There is no end to how much we can celebrate

The celebrations started on December 1st for the Schauers, and they kept going steady nearly every day, and they just keep coming and coming. Tonight 12/23/13 we are going to Jesse and Kelsy's to celebrate her birthday and watch "The Nativity" and tomorrow is Christmas eve so we will have the Progressive Dinner with the Schauers. Last night was 12/22/13 Jared's birthday, and so we had the Barretts over for Reuben sandwiches, Jared's favorite, and had a little Christmas sing and share after. Going backwards in time 12/21/13 Saturday we went to dinner and a movie to celebrate Jared, 12/20/13 Friday evening was Karli Sue's bachelorette party, 12/19/13 Thursday we had the elementary school's Christmas sing which Weston played the piano in for the orchestra, and Thursday was my Orem Chorale final Christmas concert, Wednesday 12/18/13 Jared's Tucano's birthday lunch, 12/16-12/19 I have been slaving all my spare hours on redecorating the kids' rooms for their Christmas gift this year, 12/15/13 Sunday Carols to our king, 12/14/13 Satruday my BIG Orem Chorale Christams concert and the Grandma Sandy Christmas party for the grandkids at aunt Wendy's, 12/13/13 Friday Mormon tabernacle Christmas Concert in Salt Lake with my parents, 12/12/13 Thursday Savanna's orchestra concert, and that's where it gets less every dayish, but STILL... 12/9 was my sisters hollys birthday so I went to her house to give her a gift that day, 12/8 the Christmas devotional by the first presidency, 12/7 our ward's big Chrstmas dinner and celebration at the church Jared helped prepare for, and 12/2 was my sister in law Kali's birthday and I have yet to give her her gift, and 12/1 was the Christmas morning side for our ward. No wonder I feel like taking 10 days off everything, it has been non stop celebration. But what a reason to celebrate! I have really felt the Christmas spirit making so much of a joyful noise unto the Lord this season.

In between all the celebrations there's plenty of work to do. Wendy Snow asked me to paint Bethlehem backdrops for the grandma sandy party, which I was honored to do, so I spent quite a few hours on that 12/11/13. Jared took many progressive pictures of my efforts painting the Bethlehem night panel, I will only include a few here, I painted the stable the next day. It was actually pretty fun to paint again, and I was surprised how well it turned out, I must have had angels with me helping me do it. Wendy created a nativity film which I am excited to see the end product. Savanna was Mary and Weston and Fiora were innkeepers. The cute baby Savanna is holding is baby Ava, who was a sheep. Tate was baby Jesus.

A few other pictuers from December. Our cute tree, the snowy landscape that you see from our backyard, (it has been so snowy this month!!!) the flowers the primary gave me when they released me from song leader, a couple pictures from the mormon tabernacle concert (that was so amazing and we got the best seats ever!!!), Weston at the Lindon El Christmas Sing concert, and in his gymnastics uniform for the meets coming up in January and February, Fiora in her Christmas elf costume, and Jared on his birthday for his birthday breakfast. Poor Jared was sick most of the week before his birthday, but he just kept working every day to get things done before Christmas. Jared is such a great guy, his birthday kind of gets lost in the shuffle of Christmas preparation, so I tried to make his day special on Sunday, and gave a toast to him which probably embarrassed him more than anything. He is a selfless, patient, kind, generous, honest, righteous person who works hard and provides well for his family, and is friendly and serviceful to neighbors and friends and clients, and who takes time to love me and his children, and on top of that he is very handsome and healthy! I'm very lucky to have him!!! I'm grateful he was born December 22nd, the world is a better place because he is in it.