Christmas Card 2019

Ryerse Rant 2019

Sydnie (2) – Makes her voice be heard. Always has a baby doll in tow. Enjoys coloring, playing with her siblings, doing makeup,  singing songs and watching Baby Shark. Loves swimming and water. Almost done with potty training.  Very independent.

Coverton (6)– Lots of energy always! Likes coming up with new inventions. Has a Tender heart.  A Good friend.                                                                                                                                                  Enjoyed soccer and flag football. Always has some great impersonations, funny costume ensembles, and jokes. Music man.

Lucy (8) – Free spirit. Got baptized in April. Likes cooking and baking, Irish dance. Could read and write and draw all day long. Loves everything about school but math. Tried out soccer and liked it. Enjoys photography. Is totally honest, sometimes too honest.

Callahan (11) – Always hanging out with buddies. Loves watching and playing football.  Playing saxophone and really enjoys it. Loves his screen time. Chess champion. Earned a bike at school for reading and the arrow of Light award for Cub Scouts. Ladies man.

Emma  (13) –Teenager!!  making the best of middle school.  Made her first quilt. Took watercolor classes and even painted the cover of this card! Went on her first Girls’ Camp. Earned her YW Personal Progress Medallion. Trumpet player. So helpful.

Melanie – Started a new job as a preschool teacher and loves it. Still teaching piano including our 4.  Served as Primary Chorister, then Young Womens counselor. Also earned her YW Personal Progress medallion.  Trying to find time to fit it all in. 

Dave – Has been at Stillwater Billings clinic for a year and a half already.  Serves as Young Mens president. Got to take Emma, Cal & the youth here on a ghost town trip. Chosen to participate in the Leadership Billings Clinic development program. Family DJ.

As a family, visited Utah and Idaho several times, Missoula, Yellowstone, back to Scobey and Helena, too.  Still working on finishing up our yard & the interior of our house. Had great visits here with Grandma Di & Grandpa Scott, Grandma Sue & Grandpa Dan, Jeff & Shirley, and Mark, Mayela & Amber (if your name is not here, plan on it being here next year. ;) We love visitors!

Did you know poinsettias are a symbol of the Christmas star and they represent the blood of Christ and purity?  Poinsettias’ association with Christmas comes from a Mexican legend. The legend goes that a child, with no means for a great gift for the baby Jesus, gathered meager weeds from the side of the road to place at the church alter a Christmas Eve service. The congregation witnessed a Christmas miracle, as they say the weeds turned into brilliant red and green flowers.

Wishing you all the joy that Christ brought then and that He brings now!  Merry Christmas! 

Love, the Ryerse Family

Arrow of Light Cub Scout and a Young Woman Personal Progress Medallion

 In December, Emma finished and received her Young Women medallion.  The program was beautiful and Emma even played the opening hymn for it, As Zion's Youth in Latter Days.  She was awarded her medallion by Jamie and I got mine too and we shook the Stake Presidency and stake Young Women leaders hands.  She also received the rest of her ribbons for her bookmark.  I worked to get mine too so it was fun to work on it and earn ours together.  Each Sunday night, we'd pick something and work on it together.  Emma picked gold and I went for the silver. I am grateful for this new Children and Youth program that is coming up, but I will always be grateful for the growth that has come from the Personal Progress program.  It is way different from when I did it as a young woman, a lot more work and soul searching and goals and time spent and Spirit seeking and I like that.  Anyways, after there was a cool presentation on the Young Women's organization throughout time.  They had some desserts too.  We got some pictures and Emma wasn't too impressed when I said we should bite them like Olympic athletes did when they got the gold.  She loves me, ha!  

Callahan earned his Arrow of Light for Cub Scouts.  This is equivalent to the Eagle scout award for Boy Scouts.  It was a great ceremony and he put a lot of time into it.  Many of the things we did together at home with Dave or I when we stayed up together.  We didn't get very many great photos, but a few at the ceremony.  Of course, we couldn't find his handkerchief or neck slide that night but found it a few days later.  He has really enjoyed his Scouting days but now we are looking forward to what is next to come.  Way to go, bud!!

Our Turkey Callahan is 11!

We had a friend birthday party for Cal the weekend after we got home.  Cal wanted a Shrek themed birthday.  It turned out pretty fun.  On the invites, it said "Calling all Ogres - Callahan is 11".  We had 7/8 kids he invited come, so it was a good turn out.  Casten, Jordyn, Leland, River, Nolan, Ethan, and Levi all came to help celebrate.  

Things started out with rough housing and wrestling downstairs while we waited for everyone to get there.  When Cal and I were planning, he said "Mom, we are going to do typical 5 grade boy stuff, you know, wrestling and being crazy....getting shreked"  So that's how we started it off, and boy, were they loud!

"In the morning, I'm making waffles!" We started out by eating waffles with all types of toppings, hash browns, sausages, eggs and drinking all kinds of milks and juices.  The boys stuffed themselves silly.  

"Are you talking to me?"  We played a Shrek caption game.  Cal and I found a bunch of funny pictures of Shrek and printed them out.  Then we gave everyone little papers and they had to caption them.  The person choosing for each round picked their favorite and the kids tried to collect as many pictures as they could by the end of the game.  They came up with some clever and typical captions.

Then it was Shreksophone dance off time.  Cal even had to get out his saxophone for this, of course.  They went crazy and were all laughing and having a good time.  

"Better out than in, I always say!"  Next, we had a burping contest.  Only a few could burp on command, but they all sure tried!

"Ogres have layers".  We did presents next.  Cal got $60 and some other cool presents.  He was stoked!

Of course, we had to watch the movie too.  The kids picked Shrek the 3rd.  Super fun!  We also had green popcorn balls and "Shrek ear wax" (two marshmallows dipped in green caramel on a toothpick) to snack on during the movie.  

"This is the part where you run away".  The friends left then.  A couple had to stay a little after.  He has a great group of friends and Cal had a great couple of celebrations for his birthday!  Happy 11!!

Cal is 11!

Nicknames? Callaham, Ham, Cal, Ham Man

What is your favorite color? Neon green
What is your favorite toy? Legos
What is your favorite tv show? College football, the Mandalorian
What is your favorite movie? Avengers End Game, Napoleon Dynamite, Star Wars
What is your favorite thing to wear? Athletic pants
What is your favorite animal? Any type of cat or snake
What is your favorite book? Percy Jackson series books
Who is your best friend? Nolan, Casten, Seth
What is your favorite school subject? Recess
What's your favorite thing to say? "Yesssssss!"
What is your favorite snack? Potato chips
What is your favorite fruit? Banana
What is your favorite vegetable? Salad
What is your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
What is your favorite breakfast? Waffles
What is your favorite lunch? Grilled cheese and tomato soup
What is your favorite dinner? Orange chicken
What is your favorite video game? Minecraft
What is your favorite board/card game? Risk
What is your favorite thing to play outside? Football
What is your favorite thing to play inside? Chess
What is your favorite holiday? Halloween
What do you sleep with at night? pillow, blanket and book with a flashlight
What do you want to be when you grow up? Mascot for a sports team

Callahan has a very sensitive heart.  Unless it comes to his little brother.  Working on that.

He's got a good sense of humor and comes up with some unique funnies.

Cal is doing awesome in school and particularly loves the STEM subjects and is also doing great in reading and writing this year!  

He is not afraid to just be himself. 

Cal is a great missionary and always telling others about the Gospel and inviting and bringing them to church and activities.

Callahan and his friends have their own little language they use.  Sometimes it drives us batty and a few times he has caught himself saying things differently when he's trying to say them normally.

He is pretty gifted physically and especially loves football but can do any sport he picks up pretty well.  

Callahan is quite the social boy and makes good friends fast.  We often hear about the girls who have crushes on him.