Kids
My great grandnephew, Max Herr is a very busy boy these days. He comes from a pretty athletic family, and so it stands to reason that he would also be into sports. Right now, he is in t-ball, basketball, and swimming, and if that isn’t enough, he also “coaches” his mommy, Katy Herr in her workouts. Not bad for a little guy of just four years today. Max loves to go golfing with his daddy, Dylan Herr too.
Max loves all things boy, so things like sports, superheroes, monster trucks, and any other “boy stuff” you can think of. He loves his mommy and daddy very much, but right now, he is pretty much a “Mama’s Boy,” for a little longer. Boys tend to end up being “Daddy’s Boys” pretty early on. Nevertheless, his 
Mommy is enjoying it while she can. Katy tells me, “I’m loving every second of it, he is truly my best friend.” Max has the kindest heart and is always making sure everyone is okay. It’s a rare trait in a little boy, to be the one to make sure that everyone around him has what they need to make them happy. Still, that is what Max is all about. He is also HILARIOUS and loves to make people laugh. That is something that is written all over his face every time he smiles. You can tell that he just seems to have an internal joy…such a cool thing. He is one of those kids whose face lights up when he smiles. His whole face smiles when he does, and you can totally tell that he is one happy kid.
When it comes to other kids, Max isn’t around many, but his cousins, Reece and Asa Balcerzak are his best friends (in the world of kids, anyway). He loves hanging out with them. When he goes to school, of course, all that will change. If I guess right, I would say Max will be the “life of the party” and the kid will lots of friends, when he is in school. He is really quite a social guy. I most often run into Max when he and his mom are out shopping. Walmart seems to be the meeting place of many. He always has a smile on his face, and that warms my heart. Max is just a great kid. Today is Max’s 4th birthday. I can’t believe he is four already. Happy 4th birthday Max!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Garrett Stevens is a welding inspector working for EMIT. Last year, Garrett went to Denver for a three-week school to learn to be a welding inspector. After the school was done, he had to pass 3 or 4 tests before he was given the certification. This process was very difficult, and the person who was sent before Garrett was not able to pass the course, so we are all very proud the Garret was able to pass, and he loves the new job and his new responsibilities.
Garrett and his wife, Kayla welcomed their second daughter, Maya just under two years ago, and since that time, they have begun to feel like the walls are closing in on them, so the time has come to sell their home. They have been busy getting a few things renovated and updated so they will get a better price for the house. When I say “they” I include the girls, or at least their daughter Elliott, who is almost six years 
old. Garrett is a very hands-on dad, and his girls love him to the moon and back. Elliott has been helping with the painting of the kitchen. This isn’t the first painting project Garrett and Elliott have tackled. They painted her playhouse and really had a good time doing that. Elliott is a big helper. She also helped with planting flowers in the front yard. She really like that she is helping her parents get ready to put their house on the market so they can find a bigger house. At two years old, Maya is limited on what she can do, but she wants to be a part of things too, so they give her little projects as well. Garrett and 
Kayla are really good parents, and time with their girls, even if it’s working to get the house ready to sell, is very important time for them.
Garrett and Kayla bought a camper this year, and they are planning some fun camping trips. They have made plans to go up to the mountains, the Tongue River Reservoir in Montana, and to Pathfinder Reservoir with his family for the traditional Steven’s Family Summer Camp Out. They really enjoy camping, and spending time with the family. The new camper will give them plenty of room for their family to enjoy the great outdoors. Today is Garret’s birthday. Happy birthday Garrett!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My aunt, Virginia Beadle was the second daughter of my grandparents, Hattie and George Byer. Like her older sister, Evelyn Hushman, Aunt Virginia helped with their younger siblings. When you come from a family of nine children, there are always babies to care for. I don’t suppose the girls always loved taking care of their siblings. Younger siblings can be a trial to the older kids…especially as the older kids head into their teen years. Nevertheless, they did what was needed. Still, when Aunt Virginia found out that since her sister was the main babysitter, and she didn’t have to do housework after a late night of babysitting, Aunt Virginia, who hated housework, asked if the same rule would apply to her if she was working. When Grandma said it would, the deal was sealed. Aunt Virginia went out and got herself a job. She always had one after that, and true to her word, Grandma didn’t make her do housework. I don’t know how long that deal lasted, but for a teenager, who hated housework, it was a good deal.
One of the coolest events of Aunt Virginia’s life was the day happened when she was about 8 or 10 years old. 
She was playing outside with her siblings. Aunt Virginia decided to go exploring at the side of the house, between their house and Great Grandma Byer’s house. She looked at the little flower garden there and saw something shiny. When she picked it up, she saw that his was a man’s wedding ring. Great Grandpa was long dead, and her dad, Grandpa George Byer, had decided to forego a wedding ring so that he could give his bride, her mom and my grandma, Hattie Byer a wedding ring. Obviously, this was an exciting, and quite likely valuable, find.
Aunt Virginia took the ring to show her dad. Grandpa looked at it and told her it was a beautiful ring. He put it on his hand and looked at it. Then he took it off and gave it back to Aunt Virginia. She said, “Daddy, you should keep it.” He said he couldn’t, but she insisted, and that is how my grandfather got his wedding band from his daughter. Aunt Virginia was so pleased to be able to give her dad the wedding ring he had never had and would 
not be able to buy for himself, as there were too many other things that his paycheck was needed for. And Grandpa was so pleased that she wanted him to have such a beautiful ring. He wore the ring proudly for the rest of his life. And everyone in his family was very pleased that he had been blessed with the ring. Aunt Virginia was always a kind and loving person, and I can see how that ring made her day, as much as it did Grandpa’s. Today would have been Aunt Virginia’s 94th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Virginia. We love and miss you very much!!
My niece, Kayla Stevens is a busy mom of two active daughters, Elliott and Maya. She and Her husband, Garrett have realized that since the birth of their second daughter, their house is too small. Garrett tells me that they are “spilling out at the seams!” So, they have been busy updating everything and fixing things up. Kayla is the visionary in the renovating process. She picks out the paint colors and makes sure things match well and complement each other. They painted the outside of the house last summer and put a rock driveway in making the outside more or less finished. Then, over this past winter, they repainted the living room, hallway, and updated the entire kitchen including cabinets, countertops, and walls. They still have a few more rooms in the basement to finish painting and then they can finish getting the majority of their stuff moved to the storage shed to prepare for the sale of the home.
Garrett was telling me the about the distinct differences between him and Kayla. He says, “Kayla is very much a mom. And maybe I think that because I am a dad and it’s very different. She makes all her decisions around the kids. Most of the things she wants to do are things like going to the park or the pool or Playland at the YMCA. If it’s not that, she likes shopping for the kids. She is always finding deals after each season is over. She is a bargain hunter for sure and she is good at it.” 
When it comes to travel, Kayla is the travel agent in the family too. She makes sure that their trips will bring the most pleasure each person in the family. They took a trip to WaTiki in Rapid City over spring break with her cousin and her kids. Everyone had a blast, and the kids enjoyed every minute. Kayla is used to travel and planning for travel. Her job with the Veteran’s Administration as an Outreach Coordinator, and her job requires that she travel a lot during the summer. Part of her duties is to work with other groups and organizations. She has traveled to Washington DC several times, and while there she meets with our representatives, or their staff at least, depending on how busy they are. While there, she advocates for legislation to help with mental health and suicide prevention. We all know how important these areas are, because of the ramifications of having untreated individuals with mental health issues and those who are a suicide risk. These people need to be helped, not ignored. The advocates usually get one day with the representatives, and the rest of the trip will consist of conferences to educate them on the latest research and statistics. There is normally very little time for sight-seeing, but the last trip she made, she was able to go and see the sights between events and they enjoyed that. Then, she got stuck there for a few extra days as all the airports were short staffed and having issues. I’m not sure how well she enjoyed that, because she really wanted to get home to her family, but there was no other option. Kayla also makes trips to Jackson Hole, Powell, Pinedale, Gillette, Casper, Dubois, Lander, Cheyenne, and a few others. Over the past year she also made a trip to Arizona and Salt Lake City. In the past, she has also gone to Orlando, as well. She will be going to Oregon in the near future. In 
addition, Kayla is working in leadership for the city of Sheridan, as well. She is a very busy girl, but her family is, and always will be her family. She has been blessed to have parents and in-laws who can step in to help with the girls when she has to be away, and Garrett has to work.
While her summers are very busy with work and travel, she still makes sure that her family gets to do things too. She and Garrett bought a new camper, and they will be going up to the mountains, the Tongue River Reservoir in Montana, and to Pathfinder Reservoir with his family for the traditional Steven’s Family Summer Camp Out. Kayla leads a busy life, but it makes her happy, and that’s what really matters. Today is Kayla’s birthday. Happy birthday Kayla!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My sister, Alena Stevens has had a wonderful year. In October, her daughter, Lacey married Chris Killinger, and with that union came two new bonus grandchildren, Brooklyn and Jaxon Killinger. They joined the two granddaughters, Elliott and Maya Stevens, that Alena and her husband, Mike already had. Brooklyn and Jaxon have been such a great blessing to the whole family. Elliott and Maya absolutely love their new cousins, and the feeling is mutual for sure.
The past six months, have found our aunt, Sandy Pattan needing several surgeries, and facing several crisis situations. She is doing so much better now, and that is partly due to the caregiver’s heart that Alena has. I was taking care of Aunt Sandy, when Alena came to me and said that she wanted to take several days. It was such a blessing. Caregiving is a big job. It takes a village, and having my sister there to share that workload 
has been awesome. Neither of us would consider taking care of Aunt Sandy to be a burden, because it isn’t. Aunt Sandy is a big blessing to our family, and it is very important that she be ok. Alena has been instrumental in making that happen, and now that Aunt Sandy is doing so well, she and Alena have a friendship that is very precious to both of them. They love to do jigsaw puzzles, and so they have been spending hours working on them, and Aunt Sandy has been loving it. The friendship that Alena and I had has grown much deeper too. She is a huge blessing to me as well. Of course, there are others who have helped, and their importance cannot be overstated. We have grown close to Jim and Deb Pattan, as well as Steve and Wanda Beadle, all of whom were very helpful. It truly takes a village to care for someone who has gone through all that Aunt Sandy did. Alena has always had a heart for those in need. her job as a Refocus Room teacher helped so many students who were having difficulties. Now, she is helping in a new way, and that has really presented itself in these hard days. I will be forever grateful to Alena for her help. She has been absolutely amazing.
Since her retirement, Alena has had the opportunity to spend more time in Sheridan, where her son, Garrett, his wife, Kayla, and their girls, Elliott and Maya live. Kayla has to go out of town for work periodically, and Garrett has to work. So, Alena and Mike have been going up to watch the girls for them. I can’t think of anything that Alena loves more. Spending time with her grandchildren is the top thing on her list of favorite activities. It is a win-win for everyone. Today is Alena’s birthday. Happy birthday Alena!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My daughter, Amy Royce is a career insurance agent, but during her time off she doubles as a master gardener. I suppose there are those who are better, but my girl can grow the prettiest flowers. Her yard is filled with flowers every year, and every year, she adds a few more little beauties to her fantastic garden. She has worked at it each year, creating a masterpiece in flowers. Amy’s back yard is a sanctuary…very peaceful, pleasant, and with all the flowers, beautiful smelling too. You might be picturing so many flowers that there is nothing else, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Her yard is tastefully decorated in flowers. Amy is an artist, and she didn’t get it from her mom. She paints, creating very pretty pictures, and she “paints” her yard in flowers…placing them strategically around so as to make a beautiful oasis. Everybody loves her back yard!! This year her back yard yielded an even more spectacular view, a front row seat to the Aurora Borealis. It was stunning.
Amy tried growing the kind of flowers she wanted here, in Wyoming, but our climate wasn’t conducive to the kind of garden that she wanted. To top it off, Amy prefers a more mild climate. It’s not that they don’t get some cold weather in northwestern Washington, but they don’t get the amount of snow and the bitter cold that we get in Wyoming. The reality is that Amy is a “beach lover” and is much more in her element there. I get that. The rainforest and the beaches of the Pacific Northwest are very pleasant, and such a nice place to visit. Amy also loves the rain, which I can relate to, but probably not to the same degree that she loves it. A gray day is totally her cup of tea.
Amy and her family love to entertain, and they have a detached garage/recreation room that they have turned 
into the perfect entertainment place. They even named it T&Avern!! It is connected to their covered patio, and it is a wonderful place to gather with friends and family. When they aren’t entertaining, Amy and her husband, Travis, and their kids, Shai and Caalab like to go to the casinos sometimes to do a little gambling. They usually do very well in their gambling, often winning…and not just a pittance. I need to go and let them gamble for me, rather than me gambling for me. I would likely fare better if I did. Maybe anyway. When she wins, I always ask her if she was using my dollar. She always says no!! Go figure!! Oh well, I’m glad when they win!! Today is Amy’s birthday. Happy birthday Amy!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandnephew, Zack Spethman is graduating from Roosevelt High School today, and we are all so proud of him. Zack’s high school journey has taken place during some of the toughest years in our nation’s history. Covid-19, the pandemic plague of education everywhere, shut down the schools for months, and put many students way behind in their studies. Many of those same students, like Zack, worked very hard to catch up and go on to finish their studies so they could receive their high school diplomas. We are so proud of Zack for sticking it out and for arriving at this point.
It is so hard to believe that Zack could already be old enough to be graduating from high school. Of course, having watched him grow up all these years, I know full well that he is old enough, but I can also vividly remember the cute little boy he was. Zack has really never changed one bit. He was a loving sweet boy then, and he is today too. While it seems impossible to me that he could be graduating, the 
fact remains that he is. Zack is looking forward to being out of school for a while. He is thinking about going to a trade school down the road a way, possibly for welding. Zack would come by a love for welding naturally, because his grandpa, my dad, Allen Spencer was a welder for many years. His cousin, Garrett Stevens is also a welder by trade. Zack took welding in school and found that he likes it. He is not positive that welding is what he wants to do yet, but he is exploring the possibilities. He will find what he wants to do. Of that I have no doubt.
Zack is a kind and loving young man, who is good to everyone. He is quick to hug those he loves, and always tells us that he loves us. He is a gentle man. These traits endear him to all who know him. I know that his teachers and fellow students all feel the same way about him. He is a loving brother to his siblings, Xander, Isaac, and Aleesia, and a loving son to his 
parents, Jenny and Steve Spethman. Zack makes friends easily, because of his friendly nature. I am excited to see what the future holds for him. He has the ability to do anything he chooses. He is a smart young man.
Zack is looking forward to spending some time in the great outdoors too. He loves to hike with his mom, and it is a special time for both of them. The family loves camping and cookouts, so I’m sure these days of nice weather will be filled to the top with fun, friends, and family. Congratulations on your graduation, Zack!! You’ve earned it, and we are so proud of you and your accomplishments!! On to new vistas and great accomplishments. We love you!!
My grandnephew, Jaxx Harman is such a sweet little boy. His mom, Melanie Harman, tells says, “This little boy has been a blessing, of course, from the very start!! He is always just so full of energy and joy. With a smile that will brighten the darkest of days!!” He is all that for sure. He loves doing anything that will bring a smile and happiness to those he loves. Every time I see him, I feel the same way.
While Jaxx is very sweet and filled with joy, he is also filled with goofiness!! Melanie says, “Plus, he is the goofiest kid you will ever meet. He came in one day to say ‘goodnight’ to us and as he was shutting the door he got down on his knees holding the doorknob in his hands and started hitting himself 
lightly with the door saying ‘for some reason the door is broken and it won’t close’ with his perfect little smile and goofy giggle. He says the weirdest of things at the weirdest of times like ‘I’m not a pickle Sr!’ Ha ha, which is weird cause no one has ever accused him of that!! The other day we looked out in the backyard as he was swinging, and he ust started scream singing ‘I Need A Hero’ by Bonnie Tyler!! He loves to say ‘I ain’t afraid of no ghost’ and then asks ‘who you gonna call.’ Then says, ‘Ghostbusters!!’ Ha ha” One second, he is walking next to his parents normally, and the next second they look at him and he’s walking like a goof! He loves to put smiles on everybody face, and he will do whatever it 
takes to make that happen.
This year, Jaxx got a new baby cousin, when his Aunt Siara and Uncle Chris had their little baby, Nathaniel. Jaxx loves his baby cousin so very much!! Jaxx loves playing video games, but above all else, his all-time favorite thing to do is to hang out with his best friend, and his big sister Izabella. Jaxx is a very smart little boy and is so much fun that he always keeps his family laughing almost to tears. Melanie and Jaxx’s dad, Jake Harman praise God every day for giving them this perfect little dude! Melanie says, “Our life would definitely be incomplete without him.” I agree!! Today is Jaxx’s 7th birthday. Happy birthday Jaxx!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Kellie Hadlock’s partner, Tim Thompson is, Kellie says, “Well…for starters…he is THE BEST!” I love when the family can say it better than I ever could. Kellie is so happy with Tim. It is a beautiful thing to see. The looks on her face just say it all. Pure happiness. Tim is a great also a great dad to his daughter, Jolene. Tim and Kellie have Jolene for the summer, so they have so many fun plans!! Tim is gearing up for summer and all the camping!! Tim took Jolene on a weekend fishing trip, and they caught a ton of fish!! Tim and Jolene are two peas in a pod and it’s adorable!! He is teaching Jo to cook and bake. While they are having a great time, it also looks to me like Tim is wondering what he was thinking. All joking aside. They are having a great time with that. Jo also started wrestling, which is 
what Tim did in college. They have just been living it up with all their similar interests!! He loves teaching her everything he knows!! He loves being a dad, and that is what dad’s do.
Tim has been working on Kellie’s house too. He is very handy. He’s been fixing all the things and doing all the lawn work!! They just went on an early birthday weekend to Denver to watch a Rockies game. They had a great time. Tim’s family is from Philadelphia, so they weren’t going for the Rockies, but Philly won so that was awesome for his birthday!! Well, I’m happy for Tim on that one, but I would still rather see the 
Rockies win…sorry Tim.
Tim is very much an outdoor man. He loves hunting, camping, fishing, and anything else outdoors. The hunting and fishing he does also help to provide for his family, and the time he spends with the girls, showing them the ins and outs of hunting and fishing make it fun for all of them. Tim works hard to take good care of Kellie and Jolene. He shows his love for them every day, and in every way. Kellie says, “Truly though, he does everything he can to take care of Jo and I and be extra good to us!! We love him and his giant heart!!” Today is Tim’s birthday!! Happy birthday Tim!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Brooklyn Killinger has hit a milestone birthday this year. It’s not so much that the birthday is a milestone, as it is that she is now at a landmark time in her life. She is leaving elementary school behind and is headed to middle school. She will start attending Dean Morgan Middle School in the Fall. Brooklyn is finding that she is suddenly both excited and apprehensive at the same time. Of course, Brooklyn is not the only one having these feelings. Her parents are feeling the same way. It’s hard to watch your little girl becoming so grown up.
Brooklyn is definitely getting grown up. She is starting to get into makeup and skincare. In that respect, she takes after her bonus mom, Lacey Killinger. Brooklyn is becoming more and more a girly girl every day, not that she wasn’t before. She was the flower girl in Lacey and her dad, Chris Killinger’s 
wedding. She loved every minute of it…especially wearing “the pretty dress.” She also loves her little cousins, Elliott and Maya Stevens. Both of those little girls love Brooklyn and her brother, Jaxon Killinger very much. They play well together, they love hanging out, going camping, and especially going swimming. Chris and Lacey got a new camper, and they are all looking forward to going camping. Brooklyn and Jaxon love that they have bunk 
beds in the back of the camper.
Brooklyn just finished playing basketball ball at the YMCA this spring. Her team made it to the championships, but they lost their 2nd game in the championship tournament. Nevertheless, making it to the championships is an awesome thing. For her birthday Chris and Lacey threw Brooklyn as Taylor Swift themed birthday party at the Wagon Wheel Skating Rink. She loves Taylor Swift. Some of her friends from school, and her family joined her for her special day. Everyone had a wonderful time…especially Brooklyn. Today is Brooklyn’s 11th birthday. Happy birthday Brooklyn!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
