Kids
My great grandniece, Izabella “Belle” Harman is such a sweet girl. Her grandma, Chantel Balcerzak calls her “pure sunshine” and while that might be biased, it definitely doesn’t make her wrong. Belle’s aunt, Siara Kirk says that she is the most kindhearted little girl ever. Her grandma originally gave her the nickname Tinkerbelle, but that later morphed to Tink, which also suits this little sweetie.
She is a helper to anyone who needs it. She is always wanting to help Siara when she’s with her or her grandma when she is with her. Belle is as sweet as she can be, but she is fierce in her loyalties she will defend her people with a sweet sassiness that is all her own. If you are good to her people, she will be good to you, but if you cross her people, you might want to watch out for this little “she bear!!” 
Belle’s dad, Jake Harman loves to pick on people and might even be famous for it. That is fine with Belle, but if she thinks he is getting out of hand with her grandma or Aunt Siara, “Tink” never fails to stick up for Grandma or Siara…even against her daddy. Siara tells me that “She is always on my side when Jake is being his bratty self, because we’re best friends.” Her teachers say that “she is so kind to everyone at school. A friend to everyone.” She really is such a light and joy in this world. She has also been asking Chantel to take her to church, because she loves church and God and at that age, I think that’s very special. Chantel tells me that “she is truly the head and not the tail!” She is a leader in every way. She is so generous and thinks of everyone, but herself. This year, she has wanted to get everyone gifts for Christmas…from her own money and heart.
Belle is an active, busy girl. She doesn’t want to sit in front of a video games. She wants to go outside or make 
up her own games to play. Her imagination is amazing. She takes after the women in her life…her mom, Melanie Harman; Grandma, Chantel; and Aunt Siara…girly girls all. She is beautiful, inside and out. She has the sweetest spirit. Oh…and, she is a lip gloss thief…but, who can blame her. A girly girls can’t be without her lip gloss…lets be real here. While she is a girly girl, Belle loves her daddy, and helps him with anything and follows him wherever he goes. Maybe there is a little bit of the tomboy in her after all. Today is Belle’s 8th birthday. Happy birthday Belle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandnephew, Isaac Spethman is the youngest son of my niece Jenny Spethman and her husband Steve. He also has two younger sisters, Laila (who lives in Heaven) and Aleesia. Isaac is in the unique position of being the little brother to his brothers, and yet the closest big brother to his sister. Basically, the way he interacts with his brothers is different from the way he interacts with his sister. While the way he interacts with each of his siblings might be different, the truth is that Isaac is always there for all of his siblings.
Isaac is always ready for an adventure. He loves going hiking with his family, and there have been a number of times that he and his mom have gone hiking together. He loves swimming and the family loves going out to Alcova Lake. Isaac came across a dirt bike on Facebook, that didn’t run. The dirt bike was a steal because it didn’t run, and by the end of the night, Isaac had in running. The steal 
ended up being an amazing deal, and now his has another way to find adventures. Isaac has had a job since he was seven. He just loves to work. He talked the corner grocery store into hiring him to do little odd jobs, and they took him up on it. That started his love of the job. Having a job all that time has also meant having his own money to do the things he wanted to do…like buying the dirt bike. Isaac has always loved to tinker with stuff, and things like the dirt bike feed that hobby nicely.
Isaac is not a quitter. He is very persistent and won’t give up until he accomplishes what he set out to do. Once he makes up his mind to do something, he will persevere until the goal is met. He has been that way all his life. When he was trying for that job at seven, they figured he would forget all about it when they asked him for his 
resume, but Isaac was undaunted. He went to his Aunt Liz Masterson, who is a high school teacher and asked he to make one for him. She did, and he returned triumphantly with the resume, and got the job. He is a very hard worker, as his new bosses found out. Of course, it wouldn’t do to pay him money, so he got things like candy, chips, and nuts…mixed with good experience. And they framed his resume, because they were so proud of him. Today is Isaac’s 17th birthday. Happy birthday Isaac!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Michelle Miller has had a busy year this year. She and her husband, Matt love the outdoors, and had done some camping before, but this year they bought a “new to them” fifth wheel from Michelle’s Aunt Kathy and Uncle Mike. The trailer is pretty big and gives them all the comforts they could want. They really love it, and they have gone camping this year, more than ever before. They are both very busy people, and being able to get away is so important, so I am very happy for them.
In July, the whole Miller family went to Alaska for Matt’s brother, Mikey’s birthday. It was a wonderful trip, and Michelle loved Alaska. I think that is how everyone feels about Alaska, me included. Mikey has a sailboat, and they got to go out in it a few times and really enjoyed it. Being the sporting family they are, they did a lot of fishing, and of course, eating the fish they caught. Since they were a big group, they rented an RV, so they could do a lot of camping and sightseeing. Michelle especially loved the mountains and overall scenery of Alaska. The 
mountains are so majestic. Everything seems huge in Alaska. You discover how small humans are in comparison.
On October 28, her sister, Lacey got married, and Michelle was one of the bridesmaids. The wedding was beautiful, and everyone looked so elegant. Michelle was so happy for her sister, and the wedding preparation went perfectly. The bachelorette weekend was held in Nashville at the end of September, and Michelle really pampered her sister. Everyone had so much fun. Michelle helped in any way that she could to ensure that the wedding went smoothly and that it was Lacey’s dream wedding.
Michelle has been really busy at The Nic (The Nicolaysen Art Museum) where she works, but she has found time to get back into doing her own art, and Michelle is an amazing artist, so I’m glad that her talent has been able to blossom again. She has also been doing a lot of sewing. I didn’t know she could sew, and I am amazed at anyone who can. I’ve sewed some things, but I would 
not call myself a seamstress. Michelle really loves both activities. Michelle and her husband also have two fur babies…puppies Obie and Leia. They truly are her babies, and she loves to spoil them terribly, but that is what people do with their fur babies, after all. Michelle even has a nanny cam so she can see them and talk to them while she’s at work. Now, that’s love…they can’t be lonely, right!! Good job fur momma!! Today is Michelle’s birthday. Happy birthday Michelle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grandniece, Reece Balcerzak came into this world as an early Christmas present for her parents, Katie and Keifer Balcerzak, and even though her arrival was a scary one, the gift they were given was so precious to them. They spent that Christmas in the neonatal unit of Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado, where Reece received amazing care and grew to be the size of a full-term baby, so she could go home on January 29, 2017, and life settled down…well, as much as it can with a newborn. Since that time, Reece has shown the world just what a spunky girl she is. She is full of energy and laughter, and her smile just lights up your heart 
when you see it. Being born prematurely was not going to slow this little girl down one bit. She couldn’t wait to get born and she can’t wait to experience all that life has to offer.
These days, Reece is big sister to her brother, Aysa and she loves him dearly. Aysa is almost Reece’s mini-me…at least where his smile is concerned. Reece has been a big sister for over two years now, and none of us can believe that time has flown by so fast. Reece is such a loving girl, and she truly showers her brother and everyone she cares about with much love. She is a joy to be around and fills their home with happiness. Reece also loves her cousin, Max 
Herr, and her other cousins, which are numerous. She loves spending time with aunts, uncles, cousins, and especially grandparents.
She is very active, very social, and she is having a great time is Kindergarten this year. This year found Reece learning to ride a horse. She had such a good time, and who knows, maybe we have an equestrienne in our family. She has also taken dance lessons, played t-ball, and she is an all-around girly girl. Reece is a girl with many talents and just as many likes and dislikes. Mostly she likes many things and many people. And everyone loves Reece. Reece is totally able to entertain anyone with her antics, especially the other kids. Today is Reece’s 6th birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Barry Schulenberg has always been a hardworking man. Even as a young boy, all he ever wanted was to be a mechanic, just like his grandpa, my father-in-law, Walt Schulenberg. Barry was always very much like his grandpa. They were like twins…at least in their hopes and aspirations. Over the years, those hopes and dreams never changed. Of course, my father-in-law was a mechanic all along, but Barry wasn’t. He was a little boy who just wanted to quit school and go to work with his grandpa. We all thought it was such a cute thing that Barry loved his grandpa so much and wanted to be just like him.
Barry is grown up now, and he fulfilled that lifelong dream of being a mechanic. He has been working for the State of Wyoming for years now, and he loved his job very much. Recently, when his supervisor announced his decision to retire, Barry was offered the position of supervisor. Of course, he accepted and after some training, 
he is now the shop supervisor. It is quite a change for Barry, but it’s one that was really the logical next step for him. I don’t know how much mechanics work he does these days, but he is at least in an advisory position for the work that is being done in the shop. It is a big responsibility, because he is responsible for making sure the highways are open and maintained…at least opened, as much as possible in Wyoming’s winters. He would also be responsible for making the decision to close, I suppose. It’s all a big change from being elbow deep in the engine of a truck, to being elbow deep in paperwork, but Barry is a smart man, and he can handle either one.
When he’s not working, Barry and his wife, Kelli loved to go bicycling, hiking, skiing, and camping. They love the outdoors, and would happily spend all their free time outside, if the weather permitted. of course, most of 
the outdoor activity they enjoy works far better in the summertime, so the warmer months are probably the ones they favor. They also love to travel and go to concerts. They have attended many over the nearly twenty years they have been married. Barry and Kellie have a sweet dog named Scout. He is their second dog together. Their first dog, Dakota died before they got Scout. Scout helped with the grieving process, and now, Scout is just their baby. They are all a happy family. Today is Barry’s birthday. Happy birthday Barry!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Since my niece, Jessi Sawdon and her husband, Jason moved from Casper, Wyoming to Cheyenne, Wyoming, those of us still in Casper don’t get to see as much of them. Of course, her parents and siblings go down to see them often, and they come to Casper as often as they can. Jessi’s sister, Lindsay Moore and her husband Shannon live in Laramie, Wyoming, which is only 40 minutes away, so Jessi and Lindsay and their families get together a lot. The sisters love their sister time, and their daughters, Adelaide Sawdon and Mackenzie Moore are very close too. Living so nearby each other is a great blessing for the girls and their families.
Because they live so close to each other, Jessi and Lindsay get together frequently, and they have a lot of fun. They love to go hiking in the nice weather, and they have had the opportunity to go several times this year. Their favorite hiking spots are around Vedauwoo and near the Lincoln Memorial. The whole family loves to go 
camping. One of their favorite spots is in the Big Horn Mountains, and they got to go there again this year. The times when they go camping are so special, because they get to disconnect from the world and just enjoy the connection with family. They whole family also went 4 wheeling and went down to Tensleep for the 4th of July parade. It was such a peaceful time. They just laid around Meadowlark Lake in the sun and relaxed. They also went camping at Guernsey over Mother’s Day. While they were camping at Guernsey, Jessi picked their dog, Riley up and had him on her lap. Jason made a funny exasperated, but tolerant look on his face! The picture made Jessi’s mom, Allyn Hadlock laugh, and Jessi though it was very funny too!! Jason always makes just the right faces!!
This family loves a good laugh and loves saying things that will make everyone laugh. In fact, when I asked the girls about some story ideas for Jessi, Lindsay said, “Who is Jessi???” And Jessi’s sister-in-law, Chelsea said, “She smells and hates purple!!” I don’t know about the purple, but of course the rest was just joking. Sisters, hahahaha!!! It’s 
typical sister time fun for these girls. When you are around them, you can’t help but laugh too. I think laughter is the best medicine, and Jessi laughs often. She also works hard. She has been employed by Lum Studio since she graduated from college, and they love her there, as do all of their clients. Someone like Jessi is such an asset to any business, and they are truly blessed to have her there. Today is Jessi’s birthday. Happy birthday Jessi!! Have a great day!! We love you very much!!
Seven long years have come and gone since Aunt Linda Cole went home to be with the Lord. It seems impossible that Linda has been gone that long, and yet time seems to have flown by too. For many years my husband, Bob Schulenberg and I took our girls, Corrie Petersen and Amy Royce to go visit his Aunt Linda and his uncle, Bobby Cole, and their children, Sheila and Pat. It was an annual fun trip, and our family had a great time. Linda and Bobby lived in Kennebec, South Dakota in those days, and if you don’t know the area, well, Kennebec was that town they meant when they said, “If you’re driving along and you blink, you will miss it.” The population in those days was about 334 in 1980. It was about 281 in 2020. That means that there was little to do there, except visit with family and play cards, which we did a lot of. That also meant that the kids could all run about pretty freely, because there wasn’t much way to get into trouble either…other than fighting with their cousins that is.
Linda and Bobby were fun-loving people, who laughed and joked often. We always felt welcome in their home. I’m sure that is why our visits were pretty much an annual event. We wanted our girls to know their family, and since the family wasn’t all located in one state, we took the opportunity to travel to other places for visits…something I have been thankful to have done, now that so many of the family members have left us now. You just never know how long people are going to be around, so taking the time out of our busy lives to make a few connection is so vital…especially when those we are going to connect with live in the same town.
Linda and Bobby particularly loved square dancing. What seems to most of us, like a long-lost dance style, came alive to them. Maybe it was one of the only things to do in rural South Dakota, or maybe, when the opportunity presented itself, Linda and Bobby got excited about the prospect of doing something weekly that had only previously been taught to them in the classrooms of their grade schools. That is where I learned what little I recall about square dancing anyway. I was never really interested in square dancing, so it’s quite likely 
that I didn’t really pay attention to the instruction I was given. I was a child of the rock and roll era, and so square dancing seemed very much like “old fuddy duddy” stuff to me and my generation. Linda and Bobby were of the generation prior, and maybe square dancing was still somewhat in style them…or maybe it was just what was available to them for the whole “evening out with friends” routine. Whatever the case may be, they loved it and they were quite good at it. Today would have been Linda’s 77th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Linda. We love and miss you very much.
Thanksgiving…a day of reflection on the events of the year that has passed and the blessings we have been given. Many people think of Thanksgiving as just a day to eat a big meal, and watch the parade or a football game, but that isn’t its real purpose at all. None of us goes through life without trials and troubles, but by the grace of God, we have come through another year, and that is something to be thankful for, even if your year had very few trials.
We have been very blessed this past year. Our daughter, Corrie Petersen graduated from nursing school, and we got to go to Las Vegas for her graduation ceremony and spend a week there celebrating. We had a wedding for Athena and Josh, and anniversary for Karen and Chris, and two new great grandsons, Axel and Cyler arrive…to join the great granddaughter, Cambree (who started Kindergarten this year) and two great grandsons, Caysen and Justin, that we already had. My daughter, Amy and her daughter, Shai came out from Washington for the wedding. I also got to go out and spend two wonderful weeks with Amy and her family, Travis, Shai, and Caalab in Washington state. Amy and Shai changed jobs, moving from Rice Insurance to Brown and Brown Insurance. Amy and Travis also got to finally take their anniversary cruise to Alaska. They had a great time, and even got to see the Aurora Borealis. 
It was a good move for them. Bob and I spent a relaxing week in the Black Hills, as well as our anniversary trip to Thermopolis, which are two of our favorite places.
As with any year, there were a few tougher times, but they were few and far between. All in all, our year was awesome, and we can honestly say that God has greatly blessed our family. As we celebrate the blessings of God, I want to give thanks to Him who is the Father of all blessings. We would not be where we are without our gracious God. We have been healed of all our infirmities and strengthened for all we have undertaken. Our God is truly an awesome God!! I pray that everyone had a year filled with God’s greatest blessings. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my family and friends! God bless your next year! I love you all!
My niece, Kelli Schulenberg is one of the all-time greatest country music fans in the world…well, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but she certainly is a big fan. Kelli loves going to concerts and I recently found out that she blogs about the concerts she attends and any other little tidbits she finds out about the various bands. Kelli’s blog is called “Thoughts From A Gypsy Soul.” I’m looking forward to reading about her adventures.
Kelli is wife to my nephew, Barry Schulenberg and “fur mommy” to their dog, Scout. They love to go hiking and bicycling as much as possible. Those things aren’t always easy in Wyoming, so in the winter, they like to go snowshoeing and 
cross-country skiing. They really love camping in the summertime, and in fact, the mountains could easily be their favorite place in the world…other than at a concert, of course. One of their favorite places to go is the Big Horn Mountains, which is a favorite for most Wyoming campers. Kelli and Barry live in the country, east of Casper, Wyoming, and their place has an incredible view of our own Casper Mountain. Their favorite thing to do, when they can’t be up on Casper Mountain hiking and camping, is to be out in their yard relaxing and looking at Casper Mountain.
Kelli moved to Wyoming from Reading, Michigan, and while she loves summertime in Wyoming, found the winters to be a bit of a culture shock. Nevertheless, she also found her husband Barry, and that he has turned her into a Wyoming girl, even if she is technically a transplant. She still loves going home for visits, often with her mom, Mary Wages, who divides her time between Casper, and Colorado…with occasional 
mother/daughter trips back home. Kelli will always consider Michigan to be her home. I think everyone does consider the place of their birth to be home forever, a fact I can attest to. It doesn’t matter how long or how short your time was there…you will always have a place in your heart for the place of your birth. Coming from Wisconsin, I can totally attest to that. For Kelli, Michigan will always be that place in her heart. Today is Kelli birthday. Happy birthday Kelli!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My great grandnephew, Aysa Balcerzak is such a happy little boy. As with all two-year-old boys, he is curious, fearless, and wants to do anything his big sister, Reece is doing. Aysa is so energetic…bouncing all over the place. He and his sister love to dance around the house, and Aysa does his best to dance just like his big sis, but he isn’t really very successful at that…yet anyway. Reece, being the oldest, has had some dance lessons, and Aysa probably won’t, because while he likes doing what his sister does, dancing is not likely to be his career of choice. I could be wrong, but it seems unlikely, because Aysa is all boy. Still, the music “moves him” so he will most likely do some dancing in his lifetime. And he knows how to ham it up.
Aysa’s parents try to give their children a variety of activities to try out, and I personally think that little Aysa rather likes the horse he got to try. What kid wouldn’t, after all? He didn’t seem to be afraid, but then his daddy, Keifer Balcerzak was right there holding him, so the ground didn’t seem so far down, and the horse didn’t seem quite so big, and if Daddy thought it was ok, it must be. I’m sure there will be many new experiences in the future. Keifer plays baseball, and I’m sure that he is looking forward to the day when he can get his son started in T-Ball and beyond. Someday I’m sure they will be on a father/son team, just like Keifer has been with his dad, Aysa’s grandpa, Dave Balcerzak. With the love of sports that runs in the Balcerzak clan, I’m sure there will be other enjoyable events in Aysa’s life too…like football games to watch and maybe play. Of course, those things are down the road a little be, because Aysa is only two years old, after all.
While Daddy may be Aysa’s best buddy, his mommy, Katie Balcerzak is definitely his cuddle of choice. As we all know, things like scraped knees, bumped heads, and fights with big sister require a little hug from the one person who can always make it all better…Mommy. She has been the person who nurtured him, and yet, allowed him to be all boy. She was the person who made sure that when he had to go do girl’s stuff with his big sis, he had snacks to make it all worthwhile. Mommies really are the best…at least until the teenage years. Then, all bets are off!! Still, Aysa’s parents are pretty cool, so I’m sure it will be fine. Today is Aysa’s 2nd birthday. Happy birthday Aysa!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
