Kids
Years ago, especially in the old west and during the depression years, travel wasn’t so easy, even from just one town over or across town, so quite often, holidays were mixed with weddings, just because of the convenience of it, and so that family gatherings could serve two purposes. I’m not sure if that was the reason why my grandparents, George and Hattie Byer, chose Christmas Eve for their wedding day or not, but the fact that they did, made Christmas Eve just that much mor special for our family. It always seemed like that day had more sparkle and shine to me. I think it did to them too. Having the anniversary cake as part of the celebration…especially a celebration that more often included pie, was just extra.
I think of them more this time of year, even though they have been in Heaven now for 41 and 33 years, respectively. They were the only grandparents I really knew, since my dad’s dad passed before I was born, and his mom just 6 months after I was born. So, Grandma and Grandpa Byer were my only grandparents, and when they left us, it was a very sad day. Of course, we know that they are in our future now, and we will see them again, but on this their joyous wedding anniversary, we miss them even more than we normally do.
Grandma and Grandpa always made a big deal about Christmas. Even when the family got to be too big to get together on Christmas Day, they started a tradition that continues to this day…the Byer Family Christmas Party. By doing the party, and renting a hall, we could all be together at the same time. There was no way for the family, as big as it had become, to get together on Christmas Day in Grandma and Grandpa’s house, or anyone’s house, for that matter. Their nine children have grown to a family of well over 400, and the Byer 
Family Christmas Party continues on, in their honor. Grandpa once said to Grandma, “Mommy, look what we started.” Yes, they certainly did start something that has grown into a something big and beautiful…an amazing family. Yes, I do think about them a little more this time of year and miss them even more. Merry Christmas in Heaven Grandma and Grandpa, and all the family who has gone to Heaven before us. We can’t wait until we are all together again.
My great grandniece, Izabella Harman is a spunky little girl, with a sparkling personality. She is the middle child of my grandnephew, Jake Harman and his wife Melanie Harman. Belle, as she is called, loves life, and is excited to be alive. This past summer, her family went hiking on Casper Mountain with her aunt, Siara Olsen and her partner, Chris Kirk. They hiked the Bridle Trail, which I can tell you is not an easy trail. Nevertheless, they made it all the way around the trail. I think often the trail is easier for the kids, because they are more energetic, stronger, and more resilient than adults who may not hike a lot. Nevertheless, everyone made the hike, including Belle’s little brother Jaxx. I love to hike, and I know that trail. I even managed to break my shoulder in a slip and fall on that trail, so I am very proud of their accomplishment.
Bell is currently in kindergarten in school. She is a smart little girl, who loves learning. Like most kindergarteners, she is very close to losing all of her front teeth. She is also a good big sister to her little brother, and a great little sister to her big sister, Alice Green. They love to play and roughhouse. These kids are best friends and very rough and tumble. They don’t whine and cry, but rather they are always full of giggles. It is such a pleasure to hear these kids laughing and playing. In fact, it is a source of entertainment for their parents. There is nothing better than a house full of laughter.
Belle enjoys working out with her grandma, Chantel Balcerzak, and her Aunty Siara. She is a very strong girl, and they are very proud of her abilities. For her birthday, her grandma and aunt took Belle to get her ears 
pierced. The lady asked her which earrings she wanted, and she picked the biggest “diamonds” on the board. Now, if you know Chantel and Siara, you will know that they love their bling, and it appears that Belle is a diva too. Siara says that she is her mini-me, and since Belle’s middle name is Siara, it makes perfect sense. She is very much a girly girl. I’m told that Belle was so very brave. She didn’t even flinch when she got her ears pierced. Everyone was so proud of her, and now she has her new bling. Today is Belle’s 6th birthday. Happy birthday Belle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grand-nephew, Isaac Spethman has always been ahead of the game. He is highly motivated, and really very skilled, even though he is just turning fifteen today. Most kids, even at fifteen are still just interested in playing video games and hanging out with their friends. Isaac likes to do these things too, but Isaac started his first job when he was just seven. He walked just two doors down the street from his house, where the Grant Street Grocery was located. It was a place he and his siblings liked to go and buy treats, but Isaac had other ideas. He wanted a job. So, he “applied” for one. The owner, thinking that this was just a little boy who was playng grownup, told him to bring in his resume, and they would take a look. Well, they had misjudged Isaac. He went to his aunt, Liz Masterson, and ask for help with his resume. Liz is a teacher, so this was no problem, and when it was finished, Isaac took it to Grant Street Grocery and got the job, even though they had no openings. He helped out by sweeping, straightening, taking out the trash, and they even started teaching him about the cutting of the meat. It was a good job and Isaac learned a lot, about several things. He worked there until they sold the store, and the new owners didn’t see the value this young man holds. His work ethic has not changed, and today, at fifteen, Isaac has a job at Hardee’s in Casper…a job he started in August. He enjoys the work, and they like him too.
Isaac’s parents, Jenny and Steve Spethman, have taught him about hunting and gun safety. He has been hunting and been very successful at it. He has also put that “butcher shop” training to good use, because he knows how to handle a knife, both at home and in the field. Isaac’s dad has built a forge for himself and his boys. Isaac forged and sold his first knife this year, so now he will have his own little business, if he chooses to continue forging knives for profit.
Isaac is also in the ROTC at school and really enjoys the discipline and the training. This was something he has chosen to do, and he feels like he has made an excellent choice. Isaac has a mind of his own, and a good head 
on his shoulders. Isaac is in the process of buying his own truck from our neighbor. Once again, in his own personal style, Isaac is way ahead of the norm for his age. Most kids wait until they turn 16 and then after using their parents’ car for a while, they finally decide that they need a vehicle of their own. Not there is nothing wrong with that, but it just isn’t Isaac’s style. He likes to make his own way. It is a trait that makes me and all his family very proud of him. Today is Isaac’s 15th birthday. Happy birthday Isaac!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My uncle, George Hushman has been in love with my Aunt Evelyn since the moment he met her. Aunt Evelyn is my mother’s sister, and the oldest of the nine children born to George and Hattie Byer. Uncle George was raised in the children’s home in Casper, Wyoming, after losing his parents when he was young. When he met my aunt, and the rest of the family, he knew that he had found his family. He would go one to find his biological family later too…another blessing, but he had never really been part of a family until he met Aunt Evelyn. He had been welcomed into his best friend’s family, but as a friend of their son. In Aunt Evelyn’s family, he was the newest actual member…their son-in-law, and much like a true son.
Together, Uncle George and Aunt Evelyn raised five children, who gave them many grandchildren and great grandchildren. They were very blessed with a large family. They lived a good life and throughout those many years together, they were always, first and foremost, madly in love. Unfortunately, as the years progressed, both Uncle George and Aunt Evelyn began to experience some health issues, and at some point, things like dementia and cancer, can take a toll on a family, just as it does the patient themselves. For many family members, dementia is as tough as cancer.
As Uncle George’s dementia progressed, he would often forget the names of his children and grandchildren. That is one of the hardest things on family. We don’t want to think that our own parents or grandparents no longer recognize us. I know this because of what my mother-in-law went through, but one thing I also know is that they seldom forget that you belong to them. That happened with Uncle George too, as my cousin Jamie Patsie experienced shortly before my Aunt Evelyn, her grandmother passed. She had gone over to visit her grandparents. Jamie tells me, “When Grandma was really sick, before she passed, they were sitting next to 
each other on the couch, listening to his old tapes of him singing, which was so sweet. As I was leaving, he grabbed my hand and looked at grandma and said, ‘See Evelyn, this is someone that we love,’ and kissed my hand. He didn’t want me to leave. Even with his dementia and not knowing exactly who I was, he knew that I was someone that he loved!” He knew she belonged to them and that they loved her, even if he didn’t remember her name. How very sweet!! Today would have been Uncle George’s 95th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle George. We love and miss you very much.
Today would have been my grandniece, Hallie Joy Moore’s first earthly birthday, had she not moved to Heaven shortly after her birth last year. I have been thinking about how different her life, and that of her family, has been because she is not here with us. For Hallie, I’m sure that her life now is more exciting than we could have ever imagined. We can only imagine what it would be like to live with Jesus in Heaven, but she is living that wonderful life right now. While she would just be learning to walk here, she would have mastered that skill immediately following her move to Heaven last year. There is no sadness there, so she has been very happy, and looking forward to having her family join her there one day, so she can show that all of the amazing things there are to do there. Her excitement about their future move to Heaven must be off the charts, because that’s just how kids are…always excited…about everything.
Hallie was a beautiful little girl. I think she looked a lot like her mommy, Lindsay Moore, with some of her daddy, Shannon Moore sprinkled in, and maybe some of her big sister, Mackenzie Moore in there too. It was a beautiful combination, for sure. She was born about two months before she was supposed to arrive, and I suppose that was just too early. While it made us all very sad to have her leave us, we also know exactly where she went, and that part makes us very happy…for her anyway. Hallie’s name was chosen for her with much love and happiness in mind. Her name Hallie means “Praise the Lord” and Joy, of course, means “happiness.” Both were perfectly chosen for her by her loving parents, and I think they are beautiful names. I can’t wait to meet little Hallie when I go home to Heaven. Today would have been Hallie’s 1st birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven Hallie. We love and miss you very much.
I find it so hard to believe that my great grandniece, Reece Balcerzak is four years old. Her life started out pretty scary, but she is a strong girl, and she pulled through, quickly proving that a premature birth and a long hospital stay was not going to stop this “little firecracker.” She is full of life and energy. She is her mommy, Katie Balcerzak’s mini-me, and her daddy, Keifer Balcerzak’s pride and joy. This precious little girl definitely keeps her parents on their toes.
These days, Reece has a new title. She is big sister to her brother Aysa Balcerzak, who arrived on November 8, 2021. I really think Reece feels like this is her most important title. Having a baby brother means that she has lots of new jobs. She can go get things for her parents, entertain her brother, and generally love on her brother…which she does very well. Reece and her parents might not have known how much they “needed” Aysa, but I think they do now. For Reece, having a sibling is very cool…for now. We all know how 
siblings can get, but they always love each other…always. Aysa is going to be very blessed to have such a sweet big sister as Reece, and she will be very blessed by him.
Reece is spreading her wings these days to find out what kinds of things she likes to do. She tried t-ball and had a good time. I’m not sure how she felt about the game itself, but she has plenty of time to explore athletic ideas. One thing that Reece has already perfected is her great…and I really mean great smile. That little girl is always happy, and her face is always lit up. Not everyone has such a gift. Reece is a joyous little girl, and a great blessing to her parents, grandparents, and everyone who knows her. Today is Reece’s 4th birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Barry Schulenberg is a very driven man. He is always busy doing something. If he’s not working at his job as a mechanic for the State of Wyoming, he is taking care of his property east of Casper; helping his Uncle Ron Schulenberg with things like cutting wood for his wood stove; or hiking with his wife, Kelli and their dog Scout. Barry is pretty much always busy.
Barry is the field mechanic for the State of Wyoming in Casper. Being a field mechanic is far more interesting than just your average everyday shop mechanic, because…well, you aren’t stuck in the shop. Barry travels to several towns and sites around the Natrona County area to service the equipment used in these areas. It really isn’t feasible for these areas to bring their equipment all the way to Casper for servicing, so, the mechanic goes to the equipment. Also, whenever a truck or other piece of equipment breaks down, Barry goes out to where it is to fix it. This can mean some overtime, and some long drives, but for the most part it really is an enjoyable job for Barry. The state depends on his expertise and his loyalty to keep all the equipment up and running, and Barry likes to be out on the road sometimes too.
Barry and Kelli love to be in the mountains. They love to go camping, skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing. Their dog, Scout is their best companion, although if you ask Kelli, Scout is convinced that he is the boss of the family, and since he’s a dog, it’s hard to argue that point. Really, I think that most pets consider their humans to be their pets. They feel about their humans the way the humans feel about them. Barry and Kelli got scout after their first dog, Dakota passed away, and while they are two very different kinds of dogs, both in breed and personality, Scout has been a good fit, and I’m sure that Dakota is happy that his parents are happy. Scout 
loves to be beside Barry in whatever he is doing, and then keeps watch over the place while Barry and Kelli are working.
Like most of us, Barry and Kelli work to live, not live to work. They have many things they would much rather be doing that working. They really love going to concerts, and often travel to see their favorite singers. Of course, it’s not all about the singer, but also about seeing the country around them. That’s what makes the journey fun. Today is Barry’s birthday. Happy birthday Barry!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
So much has changed for my niece, Jessi Sawdon, this year. When her husband, Jason received a promotion, it also took their family from Casper, Wyoming to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The move has been a new adventure for the whole family. They have spent their time getting to know their new city and all the great things it has to offer. Jessi’s parents are thankful that the move wasn’t further. The move also put them a little closer to Jessi’s sister, Lindsay Moore and her family in Laramie, Wyoming. They have been able to get together more, so their daughters, cousins, Adelaide Sawdon and Mackenzie Moore, get to spend a little more time on play dates. In that way, the move has been a gift for their family, and that has been good for their daughters.
Jessi was also able to continue working for the same company she was before…L?M Studio, since she has the option to work from home, both before and after the move. Being able to work from home has been such a blessing, because family is very important to Jessi and Jason, and as we all know, kids grow up so fast. Being able to be a stay-at-home, and yet working mom has given Jessi the ability to spend quality time with her daughter. Jessi is a great mom, and she has a wonderful relationship with Adelaide. They are both bubbly and rally funny people, and they, along with Jason, keep the family home filled with laughter.
Jessi is a community minded person, often helped with projects like David Street Station and Natrona County Public Library, both in Casper. I don’t think she was paid for her help, even though her job is in advertisement and communication, but Jessi probably would have helped promote the projects anyway, because she is so community minded. I will be interested to see what her presence in Cheyenne will bring for the community. It is in her nature to make the community around her better, and to bring people together. She is very good at 
her job, both professionally and in her personal volunteer work. Her energy and love of people makes Jessi a perfect person to do the work she does, and she make all of us in her family very proud of her.
Jessi and Jason are so perfect together, and their great sense of humor tends to play off of each other, almost like it was planned, or that they are so in tune with each other that they think alike on just about everything. In fact, they are so perfect for each other, that I can’t imagine them any other way. It really seems like they have been together far longer that the 12 years they have been together. Today is Jessi’s birthday. Happy birthday Jessi!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Machelle Moore has been looking at a different kind of future these days. As a mom, I know that the years of her children’s childhood have flown past with unbelievable speed. Her eldest son, Weston moved to Butte, Montana from their home in Powell, Wyoming this past year, and while that isn’t a cross country move, it does leave Machelle’s home with three people instead of four. Now, her youngest son, Easton is going to be graduating from high school, and the inevitable time when he will also leave home is just around the corner. Easton hasn’t specifically made plans to move out or away, but Weston hadn’t either…until he did. Most parents will face the empty nest moment at some point in their life, and it is not an easy one.
Machelle and her husband, Steve have been happily married since August 14, 1999, but when their boys are both out of the house, that inevitable feeling of a “too quiet house” will creep in. They will have to learn to find new hobbies, new activities, and new ways to spend their evenings. The good news is that Machelle and Steve have a great marriage. They love to do lots of things together, like camping, hiking and exploring, and their favorite…rock hunting. I know that like every “empty nester” among us has found, life does go on and it’s even good, whether our children live at home or not. And eventually, the grandchildren start to come, and the home is filled with new life. You never know whan that will start, however, so Machelle and Steve will have lots of good times in the meantime.
For now, Machell and Steve are busy with all the senior year activities that Easton has going on, like prom and Easton’s dating and working life. There are lots of exciting things happening during a kid’s senior year, like senior pictures, and soon graduation planning and rehearsals. The only problem with all that activity is that it 
only serves to make the year go by faster…rather defeating the whole idea of “putting the brakes” on the year. Well, as we all know, it just doesn’t work that way. Nevertheless, Machelle and Steve will survive the empty nest, whenever it arrives, just like the rest of the parents in the world have done. For now, I pray the time slows down just a bit before that fateful day arrives. Today is Machelle’s birthday. Happy birthday Machelle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Kelli Schulenberg is a country girl, through and through. She loves living in the country and would love to raise donkeys. Unfortunately, right now, she and my nephew Barry Schulenberg don’t have any donkeys, but I think it would be cool if they got some. I know that every little kid in the family would love to ride a donkey or even just feed them. Donkeys can be so sweet. Of course, they can also be stubborn. They are a bit like kids that way, I guess. It’s just par for the course.
Kelli loves country music, and attends as many concerts as she can each year. That said, I guess you know that she has seen lots of country music stars in her lifetime. I’m not sure who her favorite star is and maybe that’s because she has so many favorites that no single singer exactly stands out…at least not to me anyway.
Kelli has two “men” in her life. My nephew Barry, who she married on January 31, 2004, and their dog, Scout…who she calls Sheriff Scout, because he is always on duty and ready to pounce. Of course, about the only thing Scout will ever need to “pounce” on would be a rabbit who is brave (of foolish) enough to get to close, or enter the yard, in general. Scout rules the roost, and Kelli will confirm that story for sure. Scout has tons of toys, and “needs” them all out at the same time…apparently. Scout is a source of joy and laughter to Kellie and Barry.
Kelli loves the outdoors and especially hiking and bicycling, which go hand in hand with the fact that she loves Summer the best. In fact, if it weren’t for cross country skiing and snowshoeing, Kelli would have absolutely no 
use for Winter at all…and as to the wonderful Wyoming wind…well, she’s definitely not a fan…but they, how many of us really are. Kelli loves the mountains and camping, which is no fun in the winter either, Spring, Summer, and Fall, with a heavy emphasis on Summer is right up her alley. Kelli and Barry go camping as much as they can in the Summer. They especially love camping in the Big Horns, but they also like Colorado for camping places. Kelli is an outdoor girl who loves lots of fun outdoor activities, and all things country. Today is Kelli’s birthday. Happy birthday Kelli!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
