I went to the prison, and Jared went to work. But what fun, Seth Snow got his mission call that very day and we were able to watch him open it, he's going to Mexico. Then we headed home to celebrate Jared's day with the Barretts at our first hot tub party! It was so fun. I actually came home from the prison a littl early to make Jared's favority birthday dessert, brownie pudding trifle. He loved it! And we love him. Happy Birthday Jared!
That day sped by and the next day also. Christmas Eve was upon us and the traditional Schauers progressive dinner and program was underway. The kids sang their songs and we enjoyed lots of great food and company. Then we sped home, put the kids to bed, and got the Christmas presents ready.
Grandpa Neil woke us up at 7:15 and Christmas morning magic begun. We love having Grandpa over for Christmas morning, no matter how early he comes! We opened our Christmas box where the kids have been writing and putting in their acts of service and we took turns reading each one. Then stockings!
Savanna's stocking theme was earrings, Fiora's was "Littlest Pet Shop" and Weston's was Bakugons. I put an actual real orange in their stockings instead of a chocolate orange this year, they were not thrilled.
The Weights gave us gifts this year, and we all loved the hats and socks and activities they gave us. Thanks Lynn and Heidi!
The kids all opened the smaller gifts they gave each other and the one big gift from mom and dad. Savanna's was a huge-o art kit, Fiora's was a house for her Littlest Pet Shop, and Weston was iron man accesories. Somewhere in there I managed to get a gift too, a new blow dryer.
Then the SANTA present, the grand finale, the climax...we got the kids real live gerbils! Jared found this to be the least expensive big exciting gift we could get. There are three males in that cage. Savanna named her black and white gerbil Skippy Jon Jones, Fiora named her tan gerbil Squeaker McSqueaken, and Weston named his black gerbil Fred. They were thrilled.
We did discover that Savanna has a phobia of rodents. She screamed at the thought of touching them, screamed when Fred got out of his little plastic ball, and screamed when she did dare to touch Skippy Jon Jones. She is warming up to them now, and they are warming up to the kids too.
We spent some time playing with gerbils and then headed up to Eagle Mountain for an amazing Christmas brunch of peach french toast, ham, potato egg caserole, and fruit. We exchanged presents with the Barretts, my parents gave us "Shrek Forever After" ! We came home and watched it that very night. We love it. After we visited Great Grandma Rappleye of course, thanks for your gifts Grandma!
The next day after church we went back to Eagle Mountain to celebrate Gabe Carpenter and Kelsy Barrett's birthdays. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my wonderful family, they are such a great support and we're so lucky to have each other in this dreary world. It truly was a very merry Christmas! We are so blessed.
As a parting note for 2010, I would like to include an excerpt from "If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard" that sums up an important coping tool for me this year:
Paul concluded his sermon with the statement that of faith, hope, and charity, the greatest is charity. The implications of that declaration are spiritually staggering. Could charity possibly be greater than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Or greater than hope in the Atonement? Or greater than hop for happiness in this life or hope for a better world and a place at the right hand of God? Yes. Because charity defines who and what we are seeking to become. Charity defines the nature of godliness. Paul taught the Colossians that charity was the bond of perfectness. Said the Prophet Joseph, “Love is one of the chief characteristics of Deity and ought to me manifested by those who aspire to be the sons [and daughters] of God.”
Very simply, without charity we cannot enter the celestial kingdom, because if our natures have not become defined by charity, then we won’t be like our Father and His Son. It’s as simple and as profound as that. For charity changes us. It transforms us. It is as a healing balm. When we plead with all the energy of our hearts to be filled with the pure love of Christ, the increasing continual bestowal of charity not only changes our natures, it heals us from the emotional and other wounds created by the buffetings we experience in this lone and dreary world.
Sheri Dew
3 comments:
Wow - what a FUN post! I LOVE the gerbil names! LOL What a crack up. :)
That's a lot of remains! Very fun. Ethan read this post with me and was very interested in all of the presents, except the gerbil, which he was probably glad not to have. :)
Looks like a great Christmas!
Oh, and I LOVE those trains! Those are serious. We didn't even ever break out the pre-made gingerbread house I bought. Lame.
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