakers may leak."

So watch out Hakken-Kraks. This girl's jumping into this creek with both sneakers. (And she's taking her VeggieTales with her ;)