Kids
For my brother-in-law, Mike Stevens the last year has been one of major changes. My sister, Alena, who is Mike’s wife of what would have been 42 years this year. Mike has had a tough year. It’s hard to be the parent left behind after a loss, even when the children of the marriage are grown and on their own. Mike has had to try to be supportive of his children, while dealing with his own sense of immense loss. That was the position Mike found himself in, and through his grief, I can say he has handled it well. Mike knew how important all the family birthdays were to Alena, and they are to him too, but like many men, he had looked to Alena to keep track of the days, and then he would join her in wishing the happy birthday to the family member. After Alena went to Heaven, Mike contacted me to get a good list so he could continue to do so. He knew I would have that list because of my blog. I was so proud of him for making sure he could continue that tradition, and I know Alena would be proud of him too. It was such a sweet blessing to get that text from Mike on my birthday. He is carrying on the tradition started by Alena. 
There are joyful events coming Mike’s way too. His son, Garrett and wife Kayla are expecting a new baby in July, and his daughter, Lacey and husband Chris Killinger are expecting a baby in August. I know Alena has met these grandbabies in Heaven already, but soon the rest of the family will get to meet them. I know Mike is very excited to see his family continuing to grow, but I’m sure he wishes he could share these joyous occasions with Alena. Mike has a close relationship with his kids, and they all work hard to maintain that closeness. They are very supportive of each other.
In early April, Callie, the half miniature Doberman and half Long-Haired Chihuahua dog Mike and Alena had owned for 13 years passed away. It was hard that it was shortly before the one-year anniversary of Alena’s passing on April 23, 2025. After Callie was gone, Mike said the house felt really lonely, and since he had been 
around my sister’ Caryl Reed and her husband, Mike’s West Highland White Terrier, he decided to get one for himself. In early May, he got a male Westie, and names him Festus. I guess you can see that Mike is a “Gunsmoke” fan. While he still misses Callie, Mike and Festus are getting along very well. Westies are a small dog, so they make for a great lap dog when Mike is watching television or just relaxing in the evening. I’m glad he has a new companion in the house and Festus is a sweet little companion too. It’s a good thing for Mike. Today is Mike’s birthday. Happy birthday Mike!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Katy Herr is an amazing woman. She is an athlete, marathon runner, exercise enthusiast, but above all that, she is a wife and mother. Her husband, Dylan Herr and her son, Max Herr. They are Katy’s world. She loves then more than life itself, and she works very hard to bring happiness to their lives, to create the best home and life she can for them. Katy has a kind and loving heart, and it shows in everything she does for everyone she knows. Her smile lights up a room and makes everyone’s day better. It’s no wonder she is loved and respected by everyone who knows her.
I don’t recall when exactly Katy started her training for and running marathons, but I over the years, she has won several races both individual and as part of a team. I do a lot of walking, but running is just not something I could ever get into. I am in awe of anyone who can, and in awe of all the work and training it takes to get there. As her husband says, she “pushes herself at the gym to chase her goals and become the best version of herself.” You can tell that she works very hard, she looks great, and she is very healthy. I know that Max is glad she does too, because his mama can get out there and play with him as if she were a kid too. Not every mom can do that. He really is the recipient of her hard work.
Katy is also a great help to Dylan in all the charity work and business obligations he has. Dylan is one of the owners, along with his family of Red Wing Shoes, but he is also community minded, as is Katy. Their contributions to the community have been a welcome help to many people, and Katy has been a big part of that. Sometimes, I think she must be part “Superwoman” with all she does. On top of all that, add keeping her house up and baking…both things she also does very well. I just don’t know how she does it!! Katy has a heart of gold, and a sweet spirit to match!! Katy is a wonderful person, and a joy to know. Today is Katy’s birthday. Happy birthday Katy!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
For years, we all thought my niece, Andrea Beach would be a chef. The culinary arts were always of interest to her, and she had worked as a chef in several restaurants. Andrea liked her culinary jobs, but after a long time in that industry, she decided that it was time for a change. It’s not that she no longer enjoys cooking and baking, but now her family is the group that gets to enjoy her creations. So, she took a job at Wyoming Machinery as a lab technician in the oil lab. Somehow, I had never considered Andrea might find herself in an occupation involving science. Of course, I don’t know how she did in science in school, but Andrea has been working there for a little over a year now, and she is very happy with her decision to make a change of career. In her work, Andrea tests a variety of fluids from semitrucks to cars. She tests hydraulic, differential, and transmission fluids. These come from trucking companies, mine sites Construction companies and such, and they come from Rick Springs, Casper, Cheyenne, Rawlins and even Denver. It is very important work, and I’m very proud of her.
Andrea is a music lover, and while she and her son, Chris usually go with her mom, Caryl Reed to the Black Hills for a week’s vacation every year, she had to forego the trip last year, because she Seattle, Washington for a concert called Chemical Romance. The trip also gave them a chance to visit her dad, Warren Beach and his wife Diane. This year, even though she and Chris are going to Boston to see a Korean Band called BTS in August, they will still get to make the annual Black Hills trip. I’m sure that is because of the better pay with Wyoming Machinery, and more vacation time, now that she has been there over a year. I’m glad they get to go on their annual trip again this year.
Andrea has always loved experimenting with her hair, and she recently got it cut really short. She loves it and 
the freedom it affords her. While I have always had and likely will always have long hair, I can understand the extra work it is, so I understand why she likes it short. It looks very cute on her. Andrea has been a single mom for most of her son’s life, and she has raised him to be a successful and loving man. While her life was not always easy, she has made it successful with hard work and her faith in God. She loves her son dearly, and she wants nothing more than for him to be happy. She has simply kept forging ahead. Today is Andrea’s birthday. Happy birthday Andrea!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My sister, Cheryl Masterson, the eldest of our parents five daughters has always carried a lot of the responsibilities of helping our mom, Collene Spencer and dad, Allen Spencer in taking care of her younger sisters. So, when they passed away, it was just natural for Cheryl to assume the role of family matriarch. Cheryl is a very strong woman of God, and being the family matriarch, she is really good about passing much of her wisdom on Christian matters down to her sisters, as well as her nieces and nephews. Cheryl truly loves the Lord, and she spends much of her free time in deep study of His Word. I some ways Cheryl reminds me of Anna in the Bible. Anna was a prophetess. She was widowed at a young age, and decided never to marry again, but rather to serve the Lord for the rest of her life. Cheryl was not widowed, but rather divorced when her five children were very young. She too never married again, and raised her kids, Chantel Balcerzak, Toni Chase, Rob Masterson, Elizabeth Masterson, and Jenny Spethman alone and with little help. Anna didn’t have children, but 
like Anna, Cheryl spends all of her free time studying God’s Word, praying and worshipping God, and sharing her wealth of knowledge from her studies with her sisters and anyone else in need. We are all very blessed because of her.
Cheryl worked hard to get an education and became a legal secretary, a position she’s held for many years. She’s excellent at her job, serving as the secretary for the firm’s busiest attorney, and when she retires, they’ll have a tough time replacing her. Still, she’s hoping to retire in the next year or so and has been looking forward to it for quite some time. It will be a big change for her after working most of her life, but retirement will surely feel wonderful, and I know that she will consider it the perfect time to dive even deeper into her Bible study.
While her top priority is her study of God’s Word, Cheryl is also an excellent cook. Anyone who has had the privilege of eating food Cheryl has prepared, can tell you that her skills are amazing. She can make pretty 
much anything you can imagine, and if she doesn’t know how, just had her a recipe, and she will no doubt more that do it justice. Her family all love to come to her house for a family dinner whenever they can. And anytime we have a family “Potluck” dinner, you know Cheryl’s dishes will be one of the big hits. They always are. Today is Cheryl’s birthday. Happy birthday Cheryl!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My son-in-law, Travis Royce, is a fun-loving guy. Travis is, in many ways, a born entertainer, and he loves entertaining. Travis has never heard a joke without knowing the punchline, and he always remembers them…probably because they just click for him. My guess is that he could anticipate the punch line before he has even finished hearing a new joke. Travis is a true comedian, and not only because he recalls punchlines, but also because he can make up jokes on the spot. Travis seeing humor everywhere. I enjoy talking with him because he always brings something fun to the table. I’m sure that is one of the things that drew my daughter, Amy Royce to him, and one of the things that kept their house filled with laughter when the kids, Shai and Caalab were little.
Travis has a pretty cool job working in the local tourism industry. One of his tasks is restocking tourism flyers around the area, and the best part is doing it on the ferry boats. To fill the racks there, he gets to ride the 
ferries, which sounds like a dream gig. Sometimes, when he works on weekends, Amy joins him, and they turn it into a fun day out. The actual work doesn’t take long, so they get plenty of time to just enjoy the ride. Maybe those trips could get routine, but it’s hard to imagine that happening with Travis. He seems to have a touch of wanderlust…he’s not one for constant travel, but he loves a good outing. Still, he’s happiest spending most evenings relaxing in the backyard.
Travis and Amy love their backyard and fixing it up. Every year brings a new addition to the design. Amy plants new flowers, and Travis improves the design of the yard to make it even more inviting than it already is. This year, Travis redesigned the firepit area, and it is beautiful. The whole family loves hanging out in the Royce backyard, as do all their friends. Their yard is the go-to hangout for all their friends. Travis has always loved yardwork, and now 
his efforts are paying off in a big way. They also have a recreation room with a pool table, bar, and seating area for their many friends. Here Travis, Caalab, and several friends hold regular jam sessions. Both of them are excellent guitar players, and I love listening to them play. Sometimes, Shai and Amy will sing along, but mostly it’s the guys paying the music they love…which for Travis is and has been Blues for many years. Today is Travis birthday. Happy birthday Travis!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Some holidays celebrate a single tradition, but others, like May Day, can mean many things. When my sisters and I were kids, May Day was always special. Our mom, Collene Spencer, would go to the store to buy candy. We’d make baskets out of construction paper, fill them with treats, and sneak around the neighborhood hanging them on neighbors’ doors. After knocking, we’d run and hide. Sometimes they caught us, and other times they’d just call out “thank you,” but they were always happy to know we thought of them and did something kind for them. For us, the tradition was all about the game.
Many people see May Day as a celebration of the start of summer or at least the warmer part of spring. It’s the time when flowers seem to bloom all at once, the grass 
turns green practically overnight, and trees burst with new leaves. For me, it’s a perfect way to think about it, since spring and summer are my favorite seasons. I love getting outside to hike and soak up the warm weather. Some festivities include a Maypole dance, where colorful ribbons are woven around a pole to create a beautiful pattern, much like braiding…although I haven’t really heard of it happening in the United States anymore. Still, where it is practiced, it’s a fun activity for kids and a wonderful way to welcome summer!!
In the United States, May 1st holds another meaning…it’s also Law Day. Opinions about it may vary, but to me, it’s an important occasion. Our nation depends on law and order, and I think most people would agree. Law Day is a time to reflect on the role of law in the country’s foundation and to recognize its value in society. Some people criticize the police, yet turn to them when they need help, suddenly appreciating their importance. I’ve had law enforcement officers in my family, and they are among the most caring people I know. So, to them I say, Happy Law Day!! And to everyone else, Happy May Day!!
My grandnephew, Zack Spethman is such a sweet guy. He has a heart of gold and is loving toward everyone. Zack is a very tall man, and he is literally a teddy bear. Whenever you see Zack, you can expect a hug from him, because that’s just who he is. He wants the people he loves to know they are loved, and believe me, we do. Zack makes that very clear. For him, it’s a matter of never wasting the precious time we are given with people we care about. Zack is the second oldest child of my niece Jenny Spethman and her husband Steve Spethman. He has an older brother, Xander Spethman, younger brother, Isaac Spethman; sister, Laila Spethman (who lives in Heaven); and sister Aleesia Spethman. Zack has always been a great blessing to his 
siblings and to his parents.
Zack works at Best Buy in Casper, Wyoming, in the geek squad area. Like most young people, Zack loves tech, and he has learned a lot from the people he works with. He likes his coworkers and they like him. Of course, it helps, I suppose that one of his coworkers is his cousin, Matthew Masterson, who has also been his best friend since birth. Zack is just four months older than Matt, so they have always been friends. Zack fits in very well at work, as he does in virtually any setting…work and social. Zack is someone people want to know.
Zach is the kid that’s always willing to help out. When his mom’s dog, Romeo got away from her, Zack came to the rescue…chasing down the pup for his mom. Zack loves hiking and is always up for 
a hike, and he is the first one to volunteer to hit Casper Mountain with her. Zack is very close with his brothers and cousin, Matthew. They all hang out together. He’s also very close with his sister, Aleesia. He is very protective of her and always takes the time to check on her and play video games with her. For the last three weekends all of the boys have been working together to help their dad build a new fence for the new family dogs. It was a lot of hard work, and it sure did pay off. It looks great. It was very special for Jenny to see her whole family work together on a project and have a good time doing it. Today is Zack’s 21st birthday!! Happy birthday Zack!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
When our children were little, it didn’t take much to make them happy. A ball and a small wading pool could provide hours of entertainment, and back then, they usually cost less than $10, making them easy on any budget. Our girls loved splashing around in a wading pool on hot summer days while I relaxed in my chaise lounge with a good book. Those were the wonderful, lazy days of summer. The memories take me back to an easier time, less hectic and more relaxed. My girls were little and play dates were not a thing at the time. We lived in the country and didn’t make trips to town every day. I was a stay-at-home mom then, so often it was just the girls and me at home during the day.
Back then, any video games that existed were pricey and basic. We got one when they were a bit older, but unlike kids today who seem to be born with technology at their fingertips, the girls relied on their imaginations for their play. I’m not saying technology is bad, in fact, I’m a big tech fan myself, but it just wasn’t as easy to access in those days. Nobody really had those kinds of games and what was out the was in the old DOS system. The kids didn’t play with electronic toys. My girls, like kids today, loved playing in boxes, imagining them as forts or other fun things. They had Cabbage Patch dolls and enjoyed playing house. With their friends, they would have tea parties and dress up. They also loved spending time in the sandbox, creating little cities or building sandcastles.
The technology we have today is incredible. You can search the internet for any information you can imagine. 
Anything you want to know can be found online. Of course there is a lot on misinformation too, but that is another story. Kids’ games are becoming increasingly graphic, and murder and crime hardly faze them anymore because they’ve seen it all in a game. Sometimes we struggle to relate to a tragic event because it resembles the fantasy worlds we’ve watched on television. I often wonder if criminals and terrorists get some of their ideas directly from TV and video games. I’m not saying technology is bad, just that it sometimes robs our kids of a precious commodity—imagination.
My sister-in-law, Jennifer Parmely knew her calling with the birth of her first son, Barry Schulenberg. From the moment he arrived, Jennifer began working toward her nursing degree, and within two years she was a labor and delivery nurse. Jennifer also drove herself to the hospital when her second pregnancy turned into a bit of an emergency. Nevertheless, her son JD Parmely was born healthy and well, as was her third son, Erik Parmely. As to her career, there is no way to say exactly how many babies Jennifer assisted in their entry into the world, but I know that four of them were my grandchildren, Chris Petersen, Shai Royce, Caalab Royce, and Josh Petersen. Jennifer’s nursing career was long and exciting and finally came to an end when Jennifer retired on February 28, 2023. She had been in healthcare since she was 17 years old…first as a candy striper, then as a CNA (as required by the nursing school at that time), and then as a labor and delivery nurse.
Since her retirement, she still spends time with children quite a bit. She has three granddaughters and a grandson, all of whom love to spend time with their Oma, especially if they can spend the night. Jennifer especially loves to spend time one-on-one with the kids, so they can each do things that they are specifically interested in. The kids are 13, 11, 8, and 6, so their interests vary greatly, and sometimes it’s just nice to get away from siblings. I know that Jennifer is a blessing to her son, Eric and his wife too. She sometimes picks the kids up from school when their parents are working and keeps them until they get off work. It takes a load off of working parents and pleases Jennifer and the kids too.
Of course, not all of Jennifer’s time is spent with children. She and her partner, Brian Cratty own a cabin on 
Casper Mountain, and they love spending time up there throughout the year. They love hiking, skiing, and just relaxing at the cabin. The kids all love to go up to for picnics, holidays, hiking, skiing and whatever everyone comes up with. Prior to her retirement, Jennifer’s time on the mountain was more limited. Now, she is free to go up as often as she wants, and since their house in town isn’t that far from the base of the mountain, it’s just a quick trip up there. Jennifer is very much enjoying her retirement. Today is Jennifer’s birthday. Happy 65th birthday Jennifer!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
