Family Picture May 2022

Family Picture May 2022

Friday, January 5, 2018

December 2017

A lot of this month was helping my parents and sisters move, and trying like crazy to earn my remaining 40 CSW field work hours (need to have a total of 4000 post graduation and State exam) so I could apply for my licensure by the end of 2017. I didn't quite make it, but am happy to say that on 1/4/18 I achieved my goal and today my supervisor signed off on the hours, so my application for LCSW status is in the mail today. Yippee and hooray! I've been working on those hours since May 2011, and if you count my schooling its a goal that has been 9 years in the making.

So I didn't make a gingerbread house this year. Boo. But as usual lots of other things happened in December. I didn't go too crazy with pictures this year, just a few or one per event (except Jared's 40th birthday I went a little nuts) so you get the jist.
First 10 photos:
Grandma Sandy christmas party! I made 21 little symbols of Christmas times 3 of my children and Jared made sure they got there as I was helping people move. Always a highlight of the season for my kids to be with all their Schauers cousins and do Christmas oriented activities. Thanks Wendy Snow and Sandra Seigmiller for putting that together!
Then we had the ward Christmas party which was frankly stressful for us because Jared is the YM president and his auxiliary was in charge and there was some miscommunication about assignments and YW leaders took charge without telling anyone and anyway, it turned out great in the end and we all tried to love each other anyway. The youth all participated in something musical, and Savanna played her ukulele and sang songs as background music.
I threw a Barrett birthday party for my sister Holly. Her birthday is Dec 9 and she has had a lot of work to do moving while still recovering from having a baby and losing a baby, so I wanted to do something a little extra nice. We had fun eating dinner, giving gifts, singing and "lifting our glasses" to Holly. We love her and her family.
Fiora and Weston of course had a choir Christmas concert which was fun and they looked dashing. Weston got his braces off after 3 1/2 years of dealing with them. His teeth look great and he is even more handsome than ever with his nice smile.











Next 7 photos:
Jared and I went to Salt Lake to do a temple session and see the lights. The last time I saw the temple square lights it was freezing and we had little kids who were complaining the entire time so I vowed to never do that again. But with just my sweetheart and milder temperatures it was really enchanting. Its nice to visit that temple where we got married now and again.
Heidi and Lynn Weight gave a sibling gift to us on the Schaures side, and they went all out by inviting us to dinner and then having a mini Christmas where she showered us and her kids in town all with presents. It was really nice to have someone cook my family dinner, and we loved the gifts.



 



Next 17 photos:
Jared and Justin turned 40 this year! We were able to secure a church building on their actually birthday December 22nd and throw a dinner party for all our extended families and a few friends. About 75 people came to show their love to the twins. I got really sick that morning but thankfully revived enough strength to work in the afternoon getting all the food prepared and to the church, which thankfully turned out great. Wendy Snow helped with some food, and Shawna Schauers did a great job with all the decorations, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. Everyone got a kick out of their matching outfits. Some family took turns roasting and toasting Jared and Justin and Justin took some time to say his appreciation for Jared, which was cute, and Jared returned the gratitude for a minute or two, ha ha. I love my over the hill husband and am happy I had the chance to celebrate him. He is a good honest, man, loving spouse and wonderful father.

















Last 13 photos:
Jared and I split responsibilities for gifts for our kids this year. I was in charge of stocking and him everything else. He kept saying he had one big gift for the kids and that was it, but a couple days before Christmas he brought in a bunch of wrapped gifts he had been collecting at his office and the tree looked very fun, like Santa had come. He did a good job at making it as fun as possible for 3 teenagers, ha ha.
I had the opportunity to collect hearts with messages of love from the ward members to "heart attack" a young family in the ward who has been struggling with the father's health issues. My girls helped me place the hearts in their yard after they left for church Christmas Eve which was fun.
Christmas Eve we let the kids open their Christmas jammies, which always seems to be the funnest gifts to open even though they know what they are getting, just the excitement of the first gift I guess! the kids all loved their unique to them pajama gifts.
We had our annual Christmas Eve progressive dinner with the Schauers that evening. We had appetizers this year. Jared helped me platter 60x5 different types of hors d'ouvre crackers and breads for everyone: turned out great! Light and satisfying. We go from house to house having food and having a little Christmas talent share from the kids. And this year Santa brought a pinata at the end! Totally fun memories. Unfortunately I got extremely ill that night with possibly keytone acidosis and was up all night, so Christmas day I was exhausted and out of it. I took 1 photo the entire day. Jared took more but hasn't ever shared them with me so I'm just making this post anyway! I'll add more pics later.
Christmas day we had a fun morning with the kids opening their gifts and stockings, they each got a substantial amount of cash and nice gifts. Then we went to my parents to say hi to my sister Rachel on a mission calling facetime that morning, and spend the afternoon there giving and receiving sibling gifts. I wish I felt better but still was happy to be with family. We are so blessed!
The last couple photos are of the day during Christmas break when Chad and Robin came down to visit and my kids got to go with their kids to the mall to shop with the gift cards we gave them. They had so much fun together. And we happened upon the Snows there eating  at the food court after skiing, it was fun to see their whole family together!











My one picture of Christmas day!



Not pictured was a fun birthday party for Gabe Carpenter and a white elephant gift exchange game there, Jared taking Weston and Sky and Wes' friend Luke sledding at timberlakes, and a fun dinner date with Chad and Robin at PF changs, and a fun New years eve at my parents house. Also my brother Jesse created a beautiful slide show for a Relief Society morning-side we had at the beginning of the month, and I just have to share the picture he created for it. So beautiful. I'm so thankful for my Savior and to my Heavenly Father for giving us the gift of His son!

In Memory of Lillian

In Memory of Lillian
Our Family