Kids
My niece, Cassie Franklin has been enjoying being a mother of three since adding the daughter, Alicen, whom she shares with her partner, Wesley Burr. Alicen has been an added blessing to their whole family. Cassie has always been a devoted mother. She loves her three children, Lucas, Zoey, and now Alicen. Lucas was born with Down Syndrome, and since that time, Cassie has been researching ways to make her family healthy. She is very much against vaccinations, as are many people these days. Since Covid, and all the issues the virus and the vaccine have been found to have, many people are leery of the vaccine.
Cassie has had a couple of businesses in which she makes candles and beautiful resin creations, like dishes, bowls, trays, and even jewelry. She is very creative, and her creations are absolutely beautiful. Cassie is also an excellent photographer. Her photography started with her own children, and that developed into a business of photography. She also does exceptional landscape photography. Of course, being from Wyoming, most of her landscapes are centered around our great state.
The last few years have been a bit difficult for Cassie. Her mother, Rachel Schulenberg, with whom she was very close, passed away on January 19, 2021. Cassie and her brothers, Riley Birey and Tucker Schulenberg miss their mom very much. Cassie is so much her mom’s mini me, that they could actually be twins. Every time I see Cassie, I can’t help but see her mom too. Cassie and her mom practically grew up together. Cassie was the child of her mom’s youth, and Rachel was an excellent single parent. It was so hard to lose Rachel when she was so young, and we all feel the loss deeply. 
Cassie is working on building a new life with her partner, Wesley Burr, and children, Lucas and Zoey Iverson, and Alicen Burr. They have their own business called Back to Back Cleaning Company. They do everything from yards, to houses, to cars, and probably much more. From what I understand, no job is too big or too small. I hope their business venture is a great success. Today is Cassie’s birthday. Happy birthday Cassie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Like most people have, whether they call it that or not, my grandnephew, Xander Spethman had a bucket list and goals for the year before he turned 21. He accomplished most of those goals. He was able to travel outside of the United States, taking a trip with his girlfriend, Alli Simpson, and her family, to Jamaica. During that trip, another item on his list was fulfilled when he saw the ocean for the first time. They had a great trip, going snorkeling, parasailing, zip lining, trying new foods, and experiencing a different culture. Jamaica is a fun place to visit. It’s always in party mode, and they had an amazing time.
A goal that Xander set on his 20th birthday was to find a good job and work his way up the company. Xander is 
currently working for Caspar Building Systems and is coming up on his 1-year anniversary with them. Xander was able to be a part of building 12 beautiful buildings for Casper’s community. Xander loves going to work to be able to provide for his family and enjoys being able to come home and cuddle with all his babies at the end of the day. Xander is a dog dad, and his babies, of the fur variety love their daddy very much. They get all excited when he comes home and can’t wait to cuddle with him.
Xander and Alli are very close with his family. Xander takes being the big brother very seriously. Recently, he bought his little sister, Aleesia, a guitar, because she wants to learn how to play. While Xander and Alli have a place of their own, they spend most evenings with his family. That closeness will always be an important part of their lives. They hang out with his family, because he considers his family his friends. His mom, Jenny tells me, “Xander loves his mom, but his dad (Steve Spethman) is his hero.” Xander has grown into an amazing adult. 
His parents often ask for his perspective on many things, including parenting. Sometimes, it’s a big help to get a young person’s perspective on one’s children. Sometimes, one child can’t make it easier to understand what another child is going through. Xander has grown into a fine young man.
The end of the summer will find Xander and Alli making yet another big change. They will be moving to Fort Collins, Colorado so that Alli can continue her education. This is likely to be a “culture shock” for the whole family, because they are so close. Nevertheless, Jenny tells me that she is “excited for her son to have new opportunities and to watch him grow.” We all wish them well. Today is Xander’s 21st birthday. Happy birthday Xander!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My sister-in-law, Brenda Schulenberg is a very special kind of person. She has a strong sense of fairness when it comes to how people should be treated. She also has a deep kindness toward people. Because of these two things, she is always kind to all people, regardless of the situation. I don’t say that things and situations can’t frustrate her and even produce anger, as can happen to all of us, but Brenda is mostly even tempered, and nice to people. It is a trait that has served her well all her life and will continue to do so for the rest of it.
It’s funny how sometimes, we can step into, or almost stumble upon the job that will become our career, with little or no planning on our part. That is really what happened to Brenda. She got a job in banking right out of high school, and that job has become a career that has spanned the last 43 years. It will be the career from which she will retire in the near future. Her career in banking, 
however, has not afforded her “banker’s hours” as most of us might think. Brenda has worked in Human Resources for a long time, and while most of us think Human Resources is all about hiring and firing, and it is, her job also takes on payroll, and tax preparation for a number of companies. With that, the traditional “banker’s hours” have a tendency to go out the window. Brenda has been known to work from 8:00 in the morning to 10:00 at night, and not on occasion. She does that quite often…especially during tax season. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m, quite sure that those hours will not be missed when she retires.
Brenda is a social person and loves spending time with friends and family. She has a core group of friends, but she is also a friend to many other people. People just naturally like Brenda, and that makes it so easy for her to make friends. She has been a part of my life since she was eleven years old. She became my sister-in-law 
when she was twelve years old. After all those years, she really isn’t my sister-in-law, but rather she is my sister…and I can’t imagine life without her in it. She has been there during the best of times, and the hardest of times…those times of sickness and loss. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been to take care of her aging parents, if she and the rest of the family had not been there to help. She was so important to their care, and they were always grateful for her help. Today is Brenda’s birthday. Happy birthday Brenda!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Dustie Masterson, says of her husband Rob Masterson, “My husband is a very thoughtful man. Not just in big gestures but in the more meaningful way. He will just randomly show up at my work with my favorite coffee from my favorite coffee shop. Or he notices what I’ve been eating and makes sure that there is ALWAYS some on hand for at home and at work. He did a biggie this year though and bought me a new wedding band. I’m not a real flashy kind of girl (after all I have the best husband that’s all I really need) but he realized I was having a reaction to my ring and couldn’t wear it anymore. Off he went to hunt down a new band. He said he spent hours driving the employees crazy looking at every ring they had. He really thought they were just about over his pickiness. Until he found it, the perfect ring.” Dustie’s new ring is the most beautiful and elegant ring she has ever seen, let alone owned, and it came straight from his heart. It is a beautifully set diamond in black hills gold. No one really knows this, but Dustie absolutely loves black hills gold. She thinks she might have mentioned it when they were in the Black Hills when their 19-year-old son, Matthew was a baby. Rob has a really good memory. He not only remembers the “little” daily things, but he also remembers things from eons ago that he really doesn’t have to. Dustie says, “He does this because he is a very loving thoughtful husband. I’m so proud to say I’ve known him for 25 of his 50 years and I can’t wait for the next 50 or so.”
Rob and Dustie have three children together, as well as a bonus daughter, Christina Masterson, for his first marriage. Their oldest daughter, Raelynn says that her dad sometimes calls her Raelynn, but usually he calls her Raelynn Dawn. It wasn’t something she really noticed until recently when we were ordering a Mother’s Day gift. She really likes that, because it’s something only her daddy does. Every time she hears him calling her, that it feels special, because he doesn’t do it with her siblings. He usually just calls them their middle names without the first names, or just their usual nicknames. Raelynn is reminded that because her dad is turning 50, he is officially halfway to 100. She says that’s hard to wrap her head around, and I would have to agree. As his aunt, I’ve known him all of those 50 years. Raelynn loves going to the shooting range with her dad to practice 
shooting. She says, “He hasn’t said it, but I think he feels a bit better that I want to carry a gun wherever I can.” These days, that’s not a bad idea. She has been trying to spend more time with him, and even plans to learn how to sharpen knives with him because it’s something they are both interested in. It helps Rob relax knowing she can take care of herself. Recently, Rob has been taking care to hydrate more and eat healthier. He is taking better care of himself, so he can stay around for his family and be there for their important milestones. Raelynn is very proud of her dad and loves him very much. She says, “I love my dad, and the effort he is going through. It is so important and makes me so, so proud to call myself his daughter.”
Rob’s son, Matt says, “My Dad has always been my hero. He is such an amazing man I hope that one day I can live up to what he expects of me. He always does things for me even when I don’t ask him to. And he just puts a lot of thought behind the things he does for me. I couldn’t ask for a better Dad!” His daughter, Taylor says, In the past year, Dad has started teaching me to drive, and spend more time with us as a family. He was so calm about his knee surgery and has helped us through all the toughest times. I can say with my full heart that I love and appreciate him more than anyone could know.”
Rob is my sister, Cheryl Masterson’s only son. She says, “Robbie is a very kind-hearted man. Very even-tempered and easy to like and get along with. He always has been since the day he was born! Even as a little kid, he loved and protected his sisters, and they appreciated him so much. He teased them a lot, too, but they all loved him! He loves his wife and children the same way. He is protective of them, and he teases them, too! They all have a lot of fun together! He is also good to his mother. Early last winter, my outdoor faucet broke and was pouring out water at 2:00 in the morning. I had to call Robbie. He got up at 2:00 in the morning and 
came over to take care of the problem for his mother! On his birthday, he will get the air conditioner going in my living room, so the house stays cool for the summer. He’s a good son, and I love him! I hope this, his 50th year is absolutely blessed beyond all he could ask or hope!” As you can see, Rob is very much loved, and his family can tell you about how special he is and how important he is to them far better than I could. Today is Rob’s 50th birthday!! Happy birthday Rob!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandniece, Katy Herr is living her dream life of being a wife and mother. She and her husband, Dylan are parents of Max Robert Herr, who was born on June 14, 2020, and is now coming up on three years old. The day Max was born was literally one of the happiest days of Katy’s life. She had wanted to be a mom for so long, and now she is loving every minute of it. I most often see Katy when she is doing her shopping at Walmart…isn’t that where everyone sees people. It seems to be the place we meet up with all our friends and family. Katy and Max are always having such sweet mommy-son moments. She is totally focused on him and he loves the attention she gives him.
They also “workout” together, or in reality. Katy works out and 
Max is her self-appointed personal trainer, and he takes his job very seriously, regularly “kicking his mom’s butt” with the exercises he makes her do. While it’s a lot of work, and probably very tiring, Max keeps her focused, and as his daddy says, “29 looks amazing” on her. It just goes to show you that hard work and a “brutal” trainer will definitely produce a great outcome. Katy should get some of the credit, I suppose, after all, she is the one doing the workout and sticking with the program. No workout program is easy, because our bodies are naturally “lazy” and would rather sit and watch television. Sticking with a workout plan, like Katy has done, takes perseverance and determination.
Dylan owns several branches of Red Wing Shoe Stores in Colorado and Wyoming, with his dad and brother. He participates in charitable giving, and Katy is the perfect person to have by his side at these events. They make a very handsome couple. They are both very involved in the community of Casper, where they live. Max is their smiling little sidekick, and he puts a smile on their faces every day. Dylan is Katy’s soulmate, and together, they are building a beautiful life. I am very happy for them. When Katy met Dylan, her life change like taking a complete 180° turn. Prior to that she was doing ok, but not like the change that took place when she met Dylan. Then life was grand. Today is Katy’s birthday. Happy birthday Katy!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Andrea Beach has always had a passion for the culinary arts. She also has a heart for helping people. Those two things don’t always go together, but Andrea has figured out a way to do that. Since moving back to Casper, Wyoming from Rawlins, Wyoming, she has been working at Mountain Plaza Assisted Living. She doesn’t really have close contact with any of the residents, but Andrea has been working to make their mealtimes special for almost a year now. She loves creating meals that make the residents feel like they are eating in a high-end restaurant, and yet they are getting good nutrition and amazing taste too. Before Andrea started working there, the meals were great, but now they are spectacular!!
Andrea loves being back in Casper and around all the family. She and my niece, Jenny Spethman have grown 
so close. They really are best friends, and they love to do lots of things together. Cousins should be close friends, I think, and these girls really are. They hike together and hang out together. It’s really very nice for them, since there are only three girls in the two families, out of eight people. Those girls are outnumbered!! They have to stick together!! I’m happy for the girls. All too often, as we reach adulthood, our friend become fewer and fewer, or at least that’s how it seems to me. I realize that may just be me, but these girls are extroverts, while I am an introvert. Plus, what better friend is there in the world than sisters and cousins. They share common bonds that just aren’t shared with a friend. I’m not knocking friends, but sisters and cousins are with you, no matter what.
Andrea has always had a flare for the artistic. She has done some paintings, and they are really excellent. 
Recently, however, she had the opportunity to capture some of God’s artwork, which is beyond compare, as we all know. Nevertheless, it takes a good photographer to capture the Auroras in the dark, and without shaking the camera. Andrea and her son, Chris stayed up well past midnight to she could capture these shots for her mom, Caryl Reed and stepdad, Mike Reed, who just couldn’t stay awake for it. Sorry Caryl and Mike, I had to tattle!! Andrea and Chris got an amazing show, and amazing shots of it. Today is Andrea’s birthday. Happy birthday Andrea!! Have a great Day!! We love you!!
Motherhood is such a complex occupation. Your actual title might be mom, mommy, momma, or some other version of the name, but you are so much more. You are a nurse, teacher, nurturer, referee, maid…well, you get the picture. A mother is the wearer of many hats, and we wouldn’t even be here without her. I have been blessed with two moms, Collene Spencer and Joann Schulenberg; two daughters, Corrie Petersen and Amy Royce; and two granddaughters-in-law with children, Karen Petersen and Athena Petersen. Babies are such a blessing, and then they grow into wonderful adults and the blessings continue for years to come.
Mother’s Day becomes something different wen you mom or mother-in-law are in Heaven. While they aren’t really gone, they are gone from our view, and that makes us sad. I’m sure that, like me, you probably thought your mom would always be there with you. We never expect them to leave us until they are gone, and then we realize just how much we will miss them. Those moments when we would love to call them, to say Hi, or to ask a question, or talk about our day, or even to cry on their shoulder. The day our mom leaves us is one of the hardest days we will ever have.
When we become moms, we find out how rewarding motherhood can be, but also, just how hard it can be too. Things like diaper changes, formula, and spitting up, soon give way to school days, school supplies, school clothes, and of course, the dreaded homework help. Still, watching them grow and mature is among the most 
rewarding things we will ever experience. Then, before our very eyes, they are making us into grandmothers, and the cycle of life continues. Our babies having babies and before we know it our grandbabies are having babies. Time just doesn’t stand still. It is always marching on.
Today is a day when we get to celebrate our mothers, our daughters who are mothers, and our granddaughters who are mothers. We celebrate, because they have made us so happy. They are among the most special people ever to walk the face of the Earth. Today is Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to the mothers in my life, and the mothers in yours. Have a great day, ladies!! We love you so much!!
When I first came home from the hospital, after I was born, I found my sister, Cheryl Masterson waiting there. She has always been in my life. My first blessing of a sister, and I was hers. We would later go on to have three more sisters; Caryl Reed, Alena Stevens, and Allyn Hadlock…three more blessings of sisterhood. What great blessings my sisters have been to me, and I know they all feel the same way.
Cheryl is a strong woman. She may not realize just how strong she really is, but I see it. She raised her five children, Chantel Balcerzak, Toni Chase, Rob Masterson, Liz Masterson, and Jenny Spethman, by herself. She was a single mom with an absent ex-husband. She didn’t sit and cry, she got up and went to college to become a Legal Secretary and is now one of the most valuable and indispensable employees at the firm where she has worked for many years. In addition to that, when our parents needed care, Cheryl lived with them and took every “night shift” helping them. She came home from work and cooked, cleaned, and gave them their medicines. She helped with their evening and weekend needs. We couldn’t have handled it without her. Of course, she didn’t do it alone. We all helped, but her living there gave us the evenings off to a degree, and that was a huge help, and we will be forever grateful to her.
Cheryl is a strong Christian woman. These days she spends many of her evenings reading her Bible and other 
Christian book. She takes the position of family matriarch, when came to her as the eldest sibling, when our parents passed away, very seriously. Of course, there is more to being the matriarch than being the spiritual head of the family. “A family matriarch is a woman who is the head and ruler of her family and descendants. She is usually older and powerful and has authority over family matters.” Of course, she doesn’t practice her position to the fullest extent of its meaning, because we are all grown and have families of our own. Nevertheless, she does try to be a spiritual guide, which is definitely what our parents would have wanted…a kind-hearted, loving Christian voice to keep the family on the right track.
Cheryl is an amazing cook and holds gatherings with her family just about every week. With five children, her family has grown quite large, and that’s the way she likes it. There is nothing that pleases her more than to have all of her children, children-in-law, and grandchildren, and great grandchildren surrounding her and 
enjoying a good meal and good conversation. And she especially love having all the babies around. These days, Cheryl’s family consists of five children, three sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, fifteen grandchildren, seven grandchildren-in-law, and eight great grandchildren. All that makes for a rather large gathering…provided they can all make it over. People are all very busy. Today is Cheryl’s 70th birthday!! Happy birthday Cheryl!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Our aunt, Charlys Schulenberg has been through a lot in the past year. She began having some Neuropathy in her legs and feet. Uncle Butch took her to several neurologists trying to find out if there’s a cure for her. The doctors all say they know of none when it gets that bad. One doctor believes that it all started a couple years ago when her red and white blood cells dropped to a seriously low level. She was very weak. They put her in the hospital and found out that she had no cooper in her blood. So, they gave her copper via IVs. This brought her blood back up, but not high enough. They believe the low copper caused her Neuropathy. They also think that there was too much Zinc in the vitamins she was taking. Apparently, too much Zinc can deplete the copper in your system. So, they got rid of all vitamins that had Zinc in them. Meanwhile, she was home waiting to go back to Billings for another week of IV copper infusions. While she was home however, she, being a very determined lady, refused to take this lying down. She was getting around with a walker, but she was really shaky.
Because of all that, she wasn’t supposed to be cooking. Uncle Butch was doing the cooking. They were going to have spaghetti, but they needed French bread and other groceries, so he went down to store. When he came back 45 minutes later, Aunt Charlys was laying on the floor. She had decided to start the spaghetti, and as she was boiling the spaghetti, her feet went out from under her. She hit the pan of boiling water as she fell, and the pan fell on her, spilling the boiling water and hot spaghetti in her lap causing 3rd, 4th, and 5th degree burns from her knees to her chest. Uncle Butch called an ambulance, and they got her to the hospital, and then, she was flown to the University of Colorado Burn Center. While her burns must have kept her in excruciating pain, Aunt Charlys never lost her sense of humor. She joked with the nurses, even though she was the one in so much pain. She has proven herself to be one tough lady.
After a month in the burn center, she was transferred to the hospital in Forsyth, Montana where they live. She spent another month in the Forsyth Hospital. While she was there, she continued joking and just being herself…always positive and happy. I’m sure that like me, the nurses, doctors, and other staff couldn’t believe that this lady, who was in obvious pain was so cheerful and positive. She has never lost her positive attitude. Her burns soon healed and all that’s left is the scars. Uncle Butch is very proud of her, and so is the rest of her family. Charlys is such a sweet, loving person, and I am so thankful that she is still with us.
Because the Neuropathy in her legs is so bad, she came home in a wheelchair. She couldn’t walk. Uncle Butch got the house set up so she can do things herself. They pulled the carpet up and installed posts by the bed and in bathroom and grab bars in the shower area. When she first came home, Uncle Butch had to help her with bath and bathroom needs, but in true Charlys style, she was determined to do things herself. She worked very hard to make a way for herself. Now, with help of a special chair and the bars on wall, she does many things by herself. All Uncle Butch has to do is stand by to make sure she’s alright. She can pull Herself up out of wheelchair and get things out of the low cabinets. She has one of those two wheeled walkers with solid back legs, and she gets a little further walking with it each day. Uncle Butch says that at times her feet and legs just jump all over the place.
They were scheduled to start copper treatment a couple days before the accident, but they had to cancel that. Meanwhile, their daughter, Andi Kay got a hold of the doctors at the burn center and told them about her copper deficiency. They didn’t want that to continue, so they placed a tube in her nose, that went to her stomach, and fed her copper and drugs straight into the stomach., finally bringing her copper and her red and white cells to normal, Praise God!! With the excellent treatment she was given, she was very soon back to being her old spunky self. Unfortunately, they don’t believe that the damage is done in her feet and legs from the Neuropathy, is reversable. So, she’s in a wheelchair or walking a little with her walker. Meanwhile, being the culinary expert that she is, she has the up the task of “teaching” Uncle Butch to cook, with her supervision, of course. She makes sure to tell him what to do next, even if he probably already knows, but that leaves her basically running the show, and that what is most important. She has been struggling with Macular Degeneration in her eyes, so Uncle Butch reads her the recipes, as well as a lot of articles from papers, a true mark of his love for her. She also has a magnifying glass, that has a small light, and she uses that a lot too.
Their grandson, Christian is living with them and working as a CNA at the Forsyth Hospital. That has been such an amazing blessing. He has been a great help to them. He loves his grandma “to pieces” and gives her all his attention, and the love is “reversed” to him too. Uncle Butch thinks that she wouldn’t be as happy, if Christian wasn’t there. Uncle Butch thinks through all that has happened these last few years, it has only served to bring 
them closer to one another. They got Aunt Charlys a small electric wheelchair that folds down and is real light. I didn’t know they made folding electric wheelchairs, but it is awesome!! It slides into a trunk or a pickup. She can go shopping with it now. They went to Walmart in Miles City last week, and she had a blast!! Uncle Butch says that you have to watch her, or she’ll run over your feet…kind of like a fifteen-year-old with a driver’s permit, hahaha!! The good news is that now that she has it, she can get out more. Charlys is full of life yet, even with all the problems. Uncle Butch says, “She’s a fighter and she dang sure doesn’t give up.” It’s a miracle that could only be God and the excellent people He placed at the hospitals and at home to care for her. Today is Aunt Charlys’ 82nd birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Charlys!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
I have been very privileged to have had two men that I called “Dad” who were both among the kindest men I have ever met. My father-in-law, Walt Schulenberg became my second “Dad” when I married my husband, Bob Schulenberg in 1975. He was a hardworking man, almost to the point of being a workaholic, but that was common for the times and the bigger families that people had. My in-laws, Walt and Joann had six children, of which my husband was the third child and first boy. In big families, there is, by necessity, a certain amount of joking and teasing. It’s really the only way to make sure the kids aren’t always fighting. Everyone’s kids need to know how to hake a joke. They also, need to know how to tell one in good clean fun. Dad taught them well, as did my parents, so Bob and I were quite compatible in that way, as well as many others, of course.
My father-in-law spent most of his childhood living on ranches and learned his work ethic there. When you are 
raising cattle, there is little sleeping in until noon. As with most kids of that era, the workload was shared. The parents couldn’t be expected to take care of everything, especially when there are perfectly healthy kids who can help. He helped with chores around the house, and later with everything from feeding the animals to branding them. Over the years he raised some animals of their own, although not to the grand scale that he had grown up with. I was raised in town, so cows, chickens, rabbits, and the like were a little foreign to me. Nevertheless, if you put your mind to it, you can learn just about anything, and my in-laws were good teachers.
Later in his life, my father-in-law moved my mother-in-law and their eldest daughter, Marlyce to town. While he no longer raised animals, he planted a garden in the back yard, from which my mother-in-law canned the vegetables. His also built a hobby barn, really just a tall and fairly large shed, where he could tinker around making different crafts. He made wooden toys and wind spinners. They graced his yard for the rest of his life, 
as well as may yards around town. People would see them and want to buy them. He also refurbished lawn chairs, actually making them far more beautiful than they had previously been. He was an accomplished contractor, though mostly just for himself and his family. Nevertheless, he did make so steps for people and a few other things over the years. His was a life well lived, and it makes me sad that he has been gone for eleven years now. Nevertheless, time marches on, and today I find that he did leave us eleven years ago today. I still miss him every day.
