Kids
My nephew, Chris Killinger is a very busy man these days. Chris is about to become a daddy again, and he is very excited to be growing his family with his wife, Lacey and children, Brooklynn and Jaxon. The upcoming birth has been keeping the family somewhat close to home, but they did manage to take a weekend trip to Denver in May to attend a concert there. They also took a camping trip to the mountain over the Independence Day holiday. Lacey’s family has always enjoyed the Lake more than the mountain, but they enjoyed themselves on the mountain too.
Lacey’s mom, Alena Stevens and her dad, Mike Stevens have always loved the lake and often spent at least a week there each summer. Since Alena went home to Heaven, those camping trips to the lake have been more of a struggle for the 
family. I’m sure they will be able to work through it eventually, because Alena would really never want those camping trips to end. I’m sure the family won’t let that happen. The trip to the mountain was fun in a different way. Chris helped his son, Jax and the other kids to ride the quad. A great time was had by all, even if it was on the mountain.
Chris has been working hard on a “self-improvement” project, in the form of weight loss. Chris has been quite focused, and his efforts are proving quite fruitful. In recent months, Chris has lost 100 pounds, and he feels much better. Chris is getting ready for the future in other ways too. Chris has been very helpful with Lacey’s nesting and getting the house ready for the birth of their first child together. That job has required Chris to build and put together a lot of 
items necessary for the baby’s arrival. Lacey is wondering if he is sick of all the work, but he also wants everything to be in readiness for this baby. He, like Lacey, Brooklynn, and Jaxon are all very ready for baby to be here and for them to spend time with her!! I can fully understand that. As short as the nine months gestation period is, the last month or so always seems to take forever. The anticipation of the baby’s arrival always makes the last month of a pregnancy seem like three months instead of one. Nevertheless, before they know it, their precious baby girl will be here, and their joy will be complete, but this day is Chris’ birthday, and so the baby’s day will still have to wait a few more days. Today is Chris’ birthday. Happy birthday Chris!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Shannon Moore is truly the King of Adventure!! He is such a good Dad and always wants to take his daughter, Mackenzie to experience new things. Shannon and his wife, my niece, Lindsay Moore have always been athletic and outdoorsy, so it is something they definitely want to pass along to their daughter. The family loves to go camping, and this year, Shannon took Lindsay and Mackenzie camping where they could try out their new paddle boards, and go four wheeling, hiking to waterfalls, seeing animals…all the fun things! Lindsay tells me, “He does it all with joy!! Shannon has the heart of a servant. I’ve always noticed it. He’s so generous and helpful and it’s really genuine. How blessed we are to have him!!”
Shannon has always been into sports and is now the assistant coach for the Wyoming Cowboys football team. 
He is also their tight ends coach. Shannon is an educator to the highest level. He has the credentials to be a teacher in mathematics and even the school principal, but his real love is coaching, and he is so good at it. Not only is he a skilled coach, but his players love and respect him too. These guys are usually far away from home and having a coach (and his wife) take them under his wing is so great. Lindsay is a very social person and loves to entertain. That makes her the perfect hostess for the team get togethers.
Lindsay always gets excited about Shannon’s birthday and the chance to brag about her husband. She loves 
that she and their daughter, Mackenzie, get to celebrate “the guy who always takes care of us and everyone else!” Shannon and Mackenzie share a special bond…he’s always ready to spend quality time with her. They play, he teaches her new things, and their love for each other is obvious. She’s got Daddy wrapped around her finger in the sweetest way. For Shannon, being a dad is such an important job. When Mackenzie’s learning something new, he’s patient like a true coach, whether it’s flips on the trampoline, riding a bike, mini golfing, paddle boarding, or even math. Shannon just knows how to teach. Those are pretty amazing things to have said about someone, and Shannon truly has a heart of gold, and a great blessing to his family. Today is Shannon’s birthday. Happy birthday Shannon!! 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 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.
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.”
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!!
Over the past few years, I have watched my daughter, Corrie Petersen work very hard to realize her dream of becoming a nurse. In checking, I found out that the nursing degree is the hardest degree to get, and after watching how hard she had to work, I totally believe that. Now, Corrie has been a nurse with her RN (registered nurse) and BSN (Bachelor of Science degree in nursing) for three years. We are so proud of her accomplishments, and now she has a third distinction, her CRRN (Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse). Corrie has worked at Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital for those three years. She has been an asset to them and they to her. I have been so happy for her as she has realized her dreams of becoming a nurse. That dream actually started in 2007 when she helped to care for her grandparents, Allen and Collene Spencer. Later, she also assisted in caring for her other grandparents, Walt and Joann Schulenberg as well as her husband, Kevin Petersen and his parents, Becky Skelton and Dean Petersen. Corrie has a long history in caregiving and now nursing, and I couldn’t be more proud of her. Corrie has dealt with a number of different diseases in her 
caregiving-nursing career, including Alzheimer’s Disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, cancer, and rehabilitation issues, to name a few. Dealing with various diseases has the tendency to make her a well-rounded nurse. The longer she is in nursing, and the more experienced she becomes, the more valuable she is to her employer. While she got into nursing later that many people, she is making up for those years quickly and if you count the caregiving years, she already has more years than many other nurses do. I think her value is already great, and I’m sure her employer realizes that too.
In addition to that Corrie has been focusing on her own health. Nursing school is very hard…on the body too. Some people lose their hair, some, like Corrie gain a lot of weight because of lack of movement. Now, however, Corrie has lost all that excess weight, and she looks great. I am so proud of her for taking control of her health. Several years ago, she became a vegetarian, but as we all know, that is not a guaranty of weight loss, and for Corrie it wasn’t that way. Now, however, she has been really focusing on the loss of excess weight, and she looks amazing. I am so proud of her.
Corrie is also a wife, mother to two sons, and grandmother to one granddaughter and six grandsons. She loves 
being all of those things, and they are her first priority. Being born on her own great grandmother’s birthday started Corrie’s life off filled with family. Birthdays were always a big deal and celebrated together. So, it stands to reason that her own family is also very important to her. Corrie is also a fur mommy to two puppies and a cat. Corrie and her husband, Kevin enjoy gardening, reading, and improving their home. They have done a lot of renovating to their house, and it looks great. Other than family, Corrie loves reading best. She is a huge James Patterson fan and also likes books on famous assassinations, like Kennedy and Lincoln. Reading is her down time passion. Today is Corrie’s birthday. Happy birthday Corrie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My husband, Bob Schulenberg’s grandmother, Nettie Knox, wasn’t born during the pioneer era, but she lived a life that echoed it in many ways. Born in Clydes Park, Montana, on June 30, 1909, to Orin and Eva (Landis) Noyes, she married Robert Knox on June 14, 1928. Though she came into the world after cars were invented, there were times when her life felt like something out of the Old West. Grandpa worked on a sheep ranch, and when my mother-in-law, Joann Schulenberg, was about three years old, they lived for a while in a sheep wagon so he could stay close to the flock. Grandma, being a homemaker, joined him, especially since the wagon was provided rent-free…a deal too good to pass up. Still, it wasn’t a long-term home, as even with just the three of them, a sheep wagon wasn’t nearly spacious enough.
Grandma loved tradition, Christmas, birthdays, and celebrations of all kinds. When my daughter, Corrie Petersen, was born on Grandma’s birthday…and as her first great-grandchild…she was overjoyed! She called it the greatest gift ever, and their bond was instant and strong. They celebrated their shared birthday together every year, always taking new pictures to see how they’d changed. To me, it seemed like Corrie did all the changing, growing up before my eyes, while Grandma had a certain timelessness about her, even an innocence. Maybe it was her love of tradition and celebration, or maybe just good genes, but she never seemed to age…at least not to me. That’s why she and Corrie connected so well, a shared excitement for the little joys in life.
When I think about what Corrie has worked for, and what she has accomplished, I know Grandma Knox would have been so proud of her. Grandma suffered from arthritis and always wished the medical community could find a cure. While there’s still no cure, maybe one day there will be. In the meantime, Corrie works to comfort people, no matter what illness they face. Her role is to bring comfort to her patients, and I’m sure Grandma would see that as a wonderful contribution to the world. Today marks the 118th anniversary of Grandma’s birth. Happy birthday in Heaven, Grandma. We love and miss you so much.
Since high school, my grandnephew, has completed study for his associate’s degree in graphic design. He was an excellent student who loved his classes and rarely missed school. He worked diligently and maintained a 4.0 GPA for the majority of his two-year college career…an extraordinary accomplishment while working at a full-time job too. During college, he worked at Ace Hardware, but these days he is working full-time for Sherwin Williams and is doing great there. This year, he got a booth at the David Street Station Arts and Craft Fair. He is selling his custom digital art and soon will be selling in Etsy as well. He is doing very well. A career in graphic design is a great field to be in. The possibilities are truly endless, because of the many areas that use graphic design. His work is amazing.
Chris graduated from high school in Rawlins, Wyoming and then, he and his mom, Andrea Beach moved to 
Casper, where he attended Casper College. Now, with schooling behind him, Chris is planning to move out and get his own place in the fall. At 21 years old, and done with school, he has decided that it’s time to branch out and become his own man. To help facilitate that ides, he best friends from high school decided that they needed to come to Casper to surprise their buddy. They, Chris’ grandparents, and mom all went to Racca’s for dinner and then to The Office for celebratory drinks. He’s been friends with these guys for many years, so it was only fitting. It’s hard to believe that Chris, could possibly to 21 years old already. I think he should still be just a kid.
Chris, his mom, and grandma, Caryl Reed always take a trip to the Black Hills each year, and it is something they all look forward to. Spending a week in the Black Hills is one of the most relaxing things, and most of our family loves it. Then, Chris and his mom are going to see BTS: Bangtan Boys, which is a favorite Korean boy band, in concert in Foxborough Massachusetts in August. They are very excited about the trip. They are staying in Rhode Island, and have rented a car, so Chris will be the driver in New England. Having never driven out there, he is very excited about the trip and the prospect of driving the area. Today is Chris’ 21st birthday!! Happy birthday Chris!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Recently, my grandson Caalab Royce came to Casper for a visit with his parents, his sister Shai, and her boyfriend Angelo. Caalab moved with his parents, Amy and Travis Royce, to Ferndale, Washington right after he graduated from high school in 2014. Since that time, I obviously don’t get to see them as much as I did when the kids were little. Having him here took me back in time to the little boy that he once was. Caalab loved to play with my long hair from the time he was a baby, and unlike most babies, or kids for that matter, Caalab was very gentle with my hair. He never wanted to pull it, just to run my hair between his fingers…ever so gently. And…it wasn’t just my hair. When he was first dropped off at the daycare, he was very upset, until one of the teachers, Rachel let him play with her tight tiny braids. He loved them…and her. After that, he settled right in, often making sure that he was always sitting next to Rachel…when he wasn’t playing with the other kids that is.
Caalab always had a smile that lit up his whole face, and that hasn’t changed at all. That smile is a big part of 
him, and it’s always a joy to see. Caalab is a happy person, who can draw just about anyone into his circle of friends, and believe me, they feel honored to be there. Caalab has never known a stranger and calls most people his friends. He is very loyal to those he loves and treats them very well. His smile hasn’t changed much since his little boy days, and his laugh is still infectious. These days, like many men, he sports a beard, but that’s about the extent of the change on his face. It was so good to see him and be able to share a few good times. We were able to go on a hike to Garden Creek Falls with his parents, as well as his Papa, Bob. It was a lot of fun. Caalab has always loved going for walks and hiking in the mountains, so this was right up his alley.
The visit was short unfortunately, because they were here to celebrate his great grandmother, Virginia Hansen’s 90th birthday. It was such a blessing for the family to still have her with them. Still, even though the visit was short, I was so pleased that they were able to make the trip, and so pleased that Caalab was able to make it 
with his family. While I am happy that Caalab loves living in Washington, I nevertheless miss him very much. Through the years, he has been such a blessing to me, and even through the years when he decided that it was great fun to pull a large strand out hair straight out and swat at it…gently of course. I have always love having my hair touched, brushed, and yes played with, and Caalab was always happy to oblige. He loved and still loves the feel of hair. He was always a great blessing to me and still is. Today is Caalab’s birthday. Happy birthday Caalab!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
