seminole reservoir
My nephew, Sean Mortensen is a mechanic for Anadarko, by trade. Since I have been married to a mechanic for 42 years, I can tell you that they work very hard. Being a mechanic, of any kind, is a hard job, and from what I’ve seen, the mechanic is usually the only person taking care of the vehicle or equipment. The operator, on the other hand, is usually pretty hard on the vehicle or equipment…after all, it isn’t theirs, so what difference does it make…right. That’s what the mechanic deals with every day. By the time they get home, they often feel exhausted.
That’s where Sean differs from a lot of other mechanics…at least on the weekends. You 
see, Sean’s motto is work hard…play hard. When the weekend rolls around, it’s time to cut loose, and party at the lake with friends. Sean, and my niece, Amanda have lots of great friends, all of whom enjoy the lake and summer fun. And when you think about it, why do we work anyway? It isn’t because we all love working, it’s because we want to be able go out and do the things we like to do in life…like play at the lake. Of course, the lake is only Sean and Amanda’s summer playground. In the winter, they are out on the snowmobiles, getting as deep as they can in a snowdrift. The colder weather doesn’t slow down their fun on bit. Many people tend to hibernate in the winter, longing for the summer months, but not Sean and Amanda. They just change playgrounds, and the fun continues.
I suppose it sounds like all Sean and Amanda do is party, and that might be something 
they really enjoy, but they are also very responsible people. They work, own their own home, and they have raised a beautiful 13 year old daughter. Adulting is a fact of life they take very seriously too. People depend on them and the fact that they will do their jobs. If no one worked, how would anything ever be accomplished. There are people who don’t want to be a part of a working community, but would rather that the government take care of them, and I am proud to say that Sean and Amanda are not a part of the “hand out” community. The things they have, they have earned. There is a certain amount a pride that can be taken away from that. They work hard, and they play hard, because they have earned it. Today is Sean’s birthday. Happy birthday Sean!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
So much has changed over the past thirteen years. My grand niece, Jaydn Mortensen has gone from being a shy little girl to a confident young lady, who really excels at anything she puts her mind to. Jaydn lives in Rawlins, so we don’t get to see her as much as we would like, and that was probably why she was a little more shy at first, but once she knew that we are her family too…well, that settled it. Jaydn was always a bubbly little girl who was always on the go, and the fact that her parents, Sean and Amanda lead very active lives, made that the norm for Jaydn too.
They love spending the summer weekends at Seminole Reservoir, and that has made Jaydn…for lack of a better word…a bit of a fish. She has grown up on that lake, and she loves to swim, ski, and go boating. The lake is practically her home away from home. When Sean and Amanda go to the lake on the weekends, there is always a big group of friends who go too, so there are always other kids for Jaydn to play with, although she is getting to old of “play” exactly. Nevertheless, she not to big to have a great time hanging with her friends and family at the lake.
All that aside, Jaydn’s first love is horses. She loves to ride, and loves to compete. She competes in rodeo, and 
other riding events too. She has become quite an accomplished horsewoman, and we are all very proud of her accomplishments. She is so completely at home with her horses and in the arena. Nevertheless, she is growing into such a beautiful and graceful young lady, and I am always amazed at the changes in her, but then I guess I shouldn’t be. She comes from great parents, who have given her the freedom and the means to fulfill her dreams, and have cheered her along all the way. Today is Jaydn’s 13th birthday. Happy birthday Jaydn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grand niece, Jaydn, who is the daughter of my niece Amanda and her boyfriend, Sean, is learning to ride horses. She reminds me of her grandmother, my sister Caryl, who is actually her step-grandmother, but I guess she must have had a little bit of influence on Jaydn or something, because they both seem to like the same things. Caryl and her husband Mike, who is Jaydn’s grandpa, just bought a place outside of Casper to retire on…and have a couple of horses, so Jaydn will have a great place to come and ride. For now, she is learning the ropes, and seems to be a very brave little girl, because she has already been thrown, and decided that riding was more important than worrying about the possibility of being thrown again. So, she got up, dusted herself off, and got right back on. That makes me and the rest of her family very proud of her.
For Jaydn, it is simply life as usual, because she is quite the adventurer. She likes most things out doors, and has even tried down hill skiing…which is something her Great Aunt Caryn will leave to other people. I’m not totally scared, I just don’t like the cold much, but Jaydn likes all the outdoor activities she can get. Caryl and Mike also have a cabin out at Seminole Reservoir and Jaydn likes going out there as well. She likes to be outside so much, in fact, that I simply don’t know how she will be able to go back to school, when it starts. She couldn’t possibly have time, I don’t think, but the law requires, so off to school she will go, and the horses will have to wait until she gets out.
I can’t believe our little miss Jaydn is already 9 years old. I remember when she was born…like yesterday!!! She should not be the grown up girl she is already. Time goes by way too fast, especially where these kids are concerned. Today is Jaydn’s birthday. Happy birthday Jaydn!! Have a wonderful day!! We love you!!
