Humor
My uncle, Wayne Byer was an amazing skater. He actually started skating “for profit” at seven years old, when he worked at the skating rink. I’m not sure how that worked exactly, with child labor laws, but likely it wasn’t considered a real job, and he was “paid” in free skate time. As he got older, he became an excellent skater, even perfecting the trick of skating so low to the ground, that he could light a match for his cigarette by scraping it on the floor with his teeth. I don’t know how long he worked there, that just the story I was told.
Uncle Wayne was always a trickster, and he loved to pick on the girls. They never really minded it too much. Uncle Wayne was pretty popular with the ladies. One of the things he used to do was to hide in the trees along the route he knew the girls had to walk, so he could scare them. That can be a little disconcerting, of course, because you don’t know if he is there or not. Nevertheless, with his winning smile, they always forgave him.
Another of Uncle Wayne’s escapades was known a “Hooky Bobbing” and involved holding onto a moving vehicle, such as a car or truck, while it is driving on snow or ice. The person doing this gets a free but dangerous ride, often without the motorist’s knowledge. While I’ve seen this, in movies or videos, I think I would be too scared…or maybe the word is wise, to do such a thing. Still, boys being boys, this type of activity was attempted or made a habit of, at least by the gutsy ones. Uncle Wayne was just gutsy and mischievous enough to be one of those boys.
Uncle Wayne was the younger of my grandparents, George and Hattie Byer’s two sons, and his older brother, Larry was the shorter of the two. I don’t know if that really bothered Uncle Larry or not, but at the very least, he pretended that it did. When we had professional family portraits done years ago and the family Christmas party, the nine siblings were lined up in order of birth with Grandma and Grandpa. When you looked at the 
picture, you saw the mischievous smiles on Uncle Larry and Uncle Wayne’s faces. My mom, Collene Spencer had the dubious honor of standing in the middle of the boys, due to her place of birth. One might think that they were picking on Mom, but the reality was that Uncle Larry had found a small ledge behind them, and was standing up on it so he could look as tall as Uncle Wayne. They both knew what he was doing, and they were both laughing about it. I’m surprised they could keep from laughing outright. They were a couple of characters for sure. Today is my Uncle Wayne’s 87th birthday. Happy birthday Uncle Wayne!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
We’ve all been there, or at least most of us. You know, the last-minute rush to get everything ready for the Christmas celebration. I suppose that is why so many people say that Christmas has become too commercialized, and maybe it has, but we love our families, and we want to do nice things for them. Still, while the actual moment of giving the gift is wonderful and exciting, the process leading up to the actual giving is a very different thing. There is shopping for people (sorry my family) who have no idea what they want and can’t think of a single idea, which leaves you wandering the store for hours trying to find that perfect gift.
Have you ever found yourself on Christmas morning, wrapping a gift and running it out to the waiting kids to open, and going back for another round…well, I did that once. I know…insane. That only happened once thankfully, but the story has lived on for decades, hahaha!! Well, maybe you weren’t that bad, but how about wrapping gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve, or the night before. You finally finished wrapping at about 2 or 3 in the morning, and then because you have little kids, tried to function the next day. I’m sure that sounds more familiar to a lot of people…admit it.
Then, there is Christmas morning, and the massive rush to get dinner made. Yes, you try put everything together before everyone passes out from starvation, but it is a big production. The kids are everywhere, and the noise level is deafening, but while you 
would maybe like things a little quieter, you wouldn’t change having the whole family there, for anything. It’s worth every bit of the chaos, the stress, and the frustration, when you see the looks of sheer happiness and excitement on the faces of those kids.
The good news is that it’s almost here. Soon, Christmas will be behind us for another year, and then we can look forward to starting it all over again. We all set ourselves a goal of doing better next year, and sometimes we achieve that goal, but often as not, we find ourselves right back in the same spot next year. Nevertheless, this is the final push…better get to it.
It so hard for me to believe that my niece, Jessi Sawdon is celebrating her 40th birthday. I remember the day she was born. She was such a cutie, and as he grew, her personality shown through. Jessi is the firstborn of my sister, Allyn Hadlock and her husband, Chris Hadlock’s four children. Jessi is a very social person, and for her, every day is a celebration…and Jessi does love to celebrate!! Her sister, Lindsay says, “She’s a good aunt. Mackenzie always has fun when we go over there or if she goes to stay the night. She’s has really settled in Cheyenne…finding a great church, making some new friends, and getting into a rhythm. She’s gotten really involved in her church and her family has been growing spiritually.” Lindsay and her family live in Laramie, Wyoming, which is a little over half an hour drive from Jessi and her family in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The closeness has made it possible for Lindsay’s daughter, Mackenzie and Jessi’s daughter, Adelaide to be really good friends, and for Jessi and Lindsay to be close sisters too.
For my sister, Allyn, this birthday has been one of reflection. Allyn says, “Jessi celebrated her 40th this year!! 
Looking back over the years, I see how fun and smart and strong she is!! ‘Girls just wanna have fun’ really describes her!! She is a good wife and a terrific mother. She loves to be on the move, going camping, to museums, hiking, any downtown activities, she’s all about it. This year she wanted to celebrate as much as she could so her, and a bunch of friends went out to Napa California and toured some wineries, stayed in an air BNB, and really had a great time. They sat in the hot tub, toured the golden gate bridge area, and one of the girls had an aunt and uncle who live out there and they gave the girls the royal treatment with an all-day cruise around San Francisco Bay in their yacht! They fed them breakfast and lunch on the boat and Jessi says it was definitely a highlight of their trip. They were so kind and really made it special for the girls!!”
Then, her husband, Jason threw her 40th birthday party out at the Hangar, in Casper, Wyoming, and we celebrated her all evening. Allyn and Chris helped him plan the party, and it really turned out nice. Last Thursday, they were back in town for Jessi’s company Christmas party, and we gave her a birthday dinner here on Friday night with grilled steak, potatoes, and roasted veggies. Allyn really hopes she had the 40th year of her dreams, and she knows the fun will continue because “she just wants to have fun!!” Truer words were never spoken. Jessi is a fun-loving person and always put a smile on your face. Today is Jessi’s 40th birthday!! Happy birthday Jessi!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grandson, Justin Petersen is a very happy little boy. He loves doing crazy things, like driving his toy cars off of the bench in my house, and then laughing as I go to pick it up. He tries to “help” his mom cook, by grabbing the potatoes before she peels them and taking them all over the house. He loves to make people laugh, and anything he can do to be silly…well, he is up for that. Justin is all about the laughs. His sense of humor is great big, and his pranks, tricks, and just his laugh, keep the whole household in stitches, when he gets going.
Justin loves being a big brother to his little brother, Axel, and while there are the normal tiffs, they are best buddies. For little kids, the best friends are their siblings and cousins, because they don’t have school friends 
yet. Justin was very excited to have a baby brother, even though he didn’t know quite what to do with him, but now that Axel can play, Justin really likes having him around. Justin and Axel are Irish Twins, which means that they were born less than a year apart. Justin and Axel will always be the same age from September 18th to October 14th…26 days. Their Grandma, Corrie Petersen and their aunt, Amy Royce are also Irish Twins and are the same age for 29 days each year. It’s a cool little tidbit of trivia that we love in our family. The boys also have an Irish Twin cousin (is there such a thing), named Cyler. Anyway for 5 days, they are all three the same age. It’s fun.
Justin is growing up so fast. His vocabulary is big these days, and he knows his ABCs and numbers to eight. It’s hard to believe that he is getting so big. Nevertheless, Justin is a very loving child, and just because he is 
growing up, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t like to feel close to those he loves. He likes to hold his mommy and daddy’s hand when they go places, and even likes to hold his baby brother’s hand too. He especially likes to hold hands when he goes to sleep. I think that is just precious. Those kinds of things are such a treasure, because as we all know, they grow out of this stage at some point, even though they never stop loving their parents and siblings…and of course, their grandparents. Justin loves his grandparents very much too. Today is Justin’s 2nd birthday!! Happy birthday sweet boy!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Aurora Hadlock started 8th grade yesterday. I keep asking myself, “How can that be?” She was just a baby the day before that, wasn’t she? No, of course, she wasn’t, but time certainly flies. She has grown into a beautiful young lady, who is definitely her mother, Chelsea Hadlock’s mini-me! Aurora is also in her second year of volleyball and totally loves it, despite the fact that practice is before school every day at 6am!! Now that’s dedication. This past weekend, she got to go to a comic con, so she could see the guys from Twilight. She loved walking around dressed up as Max from Stranger Things and buying art and Funko Pops. Still, Aurora’s favorite thing is reading and learning. She can always be found with a few books in her bag, just in case there is a moment to read.
Aurora has her own style. She is funny, clever, weird (and proud of it!), kind, compassionate, and encouraging. Her carefree style and the ease with which she communicates with people has made her a lot of friends, all of whom she calls her “bestie”, including her grandpa, Chris Hadlock!! She’s really finding her own way, with fashion and everything else, as she is quickly becoming a young woman. I love that she is following her own heart in all things, and not being just led along by what others think is style. She may like some things others do, but only if it suits her. She is her own girl. Full of confidence and spunk!! That’s as it should be.
Aurora has a sweet heart, and she is very good with her cousins, Adelaide, Mackenzie and Jolene. They absolutely love to play with Aurora!! She never acts like they are in the way, or that their games are beneath her. Rare qualities in a teenager. They all ask if she will be there every time the family all gets together…and I’m sure she will do her best to do so. She is definitely someone they all look up to!! She is such a sweetheart!!
When I asked about story ideas for Aurora, her aunt, Lindsay Moore said, “Oh you mean, Caroline?” Lindsay then went on to say, “Aurora is such a fun character and she has perfected her southern accent! We love Aurora. She is a kind and sweet girl! She is quickly growing up, but I still want to hold her like a little teeny tiny baby! She is a kind and sweet girl!!” I think that most of us feel the very same way.
The “Caroline” part intrigued me, so I asked about it. Lindsay told me, “It’s her southern name!! Lindsay said, “Aurora is Caroline, and they named Mackenzie (Lindsay’s daughter) Savannah when we were camping together.” The story goes like this according to Chelsea, “In 5th grade, Aurora’s teacher gave the class “southern names” because she was from the south and they thought it was funny. Aurora’s southern name was Caroline, and since then she will occasionally put on a southern accent and call herself Caroline. She’s so funny.” Well, there you have it Aurora is also “Caroline” and has perfected her southern accent too!! Today, Aurora is a teenager. Happy 13th birthday Aurora!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My husband, Bob Schulenberg is a workaholic. Bob retired in 2016, but that doesn’t mean that he has really retired. Bob is a mechanic, and as my version of the old saying goes, “Old mechanics never retire, they just become exhausted.” That’s Bob to a tee, because he still works too hard, but he loves what he does, so it never seems like work to him…well, almost never. If a job is giving him fits…then, it seems like work!! Nevertheless, Bob’s garage is his “home, away from home” and the house is the “break room,” especially at 4:00pm when “Mike Hammer” comes on TV. He tries really hard not to have anything scheduled, anyone coming over, or any deadline on a job that would interfere with his Four O’clock Mike Hammer Break, complete with his popcorn and maybe a glass of ice-cold tea.
Bob is the kind of person who is always there to help people out. Anytime someone calls with a need, he does 
his level best to help them out. It’s not just mechanical work either. Bob has been a longtime caregiver, working right next to me on taking care of parents, siblings, aunts, and even me. Like me, Bob wasn’t a caregiver…until he was. When our parents needed help, Bob was there to help care for them. Mostly his job was muscle, but it was much needed muscle help. If a parent fell, I would call Bob. Even when he was at work, they let him come to the rescue. That help continues these days with my aunt, Sandy Pattan. He has taken us on drives and to family gatherings, and I know it has meant the world to Aunt Sandy, and to me. He is the kind of guy you can always count on. Even if he is in the middle of something, he makes time to help those who need his help!!
Bob really loves being retired. He often goes bowling on Tuesday mornings, with the other retired people who like to practice year-round. Personally, I like to take the summers off, but Bob is a bowling fanatic, as anyone who knows him can tell you. I figure that it never hurts to take a break from his retirement jobs and go do 
something else he can get frustrated with, unless he’s having a good day and really watching his mark. Bob is a really good bowler, and if he’s having a bad day, it’s usually that he isn’t watching that dreaded mark, as any bowler can tell you. Bowling is as muck a head game as it is a skill game. If you don’t keep your head in the game, you will get frustrated. I say, as long as he enjoys the game, go for it…frustration and all. Today is Bob’s 70th birthday. Happy birthday Bob!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Since my daughter, Amy Royce’s family moved to Washington state, my grandson, Caalab Royce has really enjoyed exploring the area. When he first moved up there, he would go out walking the trails for hours, and on the visits we have made to see them, he has often hiked with us. Of course, he isn’t the only one that hiked, but he does enjoy doing it what he can. Caalab also likes to go on drives and listen to music. That isn’t surprising, since Caalab and his dad, Travis Royce “jam” with a group of friends every week. Their band is something they really enjoy. Personally, I think they are very good.
Another thing Caalab shares with his dad is woodworking. They both like building things, especially with wood. The two are really best friends, and they are always doing 
“some kind of man stuff” according to Caalab’s sister, Shai Royce. Caalab also helps with Travis’ backyard projects. Recently, the part of the fence blew down, so they built a new fence on that whole side. Travis and Amy love having a beautiful backyard oasis, and Caalab has been a big help to his dad in that respect. Caalab helped dig the ponds and lay the patio bricks.
Travis holds a monthly poker night that Caalab always goes to. He likes to play poker and enjoys getting together to play. The whole family likes to visit the local casinos, and I don’t know how, but they win a lot!! I haven’t really asked they how much money they spent or lost, but I’ve seen the wins, and they are impressive. The family likes to attend the Bellingham Bells baseball games. They often go with friends, but Travis and Caalab are always “two of a kind” there, as are they in most ways. They are both so funny. They love a good joke…and a good prank, and while Shai 
doesn’t always appreciate Caalab’s antics, she forgives him for being a pest, because she loves her brother.
Shai often dog sits for some friends, and Walter, one of the dogs absolutely loves Caalab. Walter waits for Caalab to come home or to get up in the morning. Caalab is Walter’s best friend. Hahahaha!! It’s not surprising, because Caalab has always loved dogs and they have all loved him. I think Caalab likes that Shai dog sits as much as she does. Today is Caalab’s birthday. Happy birthday Caalab!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Maya Stevens is the second child of my nephew, Garrett Stevens and his wife Kayla, and according to my sister and Maya’s grandma, Alena Stevens, Maya is very much a second child. In case you didn’t know what that is, it’s all about the differences between raising an oldest child and raising a youngest child. Maya can be very brave…on some things. On others…not so much. Maya will jump right into the pool, with or without a life jacket. That means of course, that her parents must have an “eagle eye” anytime they are near a pool. The reality is that Maya really loves to swim. She loves the pool and their trampoline. Especially when her daddy plays with her and jumps with her. When it comes to the slide into her pool, just try holding her back. She goes down the slide at full speed by herself laughing at the bottom with a splash.
As brave as Maya is when she’s swimming, she is still shy with new people. There’s nothing wrong with that, but when it’s someone you want to have your child grin for, that “stranger danger” thing can be problematic. 
Still, if you have to make a choice, I figure it’s best to err on the side of caution. Maya loves her Papa Mike, my brother-in-law’s attention, but she doesn’t want him to hold her yet. She’ll call out to him and say, “Papa watch!” or “Hi Papa!” Still, if her mom or dad are around, she only wants them. She is very much a “Mommy and Daddy’s Girl.” That’s ok too, but it will change as time goes on, and she feels more comfortable around other family members, she will be very social, of that I have no doubt.
Maya loves her big sister, Elliott, but she will not be pushed around by her. Elliott is a good big sister, and pretty careful with her little sister, but Elliott pushed her down once and Maya came up swinging! She packs a punch. Of course, her little hands don’t really hurt, but she was gonna fight! She had to show her big sis that she was no doormat. The girls get along very well for the most part though. Maya loves to be chased by Elliott and they 
chase each other around the house for 20 minutes or so, or until Elliott traps her in a corner. Then it all becomes a “giggle fest” or a “gleeful screaming match” anyway.
Maya is a very smart little girl. She is learning to talk, and she speaks pretty plainly. She loves to have fun. She’s always laughing or smiling. Every picture I see of her she is smiling, if she isn’t laughing, that is. Maya is a very happy little girl and a joy to be around. She and her sister are best friends, and they love their cousins Brooklyn and Jaxxon. In fact, Maya always wants to be held by Brooklyn when they are together. Today is Maya’s 2nd birthday. Time sure flies. Happy birthday Maya!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
When my grandfather first met Chief Red Cloud, it was an eye-opening experience for sure. I’m not exactly sure how old Grandpa was at the time, but since Red Cloud died when my grandfather was 16 years old, I have a timeframe to start with. Red Cloud was born near the forks of the Platte River in 1820 (exact date is unknown). He was one of a family of nine children whose father, an able and respected warrior. Red Cloud lived in an exemplary life. He was faithful to one wife all his days and was a devoted father to his children. He wanted great things for his only son, known as Jack Red Cloud. He wanted his sone to be a great warrior too and started him on the warpath at the age of fifteen. Of course, at this point, Red Cloud didn’t realize that the days of Indian warfare were very close to an end. Among the chiefs of his era, Red Cloud was known as a quiet man, simple and direct in speech, courageous in action, an ardent lover of his country. He possessed all the manly qualities characteristic of the American Indian in his best days. Red Cloud lived a long life and died on December 10, 1909, of natural causes.
Red Cloud, like most chiefs was a warrior in his day. He was famous for Red Cloud’s War that took place between 1866 and 1868. Nevertheless, Red Cloud was a wise man, and he saw that if his people were going to survive, they would have to make peace with and learn to coexist with the White Man. He was also a man who wanted peace. In 1887, he opposed the Dawes Act, which broke up communal tribal holdings and allocated 160-acre plots of land for subsistence farming to heads of families on tribal rolls. Then, the US declared additional communal tribal lands as excess and sold them to immigrant settlers. In 1889, Red Cloud opposed a treaty to sell more of the Lakota land. Red Cloud and Sitting Bull steadfastly opposed the 1889 treaty, but government agents obtained the necessary signatures for approval only through cheating, such as using the signatures of children. Red Cloud negotiated strongly with Indian Agents such as Dr Valentine McGillycuddy, who was an honest man and highly respected by the Lakota. For the rest of his life, Red Cloud advocated for 
Native American rights to the Black Hills. During this time, June 15, 1893, to be exact, my grandfather was born in Springfield, South Dakota. The advocating Red Cloud did in those years was less violent, and more intellectual, although not any more fruitful than any other advocating he did. There were very few White Men he trusted…among them, my great grandfather, Cornelius Byer.
My great grandfather was invited to the Pow Wows and invited to sit in on their tribal meetings. He was also so respected by the Native Americans, that when he was dying, they all came to see him…bringing their wives and children to tell him goodbye. When he passed away, they followed him as far as they could toward his final resting place in Iowa. That said, between the year of my grandfather’s birth and the death of Red Cloud, I believe when my grandfather was about 12 years old, my great grandfather took my grandfather to visit Red Cloud. The Native American culture was quite different than the White Man’s. When Great Grandpa and Grandpa went into Red Cloud’s teepee, he was sitting there under a blanket. Red Cloud stood up to get a peace pipe to offer to Great Grandpa and the other men in the room. That was all fairly normal, even for my grandfather, but the fact that Red Cloud was naked was not something my grandfather was used to. In fact, my Aunt Sandy tells me that she doesn’t remember ever seeing her dad shirtless. He always wore at least a t-shirt, whether indoors or outdoors, in Summer or Winter. I’m sure Grandpa’s eyes were as big as saucers, until his dad nudged him, basically telling him not to stare. Grandpa sat quietly while the men talked, and then the peace pipe was lit. As it was handed around the circle, Red Cloud handed it to my grandfather. My grandfather looked at his dad, and Great Grandpa nodded his head. With that one motion, my grandfather was allowed to 
take his first puff of a peace pipe. I don’t know if Grandpa ever met with Red Cloud again, although I assume he did, and I don’t know if he ever smoked a peace pipe again either, but he did that day, and it was a moment in his life that he never forgot. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that he smoked the peace pipe again either. It was a story he told to his children many times through the years. It was a sign of respect from the Lakota toward my grandpa, and from my grandpa toward them. Today is the 131st anniversary of my grandfather’s birth. Happy birthday in Heaven, Grandpa Byer. We love and miss you very much.
My great grandnephew, Max Herr is a very busy boy these days. He comes from a pretty athletic family, and so it stands to reason that he would also be into sports. Right now, he is in t-ball, basketball, and swimming, and if that isn’t enough, he also “coaches” his mommy, Katy Herr in her workouts. Not bad for a little guy of just four years today. Max loves to go golfing with his daddy, Dylan Herr too.
Max loves all things boy, so things like sports, superheroes, monster trucks, and any other “boy stuff” you can think of. He loves his mommy and daddy very much, but right now, he is pretty much a “Mama’s Boy,” for a little longer. Boys tend to end up being “Daddy’s Boys” pretty early on. Nevertheless, his 
Mommy is enjoying it while she can. Katy tells me, “I’m loving every second of it, he is truly my best friend.” Max has the kindest heart and is always making sure everyone is okay. It’s a rare trait in a little boy, to be the one to make sure that everyone around him has what they need to make them happy. Still, that is what Max is all about. He is also HILARIOUS and loves to make people laugh. That is something that is written all over his face every time he smiles. You can tell that he just seems to have an internal joy…such a cool thing. He is one of those kids whose face lights up when he smiles. His whole face smiles when he does, and you can totally tell that he is one happy kid.
When it comes to other kids, Max isn’t around many, but his cousins, Reece and Asa Balcerzak are his best friends (in the world of kids, anyway). He loves hanging out with them. When he goes to school, of course, all that will change. If I guess right, I would say Max will be the “life of the party” and the kid will lots of friends, when he is in school. He is really quite a social guy. I most often run into Max when he and his mom are out shopping. Walmart seems to be the meeting place of many. He always has a smile on his face, and that warms my heart. Max is just a great kid. Today is Max’s 4th birthday. I can’t believe he is four already. Happy 4th birthday Max!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
