Kids
My son-in-law, Kevin Petersen has been a part of our family since he married our daughter, Corrie Petersen in 1993, but he was really part of our family for three years before that, because he began dating Corrie when she was 15 years old. It was truly love at first sight for these special people. Not many people find their one and only when they are 15 and 19 years old, but they did, and they have lived happily ever after for 32 years of marriage.
These days, Kevin and Corrie have new titles…that of Papa and Grandma. Their marriage was not only blessed with two sons, but now they have two daughters-in-law, a granddaughter, and five grandsons, with one baby on the way. They love being 
grandparents, and with all those boys, Kevin spends a lot of time on the floor wrestling. I’m not sure he ever expected to be on the floor being attacked by little boys, but he truly loves playing with the kids. The kids really love Kevin, and when he is around, they know it’s going to be a great time. Kevin is always up for playing, no matter how he is feeling at the time. Grandbabies are the next generation of blessings that come from having kids, and Kevin is very blessed with all of his grandbabies.
Kevin and Corrie have been doing some camping this summer and have really enjoyed their time on Casper Mountain. They have always loved camping up there, but during the years when Corrie was in nursing school, it was very difficult to get away for that necessary R and R. Now that nursing school is 
over, they get to do the things they love again. They have also got to take a trip to Washington to visit my daughter, Amy Royce and her family and attend a Seattle Seahawks game…Kevin’s all-time favorite football team. As for Kevin’s free time, well that is spent working on his project car, a Chevy Monte Carlo. When he gets done, it will be just beautiful. Kevin does excellent work restoring cars. He has been restoring cars for as long as I have known him. He does everything from engine work to paint jobs, but I really think the paint jobs are his favorite part. He loves adding details like pinstriping and such, and it always looks great. Being an artist, Kevin is a natural. Today is Kevin’s birthday. Happy birthday Kevin!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Lindsay Moore has had a great year! The Lord has really blessed her podcast, The New Way To Live. It is growing and more and more people are listening. Lindsay has been studying to become a licensed minister and is a few weeks from the last step to get licensed. This kind of licensing isn’t the quick type so a person can marry people, but rather a full-fledged minister. After her licensing, Lindsay will study to become ordained thru the Four-Square church. Lindsay is very excited and in awe that the Lord has chosen to use her in this way. Lindsay; her husband, Shannon; and daughter, Mackenzie have been camping several times around Wyoming and Nebraska where Shannon’s family lives. They bought a new trailer and really love it. 
Lindsay still works for South Dakota State University Extension as a Director of Community Health and Obesity Program. Their goal is to enhance opportunities for nutrition and physical activity in communities. She does a great job and loves her work. Working remotely affords Lindsay the freedom to carry on the career she worked hard to achieve and to help the communities she serves. Lindsay has always been an avid health enthusiast, working hard to stay physically fit, and she loves guiding others to achieve their best healthy selves too.
Lindsay and her sister, Jessi Sawdon, who live in two separate towns, but not too far apart to make visits hard, get together quite often for dinner, lunch, birthday parties, and anytime they just want to hang out. Their 
daughters, Mackenzie Moore and Adelaide Sawdon, have lots of fun together and are great friends, which makes it very easy for the two families to enjoy things together. Lindsay’s husband, Shannon is the assistant coach for the Wyoming Cowboys football team. He is also their tight ends coach and helps with special teams too. Now that football has started, Lindsay will host her family and Shannon’s family for many home games. This is always an exciting time in the Moore household, and both families love going to all the games to support Shannon and the Cowboys. Lindsay is living the good life, and my sister, Allyn Hadlock, Lindsay’s mom…and the little birdie who helped me with all the story information this time, is always so happy with the life Lindsay and her siblings are all living. Days of heaven on earth!!
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!!
It is such a shock for me to think that my grandniece, Addie Sawdon is 9 today! On this first day of her 4th grade year, Addie also has a birthday. It’s kind of a cool way to start the year. Addie is growing up so quickly, I just can’t believe it. Nor can any of her family members. To end the summer, and celebrate her 9th year, Addie had her first sleepover birthday party over the weekend, and boy was it cool!! She asked for a scavenger hunt and the girls had so much fun finding their way to dinner at McDonald’s, back to the house, through gifts and cake, and ultimately ending with a super cute sleepover in the basement. Addie’s mom, Jessi Sawdon is so creative, and the sleepover was just amazing. Of course, I’m sure Addie’s dad, Jason Sawdon helped too. They are quite a family unit.
Jessi tells me that, “Addie has started to be so responsible and helps around the house a lot. She loves to joke around and is such a funny girl. We have a lot of fun with her. She has become quite the Lego aficionado and can build a set very quickly. I think she is aspiring to be on Lego Masters hahaha!!” For anyone who doesn’t 
know, Lego Masters is an American reality competition television series that premiered on Fox on February 5, 2020. The series is based on the British series of the same name. Each episode features teams of two building Lego projects from a vast array of bricks and parts to meet both creative and practical goals set by the challenge for a particular episode.
Addie, like her cousin Mackenzie Moore, adores animals. She loves to love on her dog, Riley and snuggle her all the time. She has such a kind heart. The family (or sometimes just Addie and her mom) got to go to Laramie, Wyoming quite a bit this summer to visit the Moore family and to have Mackenzie over for visits. These two girls are more than cousins. They are 
best friends. They love to hang out and really start to miss each other if they haven’t been together in more than a week. Last week, she got to hang out with her cousin, Aurora Hadlock and Aunt Chelsea Hadlock. She was so excited to go to their house and help Aurora get ready for her own birthday party. Over her Aunt Kellie Thompson’s wedding, Addie and cousins, Jolene Thompson and Ethan and Aurora Hadlock, were so happy to be together. Addie also got a full week with some of her Michigan cousins in Minnesota in July. Any time she gets with her cousins, is her favorite time. Jessi and Jason are “so proud of Adelaide and how smart and sweet she is. She is going to have a great year, and we think every year is the best one yet!” Today is Addie’s 9th birthday. Happy birthday Addie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Steve Spethman joined our family when he married my niece, Jenny (Masterson) Spethman. I had known Steve for a long time, by the time they started dating…since he was twelve to be exact. I was rather shocked that Jenny was dating Steve, but what I thought was a “bad boy” type back then, was really a guy with a great sense of humor, who could make everyone laugh with his antics. Oh, don’t get me wrong…Steve is a “bad boy” type in just about every way, except being a troublemaker. He is a prankster and a teaser, but in reality, he is an all-around very good guy. If you’re feeling down, Steve is just the guy to lift your spirit right up out of the doldrums. When he smiles, his whole face smiles, and Steve loves to smile…and outright laugh.
Steve is a big “teddy bear” of a man, who pretends that he is tough and mean, but it only takes about five 
seconds to see through that facade, because he can’t keep a straight face!! Deep, or maybe not so deep down, there lives a big softie. If you need someone with muscle to help you with a big project, Steve is your man. If you need a shoulder to cry on, Steve is your man. Or if you just need a big hug, Steve is your man. No wonder Jenny fell in love with this guy. He is kind-hearted, loving, and tender. His treatment of his family is so sweet. They know without a doubt that they are loved. He has a very protective nature, and while he is a “teddy bear” to those he loves and cares about, anyone who might try to hurt someone he loves, will meet with a giant of a man, very capable of breaking them in half. Meeting Steve in a dark alley is not a good idea if you are his enemy. Thankfully not many people are “dumb” enough to be Steve’s enemy. Just not a wise move.
Steve is a talented metal worker, for lack of the proper name for it. He forges knives and also makes metal art out of things that you would normally never see or imagine being art. Things like forks, spoons, knives, nuts, bolts, and gears somehow come together to for things like snails, spiders, butterflies, grasshoppers, centipedes, 
octopus, and much more. He is quite good at what he does. Every year, Steve sets up a monster sized swimming pool in their front yard so his family can enjoy the summer in the comfort of a great place to cool off. The kids’ friends love to hang out at the Spethman house. It is always the best hang out for great fun. His kids don’t have to go to friends’ houses for fun, the fun lives at the Spethman house. Today is Steve’s birthday. Happy birthday Steve!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
I first met my grandnephew, Keifer Balcerzak, when he was 12 or 13 years old. His dad, Dave Balcerzak was dating my niece, Chantel Balcerzak, and they later married. The thing about Keifer at that time that most impressed him was the way he “took care” of his sister, Katy Herr. Katy was 6 or 7 years old at the time, and Keifer was just such a great big brother to her. It’s not often that you see a twelve-year-old boy who is so sweet to his “kid sister” but that’s what Keifer was…and they have been close all their lives. And Keifer is still one if Katy’s biggest supporters in her marathon endeavors.
Keifer has carried that caring nature into his adulthood, his marriage, and family. He is a wonderful husband and father, and his family considers themselves very blessed to have Keifer in their lives. Keifer is husband to Katie and daddy to Reece and Asa. The kids are usually in sports, and Keifer is a very hands-on sport parent. He is always encouraging them and helping them to improve their skills. Of course, that comes from his own interest in sports and his participation in several kinds of sports, including 
softball. He has even taken the training to become an umpire, which he very much enjoys.
Keifer and Katie work hard to stay in good shape. They want to be the best versions of themselves and to be able to keep up with their very energetic kids. I’ll tell you, keeping up with kids takes every bit of energy a parent can muster. And these parents don’t want to miss a moment of their kids’ lives. They work hard to live a healthy lifestyle, and that is good for them and their kids. They enjoy traveling and outdoor activities, and that enriches their lives. Keifer plays in a number of tournaments and has won his share of them. His family is very proud of his abilities. Today is Keifer’s birthday. Happy birthday Keifer!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Aleesia Spethman is slowly coming out of a rough time in her life. It wasn’t anything she did or didn’t do, but rather a bad school situation, in which other students were allowed to bully people. It should never happen, and I hope that someday those offending students change their ways and become humans. Nevertheless, Aleesia’s parents, Jenny and Steve Spethman, being the great parents they are, moved their daughter to a better school, and she started to come into her own. Aleesia is and always has been a sweet girl with a big heart of gold, and those who don’t get to know her are the losers in more ways than one. While that was a rough time, Aleesia has begun to shape her life into the pleasant, goal-filled, happy life again.
Aleesia has begun to embrace music as a creative outlet. She plays the electric and the bass guitar. She will also be taking an acoustic guitar class this year. She is really very talented, and her family enjoys listening to 
the music she plays. Aleesia’s new school has really been a blessing to her, because she feels accepted and appreciated for her skills and abilities, as well as just for who she is. She has made new friends and has one friend in particular who has become a likely life-long friend. She and her friend love playing in the Spethman pool. It is their favorite thing to do. Unfortunately, this summer, their swim time has been a lot less this year. Her mom says, “It could be that she just might be taking that next step and a teenage hood.” I guess that could be. She is, after all, turning 13 today.
Aleesia comes from a family that loves animals…all animals. They have had everything from dogs and cats to snakes and lizards. In November, Aleesia got a new dog, whom she dubbed Romeo. She also has a cat named Panther, and these two animals are all hers. They love her to pieces. Panther sleeps in her room and is the full owner of the human named Aleesia. Aleesia still sticks close to her parents’ sides and never stays the night at 
anyone’s house. Nevertheless, her mom can sense that her little girl is getting ready to make “that change,” you know, the one into young adulthood and independence. Jenny has really tried to soak in this summer with her “rainbow baby” and enjoy every minute I have with her as “still a little girl” because as with all things in life, that is only temporary. Today is Aleesia’s 13th birthday. Happy birthday Aleesia!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandnephew, Jaxon Killinger has had a pretty busy summer!! The family, Jaxon, his dad Chris, stepmom Lacey, and sister Brooklyn have been doing a lot of camping, and Jaxon absolutely loves it. This year, while they were camping over the 4th of July, both Jaxon and Brooklyn caught their first fish!! They were so excited about that. Of course, another highlight of the 4th of July camping trip was setting off fireworks with his dad. Like most boys, setting of fireworks is a big deal, and rather a right of passage when they are allowed to be anywhere near that process. They feel grown up, and a part of the “Guys’ Club” when they are there. Jaxon is no different. As he gets older, he is quickly becoming more a young man than a little boy. Afterall, this is the year that Jaxon hits the all important double digits, i.e. 10 years old. Congratulations Jaxon!!
Jaxon has put some milestones behind him, such as setting off fireworks and catching a fish, but he also has another pastime that he enjoys…catching crawdads with his dad. Of course, the most important part of this 
pastime is to see if he can catch more of them than his dad. Another important part of catching crawdads is, of course, eating them. I don’t think I could get past the way they look, but to each his own. Crawdads (also called crayfish, crawfish, or mudbugs) are a Louisiana staple known for their light, sweet flavors, and it’s so easy to get to the edible parts inside the shells. Apparently you have to twist off the head, suck out the juices, peel and eat the tail meat. Again, I don’t think I’ll be trying this apparent delicacy, but I’m not one to judge those who do. Bon appétit!!
Jaxon got to go to Denver this last weekend, and he rode some pretty scary rides at Eliches. That is really another rite of passage for kids, I think. First being tall enough to ride the more scary rides is a big milestone. Then being unafraid to ride such rides is another way of showing one’s maturity. Finally, getting off the ride and not getting sick is a big plus. That part is the reason I don’t do the carnival rides anymore, haha!! Jaxon also love, love, loves basketball and loves all things Michael Jordan!! I can see that. Michale Jordan has been a kid-
favorite for years now, and the adults love him too. Most of Jordan’s career was with the Chicago Bulls, and he finished up with the Washington Wizards. That is about the extent of my knowledge of Michael Jordan…sorry Jaxon.
As with many kids his age, Jaxon is very into dirt biking and really wants a new one for his birthday. Of course, we all know how expensive they are. Stay tuned to see if that dream was realized. Whether it is or isn’t this birthday, there is always next year, and in the meantime, Jaxon will continue to improve and hone his skills on the bike he currently has, because his love of dirt biking is strong and healthy. Today is Jaxon’s 10th birthday. Happy birthday Jaxon!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandnephew, Matt Masterson is the only son of my nephew, Rob Masterson and his wife Dustie. Because he is the only boy, he feels a responsibility to be the mentor for his sisters Raelynn and Taylor. For Taylor, that has been a great thing, because he is one of the best influences in her life. Taylor says, “He has this energy to him that screams, ‘I have confidence’ but he’s still very humble about it.” Buba (as Taylor calls him) has been loving his job in phone repair and as he grows older that teenaged annoyance with his siblings is gone. As Taylor says, it’s really hard to believe that Matt is already 20 but time flies. Just a couple of days ago, he made a real effort to get to know their sister, Christina’s new stepson and husband. Just a few years ago, he would have said, “Hi” and left ten minutes later. This time, he stayed and visited with them. Since Chris lives in Colorado, they don’t get to see her very much, which made the visit even better.
Matt likes to ask his sisters if they will go with him to grab his pick up orders when he knows they have been inside for too long. Although he still teases them all the time for their “being weird.” Taylor says, “I love Matt a whole lot more then any language written, spoken, forgotten, or unknown can describe, and I hope he has a great day!!”
Raelynn says, “I recently started to spend more time with Matt. He’s been coming out of his room more for work, and they talk while he gets his shoes on. I love him a lot. This year has been pretty…rough, on everyone, and it stresses him out. He’s so much like dad it’s insane. Because he wants to help, when we’re stressed or anxious, but he doesn’t know how to. He does his best anyway, but he’s been open with us. On the way to Chris’ wedding, he even played rock paper scissors with me. He lost both rounds, and scared Mom, Dad, Taylor, and Taylor’s friend Christian, when he yelled about it. The car had been pretty much silent to that point, but we were both bored. Apparently, I’m too good at reading him. Matt’s just funny like that, though. I’d been tired, but unable to nap, and unable to focus, but he made me laugh so hard I’m sure my face was red. He’s also been chilling out with his allergies. I had something with pistachios in it, but he wasn’t mad I ate it before we left. He seemed happy I made sure to wash my hands and rinse my mouth out, though. He’s come a long way from the anxiety he used to feel regarding anything that could cause a reaction. As long as we pick up our 
mess and let him know we had it, he doesn’t mind what we eat anymore, and it’s honestly a relief to see. I’m glad he’s learning to relax again. I get why he was so anxious about it, it is a life or death situation for him, but constantly being scared like that took a toll on him. He’s smiling more now that he’s been calming down and not stressing about it. I’m really proud of my brother, and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings!!” I can’t either. Today is Matt’s 20th birthday. Happy birthday Matt!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grandniece, Alice Harman is a teenager!!! When did this happen?? If it’s a shock to me, just imagine the shock it is to her parents, Melanie and Jake Harman. As always happens, time has flown by and her mom says, “Its amazing and mesmerizing getting to see her grow and all the changes that go along with that!! We couldn’t imagine our life without this sweet girl in it!!” Alice loves to dance and sing!! She can usually be found, with her ear buds in her ears for hours out of the day listening to her music and just singing and dancing along with it. She doesn’t care who sees her. She’s just into it. Alice gets her love of music from her mom who is exactly the same. For the past few years, Alice has been in choir at school and wants to keep being in choir because like her love of music, she loves choir!! It is probably the highlight of her school day, and she is looking forward to getting back at it. She really enjoys middle school and being more grown up.
Alice is an awesome big sister, who loves her siblings very much!! She’s at the age now where she likes to babysit them, mostly so she can make some money. Typical of teenagers, but she enjoys the time with them too. The money is just icing on the cake. With teenage comes the whole girly-makeup thing, and Alice is no different. She is all about her makeup, appearance, and “what people think” about her. That can be a good thing or a tough thing, depending on how a person feels about themselves. Alice is a beautiful girl, inside and out, so I’m sure she has a positive self image too.
While she is as sweet as she can be, she also has a whole lot of 
“Teenaged Sass” and all that goes with it, like the hand on her hip when she’s talking to you!! Even with her sass, there is that lovey side coming out too. As she gets older…over this last year, Melanie tells me, “She has gotten more loving towards her dad and me and it feels amazing to have that love! She still has her random moments though of pure onery with Jake. They just have this bond.” I think that “onery bond” is something they both love. In a family where teasing is a big part of the fun, having a teasing bond between parent and child is awesome. It keeps things light. As Melanie says, “God blessed us with Alice and all that she is!! Her dad, her brother, sister, and I couldn’t ever imagine our lives without her!!” Today is Alice’s 13th birthday. Happy birthday Alice!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
