December 2022

 Our final home remodel was completed on December 22, just like a birthday gift for Jared. We knocked down a wall to expand the family room, taking out a bedroom, but we also turned the large bedroom into two so still same number of bedrooms in the house. Added an accent wall, some new furniture and carpet and paint, looks cohesive and so much more functional. It was a lot of work to pack everything up and took about a month of construction zone in the house, but we love how it turned out. Before during and after pictures below.

Weston is hanging in there on his mission in Jaguarao Brazil. He had a great companion to start with, Elder Richins. We were very grateful he had a good one to start out with. He struggled at first with bed bugs and not understanding the language in a remote part of Brazil right on the border or Uruguay. But now the language is coming along and his companion has been transferred away so he is adjusting to new challenges. We love his emails and the service he is doing and the example of obedience he is. We got to talk to him on Christmas and see him open his few small gifts we were able to send with him.

My parents cheered me up this year (missing Weston) by giving me my late Grandma Rappleye's faux marble nativity set, which is my favorite nativity of all time, and it will be a treasured gift for years to come. My "Friends" would greet me after work each day in December and gladden my heart with nostalgia. 

We had the snowiest December I can ever remember this year. Good for the mountain reservoirs, not good for driving to work. Even the skiers are struggling to make use of it since the avalanche danger is so high. Started in November, storms still going strong Jan 3, I think its going to be a long winter! I miss the sun. But we had a lovely Christmas and New Year's Eve, with lots of gifts shared and time with family on both Schauers and Barrett sides. The Snows invited us over for Prime Rib dinner do dour gift exchange on "Christmas Adam." Our traditional Progressive Schauers Christmas Eve dinner was much fun, Christmas day was a sunday and we have 9 am church so we opened gift the night before so we wouldn't feel rushed. New Years Savanna's friends the Seegmillers joined us. 

Other December fun included Jared playing Santa for the ward food drive, me making gingerbread houses with Rachel and Kynsie, seeing Kynsie in a play, having a late thanksgiving feast with the girls and their significant others since we didn't get to see them on actual thanksgiving day, and celebrating Jared's 45th birthday with Jesse and Kelsy's family and my parents. Savanna did a couple different Christmas nails for me this month too. And enjoying our new basement!