December 7th

Okay, so December 7th is an important day in the history of the United States.

December 7th is the day that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States in to World War II.  Millions of lives would be changed as American men and women pulled together to fight against the Axis powers.  The war would last for four years for the United States, ending in 1945.

This day also has special meaning for my family as my great-uncle Johnnie Bistline was killed on this day in 1944.  I had never heard of him until I came to Utah State as a freshman.  I was walking around Logan when I saw a monument near the courthouse.  I went to check it out as I'm always curious about monuments!

Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a monument to all the war veterans from Cache Valley.  As I was reading through the list of soldiers, I saw the name John Anthony Bistline Jr.  I was blown away!  I had never heard of Bistlines living in Logan before.  Long story short, my dad told me that Johnnie was my grandpa's older brother!

Since then, I've spent a lot of time trying to find out more about this great-uncle of mine!  I don't want him to be forgotten.  Not after the sacrifice he made for our country.

Johnnie was only 18 years old when he enlisted in the United States Marines.  He went to California for 6 months where he was trained.  He was then stationed in Hawaii for another 6 months.  Johnnie was to be on the amphibian tank crew when he made it to the island of Saipan in December of 1944.  His first day on the island, there was a brief aerial attack by Japanese planes.  Johnnie was walking with three of his fellow soldiers when he was struck by a bullet from one of the airplanes.
He was killed at the age of 19.

While I never had a chance to know my Uncle Johnnie, I'm grateful for his courage and his brief life.  And I don't want to ever forget his sacrifice.

Christmas Devotional Adventures!!

It is now December!

December is Christmas time and Christmas time = The First Presidency Christmas Devotional!!  (The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a Christmas Devotional every year during the first week of December!  To listen, watch, or learn more visit www.lds.org). 

My best friend Brittany got tickets for us to go to the devotional and she's always great at getting me out of my comfort zone.  So she decided it would be a great date idea.

She asked her friend Jonathan and I asked our friend Mitch.  So off we went to drive to Salt Lake this afternoon so we could get there early.  The drive there was uneventful.  We go to the devotional and it was great!  The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed beautifully as always and we were super close to the front!  We watched the prophet and his counselors take their seats.  We also saw a number of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve come in.  It was just great!

After the devotional, we walked around Temple Square to look at the lights.  It was all beautiful, but really windy.  Okay, we survived that!  It's fine!

We went into the Assembly Hall on Temple Square and listened to some more lovely music before heading back outside.

Rain drop, rain drop, LIGHTNING!!  Wind, wind, raindrop, hail?!  Yep, hail!  So all of a sudden, it starts pouring rain and hail on us!  And my car was parked two blocks away!

Needless to say, we were completely soaked by the time we got to my car that was parked in a parking garage.  Off go our wet shoes and wet jackets and time to make sandwiches!  So yep, we made sandwiches in the parking garage...soaking wet...without shoes!  Pretty great my friends!

But it was so much fun!!!  Even though we were cold and wet and hungry!  Greatest adventure so far this year I must say...

Maybe Brittany and I shouldn't plan dates?!  :)

*Favorite Christmas Song:  Little Drummer Boy

Biology Paper - BAM!

I, Anna Marie, got 30/30 on a biology paper!

"What?!" You might ask.

"Impossible!" You most likely exclaim.

But yes, yes...I did get 100% credit on my biology paper.

So what's the big deal?!

The big deal is that I am terrible at biology! So this is probably my favorite A to ever get on a paper!

And I have come up with a couple of reasons as to why I did well this time!

Reason #1: My paper was about mangoes.  That's right, my friends, mangoes!  Three whole pages of pure mango bliss! Where they originated from, how they're cooked,

where they're found, etc. etc. etc!

Mangoes are delicious...and maybe they're a favorite of my professor's?

Reason #2:   There are like 150 students in that class, so maybe the professor didn't read very closely.

If so, that's fine! Because if I was supposed to write about how mangoes make seeds

or what proteins and amino acids are in them, I would definitely not have done as well as I did!

Reason #3: I added a little bit of a personal touch by explaining that I gained a love for mangoes while living in Australia!  I'm sure my professor loved it that there was a little story in there!

Do you think they ever get tired of reading about plants?!

I know I would!

But I guess they probably don't, since they went to school for so long to learn about them

and then teach about them e'ery day!

But no matter how I got that A, I still got it!  I might have to frame that paper - to remind myself that

I'm not completely hopeless in the sciences!  :)

I just had to share my joy for the day!

Thanksgiving, Being Home, and Back to Real Life!

Thanksgiving!

The holiday of food, family, and fun!

Mine was fantastic with all of the above!

We always have a plethora of food and this year was no exception!
I ate far too much pumpkin pie (but I liked it!) and who knows what else?!
At least I left room on my plate for some vegetables!

I loved being home with my family!
I even worked a little bit on my thesis paper!
Cooking, learning a new line dance (the Fake ID one from the new Footloose - everyone always knows it at country swing dancing and I don't! But now I do!),
cleaning out my old room, chatting with the siblings...
it all made for a wonderful weekend!

And now I'm back to real life -
The life of homework and research and writing
and stress!
But the stress part will soon be over...
at least for a few weeks!
And then I will sleep in...well, at least on the days I don't have to work morning shift.

*Good Movie:  Lincoln!!!!

*Good Song: Lego House by Ed Sheeran

New Addictions!

I have some new addictions!

Number 1: The TV show "Once Upon A Time."  I know, I know, the acting isn't always that great and the special effects leave much to be desired.

But I just can't help it!  Maybe it's the little girl in me that still loves fairy tales and happy endings.

Or maybe it's just the incredibly attractive men.

Or maybe it's the idea that we are much more than we think we are...

That we're capable of great things even when we have a hard time believing in ourselves.

Either way, I just finished the 1st season on Netflix and

I have no idea how I'm going to get caught up on the 2nd season!  Bah!

Number 2: Pumpkin pie.  Okay, this one's not really that new...in fact, it's not new at all!

I just rediscover it every year during the holiday season!

Number 3: Smoothies!  I can't get away from these guys!  My roommate Lindsey showed me how easy they are to make!  

I've always heard that they were easy, but for some reason,

I had convinced myself that I didn't have time!

Well, let me tell you I love those things! They are delicious!

I throw in some frozen fruit, a banana, some spinach, some milk and orange juice

and Wa La!  Delicious nutritious breakfast!

Or lunch...

Or dinner!  Whate'er floats your boat!

Number 4:  Researching for my senior thesis.
Maybe this isn't so much addiction, but necessity.
Because I know that the second I stop thinking about it, it's going to be due!
And I'll still have heaps of it to finish!
But for the most part, I'm really enjoying what I'm learning.
I have a feeling that I will probably go crazy over Christmas Break when I don't have anything to do!
Withdrawals...I will be experiencing you very soon!

Number 5: Sleeping.  It's just a pity that I don't have time to feed this addiction.
Because I have a feeling that this is my favorite one right now.

So there you have it!  If you want to win me over, bring a good fairy tale, pumpkin pie, a fruit smoothie, and/or letters written by African American soldiers during the Civil War!
 We will be friends for life!  :)

Making Life Decisions!

I had a little bit of an emotional weekend!

Don't worry...it wasn't anything too dramatic.  Well, for me it was a little bit, but it has a happy ending!

Today was registration for Spring semester day!  I was all excited this last week, looking at which classes to take for my last semester of undergraduate work.  But then I discovered something that could change my fate forever!  (Okay, well change the next year of my life anyway).  I need a Quantitative Intensive class to graduate.  In looking at the course descriptions, I realized that all of them have Math 1050 as a prerequisite.

I've taken Math 1050!  What's the problem?!

I took Math 1050 over 6 years ago...that's the problem!  And for some reason, schools like to have you all caught up on your math classes and make sure that you took them like last year.  Why?!  I don't know!  I feel like there are other classes that are more important to be caught up on than math classes.

So I've been freaking out all weekend thinking that I wouldn't be able to graduate.  On top of that, I would have to take the Math Placement Exam which would not go very well.  Did you see that number for how many years it's been?!  Six...yeah six!  So that means I don't remember anything!  Which probably means that they would put me back in like Math 990 or something...This whole situation was just beginning to look worse and worse by the second!

But no fear, my friends!  I stayed up til midnight last night to register for classes and guess what?!  I got registered for a QI class!  That's right!  I'm taking it and I am graduating in May!  Bam!  Who needs math anyway?!

On the other hand, I'm starting to consider teaching seminary as a career option.  (In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we have a seminary program for youth in high school to take religion classes in conjunction with their high school classes).  That would be pretty fun right?  Maybe...?  :)

Faulty Sinks

I go to one of the best engineering schools in the country.

So my question is, why do I get doused in water every time I wash my hands in the women's restroom?! 

Yes, it's true...the sinks are the sensory ones.  You know the ones - where you put your hands under there and the water just comes on.  But the sinks in the library...this is what happens:  I slowly put my hands under the faucet and cringe waiting for the blast of water to come. 

Nothing...nothing...WHAM!  Water spraying everywhere!!  It comes out so fast and with so much pressure that I feel like it doesn't even get on my hands!  It just bounces right off and gets all over the sink, the mirror, my arms, and my shirt!  Everywhere!!  What?!  Isn't there some way to turn down the water pressure?!  I feel super bad for the custodians!  I bet they're mopping up water in that place like every 15 minutes!

On another note, today is the presidential election.  I'm kind of nervous for this one.  But I haven't gotten as caught up on my politics as I should be.  I used to be all about politics - knowing what was going on, arguing over controversial issues, and reading all kinds of politicalness!  I still have a very strong opinion on what's going on...I'm just not as informed as I used to be!

All I know is that I am very glad that I live in the United States of America!  I love this place!!  And many people have given up a lot for us to be able to vote and to enjoy the freedoms that we do!  More than a lot of people realize...

*Good Book: Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory by David W Blight  (this one's for all those people who like to read historical study books...because that's what this is! But it's good if you're a nerd like me!!)