Little Sahara

This past weekend, we went to Little Sahara (The “Sand Dunes”) as a family, along with Amy (my sis) and Kolby (her hubby). We had such a great time! Friday mid-day, we finished packing everything, loaded up, and hooked up our trailor and went to pick up Amy and Kolb in Highland. We packed up their gear, and headed off into the desert. On the way, we stopped at In-And-Out, my first time there since California, right out of high school. It was pretty good, but a little over-rated. I enjoyed the “animal style” burger, but the fries were definitely not my fave. We watched Goonies on the way there (Am had never seen it!), Emma loves Chunk and Sloth! In the front, since we can’t see the DVD player, I mostly read the whole time (reading material included the new conference Ensign and “Christy” by Catherine Marshall) and looked at the scenery, and Dave waved at the high-school kids on the busses. That afternoon, we got there and set up camp. Luckily for me and my small bladder, we were situated right in between two bathrooms. Am and Kolb got a huge 10 man tent, they joked that they just wanted to show us up. He he!

We then went exploring with Emma and Cal. And burying/finding “treasures” in the sand.

Cal loved all of the sand crawlers and ATV's around. He'd say "ohhhhhh!" when they'd drive by! And he loved digging!

Then we went 4-Wheeling all afternoon!

Emma loved climbing up this little rock hill they had. She was the queen of the mountain!

For dinner, Am and Kolb made tin foil dinners – delicious! Then we rode some more, and then had s’mores! We love being with Am and Kolby, they’re so much fun!

Roasing the mallows!

Em and Kolb!

Mallow face! Cal loved the roasted marshmallows!

After s’mores and chatting by the fire, we got ready for bed, and actually thought we’d try sleeping in our Pilot, as the seats fold down flat. We were actually very comfy, and warm, too! It worked out pretty well!

Saturday morning, I was the first to wake up, Emma and Cal slept all through the night! So it was a good thing. Dave and I made chocolate chip pancakes, hash browns, and bacon. Food, that’s one of the many great things about camping. For some reason, the food just tastes better when cooked over a fire or camp stove. Then we packed up camp, and rode a little ways out to go riding and play.

She and Cal had a blast in the sand with all of their sand toys. Emma especially liked the “World’s Largest Sandbox”, which is a fenced off area where ATV’s aren’t allowed, just to a bunch of sand for people to play in. We went hiking, wrote messages in the sand, buryed each other in the sand, slid down the hills, and made sand angels. Cal loved digging the best! In fact, when we got home and started unpacking, he got a little garden shovel and started digging again. A true boy, he loves getting dirty!

Sand angels!

Cal learned to say "cheese!" while we were there for the camera, so he always says that now, and has the cutest, cheesiest grin to go with it!

We just went riding and playing and relaxing all day, and then headed home that afternoon. What happy family memories. We’re really so lucky to have so many diverse places that are so beautiful right here in our own backyard to go and enjoy!

And lastly, here's a video of Dave riding! We had a blast riding. I like climbing and descending down hills, but I hate driving in bowls. Dave loves that! Emma loved going on rides with Daddy! She said “I love riding!” and told us she wanted to go all day long! Like father, like daughter I guess.

The Mother's Day Pinecone

Happy Mother's Day, to the many moms I have, and all of the women in my life! "There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing, as the influence of a righteous woman." Elder M. Russell Ballard said that in his talk "Mothers and Daughters" from this past April, and that really hit me. I believe those words. I am so blessed to have been raised by such an amazing Mother, she's made all of the difference in my life. She is such an example of developing and cultivating talents, being productive, serving others, humility, learning and love. I love her so much! Though my mom had probably the greatest influence on me, Grammie, my aunts, my neighbor's and teachers growing up helped guide me to get me to where I am today, and set examples of what it is to be a mom and woman. And then Dave's mom, Sue, who loved me and treated me like one of her own from the beginning. She is so much fun to be around, and I love her. And Dave's grandma's, Lilly and Carol, they are so sweet and good and on-the-ball. My friends, many of whom are mothers, and some who are not, they are all such great examples to me also. I learn so much from each friend I have. And now, to be able to be a mother in Zion myself, there's nothing I'd rather be doing! I am so grateful for the privilege of having children in this life. As I was thinking about motherhood and families this past week, one word kept coming to mind. JOY! Our kids are such a joy to us!

We were able to celebrate our mom's and spend the day with them on Sunday. This year, we went to church with the Ryerse's, as we went to church with my Mom last year. I went to Primary with Emma for a while to get her used to it, and I have to admit, I didn't want to leave. They were having Singing Time, and I was having too much fun! The kids were all so sweet. Cal was a charmer in Sunday School and Relief Society. He would go up to the ladies or men and look up at them and give them a big grin. Some said "He looks like a future bishop," since he had a little suit and tie on. One older lady said "That must be one of those modern hair cuts he has," since his hair is always crazy and everywhere from the cream we have to put on his little head. "He is the cutest little boy, ever!" a few more said. He was all over the place though. After church, they gave all of the women a tomato plant, which is a tradition in the Bountiful 37th Ward that has been going on as long as Dave can remember. After church, Emma and Cal gave me a box with an assortment of different types of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, yum! Emma was keeping the secret from me all week. She wouldn't budge, I am impressed. And then Dave got me a gift-card to JoAnn's. Then we hung out and talked with the family, had lunch, and gave Sue the necklace and bracelet we made for her. That afternoon, it was off to the Stoddard's to celebrate with my side. We had dinner that Amy and I made, and then played and chatted. All of the kids pitched in and got my mom a new camera, which she was excited about. And Grammie was also able to came, it's always great to have her over! We made her a necklace, also, and it matched her dress perfectly. I went outside with Emma for a while and we played on the swingset, it's so much fun playing with her and Cal. I love them more than words can describe.

Here's a picture we took at my Mom's house. Amy, Mom, Emma, me, Grammie.

While we were outside playing, Emma picked up a pinecone, and said "Here, Mom! This is for you, for Mother's Day! It's a pinecone." I told her thanks and gave her a kiss and hug, and then I sat it down so we could play. Emma reminded me, "Mom, don't forget your pinecone!" I thought it was so sweet, and I kept it. All day, Emma kept saying "Happy Mother's Day!" Dave was so sweet too. The moments like this make it worth it, despite all of the kid's crazy antics - unrolling and wasting the toilet paper, temper tantrums, eating toothpaste, whining, trying to cut their own hair, coloring the furniture, and I could go on, but I wont. Though it is challenging at times, being a Mom is the best thing ever. The pinecone is not just a pinecone. It was given to me with so much love and appreciation, and it is more than a pinecone to me now. It is a symbol of the love I have of my kids. Happy Mother's Day again!

The little boy who can't eat anything...

We have had quite the adventure with Callahan lately. Last week started off with a trip, that turned into two more trips, and more future trips to Primary Children’s Hospital.
We took him in because of some red flags we saw in him. Developmentally and physically (as far as coordination and motorskills), he's just right on. But when it comes to growing, Callahan has had a hard time. He’s the average size of a 6 to 9 month old, and since 6 months, has been dropping off below the normal growth curve. And for a while, at around 12 months, he started throwing up a lot, and would have bad diarrhea. Sometimes several times a day.
So we made an appointment several months ago for him to go see a Pediatric G.I., but it takes a long time to get in. We had already seen an allergist, and found out about his peanut allergy, but thought there was still something more. So we went in for testing. We did questionnaires, and talked to the doctors, and they poked and prodded him, took his measurements and weights, blood was drawn, and stood and sweat testswere done. The staff at Primary's was awesome, and Cal loved all of the fun toys and atmosphere they make there. It brought back some bitter-sweet memories from when I visited there when I had kidney reflux disease growing up.


The doctors, Helen Lener and Molly O'Gorman, couldn't believe what a happy little guy and good sport he was considering how they thought he probably felt. They both agreed he was a "peanut" and needed to start growing, and wanted to test for some other things they thought he might have including severe allergies, Chron's, Siliacs, and Cystic Fibrosis.

The sweat test, I mentioned earlier was for Cystic Fibrosis (CF). We did that test twice in two days, but this kid just doesn’t sweat! They need to collect so much sweat because the results are in that. But we put heat packs on the area that they’d collect the sweat, covered him in winter clothes, coats, hats, blankets, and an emergency blanket, and put him in a hot room to run around in. But he still didn’t sweat. So the doctors are trying to decide what to do now. I guess they can do a blood sample, but it is very expensive I guess, so they usually just do this. So we’ll see with Cal what they decide.

The pinwheel kept him entertained, but he got so lethargic towards the end, he was overheating. Especially the second day. The first day, when these pictures were taken, he wasn't as bundled up, but the second day, it was terrible how hot he was, yet no sweat here! So the doctors are deciding if we should try the test a third time, or go ahead and do blood work, which is much more expensive, and I guess insurance companies don't like paying for it.

From the blood test, we found out a few things: he is allergic to the following: peanuts (which we know), egg white and egg yolk, milk, soy, corn, rice, oats, wheat, tomatoes. So what does the kid eat? Those foods are in everything! The doctor has prescribed this Neocate or Elecare stuff, which is an amino acid drink that provides all of the nutrients and calories Cal would need and is hypo-allergenic. She wants him to have four a day. And they’re not cheap. $4.50 per serving! That’s about $7,000 per year! Luckilly, after researching it, we found out that since it's considered medical necessity for him, we can get reimbursed for it. So we’re very grateful about that. I almost died when I saw how much this stuff costs!

So I've been starting to cook with things he can eat now, I'll make one dish for us, and a separate one for Callahan. I've been finding substitutes for things like eggs and milk in baking, and my Mom, who is great cook and into health foods, found out many things also so we can work around his allergy. Did you know they have "ancient grains" that are more pure forms of whole grain wheat, and most who are allergic to wheat can eat those? Kamut, and spelt, are those grains. And then the other grains he can eat are quinoa (like rice), amaranth (a super grain), barley, millet, rye, and buckwheat (those last four were the ones I knew and had used before). We have also found some great resources online also for kids with allergies. So it's great it's so easy to access now.

From the stool sample, we found out his digestion is pretty normal, but he was pretty dry, his glucose was a little elevated, he had excess fat, and elevated levels of white blood cell. We also found out that he doesn’t have celiac or Chron’s disease. So that's some good news!

Some relief, but we’re still on the edge of our seats, as the elevated white blood cells and fat in the stool could mean many different things. I guess we’ll have to wait to find out. But I feel so blessed that this is something we can work through. I saw a few fragile children in the hospital who were dealing with great medical trials, who might only live a few more days. Though I kind of felt sorry for Cal, being there made me feel overwhelming feelings of gratitude that it wasn't as bad as it could be, there are lots worse things out there it could be, and I feel very grateful. Another impression I had was to hug my kids more and family and enjoy my time with them. Life really is so fragile. We never know how long we'll be here, but we also need to remember that it's all in the Lord's hands, and we'll be here as long as we're needed. Our days are numbered. In the mean time, we're going to have a good time and make best of this new adventure!

Happy Birthday to Dave!

This past week, we celebrated Dave’s 28th birthday! Happy birthday, sweetie! The first part of the day was a normal one. We just did the usual thing, and he went to work. That afternoon, we decorated our house with streamers, balloons, and signs. Emma and Cal got a kick out of that. Dave thought that was kind of fun!

Then we went to Fat Cats to ride the Bumper Cars, and play some games. Dave was relentless! Well...at least to me, there was no mercy, but he was nice to Emma and gently would cruise into her.

It took Emma a while to get into it, but after a while, she drove around like a pro!

Callahan loved all of the bright lights, buttons to push, and noises!

Here are the kids on the "American Ride" (Emma's always called it that, I don't know why...)

After that, it was off to Holy Smokes BBQ in Layton. We would highly recommend this to anyone who likes good barbeque. It was excellent food, and the service was great! We also ran into two couples that are friends of ours, the Harvey’s, and the Moen’s, so that was kind of a fun surprise.

Then we went home and did ice-cream, and played “Pin the Wheel on the 4-Wheeler” (Emma’s idea!).

Friday night, we had a combined birthday party for Dave and my brother, Mark, whose birthday is on April 8. We had lasagna and all the Italian sides, and one of my mom’s wonderful cakes, which we helped out with a little. She always makes such cute ones. We all sang to the boys, and then blew out the candles. Cal loves to “Blow”, which is one of the words he says. What can I say, he’s a pyro already?

We got Marko a Beta fish, because he’s always wanted one. I gave Emma some options of things to get him, and she wanted to get him a fish! Emma wanted to name it “Collar”, but Amber, Mark’s friend’s daughter, who’s also four, wanted to name it “Blue”. So Marko made a compromise and named it “Blue Collar”. He he! Cal absolutely loved the fish! He just wanted to watch it all day and would talk to it and wave at it and point to it! It was pretty cute!

On Sunday night, it was the Ryerse party. We had tacos, Ryerse style, for dinner and the classic green jello salad (Cool whip + green jello powder + crushed pineapple + cottage cheese). We sat around and talked and played for a while, then we went to the Bountiful 37th Ward 40 Year Birthday Party. Dave grew up in that ward, and so it was fun for him to go back and see some old friends and leaders and neighbors.

All around the room were pictures Paul Mann, a ward member had painted. Paul Mann does illustrations for the Ensign and other church publications. Often, he’ll use ward members to use as models for his art. Dave’s parents and some of his brothers were used (Dave never was…sad!), and so their paintings were up. I should’ve taken a picture of it, but I didn’t.

Here are the girls enjoying some cake! Emma got cake twice that night, and it showed! She was wired!

Cal wanted a ballon the whole time and was so excited when he finally got one!

Dave’s dad, Dan, served as Bishop for five years and was released a couple of years ago. All of the bishops that had served were there, so they got together for a photo-op. Dave's Dad and Mom are the third couple from the left.

Back at the Ryerse home, we had cake and ice-cream, and then watched “Pete’s Dragon”, one of Dave’s favorite movies. Here's his cake, one of his nicknames is "Hoss"!

Daddy and Cal blowing out the candles!

Happy birthday, to my 28 year-old babe! You get better with age! I love you!

Happy Easter/Conference!

Easter and Conference has come and gone. Here's what "hopp"ened to the Ryerse's last weekend...

Easter was wonderful. I love Easter and the hope the Savior’s Atonement and Resurrection bring. We’ve been trying to focus on the Savior the last few weeks, and what Easter is really all about. We did an Easter egg hunt for Family night that Emma made at a recent Primary activity. In each of the plastic eggs was a symbol that represented something about the atonement or resurrection. So after we opened each one, we read a scripture that went along with it. We got some illustrated books from the library about Christ and his life, death, and resurrection. We tried to sing songs from the Hymns or Primary Song book that helped us remember.
The Friday before Easter, my mom, sister, Emma and I made Easter treats. We made homemade chocolate marshmallows, chocolate bark, and peanut butter eggs. It is always so fun to get together with the ladies that I love the most! They were fun to make, and also fun to eat!

And here's the final product. Warning…looking at these pictures may make have side-effects
(drooling, chocolate cravings, etc).

I made cinnamon-glazed almonds for some family members as a little Easter gift. These are like the cinnamon almonds you would buy at sporting events, only these are not going to break the bank, and they’re pretty easy to do. The aroma that fills your home as you make them is to die for! Many asked for the recipe, so here you go. You can just copy and paste, make and enjoy!

Cinnamon Glazed Almonds

1/3 c. butter (no substitutes)

2 egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of salt 1 c. sugar
3 to 4 c. whole almonds

4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325. Place butter on jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with sides. Place in oven to melt for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg whites with salt till frothy. Gradually add sugar, beat to stiff peaks. Gently fold in almonds and cinnamon. Pour almond mixture onto jelly roll pan or cookie sheet; toss with butter. Bake 40 minutes; tossing every 10 minutes, until almonds are crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature. Stores two weeks in air-tight containers.

I worked hard to sew Emma’s dress before Easter, and I got it done, just in the nick of time. Thanks to Amy and my Mom for watching them so I could get it done! One day, Am and Kolb took them to McDonalds so I could work on it. Emma and Cal had a great time and love their Aunt Mamy and Uncle Kolby! Here's Cal at McD's eating a fry...one of his favorite things! He likes to dip them!

Emma on the slide...weee!

For Conference, we always try to do a little something to keep Emma interested in it and excited about it, as much as a three-year-old can be. We got some jelly beans, and cut out pictures of different gospel topics. We glued those pictures to cardstock that matched the colors of jelly beans. When Emma heard them talking about that topic, she’d pick up the picture, give it to us, and we'd give her the corresponding color of jelly bean. She did pretty well and listened great!

I love Conference and the peace and inspiration that comes with it. This year, I observed that one of my favorite scriptures from John was quoted a lot . “My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you…Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.” I think in these truly troubled times we live in, we really need that peace that comes from the Savior. And that peace comes from doing the right things and relying on Him. That’s the only way we can navigate through this life successfully. I enjoyed all of the calls, particularly Sister Beck’s, L. Tom Perry’s messages on preparation, and Sister Beck’s and Robert D. Hales on motherhood and family. There are always a few that were just what I needed to hear, and those were it for me. It was especially special (that sounds funny) to have Conference on Easter this year. I think it helped me focus more on the Savior. I am grateful for the living Prophets!

Saturday, after the morning session, we had my side of the family Easter picnic and egg hunt. We were going to do it at a park, but ended up at Grammie’s house, since it was snowy and cold! We did a quick egg hunt and ate lunch and enjoyed the company of our families. Things kind of felt rushed this year to get from Easter back to conference events, and vice-versa.

That afternoon, we watched the afternoon session with Dave’s family. Then we dyed Easter eggs. We do this every year, everyone used to get a dozen, but that was way to many, so we get about half a dozen now. They turned out pretty cute!

During the Priesthood session, we always go out to eat and shopping with the girls! We went to Applebee’s this time around, then off to Ladie’s Night at Roberts and a quick stop to Wal-mart. We always have a great time! Here we are: Cal and I, Kaison and Stacy, Mom Ryerse, Emma, Tayla, and Julie.

Emma and Tayla, hamming it up like always!

Cal loved this balloon he got at Robert's! He even fell asleep in the car holding on tight to it.

When we got back, Emma just started "cleaning"! It was hilarious!

Sunday morning, we awoke to find that the Easter Bunny had visited. "Emma! Wake up, wake up!"

The Easter Bunny (is it a boy or a girl? Does anyone really know? We were debating this with the Ryerse’s…) brought the kids some candy, a couple of books, a Primary Children’s C.D., and a church book. When Emma said the prayer that morning, she said “We’re grateful that the Easter Bunny could come and bring some presents for me, and Callahan and Mommy and Daddy.” It was sweet.

Callahan loved the candy, and Emma really wanted to listen to her C.D.’s, we put it in and listened to that before Conference started.

Then we watched the Sunday morning session of Conference. We went over to Aunt Lois’ house for our bi-annual Conference luncheon. We made a strawberry trifle and chocolate trifle for dessert, and it was a hit! It is a tradition I love and one my siblings and I have said we will carry on. Here's Cal with Grandma.

Emma was going around taking pictures of everything. Here's one of my favorites of Uncle Kolb!

Happy Easter! We got Callahan a cute little 4-piece suit from Sears…adorable! They had so many cute ones, I just couldn’t pick. So Dave chose this one. I think he did a great job, and he also picked out a matching dress shirt and tie, which I thought was too cute! “Oh, you’re so handsome!” is what Emma kept saying to Cal Easter morning. He was, as was Dave, and Emma looked so sweet in her dress!

Sweet little Emma girl! The dress didn't turn out too bad!

Callahan...yeah, that look explains a lot about what it feels like to be wearing a tie and suit.

The kids having a happy Easter!

Then we drove to Bountiful after listening to the afternoon session. We went and played around, Grandma and Grandpa gave the kids their Easter “baskets” (the stockings and baskets have been giant Zip Lock bags for the last few years). Cal and Emma loved these punching balloons! And Emma enjoyed the peeps. We put one in the microwave for her, and she got a kick out of that.

Then we had a yummy ham dinner that night and just hung out. It was a great Easter!

Happy Easter everybody!