2024 Christmas Card

 Luke 2:10 - But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2024 was another busy one for this group. We were able to escape to Colorado for a week in June, camping in Rocky Mountain National Park for a few nights and then a few more in Denver. On our planned big hike, we ran into a mysterious British man who advised us on danger up ahead - a north facing, unmelted stretch of trail, directly next to a cliff’s edge. However, our backup hike ended up being one of our all-time favorites. Thanks British guy! Shortly after our trip, we finished up a couple years of improvements around the house. Mostly in preparation for Elisha's graduation next year (oh boy!), but we also hosted the annual Cairney family golf outing in August. It was so great spending time with all who could make it.

Not much has changed in the work world for Steph and Ryan. They also continue to be very involved in many of the kids' activities. Steph has recently got big into sourdough. The rest of the family is very grateful to always have some freshly baked goods.

Elisha is nearly through his senior year of high school. He's heard back from about half of the colleges to which he has applied and is planning on making a decision in the next few months. He had quite the Cross Country season this fall, becoming a very strong leader. He also continually improved his PR, smashing his old record by the end of the season and qualifying individually for state, however his team also qualified as a whole. All of his hard work and dedication to staying on top of this athletics and academics never stops to amaze us. If he’s not studying, he’s probably running.

Izzy is now an eighth grader and still quite the Swiftie. She spent most of her year running, starting with being on the high school track team in the spring, running quite a bit on Varsity. After running all summer, she then ran cross country this fall, again running Varsity and also improving a lot through the season. She also made the high school basketball team this winter, mostly playing on the 9th grade team, but also getting some minutes on the B squad team. Through that team, she has had a couple opportunities to help out with some of the youngest girls in the in-house program. She really thrives there, encouraging them and cheering them on.

Zeke is in seventh grade. Over the past year, he has dived into mythical and ancient history, after reading the Percy Jackson series. He continued to read all the books by that author, Rick Riordan, and continues to consume that sort of material any way he can. Over summer, he played baseball for the first time since t-ball age. He surprised us with his ability with such limited practice over the years. He also continues to play basketball, both in a travel league and through school. Toward the beginning of this season, he got to play a game at Target Center, where the Timberwolves play, a very fun experience. He had a fun season of Robotics this year, being able to do it with just a few of his buddies. They had fun the whole season. As an early Christmas present, he just got his braces off.

Finally, Watson continues to be a perfect addition to the family. He has quite the fondness for walks, usually taking 2 multi-mile walks a day. The cold weather has slowed the frequency down a bit, but he still is a full board go every time he gets out. We love his ability to have a different personality for whoever he is hanging out with. He knows exactly what each of us needs at all times.

Have a blessed year!

Love Ryan, Steph, Elisha, Izzy, Zeke, and Watson