Schauers Hours: December 2018

Better late than never. I've got to make my blog book for 2018 so I'm glad I have time to add December.
We started off December with a HBRE company Christmas party at the Sanctuary at Bellwood (the mountain home). Shawna and Justin have done such a wonderful job decorating the place. It was a success! Dinner was wonderful and everyone could come.

Savanna and her friend Savannah treated us to a couple of beautiful songs at the HBRE party. Of course we have to have a couple choir Christmas concerts thrown in the first week of December, Weston and Fiora sang in their school choirs. And we had the ward Christmas party. And the morningside and the Christmas devotional. I felt all celebrated out by the second week of December.
The kids all got new glasses in December, Weston looks handsome in his.

Fiora's room got a facelift, her Christmas wish was a remodeled bedroom. Her corner room (which also serves as the guest room which is why we wanted it to look particularly nice) is not all that large so it was hard to get the full affect of the progress but here is what I got:

Fiora got a job at Spring Garden Senior Living center in Lindon as a server for which we are very grateful! She is earning good money and doing a good service, and it's a good environment for her to work in. Also Jared bought some socks for a good deal and is very coordinated on Sunday. For some reason we took a picture of our sunday dinner this day.

We were back up to Bellewood Dec 15th to host some of Jared's siblings--first the Snows then the Weights--and families for some fun and games. We made chicken tortilla soup which ended up looking like Christmas soup cuz of the red and green. The kids did gingerbread houses and they turned out amazing!

We also snuck in a Barrett family dinner and nativity that Sunday, whew! And it went really well actually. The little kids were so adorable doing the nativity and it didn't seem as chaotic as usual this year. Fun memories. We had Karli Sue and Grant for christmas gifts this year and they absolutely oved the dishes and money and books we gave them! Gracious receivers.
Jesse and Kelsy gave to us this year and we were delighted to receive $100 gift card to Ruth's Chris stake house! Jared and I enjoyed a wonderful day date in Salt Lake city and enjoyed every bite of our fancy pricey and very fine dinner. We also enjoyed a temple session and a movie while Fiora spent the day with her friend Kade in Ogden.

Savanna had an ugly sweater contest at school and went as a present. She was darling. Jared turned 41 on the 22nd and we spend a lovely day together, I just followed him around and did whatever he wanted to do the whole day. That day was also the Grandma Sandy Christmas party so the kids had some fun at the Snows with their Schauers cousins, its so nice of Wendy to host that every year. Fiora made Jared a brownie pudding trifle for his birthday gift.

Also we had a nice Rappleye Extended Family Home Evening Christmas gathering sunday the 23rd.

Then we have our annual Christmas Eve Schauers progressive dinner, we go to each family members home in the area and have a course of dinner and a little talent share. We had soup this year and just did a repeat of the chicken tortilla Christmas soup. I played a piano solo, we all sang "What Child is This," Weston did "Silent Night" on the guitar, and Savanna sang "Christmas for Cowboys" and played the piano with it. Justin and Shawna gave the kids some gifts.

Then actual Christmas Day came at last! We enjoyed a laid back morning of opening gifts, and reading all the acts of service everyone recorded in the service box. Made me so happy to hear all the wonderful things my children did during the month of december.

Jared's dad and wife Bonnie surprised us with a visit Christmas morning, then we all enjoyed breaking out the karaoke machine Jared got the family for Christmas. So fun to sing! We took it to my parents and sang all afternoon. I collected eggs from my neighbor while she was out of town and gathered three dozen in one day! That was a nice gift to me. Also we got to talk to my brother Joseph on a mission in Texas on Christmas day.

But the fun doesn't stop there oh no. Jared and I hosted more fun at the Sanctuary! First we invited Jesse and Kelsy up for her birthday and loved having that quality time with them. The next day we had 12 teenagers in Weston's age group for a friend gathering, ahhh! It was actually quite a success and we enjoyed talking to the other couple who came up and helped take kids down. More karaoke!
Then... We had a lovely New Year's even party with Jared's family back up to Bellewood. Seth and Katherine, Amy and Aaron, and Justin and Shawna and their families were able to make it. Karaoke and card games and food! The kids had a blast. I enjoyed the evening and am glad we went, but I was very tired New Year's day.