My Favorite Part of Christmas!

I think that Christmas Eve is my very favorite part of Christmas!

I always like to take a little bit of time on Christmas Eve to ponder on the birth and life of my Savior Jesus Christ.  What a beautiful time!  I imagine the anticipation of His birth, just as we all experience the anticipation of Christmas morning.  Then I think of my own anticipation for the time when I will get to stand before Him.

Christmas Eve is when we have our Christmas Eve program.  Some of my family members put together a program of Christmas music to remember the birth of the Savior.  Then we have soup for dinner with my extended family that's here.  That's what Christ's coming was all about - families being together forever.  Because He came and lived and died and was resurrected, we can all be resurrected as well - to live with our families forever!  That means absolutely everything to me!

Christmas is a beautiful day full of presents and more family time, but I really think that Christmas Eve is my favorite.  The excitement, the gratitude, the peace, having these small moments that remind me of how much the Savior loves me - and how much He loves all of us.  Christmas comes to mean more to me every single year.

Happy Christmas Eve!  And Merry Christmas tomorrow!  May we all feel the peace that only Christ can give and recognize how much He loves us!  He - the very Son of God - came to earth.  And because He did, we can become so much more than we will ever be on our own.

Dear Men That I Have Crushes On

I really like men!

And I'm supposed to be writing a paper, but instead I'm writing on my blog...twice...in one day!

So here are my letters to men that I have crushes on!

Dear Smart Guy,

I think we should date!  Yeah...I do!  Because you're fun and smart and being around you makes me smile!  Even though you're a lot smarter than me and I don't know how to use modern technology, I feel like we could still make it work.

Dear Super Attractive Guy,

You have a super great smile and even though I don't know you very well, I wish that I did!  From what I've seen, you're super nice and a great dancer!  And I think you should ask for my number...because I'm far too scared to ask for yours!  If only I could get up the nerve to have an actual conversation with you, we'd be golden!

Dear Super Nice Guy with a Girlfriend,

I feel like maybe you should dump your girlfriend and date me instead.  Just saying!  You like being outdoors and so do I!  We could shoot guns and climb mountains and live happily ever after!  Yep, it's true!  I feel like you would probably even watch history documentaries with me, which is a huge plus!

Dear Guy with Incredibly Nice Arms,

Why are you so nice?  And so attractive?  I don't think you realize the effect that you have on us women!  I know that you will never date me, because you like brunette girls.  And unfortunately, I am blonde!  So even though I know that we will never be together, I still love dancing with you and admiring you from afar!  I guess I could always dye my hair...

Dear Thor,
I love you.  And I am here waiting for you anytime that you decide you want to get married!  Pick me.  That is all I have to say!

Lots of Love,
Anna

Now only one of them has to realize that I am the one for them and this single life could be over and done with!  I just need one...out of the five!  That's all!

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!  :)