Humor
My nephew, Ryan Hadlock and his dad, Chris Hadlock have always been very close. They both like the same things, and if Chris needs help with a project, you can be sure that Ryan will be there to help any time Chris asks, whether the project is big or small. This year the two Hadlock families went camping in the Black Hills. Ryan, his wife, Chelsea and daughter, Aurora, minus their son Ethan, who had to work, unfortunately. Ryan’s family, as well as his dad and mom, Allyn Hadlock rode the 1880 train and also made time to go golfing at Rocky Knoll golf course in Custer, South Dakota. It was a great opportunity for them to do some relaxing together instead of all the work over the past couple of years! They had been working very hard on his parents’ place, and Ryan was a big help in all that work.
Ryan was an usher in his sister, Kellie’s wedding to new brother-in-law, Tim Thompson and was also a big help doing extra things for us during the busyness of the wedding day, always adding a funny brotherly comment!
Chris has made it a tradition to take Ryan to a Bronco game for his birthday each year, but since it was on a 
Monday this year, Allyn and Chelsea went too. The sporting events they have attended this year have been a great source of enjoyment for the whole family, because in addition to the Broncos games, they attend the home games of the Wyoming Cowboys too. Partly because Ryan’s brother-in-law, Shannon Moore is coach and so they get to see his sister Lindsay and niece, Mackenzie, but because they love football too, and so every opportunity to go is a must.
His wife, Chelsea says, “Ryan is the most amazing man! He’s a great father to the kids, always there to help and give advice. He’s a great husband, kind, loving and encouraging. He’s a wonderful boss, treating all his employees fairly and encouraging them. He is great man of the Lord, and a good example to everyone who knows him. He has been enjoying practicing guitar with Aurora, helping Ethan with his truck, and going to a ton of sporting events.” His mom, Allyn adds, He is thriving at work as a foreman and all his employees really enjoy working for and with him. He is the type of boss who is very knowledgeable and yet doesn’t mind jumping in to help when needed. The Lord has blessed him with the ability to be a great asset to the company!! He loves his family and loves the Lord! Bringing them to church and being a great example of a true man of God!!”
His sister, Lindsay says, That’s the question of the day! The only brother is a world of women. He is funny, sarcastic and kind. We love getting to spend time with Ryan while we camp, during football season and when we go to Casper. He’s grown in His walk with the Lord, and I love to see it! He is a great uncle…not like a great-uncle, but a “great” uncle. And he loves our dog, Brinkley the most of all the dogs!” Ryan is truly a blessing to all his family. Today is Ryan’s birthday!! Happy birthday Ryan!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Jessi Sawdon and her daughter, Adelaide, consider themselves two of the most blessed woman and girl on the planet. They tell me, “We can’t say enough about our love for Jason and Daddy!! Traits that everyone sees everyday ring true at home too. He’s kind, selfless, caring, and such a helper. But dang he is a hard worker! He goes to work and works hard to support his team and troopers around the state, then comes home and gives all his attention to Adelaide, Riley (the dog) and me (Jessi). He always gives 100% to everything he does and is so good at so much.” Jason is a great family man, and from the moment he and Jessi met, you could tell that he was going to make her happy. He is totally devoted to her and now to Adelaide too.
The Sawdon family is very active…always on the go, but Jason won’t miss a chance to hook up the camper and take them away for a weekend of fun in the mountains or at the lake. That is something that doesn’t surprise anyone who knows Jason. He is always ready for a good time and is funny and fun. Jessi reminded me that 
Jason is “never one to shy away from being silly,” and anyone who knows him can attest to that. Off the top of my head, I can recall several events where Jason boisterously made his feelings for Jessi known is a way that might have shocked the average person…who didn’t know him, like bidding up her cake at a cake auction. Not that Jessi isn’t a great cook and baker, but Jason wanted everyone at the church to know it. It was an endearingly funny moment, for sure.
Jason always makes sure Adelaide has fun wherever they are. Jessi tells me, “He is a girl dad through and through and does the best job! He and Adelaide have the best bond, and he loves to teach her new things. He’s a patient and effective teacher because he wants everyone to be successful and understand why something is done. He is such a blessing to our entire family and I’m so thankful the Lord had him in mind for me. Our lives are so blessed, rich, and fun with him in them.” Jason fit into our family from the moment he and Jessi got together. They were perfect for each other, and everyone could see it. Before long, we couldn’t imagine Jessi 
with anyone else. Theirs was a match made in Heaven. While their marriage thus far has been amazing, I know that the future will just get better and better. Nothing can stand in their way. They will weather the years like the great couple they are, and someday, I can picture them on their front porch in their rocking chairs, just enjoying growing old together. Today is Jason’s birthday. Happy birthday Jason!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grandson, Axel Petersen is sweet little boy with a loving heart. The kindness in that boy shows on his sweet face…even when he is having one of his mischievous 2-year-old moments. And believe me when I say that he does have those moments, you know the kind when he pretends he has no idea what you are talking about, as he “innocently” continues doing the very thing you are telling him to stop. He even walks up to the thing he isn’t supposed to do, turns and looks at me, grins and does it anyway!! That pest!! Still, at other times, he is a perfect little angel without so much as a hint of a mischievous side. He just sweetly brings you a gift of a flower, a block, or other toy that he thinks you might like. Or he asks you to sing him a song, as he sleepily rolls over and drifts off to sleep, in need of a nap after all that play. It’s a sweet memory of an average day with Axel and his brothers, Justin and Cristian.
Axel is the middle of my grandson, Josh Petersen and his wife, Athena’s three boys, although soon he will have 
another brother. Like his grandma, my daughter, Corrie Petersen and her sister, Amy Royce, Axel and his older brother, Justin will always be the same age for about a month, before Justin’s birthday. They are “Irish Twins” just like their grandma and aunt…something they will always share. Nevertheless, Axel will soon become one of the big brothers, with two little brothers to help out with or to get into mischief with, whichever they seem to be into at the moment. The bigger boys love their little brother, Cristian, especially making him laugh and holding him, even though Cristian isn’t too sure about that part.
Axel loves books, especially when the book has some special parts, like flaps to open, rubber tires to touch, or dinosaur pictures that growl. He loves dinosaurs and loves pretending to be one to see if he can scare me. He stomps his feet menacingly toward me, and when he gets close, he says loudly, “Rrrraaaaar!!” It’s my job to act 
scared, or sometimes roar back at him, to which he scampers away, pretending to be afraid, and then comes back at me for another attack. Having had daughters myself, this “new world” I’m a part of filled with mostly boys (plus one granddaughter and one great granddaughter) has been a bit of a learning curve and a “culture shock” too, but I love all those boys very much, and I know that I have been truly blessed to see the other side of grandparenthood and great grandparenthood. A side where bugs and worms aren’t disgusting, but rather they are interesting, and a “must see” item…a side where wrestling around on the floor being tackled by two “monsters” is just an average day in the life of a little boy!! Today is Axel’s 2nd birthday. Happy birthday Axel!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Aurora Hadlock is amazing!! She is always ready to help her mom, Chelsea Hadlock, around the house, or help her brother, Ethan Hadlock. She has started playing the guitar with her dad, Ryan Hadlock and grandpa, Chris Hadlock, and she really loves it. She is taking guitar in school, and she is so excited that it is her first period class. It’s a great way to start her day. Aurora loves to go camping and ride the four-wheeler, which their family has done a good amount of this summer. She also enjoys sitting by the campfire playing the guitar. Everyone else enjoys that too.
Aurora is very into matching right now, so the shoes have to perfectly match the outfit, and pajamas must be in sets. It’s all part of becoming a young lady and embracing her own style. She’s wild about records and cassette tapes and has a growing collection of vintage ones like “Hello, Dolly!,” “Happiest Millionaire,” and some “Disney Princess” ones. She also is in love with musicals. Her favorites right now are “Hamilton” and “Newsies.” Aurora is very funny, but sometimes she shows that she has a dry sense of humor like her dad, which is really quite funny…on both Aurora and her dad.
Her aunt, Jessi Sawdon can’t believe how quickly Aurora became a high schooler. I agree. Where have the years gone? Jessi says, “She is so much fun, and I imagine if we had been in the same grade, I would have wanted to be her friend! I love how confident she is in herself and how kind she is. Even though there is a bit of an age difference, Aurora never makes her cousins, Adelaide Sawdon, Mackenzie Moore, or Jolene Thompson feel like they aren’t worth her attention, and they always want her attention! They adore Aurora and think she is so cool and fun. She is patient in playing with them and makes all their games so fun. We hit the jackpot with Aurora!! She is incredibly smart and so gorgeous. We love her so much and are so proud of her!”
Her aunt, Lindsay Moore says, “My little sweet Aurora! She really is so funny and fun! And she is growing up. We love when we get to hang out with Aurora. She always makes the time to hang with the littler girls even 
though they play different. She such a good girl too. We all got to camp together this summer, and it was great to spend some time with her.” Her grandma, Allyn Hadlock told me that she agreed with everything the other girls said of Aurora. She feels so blessed by this, her oldest granddaughter. Aunt, Kellie Thompson feels exactly the same way too. They couldn’t have asked for a sweeter girl. Today is Aurora’s 14th birthday. Happy birthday Aurora!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
La Tomatina is a Spanish festival in Buñol, Spain where participants throw tomatoes at each other. Now, I happen to be a person who doesn’t like tomatoes…I know, people think I’m crazy, but there it is. So, for me, the idea of throwing tomatoes at other people is…well, just the best use for a tomato. The La Tomatina Festival is said to be the biggest food fight in the world. It gives everyone a chance to be big kids for a change. It is said that the festival began in August of 1945 as a food fight between friends, but now it has become a famous tourist attraction. Until 2013 there was no limit to the number of participants, but that year, the festival became a ticketed event for no more than 20,000, so as not to overwhelm Buñol’s population of about 9,000 people.
The festival started in a rather odd way. A group of young people gathered in the town square to watch the Giants and Big-Heads parade. During the event, one participant’s Big-Head fell off, causing them to lose their temper, lashing out in frustration. I’m not sure how they thought that was anyone’s fault, but nevertheless, chaos erupted as they started hitting everything in reach, including a vegetable stall in the market. Everything escalated from there, when the chaos sparked a wild tomato fight among the crowd, which only came to an end when local authorities stepped in to stop the chaos.
While the first “tomato fight” was spontaneous, the next year, a group of young people staged a pre-planned quarrel, bringing their own tomatoes from home. Despite local authorities breaking it up, this event marked the start of an annual tradition. It didn’t matter if the authorities stopped the fight each year, the tradition had been born, and it would not be stopped. So, in the years that followed, thousands of people joined in, inspired by the boys’ actions. La Tomatina, as it was called went on until it was banned in the early 1950s by Francisco Franco due to the festival’s lack of religious significance. Still, this did not stop the participants from celebrating the festival. They were later arrested, but the people would not have it. They protested against the prohibition and the festival was again allowed with more participants. The festival was canceled again until 1957, when residents staged a defiant “tomato funeral” as a form of protest. In this demonstration, they carried a coffin with a giant tomato inside, accompanied by a marching band playing funeral music. The protest worked, and La Tomatina was finally allowed to become an official festival.
Thanks to Javier Basilio’s report on the Spanish TV show Informe Semanal, the festival gained recognition across the rest of Spain. Over time, participation in La Tomatina Festival grew steadily, along with the enthusiasm surrounding it. In 2002, the Secretary Department of Tourism officially declared La Tomatina of Buñol a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest due to its immense popularity. The 2020 event, which was to be 
its 75th anniversary, was cancelled in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. It had only been cancelled once before, in 1957, for political reasons. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 event was also cancelled. In the last edition, on August 28, 2024, more than 23,000 people from 51 countries participated. It is a festival that will probably never go away. Finally, a good use for the tomato!!
My niece, Melanie Harman is married to one of the most adoring husbands ever. What a wonderful blessing they are to each other. Melanie married into our family when she married my nephew, Jake Harman, and they truly never have a negative word to say about each other. Everything they tell me about their spouse is sweet, loving, and uplifting. Jake tells me that Melanie is “my best friend and my other half. She has the most beautiful smile in the world and the greatest laugh known to mankind. She is without a doubt the best wife ever and an even better mom. She works all day, then comes home to take care of everything here. She is super mom!! She does any and everything for the babies (12-year-old Alice, Green, 9-year-old Izabella Harman, and 8-year-old Jaxx Harman). They are her life!!”
Melanie has worked at the State of Wyoming for 3 years now, and she really loves it. Melanie’s coworkers are always telling her how much they love her. She brightens everyone’s day when she enters the room. She has this way about her that makes you feel like you can tell her everything, so she has to constantly tell people at work, “I have to work,” because people won’t stop talking to her. It’s a funny, but sweet problem. So many people go to work thinking only of when they will get off. And so few people ever consider that those around them might need to talk, or even to see a smile aimed at them. Especially these days, people have become so “closed in” and think only of themselves. In that kind of a global atmosphere, Melanie shines as a light in the dark to those she touches with her smile and caring ways.
For Jake and “the babies” her smile is a happy point of their day, every day. They have a game at the house to 
make sure they give Jake loves before her, because she is his, after all!! Of course, the kids always run to her first, and then Jake has to “beat them” for touching his wife!! It’s all in good fun, and the kids have no fear of their daddy, because he’s really a softy!! Jake hurt his shoulder at work back in October, and he had to have surgery. It was a bummer of a situation, but Melanie took care of Jake every step of the way. In true Melanie style, she never complained. She just took care of him. In his own words, Jake best states his feelings for his wife, when he says, “She is the most beautiful, loving woman ever and there is absolutely no one luckier than me to have this amazing family, and it’s all because of her!!” Today is Melanie’s birthday. Happy birthday Melanie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllllandysiliogogogoch…it is an odd name for a village for sure, but it is a real name. The name is actually the long version of the name. Shorter versions are Llanfairpwllgwyngyll or Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll. The name is often shortened to Llanfairpwll and sometimes to Llanfair PG. Interesting facts, those, but what in the world does it mean? Most names mean something, and this one is no different. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwlllllandysiliogogogoch is a village and community on the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. The village is located on the Menai Strait, next to the Britannia Bridge. It had 3,107 people in the 2011 census. Of those, 71% could speak Welsh. By 2021, the population decreased to 2,900. It’s the sixth largest settlement in the county by population.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a lengthened form of the community’s name, which is occasionally used…in some contexts, anyway. The name has 58 characters, which are split into 18 syllables, and it is said that the small town has the longest name in Europe and the second longest one-word place name in the world. Please, don’t ask me to pronounce it, because I don’t think I could. Nevertheless, the name does have a meaning. Literally translated, the long form of the name means, “The church of Saint Mary 
(Llanfair) of the pool of the white hazels over against the fierce whirlpool and the church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave.” Somehow that doesn’t exactly make any more sense than the village name itself.
I would hate to be the little kid in school who was trying to learn the name of the town they hailed from. They wouldn’t be able to spell it, much less say it, and then to try to tell someone what the name means…not likely. The poor kids might just as well give up before they even start. I have heard of unusual names for towns people have lived in, some of which I would never want to live in, but this one is ridiculous. Still, if a village is going to have such a unique name, in might just as well be ridiculous, right.
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My great-grandnephew, Jaxx Harman is Such a sweet boy. He parents, Jake and Melanie Harman say, “That little boy by far is one of the sweetest things God has ever created!” He is the youngest of his parents three children, and his older sisters, Alice and Izabella are his best friends. He wants to be around Izabella all the time and even tries to fall asleep beside her. His parents know that where Izabella is, Jaxx will be too. Jaxx has such a sweet temperament. He is kind and loving to all the people he knows, especially to his parents.
While Jaxx is best friends with his sisters, he is also very much like his daddy. One thing they have in common is gaming, and they often find themselves having to kick him off of the game so he can go do something else, like just to be a normal kid to 
run around outside and scrape some knees or something, hahahaha!! For many kids, gaming just comes naturally. Raised in a computer age, the totally get all the tech stuff from a really young age. Jaxx is no different. Add to that, watching his daddy play, and you have a very proficient gamer…at a very young age!!
Jaxx has a wonderful sense of humor. You just never know what things he might come up with. Every time he hears a new joke, he has to share it constantly. In that way, he tweaks it a little bit and makes it his own. Jaxx has a contagious laugh. When he gets started, everyone around him giggles too. He has a smile that will brighten a room! He is the first to tell his mother and sisters how beautiful they are and open doors for the ladies and says ladies first! In that way, he is his daddy’s boy too, because that is exactly how Jake is. Jaxx just has a heart of gold, and he 
knows that women are supposed to be treated as princesses. It’s an amazing trait. Still, even in his gentlemanly role, Jaxx has a silly side too, so he is just as likely to open the door for his dad and say, “Ladies first!” Hahahaha!!
As much as Jaxx is a gentleman, he is also definitely a boy! He is loud and crazy and a “little monkey!” He absolutely loves the family dogs and lays with them and cuddles them all the time! His mom says, “He is our Handsome Pandsome (Lol yeah it’s just something his mom said one time and it stuck ha ha) as we call him and we are so grateful to God every day for this sweet little boy!! He is a huge blessing!!” Today is Jaxx’s 8th birthday. Happy birthday Jaxx!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My aunt, Deloris “Dee” Johnson, was a fearless woman. I don’t mean that she was always getting in dangerous situations, but then again, she had stood up against all 5 feet (in her tall days) of her mom, Hattie Byer. That may not sound like much, but my grandmother was not a woman to be messed with. Once when grandma and her family of a husband, George Byer and their nine children were washing the dishes after dinner…something that was a big undertaking with that many kids, the children were all arguing. Siblings have a tendency to do that, and these kids were no exception. The noise level in the kitchen grew louder and louder, until Grandma could stand it no longer. Grandma yelled over the roar, “Alright, that is enough!! I don’t want to hear another peep out of you kids!!” When Grandma put an end to an argument, her kids knew that was the end of it, but my Aunt Dee, just couldn’t resist taking just one more chance. So, as all the children stood there working quietly, Aunt Dee assessed the situation and made a decision. Over the silence in the room, came a quiet little voice saying, “Peep.” The other children stood there with their mouths collectively touching the floor, thinking…”She is a dead girl!!” You just didn’t cross their mom…not is you wanted to live!! The kids waited to see just how bad the punishment would be, but Grandma, try as she might, couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing!! Of course, everyone else started laughing too, and the argument was over. It was such a simple little tension breaker, and it had been executed perfectly. I sure wish I could have been there to witness that one.
While Aunt Dee could be feisty, she was also very loyal to those she loved. In fact, that is likely one reason she might lash out at someone. She did not like things that were unfair, whether it was friend, foe, or family. She wasn’t a bully, but she was a person who wouldn’t take any “guff” from anyone. In fact, that was really advise that my grandpa, George Byer gave to all his kids. He was Aunt Dee’s dad, and he always gave sound advice. So, Aunt Dee acted when she saw unfairness, even to the point of telling someone to get out and stay out. And they knew to listen, because while she was normally gentle, Aunt Dee meant business when it came down to seeing justice being served in a situation.
While Aunt Dee was willing to take chances and refused to take any guff, the reality is that she was an all-around sweetheart. There really wasn’t a mean bone in her body. She had a sweet, gentle smile that warmed your heart. I always loved when she would come to our house for a visit. It was always a blessing to see her. Maybe that was because my mom, Collene Spencer didn’t get on her bad side, or that the two of them were 
really a lot alike. I rather think that was it. Aunt Dee and my mom were more than sisters…they were really good friends. They enjoyed each other’s company, and they always made each other laugh. The had very a very similar sense of humor…the goofier the better. I saw a lot of each of them in the other. My aunt was a person of many talents, moods (mostly very good ones), and ways, and we loved all of them. Today would have been Aunt Dee’s 94th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Dee. We love and miss you very much.
As our tenth year without our mom, Collene Spencer approaches, and in fact, it’s ten years without parents, I think my sisters, Cheryl Masterson, Caryl Reed, Alena Stevens, Allyn Hadlock, and I have been thinking a lot about her. Time doesn’t seem to go by so fast, until it is passing without a loved one. Then you just wonder, how could it be ten years already? And yet it is. Ten years without Mom’s goofiness, her laughter, her zest for life, and mostly…her presence, just seems impossible. I think that is what I miss the most…her presence. Just knowing that I could call her to ask a question, or to tell her about her new little great great grandchildren. Mom loved being a grandmother. She loved being a mom too. Her home and her family were her pride and joy. I know that while she is in Heaven, she still knows and sees how much her family has grown, and I know that she is so happy and so proud. I think we have all tried to live lives that would make our parents proud. From the oldest to the newest great great grandbaby, Mom would be so proud.
Mom met our dad, Al Spencer, when she was just a girl. Mom knew immediately that he was the one for hr. She 
remembered thinking, “What a handsome man!!” They married when she was still 17 years old. They immediately moved to Superior, Wisconsin and began a family. Ten months later my sister, Cheryl was born. I followed two years later. My sister, Caryl was born three years after I was. My sister, Alena followed two years later, and my sister, Allyn two years after that. Of course, we moved back to Casper before Caryl was born and have lived here since that time. Wyoming was where Mom’s family was, as well as part of Dad’s family, so moving here was logical. They loved Wyoming, and they thrived here.
My mom was a great Christian woman. While she loved her family, and especially our dad, her first love was for her God. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior many years ago, and she never looked back. She told anyone who would listen, just how important it was to receive Jesus. Through her, countless numbers of people were saved. My sisters and I never really felt as comfortable as Mom with witnessing to people. And in our teen 
years, we often wished she wouldn’t witness when we were around. We were embarrassed, but she wasn’t. She knew that her work was important, and she was right. I know that when she entered Heaven, our Father told her, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. We are so proud of her and hope to live up to her example. Today is the tenth anniversary of Mom’s graduation to Heaven. Mom, we love and miss you and Dad very much and can’t wait to see you when we all get there.
