work out
My niece, Chantel Balcerzak has a knack for putting a sense of style and flair in her home. Chantel is not a trained Interior Designer, but she might as well be, because she is so good at it. Some of the work she does reminds me of some of the DIY channel shows. I don’t know if Chantel could actually flip houses, but she could certainly be the decorator in the end. She is starting to dabble a little bit in things like changing out countertops and such, and I know she will be great at that too, because Chantel is great at everything, she sets her mind to. She recently painted a marble look on her countertops and epoxied them to seal it. They really do look professionally done!! She can truly do anything, and it amazes everyone who has seen her work. She also has a second level of her kitchen counters that goes into the family room. She is putting butcher block in that, and I can’t wait to see it.
Chantel and her daughter, Siara Olsen work out every day during Siara’s lunch break, and Siara is so proud of how much Chantel has improved and how great she looks. Chantel started out using weights that were under 8 
pounds. Now, Chantel has gone up in weights and no longer needs 8-pound weights for anything anymore. Sometimes, Chantel’s granddaughter, Izabella Siara Harmon (named after her aunt) joins them, and she loves the girl-time comradery…and the exercise doesn’t hurt anything either. The three of them are growing stronger every day and feeling great.
Chantel is very dedicated to God. She seeks His will for her life, and for the lives of her family, and then works to follow His leading…and she does it with peace in her heart. Chantel’s son, Jake Harman says very much the same thing about her. He tells me that she is “the best mother and friend anyone could ask for.” Jake says, “She is the greatest person to talk to about anything because she always says what you need to hear, and she always brings scripture and God into too.” It is so helpful to him to know that she has his best interests at heart, even if they don’t always agree. Jake knows that his mom loves him and his family, and that she would never lead 
him in the wrong direction. Jake also tells me that his mom is the funniest person to pick on and probably the worst Beat Sabers player of all time. I’m sure that’s another thing Jake can and does pick on her about…which always makes being around her a blast. Jake calls his mom, “my best friend and mortal enemy, all at the same time.” I suppose that is how a lot of kids feel about their mom. Today is Chantel’s birthday. Happy birthday Chantel!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Siara Harman is a tiny little girl, just 4 feet 9 inches tall, but don’t let that fool you, because she is one tough cookie. She works out, and she’s really strong. After high school, Siara spent a year in Great Falls, Montana going to school, and representing the college as a cheerleader. During that year, she worked out and cheered at a pace most of us would find exhausting. Nevertheless, Siara took it all on stride. After that year, Siara returned home, mostly because she missed her family, I think…especially her mom, but also to continue her studies in her home town.
Siara is the type of person who takes time to decide to commit to most things, but once she does, she is all in. After her mom, my niece, Chantel Balcerzak remarried, it took Siara 18 months before she started calling her step-dad, Dave Balcerzak, “Dad.” 
Her brother, Jake Harman was much quicker to accept his step-dad. Nevertheless, once Siara committed to calling Dave “Dad,” she was in, wholeheartedly, and as far as she is concerned, Dave is her dad. Commitment, while not forthcoming, is something Siara takes very seriously.
Over the years, Siara has had a number of boyfriends, but once again she was very slow to commit to any of them. Siara was in two serious relationships before her current relationship, but once the conversation turned to marriage, her mom could always tell that it was, “Nope, not yet.” Her heart couldn’t move in that direction yet. With her fiancé, Nick Olsen, things would be different. While she and Nick have been dating for a while now, it took Siara only two week to tell her mom that, “No matter when he asks, the answer is yes.” I guess that when it’s the right one, commitment is easy. Siara and Nick will be married this summer.
As I said, Siara is a tiny, short little girl, and I recall that a few years ago…before she was “fully” grown, she told me that she wanted to be 5 feet 7 inches tall…an impossibility for our little Siara, who is full grown at 4 feet 9 inches. Knowing that she would never achieve that lofty goal, I told her to wear high heels, because that was going to be the only way she would ever be taller. She took my advise, and these days, with heels she is over 5 feet, anyway. Siara has decided that she is not going to take that chance with there kids, so she is going to marry a tall man. Of course, it wasn’t his height that won Siara’s love, but rather his heart. Still, Nick’s height was not a negative to Sara, even if he practically has to pick her up to kiss her. The really good news is that since Siara loves a very tall man, her kids might have a chance to be taller than she is. I guess that’s some consolation to Siara’s height dilemma. Today is Siara’s birthday. Happy birthday Siara!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
