I CAN'T WAIT TILL CHRISTMAS!!

Hope you're doing well and having a great pre-Christmas season! Here's the weekly update:

Monday was one of the greatest days ever, even though it was a Monday. After German Professor Kelling came up to talk to me. He explained he was teaching 2 seminar courses next semester and wasn't going to take a German 330 section, but that the department had decided to add an extra section because the demand for the course was so high. He had agreed to take the additional German 330 section if he could have help. To my utter astonishment he asked me if I would like to be that help - and not just grading help. I would even be teaching some of the time!!!! I'm so excited! I accepted of course. This means I'll have an EXTREMELY busy schedule next semester, but I can't pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity! In math we got our tests back for the second time (they had to be regraded because the graders didn't grade them the same) and I got bumped up 15 points, a whole letter grade!! Later in dance class we learned the polka, which is hysterically fun. During dance I got to dance with our ward choir director and he asked if I would like to sing a solo for choir! I don't think I've ever had such a good Monday.

Tuesday we had our usual German study group, after which I went to take the exam. I felt really good about it, and hopefully I'll get it back tomorrow and find out for sure. In the evening I went to see the first half of Rachel's orchestra concert, which was amazing. Although I was barely on time I was able to meet Robyn, Granny and the kids and watch. It was simply beautiful, and I left uplifted and ready to conquer the mountain of homework that was waiting for me.

We got really lucky and the Physics exam got pushed back 2 days because the Professor hadn't been able to finish writing it in time. After physics Kelsey, Cami, Natalie and I went to ask Professor Turley some questions. While we were talking Natalie slipped on one of the stairs in the classroom, fell and started sobbing. She said her foot hurt really bad and she couldn't get up or stop crying. Professor Turley called the EMTs and Kelsey and I went to the vending machine to get some ice cream sandwiches to put on it (that's the closest thing to ice we could get to). The EMTs came, wrapped the foot in ice, and helped her down the stairs. Her brother came to pick her up and take her to the student health center while Kelsey, Cami and I carried her things and finished the physics lab that was due; we were all scared her foot was broken. Hours later I opened the door to find Natalie there on crutches with a foot brace. We wouldn't know for sure weather it was broken until the radiologist looked at the x-rays, but it probably wasn't. Turned out it was just a bad sprain, but they said it would take as long for it to heal as a break. It was really painful for her too.

Professor Turley said Natalie shouldn't worry about taking the exam yet if she couldn't. We were going to take the calculus test the next day though since Professor Speiser said if Natalie's foot wasn't broken or fractured she'd have to take it before Friday. Getting up to the testing center wasn't as bad as it could have been; Conner drove us up to campus, but even the fairly short walk from the car to the testing center was really painful. She got bruises on her hands from the crutches, despite her gloves. It was pouring rain when the test was over. Somehow she was able to hobble down to a street where her brother could pick her up. All I could do was try and encourage her, watching her struggle. We made it down somehow; she went to a piano concert with her family and I watched a movie with Cami before I started studying for physics which I was planning to take as soon as the testing center opened on Saturday morning.

I got that awful physics test done (finally), and then it was time to have fun. Our whole ward was getting in 2 huge buses to see temple square and the Joseph Smith movie in Salt Lake City. Erin was going to go to a concert afterwards with her parents, so she needed to take her own car. Chris and I decided to keep her company. The movie was great as always, and we took some fun pictures in the Joseph Smith building before we left.

Temple square is beautiful when it is covered in snow, and the spirit of Christmas was exuding from everything. We gazed at the life sized nativity scene, explored the conference center and tabernacle as far as we were able and walked around the temple itself. The beauty of it all was magnified twenty times when the lights turned on. My camera stayed out the rest of the time trying to capture the beauty of it all. Naturally it was insufficient, but I have some poor impressions that I can put up on the blog if you'd like. After narrowly avoiding getting stuck, we did get back safely with the bus. Back at the dorms Kelsey Cami and I made sugar cookies and watched a movie - so much good plain fun!

Anyway, finals are not this week but the next week, which I can hardly believe. Can't wait to see you all at Christmas (hopefully!!).
Love,
Margaret