Kids
Shortly after our daughter, Amy (Schulenberg) Royce was born, we knew that she was destined to be…little, but only in stature. At just 4 feet 10 inches tall, Amy is quite short, a full 3 inches shorter that her not very tall sister, Corrie (Schulenberg) Petersen. Nevertheless, when it comes to her personality, abilities, intelligence, and her kind heart…she somehow packs a whole lot into that tiny frame. Amy has always lived her life well beyond her size, and nobody ever tried to tell her she couldn’t do something, because she knew that she could do anything she put her mind to.
When Amy met her husband, Travis, she was very quickly sure that this guy was the one who could keep the fun and laughter in her life, and he certainly has done that. His favorite nick name for her is Midget, and I must admit that it fits. Partly because of her size, Travis loves midget wrestling, which has become a thing these days. Who would have known. That’s the thing she loved about him. He could turn most situations into something fun and full of humor.
Amy first began working in the insurance industry at the young age of 15, when she worked in the office I worked in doing filing, phones, and typing. I was just trying to help her get a job as a kid, who knew that it would be the beginning of a future lifelong career for her. During her teen years, she needed more hours than we could give her, so she went to work in fast food, and then on to daycare, the hotel industry, and an office job in an industrial training facility. Then her journey came full circle, when she was hired in the insurance office I was working at then…The Stengel Agency. It was there that she got licenses, and became an excellent insurance agent. When her family decided to move to Washington state, her insurance background netted her several job offers. Now things have come full circle again…so to speak, because her daughter, Shai Royce, who 
also worked with us at The Stengel Agency, is now working at the same agency that Amy, her mom, works at now…Rice Insurance, and they are both very excited about that. Sometimes it is all in who you know, but I think insurance is in their blood, because if you can’t understand insurance, you will never be a good agent. They both understand insurance, just like their mom and grandma…me. Today is Amy’s birthday, and I am very excited for this new aspect of her life…sharing a career with her daughter and friend. Not bad for a midget!! Happy birthday Amy!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
It is a rite of passage…turn 16, get your drivers license. For my grand nephew, Xander Spethman, today is that rite of passage day. Soon he will be able to take himself out on dates and not have to find a ride. He will be able to drive himself to school, and of course, run errands for his parents. I’m not sure how long that will be fun, but most kids like it for a while, because it means they get to drive. Nevertheless, I think that Xander’s younger siblings will reap the benefits of Xander having a driver’s license.
When it comes to school, Xander is all about football…with a 
little studying on the side. He is a great player, and already has colleges looking at him for recruitment, and offering every type of scholarship imaginable, to meet his every academic desire. Not bad for a kid who is just a freshman in high school. Xander has always been good in sports, and especially in football. He just understands the sport and what he needs to do to be successful in the sport. Last year, Xander went to football camp at Black Hill State University, and really learned a lot. He plans to attend the same camp this year, but he as also been invited to a camp at the Colorado School of Mines for their football camp. They are interested in looking at Xander for recruitment into their football program. It’s an exciting offer for a kid of his young age.
Of course it isn’t the only sport he is good at. Xander, like every member of his family knows how to shoot a gun and how to be safe with one. His dad, Steve takes Xander and brothers Zack and Isaac hunting very year, and this year they also plan to do some fishing. Xander and his family have always been close, and while 
Xander’s interests are changing, I know that he will always enjoy the “man sports” with his dad and brothers. And of course, Xander is an amazing gentleman to his mom, Jenny and his little sister, Aleesia, and to all women. They always know that the men of the family are there to protect them. Xander is quickly becoming a man, and he is going to do amazing things in his future life. Today is Xander’s 16th birthday. Happy birthday Xander!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Rob Masterson is a busy father of four children. His oldest, Christina is grown and living on her own in Colorado. The other three, Raelynn, Matthew, and Anna still live in the family home…which recently changed, by the way. They had been living in an apartment, and now they are in a house…much better for a family. The really nice thing is that the new place is much closer to where Rob and his wife, Dustie both work…Sam’s club. This is a great change for this family, and we are all very happy for them.
As a boy, Rob grew up in a house full of women. His mom, my sister, Cheryl Masterson was a single mom, and of her five children, Rob was the only boy. I’m not sure for whom that situation was the worst. Rob was definitely outnumbered, but I don’t think that the girls, Chantel, Toni, Elizabeth, and Jenny, ever really got the better of their brother, who was the middle child. These days they all joke about the antics of those years, and in reality, it’s all pretty funny. Nevertheless, I don’t know how pleasant it was at the time, especially for the other party in this boy verses girls show of power…their mom. I’m sure that there were many 
times Cheryl wanted to send them all to their rooms, but there were likely just as many times that the antics brought great bouts laughter in the house, because lets face it, the antics of kids can be very funny.
I think that the antics Rob pulled as a kid have never really left him, because his own son seems to have had some inherited many of his dad’s abilities…or maybe, it’s just a boy thing. Whatever it is, sisters have “suffered” the consequences of it for generations. Still, eventually those boys grow up to be men, and I think that sometimes the ones who picked on their sisters the most and pulled the most pranks, make the best dads. Today is Rob’s birthday. Happy birthday Rob!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grand nephew, Weston Moore is graduating from high school today and I find it hard to believe that it has already been that many years since he was born. Weston is the oldest son of my niece Machelle Moore and her husband, Steve. He has a younger brother named Easton. Weston was destined to be tall from the moment he was born. He comes from tall stock…with his grandfather, Lynn Cook, who is 6 foot 6 inches, his dad who is well over six feet and his mom who is close to six feet, he is destined to be tall. Last night when we were visiting, he said that someone had measured him and he was 6 feet 5 inches.
Weston recently got a job at Verizon in Powell, and he plans to work for a year before pursuing his higher education. Sometimes, that is a nice thing for a student. Thirteen years of public school is s long time, and sometimes a break is needed before moving on in life. It’s also nice to have the opportunity to brag to younger siblings and cousins when they head back to school and you don’t have to. Nevertheless, pretty soon you begin to think that maybe it is time to get on with it and go back to school. I’m sure that time will come for Weston before the year is over.
Weston’s is considering his options for college, and is looking at Sheridan College, because they have one of the best culinary arts programs. Being a chef is something he has wanted for some time now. Since my 
grandson, Chris Petersen went through the program, I can say that it is an excellent program, and Chris learned so much in his time there.
Wherever life takes Weston next and in the future, I know that he will do well. He knows how to work hard and doesn’t mind the hard work. When he puts his mind to it, I know he will excel in any endeavor. Today begins the journey into the rest of your life, Weston. Today you cross the threshold between being a kid and being a man. You are a kind and loving man who will go far in this world. I am so excited to see what the next chapter of your life will bring for you. Congratulations on your graduation from high school!! We are all so proud of you!!
For some time now, my niece, Andrea Spicer has been a chef. She has cooked at several restaurants. These days she is at the Best Western Hotel in Rawlins, and she has been for quite a while. All her hard work is paying off, because she is in line for a promotion to the position of Assistant Kitchen Supervisor. I know she will get the promotion, and I am so happy for her. This is the work she has dreamed of, and the only work she has ever wanted to do.
Of course, for Andrea, there is nothing more important than 
her son, Topher. They are truly best friends. Since his birth in 2005, Topher has been Andrea’s world. Andrea loves spending time with Topher, and says he couldn’t ask for a better kid. She feels very honored to be his mom. Topher has been her purpose in life for almost 14 years now, and he makes her more proud of him every day.
The biggest news for Andrea is that she has started a quest to a healthier life. She started her journey with the Keto eating plan, and in short order, she has lost over 30 pounds!!!! I think for any Chef, the hardest thing to do is to lose weight, because you are always around food. That makes Andrea’s success even better. Keto is an easy plan to follow though, and you never feel hungry or deprived. It is the plan I have been on for over a year and a half, so I know how Andrea feels about her new lifestyle. There is nothing quite like the rewards that come from perseverance and hard work. I am so proud of Andrea’s hard work, and so happy for her with her success. Keep it up Andrea!! You look great!! Today is Andrea’s birthday. Happy birthday Andrea!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My sister, Cheryl Masterson is the oldest of our parents’ five daughters, and because of that, the one who inherited the most responsibility early on. When I was born, almost two years later, she became a big sister, and from every picture I have seen of us together, she was very pleased to be a big sister. She was very helpful and loving, showing me the things in life that she had discovered. Those were sweet days. She was always the same, as I recall, when a new sister came along. Being the oldest, and often the one most capable of holding babies, she got the first shot at the honor of holding her newest sister…and again the honor of showing each new sister the ropes of life. She was also the mother’s helper and later the first sister to babysit the rest of us.
As the years went by. it was time for Cheryl to start school, and by then, there were two more sisters 
in the mix. It was going to be difficult for our mom, Collene Spencer to walk Cheryl the five blocks to school, so Chery was going to walk with other kids, and of course, Mom was apprehensive. Nevertheless, those were different times, and kids walked to school. Mom had to figure out a way to let Cheryl go, and the only way that worked for her was to turn her precious daughter over to God. Cheryl left for school that first morning with the words we would all come to know well, “Jesus will take care of you” in her ears. Our dad, Allen Spencer, also adopted those words in full agreement with Mom’s confession over us. Those words have carried all of us through our lives, and they’ve been passed down to our own kids and grandkids. It was another of the many firsts that started with Cheryl, as the oldest sister.
Now that our parents have gone to Heaven, Cheryl has become the family matriarch. We aren’t required to 
answer to her, of course, but we all feel a sense of family and Cheryl is in a big way, the main part of keeping things that way. We all let each other know of travel plans…departures and arrivals…and of course, tell each other “Jesus will take care of you” just like Mom did on Cheryl’s very first day of school. It keeps our parents in our lives, and Cheryl is a reminder of where it all started. Today is Cheryl’s birthday. Happy birthday Cheryl!! Have a great day, and enjoy the rain that God has provided for you, since you love that kind of weather!! We love you!!
As we all know, the first day of May is May Day, and while that is true, there is a new special day in May that will now happen every year in the Parmely family…because, May 9th will forever more be Maeve Day. You might be wondering what holiday Maeve Day is. Well, on May 9, 2019, my nephew Eric Parmely and his wife, Ashley welcomed their adorable little baby girl named, Maeve Elizabeth Parmely into the world. Maeve is the youngest of Eric and Ashley’s four children, and little sister to sisters, Reagan Kaylynn and Hattie Joy, and brother, Bowen Lewis, who are just thrilled to have a new little sister.
Maeve has dark brown hair, big beautiful dark eyes, and cute baby cheeks. She weighed in at 6 pounds 11.9 ounces and was 20 inches long. She might be a tiny little girl now, but as she grows up, she will become a capable little farm girl like her older siblings, who will help their parents to teach her the ropes. Maeve has big shoes to fill, because her siblings have become veteran farm kids, but I have no doubt that she will become an expert very soon. Of course, she won’t be spending much time indoors, because her mom, Ashley just loads the babies up in a back pack or front pack and keeps right on working the farm, so she will get in on the ground floor very soon. Maeve will have lots of babies to share her life with, because babies seem to be the family business. Happy Maeve Day baby Maeve Elizabeth Parmely. This special day belongs to you!! We are so glad you are here.
My son-in-law, Travis Royce is a man of many talents. He has a great sense of humor, and worked as a radio announcer for a time. He was perfect for that job because of his quick wit and his ability to turn just about any situation into a funny situation, other than some of the news, of course. I’m pretty quick witted myself, but I can’t hold a candle to Travis. I simply don’t know how anyone can come up with so many funny jokes out of thin air. Travis was also the go to guy for many of the commercials for Time-Square Media, and even after living in the Bellingham area of Washington state for four years now, we still hear the commercials he did. Every time we do, we have to laugh, because of how long he has been gone now. The reality is that these were just great commercials, and Travis has a perfect radio voice. They own the commercials, so they can continue to use them, and we can giggle about the fact that they never could find anyone better than Travis.
I think it is awesome that Travis was born in May, because he loves mowing the lawn. I don’t know of anyone else who truly loves lawn work, but Travis always has. At their house in Ferndale, Washington, they have a big yard, and a riding lawnmower that came with the house. Travis was in seventh heaven over that lawnmower. Each year Travis watches the lawn…waiting for it to get even a little bit long. Then he is out there mowing. One thing that is good about that is that their lawn always looks great. Travis and my daughter, Amy love to entertain, and Travis loves to barbeque. They spend a lot of time outdoors, and that is probably why they love Washington state so much. The weather is mild, and allows for lots of outdoor time, and beautiful scenery.
Travis and Amy have been married for almost 24 years now, and in that time, Travis has become a precious 
part of our family. I love how he keeps everyone happy and laughing. Laughter is so important in any life, and it is especially wonderful to hear your daughter’s family all laughing and happy together, and to know that her chosen mate is the one instigating all the silliness. Many times I have found myself laughing at some sill stunt Travis pulled on his family our on the rest of the family. The say, laughter is the best medicine, well I guess Travis must be the doctor. Today is Travis’ birthday. Happy birthday Travis!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
When I asked his dad what was new with my grand-nephew, Zack Spethman, the first thing he said was, “He’s tall.” And that is the truth. Zack has literally shot up in height in the past couple of years. It shocks me every time I see him. I pretty much have to stand on my tip toes just to give him a hug. While Zack is the second son of my niece, Jenny Spethman and her husband, Steve, I have a feeling that he might be the tallest person in his family. It’s hard to say, because the boys still have some growing to do, but at this point, Zack is most definitely in the lead.
Zack is such a loving, sweet natured young man, and he is never afraid to show people that he loves them. Many teenagers…especially boys are worried about the hit their “image” might take, if they are seen hugging their mom, dad, or aunts and uncles in public, but Zack doesn’t care about all that. Zack’s sweet nature doesn’t make him a wimp, just the opposite in fact. Zack is great in sports, and a great protector of those he cares about. Zack knows how to shoot a gun, and after passing hunter safety a year or so ago, he is also a great hunter. Zack and his brothers, Xander and Isaac, love to do 
the same things their dad is doing. From guns to snowmobiles to swimming to hiking, they are all in!!
Of course, these boys aren’t too proud to play with their little sister, Aleesia, and help he with anything she needs. They treat her like a princess, and she loves each and every one of them. Zack is also a perfect gentleman at school, and his teachers all think the world of him. He is never on to get into trouble, and rather is the first one to offer assistance whenever it is needed. He makes his parents, and the rest of the family, very proud of him, and I know that he will continue to turn into a wonderful young man. Today is Zack’s 14th birthday. Happy birthday Zack!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My little grand-nephew, Bowen Parmely is a happy little boy who is turning 2 years old today. Bowen’s first two years have been quite eventful. He is the younger brother to two sisters, Reagan and Hattie, and so there was always someone to play with. Being the only boy in the family, might have affected the kinds of games he played, but not in any big way, because Bowen is all boy. I have no doubt that in the future, he will tease his sisters quite a bit. A guy’s gotta make up for lost time, because while he is the littlest, the girls are well able to “boss” him around. Unfortunately for Bowen, I don’t know if he will ever find himself the boss when it comes to his sisters. Nevertheless, Reagan and Hattie love their little brother very much, and they have taught him lots of things in these first two years…and I’m sure he has taught them a few things too.
Bowen and his sisters love to ride their bicycles, and Bowen is quickly learning the ropes of a strider. When I was a kid, nobody ever thought of taking the peddles off of the bicycle or tricycle, and just letting the kid sit on the seat and walk it out, but it is really a great way to put the little ones on a bicycle early on, and Bowen doesn’t like to be left out of the fun, so it’s a vital tool toward getting him into the action. Of course, there isn’t much that his sisters are doing that Bowen doesn’t do too, with the exception of school. Bowen and his sisters help out on the farm, and they get to play with the babies, as well as watching their birth. That is all part of a good farm education, and a part that city dwellers don’t get. 
While Bowen’s sisters love all the little farm babies, and Bowen does too, but for him, they come second, because he has something he is far more interested in…tractors. Typical boy thing, and something that he gets from his dad, and probably a grandpa or two. Bowen comes from a long line of farm and ranch people, and from what I have seen, he is totally ok with that. Today is Bowen’s 2nd birthday. Happy birthday Bowen!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
