stepdad
When I first met my nephew, Riley Birky, he was a little boy…just ten years old. At that time, his mom, Rachel Schulenberg was just dating my brother-in-law, Ron Schulenberg. Riley officially joined our family when his mom and now stepdad got married on June 12, 2010. They became a blended family that day. Losing his mom to a stroke in January of 2021, was probably the hardest time in Riley’s life, and in the lives of his family. Riley is doing his best to be there for his family, and to make his mom proud of the man he has become.
Fast forward to the present day, and you will find that Riley is now a stepdad to his fiancée Sierah Martin’s son, Jace and a dad to their son, Ryder. Theirs is also a blended family with much love to go around. They started dating two and a half years ago, when Jace was about ten months old, but they have known each other for seven years now. Riley took to Jace as quickly and easily as he did to Sierah. They are best buddies, and I’m quite sure Jace thinks of Riley as his dad. I know Riley’s mom would be very proud of him, and she would absolutely love his family.
Riley is a hardworking man. Much of his working career has been in construction and maintenance. Growing up helping his grandparents with their rentals taught him the skills that would take him into the next chapter of his life. Riley isn’t afraid of hard work, and his main goal in life is to provide for his little family in the best way possible. In that, he has very much succeeded. Riley and his sweet little are very happy in the home they have made together. Now, with the joy of adding little Ryder, their family is complete.
Riley may be young, just 22 years old, but he has proven himself to be a good man, and the man that Sierah was looking for and needed in her life. Together, they will make a good home and life for their children, and I believe they will live happily ever after. They are focused on their family, and they are both going in the same direction. They both love to travel and have had a good time in their little trips over the past couple of years. Today is Riley’s 22nd birthday. Happy birthday Riley!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew Riley Birky is growing up so fast, in fact, I can’t believe how tall and adult like he is getting. Riley is a Freshman this year, and that has given him a chance to learn public speaking. Public speaking, to me is a subject that should only be taken by those who truly want to become public speakers. I am definitely not one of those people. I’m far to shy for it, and from what I hear, Riley and I have that in common. I hope for Riley’s sake that he can overcome that shyness, because it is hard to live with.
Public speaking is quite possibly the only thing that Riley is shy about. He has be practicing Tae Kwon Do for two and a half years now. He loves the challenge of fighting, so the next logical step was for him to start boxing. He is pretty excited about learning to box. While Tae Kwon Do, Judo, boxing, or any other form of fighting is not my cup of tea, I have to say that they are very interesting to watch. It takes a great degree of skill to learn these arts, and a lot of dedication and discipline. I think Riley has those traits, and that they will take him far.
Riley loves music, especially Rap music. Personally, I could never see the draw that Rap music has, but then I am not a teenager. It seems to me that every generation has a new type of music. I know my own parents absolutely hated the Rock music my sisters and I listened too, and now that I’m a grandmother, I personally go for Country music, so now I can agree with my parents’ thoughts on Rock, or any of the other music of today’s generation…sorry Riley.
Riley may be growing up fast and spreading his wings in many ways, but one thing has never changed. Riley loves his mom and his little brother, Tucker. He may not always see eye to eye with them, but he loves them nevertheless. Riley is also loves his dad, sister and family, and gets along well with his stepdad, my brother-in-law, Ron. The teen years are tough, no matter who you are. Lots of changes are going on within you, and you are trying decide who and what you are going to be. Riley still has time to make the choices about his future that are his alone to make, and I’m sure that he will be a success in whatever career choice he makes. He is a kind and loving young man, and that will carry him a long way…no matter what he decides to do with his life. Today is Riley’s birthday. Happy birthday Riley!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
