My grandson, Caalab Royce’s girlfriend, Chloe Foster is an all around sweet girl, making it easy to see why he loves her. Chloe is a family girl and a loving Aunty to Levi, Callie, and Aiden, all of whom love her to pieces!! For Chloe, becoming and aunt was one of the “epic” moments in her life. I totally get that, because babies are just amazing, and each is a blessing beyond measure. Chloe is a blessing to her family too. She loves her mom, Jeri; dad, Craig; brothers, Tyson and Tanner; sister in law, Alicia, and of course, those babies. Chloe’s relationship with my grandson, Caalab has brought a great blessing to Caalab’s family too, my son-in-law, Travis Royce; daughter, Amy Royce; and granddaughter, Shai Royce have gained new friends, and really extended family members in the Fosters. It’s a win/win for both of these families!! I love the combining of two families, and Chloe is a great connector for this one.
Chloe has been keeping a low profile…mostly by force, as the state of Washington is still under Covid restrictions, but staying home did give her more study time. Chloe is working toward a degree in Forensic Psychology. Yesterday, she started a new course for the summer semester. She tells me that school and working is a lot to take on, but my sweet grandson is very supportive, and she says it makes it a little bit easier to handle. Plus, I know that my grandson can cook, so I expect that he is sharing or taking over that job from Chloe to give her time to study. Chloe works as a supervisor at Starbucks, and really enjoys the job and the people she works with. Her job comes with the usual perks, of free coffee, so what else could she ask for. Hahahahaha!! Not a reason to take a job, but it doesn’t hurt.
Chloe is so thoughtful. She is always doing little things to brighten the day of those around her. Her parents have often been the recipients of her humorous and sweet sides. Now, Caalab’s family is too. She is a blessing 
to all who know her. Chloe has artistic abilities too. I don’t know how I could be associated with so many talented, artistic people, and not have an artistic bone in my body, but that has been what I’ve seen. Chloe enjoys painting, and when she met Caalab, who loves Bob Marley, Chloe set out painting a Bob Marley picture for him. She did an amazing job, and Caalab was so pleased!! She also did a painting of her little niece, Callie that is amazing too. Such wonderful talent!! I love it!! Chloe truly is a blessing. Today is Chloe’s birthday. Happy birthday Chloe!! Have an awesome day!! We love you!!
My brother-in-law, Mike Stevens and my sister, Alena Stevens, have done a lot of camping over the years. They have had had a number of camper trailers, but this year, they decided to get the one they really wanted, after all, Mike’s retirement is coming up soon…not that I know when, but he is closer to retirement than he ever was, and according to his son, Garrett Stevens, it can’t come soon enough. Mike and Alena have lots of summer plans in the works. They are planning camping trips on the mountain, very likely both the Big Horns and Casper Mountain, as well as at the Pathfinder Reservoir where the Stevens Clan take yearly vacations with the whole Stevens family. That said, they bought a 2021 Keystone Laredo 5th Wheel trailer. It is beautiful and it will definitely take their camping comfort to the next level.
Mike is a major green thumb. He loves growing things, and that means making sure they have a wonderful lawn. Their yard, both front and back and great entertaining spots, but that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Mike can grow. Their daughter, Michelle Stevens tells me that her dad has “quite the green 
thumb.” Their summer garden usually contains tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. By the end of the growing season Mike and Alena have much work to do, because the harvest is always good. They busily can the vegetables, as well as the spaghetti sauce, that is Mike’s specialty; and Alena’s is her salsa.
Interestingly, Mike’s son Garrett came across a couple of “blast from the past” pictures of his dad that I find very interesting Mike used to work at Shellabarger Chevrolet, where Mike worked as a mechanic. In fact, that is where Mike met my sister, Alena…and the rest, as they say, is history. They have been married for 37 years this July 21st. You just never know where you will meet your soulmate. The other picture Garrett found is one with Mike and his buddies, Lloyd LaFave, Ron Millay, and Eddie Bright. What shocked me so much with this picture was just how much Mike and Garrett look alike. I knew Garrett looked a lot like his dad, but somehow, until you see a picture that clearly could be one person, but is actually the other, you just don’t make the connection in your mind. They could be twins…which wouldn’t be so odd, since Mike is a twin with his brother, Pat. Nevertheless, Mike and Pat are fraternal twins, and Garrett is actually more a twin to his dad than Pat is.
Mike and Garrett are planning some fishing for the summer, as golfing, of course. They both love golf, and this year they plan to golf at least once at the Powder Horn Golf Club in Sheridan, where Garrett and his family live. Mike and Alena plan to spend quite a bit of time in Sheridan, since that is where their first grandchild, granddaughter, Elliott lives. She is the apple of their eyes, and the just can’t get enough of her. Elliott, for her part, is a total character, and keeps her parents, Garrett and Kayla Stevens and grandparents, Mike and Alena Stevens and Wes and Lynette Smiley in stitches. Life just doesn’t get any better!! Today is Mike’s birthday. Happy birthday Mike!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
After his dad, Eddie Hein passed away from a heart attack, our cousin Larry Hein, did his best to run his business, while helping his mom where he could. His sister, Kim Arani helped too, but she lives in Texas and the rest of the family lives in Montana. Things seemed to be going ok, but then, just a little more than three months later, Larry also suffered a heart attack, and passed away at just 50 years of age. It was a devastating blow to the family, who now had to pick up the pieces yet again.
Larry was a good kid. I first got to know him when my husband, Bob Schulenberg and I took our girls for a visit to his grandparents, Walt and Vina Hein’s ranch outside of Forsyth, Montana. Larry was just a young boy then, but he was good to his grandparents and his parents too. He also spent time entertaining our daughters, 
Corrie Petersen and Amy Royce, as will as his little sister, Kim. Grandma Hein loved having Larry come for visits. He used to help out aren’t the place, and anyone who has ever run a ranch can tell you that you can never have enough help around the ranch.
Larry’s expertise did not lie in ranching, however. Larry was a mechanic. and Larry also loved to tow vehicles to his shop for those repairs. A number of years back, Larry fulfilled his life-long dream of owning his own shop. It wasn’t far from his parents’ home in Forsyth, and he did a bang-up business. The lot was always full of vehicles waiting to be worked on. Being a mechanic’s wife myself, I can tell you that the mark 
of a great mechanic is the number of vehicles waiting in line. If the mechanic isn’t good they will go elsewhere. If he is good, they will wait in line rather that letting someone else touch their vehicle. Well, at Larry’s shop…there was always a line.
It’s hard to believe that Larry and his dad have been in Heaven for over a year now. It just doesn’t seem possible, but I’m sure that is what his mom and sister think too. Time just flies after a loved one has passed away. Before we know it ten years have gone by. The human mind struggles to take it in. Today would have been Larry’s 52th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Larry. I know you and your dad are having the time of your lives. We love and miss you very much.
My grandniece, Katy Balcerzak has spent the last year, and a little bit more, becoming or being mommy to a sweet little boy named Max Robert Herr. That is no easy transition, although it is one of the most wonderful transitions ever, as any mother can tell you. For any “exercise enthusiast,” it means the sacrifice of that their body was, to working toward bring it back to what it was, but in reality, it doesn’t matter, because the reward is the most wonderful reward one could ever receive. A child, sweet and perfect. Boy or girl…it does not matter, because a mother’s love knows no gender. It is the transition into a slower way of life…maybe not always being on time everywhere you go, because babies can’t tell time, and so their cooperation is definitely random. 
Somehow that doesn’t matter either, because there is nothing more important than that sweet, smiling face. A mother might have good intentions of being on time, but then her son smiles and giggles and she takes a few more minutes playing and coaxing one more precious smile out of her precious boy. Before she knows it, time has slipped away, and she is trying…unsuccessfully, to play catch-up. Oh well, it somehow just doesn’t matter.
Katy has wanted to be a mommy for as long as she was grown up, and the past year was like a dream-come-true. Her life went from mediocre to exceptional so quickly, that it stunned many of us…myself included. She moved to Colorado from Wyoming, and the next thing I knew, she was happily engaged and pregnant with her first child. Her face absolutely glowed. Her beautiful smile was always there…no sad pictures, no 
lonely pictures, no pictures with empty arms. Katy was transformed in an instant.
This year also, Katy and Dylan made the move to purchase their first home…another milestone in their lives, and one more thing to cross off her “bucket list” of goals and dreams. Now, they are settling in, Katy’s life is in perfect balance. She has the man of her dreams, and a sweet baby boy to complete her happiness. And now, the house to wrap things up nicely and tie them in a pretty bow. I can’t think of any better way to have spent the last year. Today is Katy’s birthday. Happy birthday Katy!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
When people doesn’t understand the world around themselves, huge mistakes can be made that affect the world, or at least a good part of it, for a long time. In 1958, Mao Zedong, the leader of the People’s Republic of China was about to make just such a mistake. In a move he called The Great Leap Forward, designed to reconstruct the country from an agrarian economy into large-scale industrialization. Part of this was the Four Pests campaign against flies, mosquitoes, rats, and sparrows. Now I can understand why Zedong considered flies, mosquitoes, and rats pests, but sparrows not so much, although, I suppose some people might disagree with me.
Zedong basically told his nation to take pots and pans to kill all the sparrows. His campaign was successful. Millions of sparrows were killed, but this left crops vulnerable to locusts…normally kept under control by the sparrows. This agricultural policy, poor weather, and famine led to the deaths of 45 million people. Among all the incidents of mass murder caused by states in the 20th century, probably the least known in the English-speaking world is the Great Leap Forward of Mao Zedong. For some reason, the Great Leap Forward was considered somehow important enough to earn a place in the Black Book of Communism, in a description so horrifying it would haunt anyone who read about it.
Looking back on the process, so many things were done wrong. First, the rulers presumed to know a better path, when indeed, they knew nothing about what they were doing. Then, to make matters worse, they beat the population into submission in order that the plan could be implemented. The plan was intensified by a wild political enthusiasm among the population. For some reason, or maybe like the Nazis, the citizen enforcers were often worse than the tyrants at the top. In the famine that followed…well, most of us have no idea what went on. For example, all livestock was eaten or died, and the pillaging of property effectively ended the possibility of domesticating animals. Before long, there were no animals. Something we don’t think about, nor will I go into detail, there was no fat for cooking whatever food was left. People were dying, and well…corpses were used for fat as needed. Think about this the next time you prepare dinner. Think of cooking without oils at all, no butter, corn oil, bacon, or any other fat at all. Be thankful for markets that make oil, butter, and such. Things shouldn’t be taken for granted.
China’s “Great Leap Forward” in 1958-1961 became one of the worse disasters in human history. The dis hewn of deeply misguided industrialization and food procurement policies led to the deaths of around thirty-five million people from starvation and prevented the births of perhaps forty million more. Weather conditions were not unusual in these years; the famine was entirely man-made. Zedong and his fellow leaders were determined to show the superiority of communism, to quickly overtake production levels in Russia and in Britain, and to establish Mao’s leadership of the communist world. Outlandish production targets were set to match the food needs of rapidly industrializing cities and to earn foreign exchange through exports of food. Under the totalitarian system maintained by the Communist Party of China, rural communes competed to exaggerate their output, further inflating the already unattainable procurement quotas and leaving nothing for the people to eat. The Communist Party caused further chaos in the countryside by ordering that all private land be turned into communes, confiscating private property and even private cooking utensils, and making people eat in communal kitchens.
That, as well as the enormous increases in production that were confidently expected, peasant labor was diverted to public works projects and rural steel-making plants, which achieved nothing. Travel restrictions stopped communication, meaning word of what was going on, didn’t out from getting out. The penalties for disobedience were clear. In all, three-quarters of a million people were executed in 1950-51. Still in the early years, of the revolution, the Party was widely trusted. When Zedong learned of the disasters, you would have thought he would have taken measures to save the people, but his goal was to hide the facts. He doubled down on the policies, purging the messengers, labeling them “right-deviationists,” and blaming peasants for secretly hoarding food. Anything else would have made him look like a bad leader…at least in his own mind.
If Zedong had changed course when the extent of the mass starvation first became clear to the leadership, the famine would have lasted one year and not three, and in any case there was more than enough grain in government stores to prevent everyone from starving. Life expectancy in China, which was nearly 50 in 1958, fell to below 30 in 1960; five years later, once Mao had stopped killing people, it had risen to nearly 55. Nearly a third of those born during the Great Leap Forward did not survive it.
Zedong was born December 26, 1893, Shaoshan, Hunan province, China. In his political career, he was the principal Chinese Marxist theorist, soldier, and statesman who led his country’s communist revolution. Mao was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1935 until his death, and he was chairman (chief of state) of the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 1959 and chairman of the party also until his death on September 9, 1976 in Beijing, China. I guess he survived the Great Leap Forward, unlike many of his people.
Originally, in the United States, each branch of the service had their own day to celebrate their service, but on August 31, 1949, Defense Secretary Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Days. There was a good reason for it. The combination coincided with the unification of the three branches of the service under one agency…the Department of Defense. Man countries have an Armed Forces Day, and they are all done a little differently. In the United States, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May, which is near the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May, or the fourth Saturday if the month begins on a Sunday, such as in 2016. Following the creation of Armed Forces Day in 1949, the holiday was first observed on May 20, 1950.
In his speech proclaiming the day as Armed Forces Day, on February 27, 1950, President Truman stated, “Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America’s defense 
team of its progress, under the National Security Act, toward the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense.” Of course, there is more to planning a holiday that a day and a speech. The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. The longest continuously running Armed Forces Day Parade in the United States is held in Bremerton, Washington.
There were a few glitches, however. The unique training schedules of the National Guard and Reserve units make the specific Saturday celebration difficult for these branches, so they have adapted to celebrate Armed Forces Day/Week over any period in the month of May. Every nation needs to celebrate the military forces. Where would we be without a strong military. As President Truman said, “It is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace.”
Each year, Armed Forces Day theme is different, because of course, each year more and more has changed. The very first theme was “Teamed for Defense.” Over the years, other themes have included Appreciation of a Nation; Arsenal of Freedom and Democracy; Dedication and Devotion; Deter if Possible, Fight if Necessary; 
Freedom; Freedom Through Unity; Guardians of Peace; Lasting Peace; Liberty; and Patriotism. In Washington DC, 10,000 troops of all branches of the military, cadets, and veterans marched past the president and his party. In New York City, an estimated 33,000 participants initiated Armed Forces Day “under an air cover of 250 military planes of all types.” Today, Armed Forces Day is celebrated in American communities and on military bases throughout the world with parades, picnics, shopping discounts, festivals, and parties. On May 19, 2017, President Donald Trump reaffirmed the Armed Forces Day holiday, marking the 70th anniversary since the creation of the Department of Defense.
Through the years, Russia, also known as the Soviet Union and the USSR, has been sometimes ally and sometimes enemy of the United States. World War I and World War II found the Soviet Union once again on the side of good as a part of the Allied Forces. The main countries in the Allied powers of World War I were France, the British Empire and the Russian Empire. The main Allied powers of World War II were France, Great Britain, the United States, China, and the Soviet Union. So in these two wars anyway, the United States and Russia were on the same side. The three principal partners in the Axis alliance in World War II were Germany, Italy, and Japan. They were joined by Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Thailand, who also signed the Tri-Partite Pact as member states.
On May 12, 1942, Soviet forces under the command of Marshal Semyon Timoshenko attacked the German 6th 
Army from a vulnerable point established during the winter counter-offensive. After a promising start, the offensive was stopped on May 15th by massive airstrikes. There were a number of critical Soviet errors by several staff officers and by Joseph Stalin, who failed to accurately estimate the 6th Army’s potential and overestimated their own newly raised forces, facilitated a German pincer attack on May 17th which cut off three Soviet field armies from the rest of the front by May 22nd. The Soviet Army was hemmed into a narrow area, and the 250,000-strong Soviet force inside the pocket was exterminated from all sides by German armored, artillery, and machine gun firepower, as well as 7,700 tons of air-dropped bombs. After six days of encirclement by the German Army, the Soviet resistance ended as their troops were killed or taken prisoner. It was a devastating loss for the Soviets.
The Counter-offensive of the Second Battle of Kharkov, was called Operation Fredericus, and was launched by the Axis forces in the region around Kharkov against the Red Army Izium bridgehead offensive, and was conducted from May 12 to May 28, 1942, on the Eastern Front during World War II. The objective was to 
eliminate the Izium bridgehead over Seversky Donets, also known as the “Barvenkovo bulge,” which was one of the Soviet offensive’s staging areas. A winter counter-offensive drove German troops away from Moscow, but depleted the Red Army’s reserves. The Kharkov offensive was next Soviet attempt to expand their strategic initiative, although it failed to secure a significant element of surprise. The battle ended up being an overwhelming German victory, with 280,000 Soviet casualties compared to just 20,000 for the Germans and their allies. The German Army Group South pressed its advantage, encircling the Soviet 28th Army on June 13 in Operation Wilhelm and pushing back the 38th and 9th Armies on June 22.
My niece, Andrea Beach is a single mom to her son, Topher Spicer. The two of them are very close, as often happens in these types of circumstances. She is very proud of Topher. Andrea works as a chef at the Turnbuckle Tavern in Rawlins, Wyoming. She has been there for a long time, and they depend on her heavily. Andrea has wanted to be a chef for some time, and in a way, this is a dream come true. Rawlins is a small town, and jobs there are scarce, so the fact that she get to do something she likes is really great.
Andrea is starting to look forward to summer, like so many others of us. She enjoys going to the Black Hills in South Dakota, a place that is very special to our entire family. It’s not too far from where we all live, and there is lots to do. I don’t think Andrea hikes, like my husband and I do, but that’s the beauty of the Black Hills…something for everybody. There’s lots of shopping and tourist attractions, as well as beautiful drives and scenery.
Andrea also likes to paint. There seem to be a number of artists in our family, but I definitely am not one of them. Andrea seems to have inherited that artistic gene, as have several other members of my family. As for the rest of us…those who are not artistic, we will just have to enjoy the work of the ones who are artistic.
Of course, the most important thing in Andrea’s life will always be her son. Topher has had a number of 
interests through the years…soccer, drama, and broadcasting. Every child has to try new things before they settle on what they want to do. It takes good parents to allow their child to explore new ideas and phases, being supportive all the way. That is how Andrea is. Topher is able to explore new interests, and Andrea is right there with him. Some day, he will settle on what he wants to do, and she will be right there to support him all the way. That is a good mom. I think she learned from her mom. Today is Andrea’s birthday. Happy birthday Andrea!! Have a good day!! We love you!!
My Uncle Larry Byer was talented in music. He played the guitar, the mandolin, and the piano. My grandfather, his dad, George Byer played the mandolin and the violin. My dad, Al Spencer and my Uncle George both played guitar. They had a regular band, and their jam sessions were like a big party at the Byer house. The kids all had friends who came over as much as they could to listen to the concerts. There were others that joined in sometimes playing the instruments they knew too. It made for a great Saturday night hot spot. Uncle Larry, Grandpa, my dad, and Uncle George are all in Heaven now, and I’ll bet they are all still having those jam sessions, and enjoying the fun times. A Heavenly Band is always in demand.
Uncle Larry was also a funny guy. He loved a good joke, as well as pulling a few pranks now and then. You never knew what he might do, and that was part of his charm. Together with my mom, Collene Spencer and my Uncle Wayne Byer, there was never a dull moment. What one didn’t think of another did. They were truly like the Three Musketeers!! My grandma, Hattie Byer was often forced to give them an “attitude adjustment” to straighten them out. All in all, they were good kids though…just mischievous.
When he grew up, Uncle Larry served in the United States Army, in the Korean War. While fighting a war would b the pits, my guess is that Uncle Larry took his famous humor with him, and was probably a great asset to the morale of the troops. In fighting a war, it helps to have a little humor. I helps the soldiers to let off steam. War is an ugly event, and sometimes a good laugh is very much needed. In those cases, Uncle Larry would have been the man for the job, in my opinion. Still, Uncle Larry could be serious when it was required of him, and he was a great soldier too. He served his country honorably, and when he was honorably discharged, he came 
home and rekindled a friendship with his future wife, Jeanette Morton, who had been a family friend for years. They married on February 11, 1956. Their son Larry Wayne Byer was born a year later on February 9, 1957, and daughter Tina followed on November 12, 1958. Their family was complete…until the grandchildren came along that is. Uncle Larry left us for his Heavenly home on December 22, 2011. Today he would have been 87 years old. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle Larry. Strike up the band and have a great party. We love and miss you very much.
Our aunt, Charlys Schulenberg is a wonderfully sweet person, as anyone who knows her can attest. She is an amazing cook, and even better, it is something she loves to do. She definitely spoils anyone who comes to her house for a visit. Charlys is the kind of person everybody love to be around. She’s friendly and welcoming, and when you leave her home, you know you have been taken care of. Aunt Charlys is the perfect complement to Uncle Butch. He is the teller of stories, and she is the giver of comfort. You may not even have known that you needed a giver of comfort, but when you leave her home, you know that you did. It may not be because you are sad, although I’m sure she would be very comforting then too, but just that we all work hard in life, and it’s nice to sit down and be taken care of sometimes. She works too hard, of course, often refusing your help, in her effort to have you relax, but what she sets out to do, she does very well. Part of her charm is her wonderful comfort food.
Aunt Charlys married our uncle, Butch Schulenberg on June 25, 1966. and their marriage has been blessed with three children Tadd, Andi Kay, and Heath. To that number have been added seven grandchildren, Savanna, Gage, and Sophie Schulenberg; Calen Bell; Christian, Heath, and Ethan Schulenberg, and I probably don’t have them in the correct order. The blessings just keep growing. She and Uncle Butch are soulmates, and as close as they can be. They can almost read each other’s thoughts, and the peace in their home is known to anyone who walks into it.
Aunt Charlys and Uncle Butch love to travel, and spend time in Sheridan, Wyoming where two of their children live, as well as Helena, Montana where the other one lives. They also like to go other places, but their family is the top priority, so they go to see them as often as they can. They have a camper, so they have a place to stay wherever they roam. Bob and I have gone to visit a couple of times, but the Covid-19 virus stopped us from going last year. We are hoping to get back up for a visit very soon. Today is Aunt Charlys birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Charlys!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
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