December At Last

I really think December is my favorite month of the year, despite the fact that it's cold. And in Utah it's just cold. No snow, just cold. Meh, at least we don't have to shovel our driveway. Anyway, December is finally here! We're down to 3 days of class, and next week is finals!! Just 12 more days and we'll be in good old Minnesota snuggling with Jack and Aiden (if they aren't too wiggly), playing pirates and princesses with Katie and Jane, and doing who-knows-what with Ryan, Calvin, and Sophie. I adore those kids and I cannot wait any longer to see them!!

Last night Benjamin had a concert for his German choir class, so Kelsie and I went to support him. We were not informed that the entire thing was going to be in German. I don't think Benjamin really knew what was going to happen. It was this whole Christmas performance with readings from Luke and other stuff we didn't understand. The only thing they said in English was to locate the nearest exit and that they weren't going to speak any more English for the night. Kelsie and I did our very best, but when we realized that someone was praying about 15 seconds late we just couldn't contain it. Plus, German is just one of those languages that sounds totally ridiculous if you don't speak it. We really lost it when the audience joined in on one of the songs. We didn't know we were going to be asked to join in because, well, they explained that in German. We did our very best to sing the song printed on the back of the program. We didn't know the tune or how to say any of the words. We were awful. It was fun to go with Kelsie though, and Benjamin did a great job. He looked nice up there, anyway.

Yesterday was also Fast Sunday. It's always a good experience to give up food for a day and focus on more important things. Church was wonderful. I don't know why it surprises me so much when so much of what is said seems to be answering my specific prayers and questions and needs, because I feel like it happens every week. Honestly, some weeks I'm sure that nobody else's questions are being answered because everything is said for me. :-) Heavenly Father answers our prayers, even if we don't get the exact answer we are searching for.

Oh, the other thing we did yesterday was make our hotel reservation for our anniversary!! We're going to Duluth for the day to window shop (which is the best way to shop - no money!), go somewhere nice to eat, and walk through the Christmas light display that they do each year. It'll be really nice.

So here we are, with finals fast approaching. We're cracking down on finishing up assignments and projects, and getting a start on our studying. I'm a little surprised to discover that I'm sad about more than one of my classes ending. I really enjoyed my physiology class. Our bodies are so amazing and every time I study them I am in awe of their complex beauty. The human body is probably my favorite thing to study, with DNA and genetics right up there. I'm still upset that I don't get to take human embryology in my new major. My bioethics class was really interesting, and it opened my eyes to a lot of issues in the world regarding biology. It has taught me to look at them from every angle before making a judgment or forming an opinion. The one that really surprised me was my biodiversity class. Do you ever have those moments when you just enjoy learning and you wish that you could stay in school forever, learning everything that is there to learn? I didn't really love the first half of the class, but the half about vertebrates has been really cool. I wish I could take field trips to the amazon to go study frogs and salamanders, or go with one of Dr. Site's classes when they go learn about ecosystems and then catch the invasive bull frogs in the area and learn how to make frog legs. I wish I could do some of the amazing things he's done and have those kinds of stories to share. Some of these animals are really amazing. I'll miss these classes. On the other hand, I am so ready for a break, and to see my family!