Monthly Archives: July 2026
My husband, Bob Schulenberg is a hard-working mechanic, by trade. Technically, he is retired and has been since July 1, 2016, but in true mechanic style, that hasn’t stopped him from being the main mechanic for many of his friends. I can’t imagine Bob spending his life in the absence of mechanic work, although I suppose there will come a day when he no longer can. Still, for his sake, I pray that day is a long way off. I think it would very likely drive him a bit crazy. I’ve seen winter days, when no one had work for him to do, and the weather was too cold anyway. He practically went “stir crazy” with boredom. During those days, he almost welcomed the myriad of sales texts and calls, hahaha!!
Bob doesn’t like to sit idly around…unless he is watching his favorite shows, like MASH, Andy Griffith, NCIS, Walker Texas Ranger, or Everybody Loves Raymond. Even then, if a mechanic job shows up, the television is 
turned off, because he is back in his element. His garage is his “man cave” and his favorite place to hang out. Personally, I don’t get it. The garage is cold in the Winter and hot in the Summer, but somehow Bob doesn’t seem to notice. He just plugs along on whatever car he is working on. The times he spends figuring out what is wrong with someone’s car are some of his happiest times. The good news is that it keeps his mind young and sharp. It can also be frustrating for him sometimes. Not every mechanical problem is as simple as an oil change.
Bob has joined the “old boys breakfast club” these days. He goes to breakfast every weekday morning with his buddies and often meets other retirees at the various restaurants he goes to. I’ve told him that is his thing. I go for a two hour walk instead. When I retired, I knew I didn’t want to spend the mornings talking politics with the 
old guys. Besides, that is his time with his buddies. We go to breakfast on the weekends, and that’s good enough for me. Bob needs that “guy time” with his friends. It’s important. He is a very social guy, and he needs his friends. Plus, the fact that many of his best friends are also the guys he calls on when he needs a mechanic’s helper or a consultation on a particularly difficult job. Bob’s friends have been a big help to him, and for that I am grateful. Today is Bob’s 72nd birthday!! Happy birthday to the love of my life. I have been very blessed by you!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
When my Uncle Larry Byer married the love of his life, Jeanette Morton, she became the first daughter-in-law my grandparents ever had. My grandparents had nine children…two sons, Larry and Wayne, and seven daughters, Evelyn, Virginia, Deloris, Collene, Bonnie, Dixie, and Sandy. Larry was the oldest boy, Wayne the youngest, with three sisters before Larry, three sisters after Wayne, and my mom, Collene Byer Spencer, right in the middle.
My grandparents were used to girls and all their mixed emotions, but before Aunt Jeanette, the new additions had always been men…husbands for the daughters. I imagine it must have been a bit of a culture shock to welcome another girl into the mix. In a family overflowing with girls, adding boys always seemed to settle things down, calming the emotions of the girls as well. I suppose Uncle Larry and Aunt Jeanette might have thought that a daughter-in-law could stir up more emotions, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. To me, Aunt Jeanette has always been a calm, mellow person with a wonderful laugh that lights up everyone’s face. I honestly can’t remember a time without her, since she married my Uncle Larry on February 11, 1956, just two months before I was born. Her sweet personality was a asset to the family. She never has had an unkind word for anyone.
Aunt Jeanette has always been such a kind and thoughtful person, which I’m sure is what drew Uncle Larry to her as well. She had been a friend of the family for quite some time before she and Uncle Larry began dating, so in many ways, she naturally fit right in. Still, Aunt Jeanette brought a unique sweetness, a blend of Grandma Byer’s warmth and her own gentle charm, to the family. She’s one of those rare people who still sends Christmas cards, simply because she wants her loved ones to know she’s thinking of them. That’s just who she is…and always has been.
Aunt Jeanette has almost always been the only sister-in-law in the family, and the only one that remained for 
life, but to the rest of the siblings, she feels more like a true sister. She’s won their hearts in countless ways, with her kindness and generosity known to anyone who’s ever needed a helping hand. Always quick with comforting words, she makes it clear that whatever you need, she’ll be there. Today we celebrate Aunt Jeanette’s 90th birthday…such a great accomplishment!! Not everyone is so blessed as to live that long. Aunt Jeanette is indeed blessed. Happy birthday, Aunt Jeanette! Have a great day!! We love you!!
There’s a lot I didn’t know about my Uncle Elmer Johnson, mostly because he passed away when I was just 25. I’d known him my whole life, of course, but like with most families, you don’t see your aunts, uncles, and cousins every day. Uncle Elmer was just 47 years old when he died, so many of the stories I’ve learned about him have come from his kids. Thanks to those stories, though, I feel like I’m getting to know him all over again…and I’m learning about talents he had, of which I was totally unaware.
My uncle was an amazing cook, which isn’t something you always see among men. While many men can grill, and that’s often their domain, Uncle Elmer could cook anything, anywhere…kitchen, campfire, or grill. He especially loved making holiday meals from scratch, filling their kitchen with aromas so irresistible the family would gather just to breathe them in. Waiting for the food to be ready was tough, but every bite made it worth it. He loved experimenting with flavors and dishes, and somehow, there were never any bad meals. He just instinctively knew what worked together and exactly how to season everything to perfection. I wish I could have been there for some of those meals, but as is common in big families, we didn’t have every holiday meal together…in fact we had few together.
Uncle Elmer worked in many places, mostly as some kind of truck driver. He moved furniture for Burke Moving and Storage and United Van Lines, working for Tom Aurelius, and often took his oldest son, Elmer, along for a couple of weeks in the summer. Those trips were a blast for young Elmer and likely sparked his own love for trucks and driving. In their downtime, nothing made them happier than camping, fishing, swimming, and just goofing off while enjoying the beauty of Wyoming. They camped out or stayed in cabins at spots like Louis Lake and Meadowlark Lake. According to his son, Elmer, Uncle Elmer was always happiest with a fishing pole in one 
hand and a beer in the other. Those family adventures became some of the best memories for Uncle Elmer and Aunt Dee’s four children: Ellen Bremner, Elmer Johnson, Darla Stanko, and Delwin Johnson. Although their parents and now, the two youngest children are in Heaven, their memories still live on. Today would have been Uncle Elmer’s 93rd birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle Elmer. We love and miss you very much.
My niece, Kellie Thompson tells me that her dad, Chris Hadlock is the best dad ever! Kellie and Chris often play the guitar and sing together, and for Kellie, those times are her favorite times with him. Playing the guitar and singing with her dad is one of her greatest joys…his too. Kellie says that her dad is so incredibly talented and doesn’t even know it! She says, “He taught me how to play guitar.” And now her niece, Aurora Hadlock got a guitar last year and he has been helping her with her guitar skills too!! Chris is always busy working on a new project too! He writes his own music and everything he plays is gorgeous!
Chris works so hard between the projects at their house and traveling quite a bit for work but always makes sure he carves out time to throw the ball for his favorite child…Liberty, their dog! Kellie says, “Liberty loves dad so much and he is definitely a “yes man” when it comes to Liberty (and the rest of us too I guess, hahaha). He somehow 
figured out how to build a rack on the 4-wheeler that made it so that Libby can go on 4-wheeler rides with them safely! It turned out really awesome too!! Dad is always there for all of us though! From hanging out with granddaughter, Jolene in the waiting room for hours while I had her sister, Tayla to giving me a “Dad hug” before going to the hospital when I was nervous!! Sometimes you just need a hug from your dad! He is the best! The best dad and the best grandpa that never hesitates to be there for any of us!!”
Daughter, Jessi says, “He can do all the things and is always busy making everything better. Whether it’s their property or something we need, he is there when we need him and happy to help. I have so much fun with 
him. He is very funny and I think that’s why I am too. You know it’s true. He loves all his grandbabies and is such a fun grandpa. I have never seen him not working hard. He’s not one to sit still long. And everything that he works on, he is good at. He’s a natural at the guitar, fixing broken things, innovating new ones, and loving us. He’s the very best dad, dad, Daddio and we love him!!” Sometimes the family makes my job of writing a birthday story so easy. Today is Chris’ birthday. Happy birthday Chris!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My sister-in-law, Marlyce Schulenberg…oh, how I still miss her, even after all these years. I just can’t believe that she has been gone almost 37 years now. That is getting close to the number of years she was alive. That’s hard to fathom. Marlyce passed away on August 13, 1989, after a battle with cancer. She was only 39. Though Developmentally Disabled, that never slowed her down. She loved baking, knitting, and working…yes, working, and she almost always had a job…something that was often the highlight of her days, when she wasn’t doting on her nieces and nephews, that is. Marlyce adored babies. As the oldest of my in-laws’ six children, she spent much of her life around them. While she never reached adulthood mentally, she was more than just a kid at heart…she truly had a child’s mind, and that made kids love being around her. She was an adult, but not really an adult. Maybe that was Marlyce’s charm.
Since Marlyce was developmentally disabled, her siblings realized she would never quite outgrow the “fighting 
with siblings” phase of life, and none of them hesitated to tease her now and then…some more often than others, especially her brothers, Bob and Ron. They loved picking on her, but when the chocolate chip cookies came out of the oven, everyone wanted in. All of the siblings picking ceased, but that’s when Marlyce would try to get her revenge, by withholding the treats…though they could usually sweet-talk her into sharing. A simple promise to “be nice” often went a long way toward getting back in her good graces.
Marlyce had a sweet spirit, and she loved animals too. As a child, she has a dog named Brownie. She and Brownie were constant companions, and I’m sure that was a relief to her parents. I think Marlyce must have been five or so, and Brownie was quite likely the best babysitter a girl could have. Little kids are prone to getting in trouble, and wandering off, and those who are Developmentally Disabled are even more likely, so having Brownie as a constant companion probably kept Marlyce out of trouble more than once. The family mostly lived out in the country, so getting lost could have been really bad. Snakes and other animals could 
have been bad too. For Marlyce, having a “bodyguard” like Brownie was a huge help, especially to her parents, Walt and Joann, who were busy with three little ones in those years. Brownie was the family dog, but the reality is that Brownie knew that Marlyce needed him the most of all the kids, plus she was the oldest, and Brownie had known her the longest. It was a great relationship, and I’m glad they had each other. They are together in Heaven now. Today would have been Marlyce’s 76th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Marlyce. We love and miss you very much.
Sometimes, life events can alter the future of the people involved. That was the case with 18-year-old Ernest Hemingway, who was serving as an ambulance driver for the American Red Cross during World War I. Hemmingway was wounded by a mortar shell on the Italian front along the Piave delta during his duties there. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Hemingway, who had always liked writing, had been a reporter for the Kansas City Star when the war began in 1914. He volunteered for the Red Cross in France before the United States entered the war in April 1917 and was later sent to the Italian front, where he witnessed a series of Italian victories in early July 1918 that saw 3,000 Austrians taken prisoner.
Hemingway’s life would forever change on the night of July 8, 1918. There on Italian soil, Hemingway was hit by an Austrian mortar shell while passing out chocolate to 
Italian soldiers in a dugout. The blast knocked him out cold and buried him under dirt, with shell fragments injuring his right foot, knee, thighs, scalp, and hand. While Hemingway survived his injuries, two Italian soldiers standing between him and the point of impact weren’t as fortunate. One of the men died instantly, and the other lost both legs and passed away shortly after. As with most men, Hemingway must have wondered why his life had been spared, when others lost theirs.
Hemingway’s friend Ted Brumbach visited him in the hospital and wrote to his parents about the incident, saying, “A third Italian soldier was badly wounded, and 
Ernest, after regaining consciousness, carried him on his back to the first aid dugout.” Hemingway didn’t remember how he got there or that he carried the man…until an Italian officer told him the next day, adding that it had been decided to award him a medal for valor. As Brumbach noted, Hemingway received the Croce de Guerra for his service. In his own letter home afterward, Hemingway wrote, “Everything is fine, I’m very comfortable, and one of the best surgeons in Milan is taking care of my wounds.”
As is often the case after a traumatic event, Hemingway’s time in Italy during World War I became a defining part of his “larger-than-life persona” and inspired one of his most beloved novels, A Farewell to Arms. The story follows the romance between a young American ambulance driver and a beautiful English nurse on the Italian front during the Great War. While the novel is fictional, Hemingway wove in elements from his own experiences.
My grandniece, Taylor Masterson is growing up. That fact is known to everyone, but for her older sister, Raelynn, it seems to be hitting home a little harder on this birthday. Raelynn says “It’s weird, and funny, because Taylor is funny. I remember she was always the baby. Even now I can’t help but want to help her, though I’ve recently taken steps back to let Taylor learn. Taylor has days where she’s not happy about it, but I think she understands since I (Raelynn) plan to move out soon.” As a little girl, Taylor always wanted to be just like her older sister, often copying her, but now, she’s grown into her own. Raelynn says, “She’s kind, funny, empathetic, and sarcastic, and I’ll admit that I’ll miss seeing her every day when I come home or hearing her hilarious comments when I complain. Taylor is also really passionate about the things she loves. Sentimental items, things that we got her. She names everything she gets…from us or for herself, and it’s honestly sweet. She puts a lot of thought into the names she gives her items and she loves them all, sorting them in her room.” Raelynn says, “Taylor is raising up in the ranks! She is now a crew trainer, which means her workplace trusted her to know enough that she can train new hires, and they’re going to pay for her GED. I’m really proud of her. She wants to be a paramedic, and she’s taking the steps to get there. They actually had to convince her to take the Crew Trainer position by saying that, because Taylor is so focused on it.”
Taylor’s mom, Dustie Masterson says “Taylor is special. I know all parents think that, but Taylor is special in a very specific way. Taylor is sensitive, in a way that’s almost empathic. A lot like me she can read a room or a person in just a few minutes. People think it’s a bad thing…to be sensitive and empathic, but I believe like most things it has its pros and cons. For example, Taylor wanted a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s Club. She used to have lunch with me when I (Dustie) was still working there, and I would buy one for us to pick apart. However, she absolutely REFUSED to buy one. See her dad can only eat organic chicken, if it’s not organic his lips and mouth get blisters and swell. So, Taylor is craving this chicken but won’t get one because her dad can’t enjoy it also. So, I got online and found a copycat recipe for it, bought an organic chicken and made one for the first time ever. It came out really good, Taylor said it was better than Sam’s! I don’t know many people in this world that would do that. Have a craving but not act on it because someone else can’t enjoy it with them. That’s just one example of how amazing Taylor is. The downside, however, is Taylor picks up on others sad and angry emotions as well, and it affects Taylor very deeply. And that while not necessarily a bad thing, can be a hard thing to understand and deal with. As much as I wish I could tell Taylor how to block or ignore the hard feelings, I still haven’t gotten it down to a science for myself.”
Taylor’s dad, Rob Masterson says, “What can I say about Taylor…she is my baby, basically my pride and joy she works harder than just about anybody else I know to try and gain somewhat of a small independence. I 
couldn’t be more proud of her for it. She tries to help everybody else as much as she can even though it could end up completely breaking her in the process. She would still give them every last dime she had, if it would help them which I’m not entirely certain is a good thing, but it is something I’m very proud of her for. Taylor is 19 now and still no driver’s license…something that we will be working on over the next few months, but I have faith that her and my oldest child Raelynn will both get their license here this year. Taylor works so much that it makes it hard to spend time with her but what time she does have to spend with us she still loves hanging out with her mom anytime I leave my room practically she steals my spot and hangs out with her mom…so she is a mama’s girl and I love that about her too.”
Today marks a great day in the history of this great nation. We have been an independent nation for 250 years today. That is an incredible accomplishment, and on we should all be proud of. We got started when we fought against British tyranny to gain our independence, and even then, they continued to fight us. Nevertheless, this nation as persevered through it all, and went on to be the great nation it is. Now as we reach our 250th birthday, we can still look back at the years this nation has existed and be proud of all we have accomplished. When this country got started, I doubt if anyone there expected it to last as long as it has…or maybe they did. The founders of this country were visionaries, and so I suppose it is quite likely they would expect longevity, even if they weren’t sure that it was possible. This nation is great because of the greatness of her citizens…and only it’s citizens. We can’t allow illegal aliens to continue to come in and fundamentally change this nation and all the greatness it stands for. I realize that there are people who would disagree with me, and I am not saying that all illegal immigrants are bad, but the minute the cross our border illegally, they become criminals. There is a right way to immigrate and a wrong way, and we must insist on the right way.
Of course, there are also those who would still love to see this country fail, or at the very least, for it to be fundamentally changed into something that wouldn’t even remotely resemble the nation it is today. Nevertheless, I still believe that there are enough of us left in this nation that want to see it flourish that we will fight to keep out socialism and communism…and illegal immigration. These things will not work. This country is great and it must remain great. Socialism, communism, and illegal immigration have all been proven failures, so they will not succeed this time. Those who try, simply won’t succeed.
Today is a wonderful celebration of the success of this Republic. Our Constitution is the best in the world. We 
have proven that capitalism is the best way to success for all. I realize that there are those who will disagree with me and that is your right, but if you look at socialism and communism in the past, you will find failure. That cannot be changed. An honest look tells the tale. Illegal immigration only brings in the worst of other nations. The send their criminals to us and keep the good people. We need legal immigration, so we get the best of the best. Our country can remain the great nation it is today, but the rules must be followed. It is the only way that we will continue to succeed as a great nation. And we must stand and insist upon it. Happy 250th birthday to the United States of America…and many more!!
My niece, Chelsea Hadlock has always been a beautiful girl, but over the past few years she has blossomed even more…not just in looks, but in spirit and as a daughter of the Lord. Chelsea has been doing a ton of work at the church! She has donated a lot of her time to paint and add decoration, as well as setting up a nursing room, the coffee and snack station, and the tables and baskets with all the prayer cards and welcome things. Chelsea and Daycia Gonzalez, another of the young women at our church, have seriously put so much work into the church to modernize things and make it beautiful. It’s like the younger generation has become the cornerstone of the church. I am so proud of both of these girls. Chelsea has a heart for the Lord and for serving. She does that through church now, but she has always been one to help when help is needed.
Chelsea is so incredibly generous!! My niece, Kellie Thompson says, “I can’t even tell you how much she has bought for Tayla (Kellie’s daughter), like all my sisters and mom have.” She is always willing to help with literally anything and we are so blessed to have her in our family!! Ever thoughtful, Chelsea will find little gifts that remind her of someone and then just get it and give it as a little “pick me up” when they least expect it. She never hesitates to lend a hand.
Chelsea has always been a great decorator and planner. She loves to plan a party and she is so good at it. She could easily start a business with all the good ideas, decorating skills, and ability to make the best baked goods!! She has sold baked goods as a business before, and did quite well, but she could easily open her own bakery or party planner shop. She has also made jewelry over the years and could have opened a novelty shop 
too. The really cool thing is that while she could have made money in that way, she has chosen to dedicate herself to the Lord and doing this work for Him!! Even if she later decided to do this in her own shop, she will always have dedicated it to the Lord first.
When Chelsea married into the Hadlock family, not only did she become a blessing to my nephew, Ryan, but to their children, Ethan and Aurora, my sister and brother-in-law, Allyn and Chris Hadlock and to sisters-in-law, Jessi Sawdon, Lindsay Moore, and Kellie Thompson and their families. They are all so blessed and thankful she is theirs!! Today is Chelsea’s birthday. Happy birthday Chelsea!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
