birthday
Since my Dad, Allen Spencer’s passing, our family has grown more than he probably ever could have imagined. He would be so pleased with the new spouses and all the new great great grandchildren he and my mom, Collene Spencer have now. Mom and Dad loved their family, and they always thought of children as a blessing from God. Dad loved playing with the little kids. He didn’t even have to get out of his chair. He sat in the kitchen, right beside the door. They kids would run past him while trying not to get swatted. Dad on the other hand tried to swat them before they could get past him. I can’t say who the biggest winner or loser was, but with all the loud screams and laughter, Mom would eventually get enough of the noise, and tell Dad to stop…good naturedly, and often while laughing. Still, I’m sure the noise got annoying at times. The little kids we have now, will never know their great great grandparents, until they go to Heaven anyway, and I find that very sad. They miss so much.
My sisters and I will always be thankful for the wonderful parents we were blessed with. We always knew that no matter what mistakes we made, we always had their love. Dad was the problem solver. My early school years found me struggling with two subjects that would later become my favorites…Mathematics and History. Mom would tell me that there would be trouble when my dad got home. I think she thought I wasn’t applying 
myself. Then, when my dad got home and saw the progress report, he said, “Well, I guess we will need to work on this.” We did work on it. Dad leading the way, and I ended up excelling in Mathematics, and while I did ok in history, it wasn’t my favorite subject until much later on…when I was a parent. Some people might think that I did better because my dad made me work harder, but I think he was the better teacher.
My dad loved to travel, and wanted to show his girls just how wonderful this nation we lived in really was. We traveled and camped out every summer. When we went back to school and the teachers asked what we had done over the summer, we always told them about our trips. The teachers told us we were blessed to get to go so many places…and we were. Most of us have been to almost all the 50 states, with just a few exceptions, but there is still time for us, so that could change. We definitely got our love of travel from our parents, and for that we are all grateful. It is something that has enriched our lives greatly.
Of course, we also got our faith from our parents. No matter what things we faced, we knew that God was with us and that everything would be ok. We went to church regularly, and we watched our parents use their faith in 
every situation. We will always be thankful for that Christian upbringing. It shaped the strong women we have become. These days, our upbringing continues to make us the people we are. We try to be kind and loving, just like our parents. If we can grow to be even half the people they were, I would say that they were successful in raising us. Today would have been my dad’s 100th birthday. I wish he had been able to be here to celebrate with us. Nevertheless, today we celebrate his life, and we thank God for giving him to us. Happy birthday in Heaven, Dad. We love and miss you every day and very much.
My grandnephew, Zack Spethman is such a sweet young man. He always has been. Since he was a little boy, Zack was a hugger. It’s a rare trait in a boy, especially as they get to the teenage years, to always hug the people they love. So many boys are embarrassed by aunts, uncles, and even parents who want to give them a hug. These boys are coming into manhood, after all. They have to act macho, or so many of them think, but not Zack. He is so confident in himself, that he feels totally comfortable hugging the people he loves. It really makes you feel special to know that this boy, now a man, seeks you out to tell you that he loves you. Zack is a very social person, and loves hanging out with all of his family and friends.
Zack has grown into a tall man now. He towers over the short women in our family, which is most of us. His mom, Jenny Spethman tells me that he is a momma’s boy, but she doesn’t mean that in a negative way. He and Jenny share a number of interests like hiking and climbing. 
Zack is always up for a hike with his mom, and she likes it, because not everyone wants to go. Nevertheless, Zack will always go climbing and hiking with her. He is also very good to his little sister, Aleesia, helping her with whatever she needs help with, and helping her with climbing to make sure she is safe. While he likes hanging out with his mom, Zack also like the guy things…especially hunting with his dad, Steve Spethman, and his brothers, Xander and Isaac. The guys are very good hunters, and always get enough to supply the family with meat for the next year. The hunts are great financial blessings to their family.
Zack is a smart kid. He was on the honor roll every quarter this year. With all the things Zack is good at, Trivia would not be something I would expect. In fact, Jenny says he has surprised everyone at how good he was at trivia. There is a lot more to Zack than sports and activities. He is a deep thinker too. He likes to reason things out, and he likes learning. I don’t know what his future plans are, but Zack can do anything he wants to do. Today is Zack’s 19th birthday. Happy birthday Zack!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
It’s not every day that someone turns 100 years old, but today, that can be said of my aunt, Doris Spencer. She is the last of my aunts and uncles on my dad’s side, and I’m sure it never occurred to her that she might achieve that grand age. Everyone marks the day they hit double digits, but very few people hit triple digits. Just imagine…living for a whole century. What changes she must have seen in all those years. In 1924, the life expectancy was 54.1 years. Of course, that was the average age that people were dying, not how long those born that year were expected to live. Still, Aunt Doris has far exceeded that number and is even beyond the current life expectancy, which is 73.33 years. The average income in 1924 was $2,196 a year, which made the cost of a new car ($265) and a house ($7,720) seem like a whole lot of money. A stamp cost 2 cents. Oh that we could have those pices with today’s income, but let’s face it, that isn’t even reasonable. 
At the time that Aunt Doris was born, Calvin Coolidge was President of the United States, and we had no vice-president from 1923 to 1925, that might seem odd, and in fact, it is unusual, but not unheard of. In fact, there were eighteen presidents who served all or part of their term with no vice-president, and four that served the whole term without a vice-president. Coolidge becme president when Warren Harding died suddenly in 1923. So he had no vice-president. He was re-elected in his own right in 1924, and could have run again in 1928, but chose not to. Of course, none of that made any difference to Aunt Doris, who was just a newborn then, but I’m sure she would find it interesting to note.
Aunt Doris and my Uncle Bill Spencer had three children, Pamela “Pam” (Spencer) Wendling in late 1954, William “Bill” Spencer Jr in 1959, and James “Jim” Spencer in 1962. She has also been blessed with five grandchildren, four great grandchildren and one bonus great granddaughter. She has had a happy life, and she 
has always been a blessing to many people. She and my mom, Collene Spencer were best friends, and loved living across the yard from each other when my family lived in Superior, Wisconsin. When we moved to Casper, Wyoming, the friends really missed each other. I was so glad that my sister, Cheryl Masterson and I took Mom to Wisconsin to visit before she passed away in 2015. I know it meant so much to both of them. I am so glad we gave them that gift, and I’m so glad that my Aunt Doris has made it to triple digits. Today is Aunt Doris’ 100th birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Doris!! Have a wonderful day!! We love you!!
My aunt, Deloris “Dee” Johnson was always such a cheerful, fun-loving person. My sisters and I loved when she would come over to visit our mom, her sister, Collene Spencer. I especially loved her laugh. It was infectious and contagious. Aunt Dee left us far too soon, when she contracted Brain Cancer. She was just 65 years old. That was a very sad time, because we would not see her beautiful, smiling face for a long time…until we see her again in Heaven. Aunt Dee loved life, and always looked forward to the next day, and the next adventure. She had a way of inventing fun, and everyone around her benefitted.
When she was a kid, there were no video games, and while television was a thing, not everyone had one. Even if they did, kids did not spend hours watching television. Kids went and played outside. They played games like kick the can, hide and seek, blind man’s bluff, and many others, I’m sure. Basically, if it was daylight, and their chores were done, kids played outside. Aunt Dee one time got out a big trench coat and she and my mom, her sister, Collene Spencer, did a little “flying” in the wind. They had a blast. Aunt Dee once learned a new dance in school and upon her arrival home, immediately taught it to her siblings. I think she might have been a great schoolteacher. She loved kids and loved to teach things to others.
Aunt Dee was George and Hattie Byer’s, my grandparents, third child and third daughter. Later she would have 8 siblings, two brothers and six sisters. While Aunt Dee was very loving and kind, she did not take kindly to anyone picking on her family, and was known to tell a few people off, if they got on the wrong side of her. Nevertheless, for the most part, she was a quiet, sweet mannered person, and she was loved by all who knew her. She loved doing things for her family, like catching fish at the river, and putting them in a wading pool for the other kids 
in the family to enjoy. She bought a piano for the family for $35.00, and it was in her mom’s house until her passing. Grandma really enjoyed that piano. She could actually play is a little. Her grandkids “played” it too, but I’m sure Grandma didn’t enjoy that very much at all. In fact, I’m sure that was considered more like “pounding” on it than actually playing it. It was probably pure torture. Whether Grandma love the noise or not, she did love the gift from her daughter. Today would have been my Aunt Dee’s 93rd birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Dee. We love and miss you very much.
My sister-in-law, Jennifer Parmely’s partner, Brian Cratty is probably as close as I’ll ever know to a true mountain man. No, he doesn’t live alone in the wilderness, but he probably could. He loves the mountains, loves spending countless hours up at their cabin on Casper Mountain or riding the biking trails, or watching the animals that live and roam through their property. Brian is totally in his element on the mountain. I’m sure that his love of the outdoors is a big part of the attraction for Jennifer. She is a serious outdoor woman too. They always have similar goals and ideas too.
Brian is a very compassionate, kind, and loving. He can usually read a situation and knows very well what 
needs to be done to comfort people. That was really one of the first things I saw in him, when my father-in-law (Jennifer’s dad) passed away. He was there for her…a quiet strength. It was much appreciated by all of us. We all felt his compassion. That was such a hard day, as were the days following the loss of our other parents, but that day stood out in my mind, because he just made us all feel…loved.
Brian is a good man. He plays with Jennifer’s grandchildren, making them feel special. He is a wonderful grandpa to them. I’m not sure what the kids call Brian, but in keeping with the German word for Grandma (Oma), I would assume it might be Opa. It doesn’t really matter, because the kids love him, and they have a great time with him. Brian is a person who gets along well with just about anyone, and kids pick up on that stuff too.
Brian has been a pilot for most of his life. He was a helicopter pilot in the US Army, from October 1968 to April 
1971. Then when he got out of the Army, he became a Life Flight pilot at Wyoming Medical Center (Banner Health) from October 1984 to December 2006. When he left Banner Health, he flew for Business Aviators, Inc from December 2006 to 2015, when he retired. These days, he is still a pilot, but a lot of his “flying” is done on a bicycle. Today is Briam’s birthday. Happy birthday Brian!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My sister-in-law, Jennifer Parmely has spent most of her adult life as a Labor and Delivery nurse at Wyoming Medical Center, but this past year, all that changed when Jennifer retired on February 28, 2023. Now, she has more than passed the first full year of her retirement. Sometimes, I wonder how she feels about the fact that she isn’t part of the intense, exciting daily deliveries of babies that she spent so many years experiencing. Like most professionals, Jennifer took the necessary continuing education courses to hold onto her license for one more year. When you have worked so hard to obtain that professional degree that has defined your life for so many years, you aren’t so keen on letting your licensing go. Not just yet…even though retirement is what you really want and what you have worked for.
Jennifer and her partner, Brian Cratty have a cabin on Casper Mountain, and they love spending time up there. They go hiking, skiing, bicycling, and just enjoying the peace and quiet. They have also traveled to many areas to do more hiking. It is their passion. Jennifer had the opportunity to go hiking in New Zealand, and thoroughly enjoyed it. They have hiked some very high mountain trails too. They also love to ski, both downhill and cross country. They spend lots of time at their cabin and love having their kids come up too.
Jennifer is Oma to her four grandchildren and enjoys having them spend the night and just hang out. Every year on their birthdays, they each get a solo shopping trip with her, and she bakes them the cake of their choice. She loves being Oma, which is German for Grandma, and was the name she chose for herself as a way 
to keep from confusing the kids when they were little. I remember calling her “Grandma” to one of them, and she looked at me quizzically, as if to say…Who? That was because she knew that I meant her Oma, and not her Grandma, which is her other Grandma. Hahaha!! Confused yet!! I was, but I learned quickly the right thing to call her!! Now it’s second nature. Jennifer is very happy being Oma to her three granddaughters and her grandson. Today is Jennifer’s birthday. Happy birthday Jennifer!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Chantel Balcerzak has been having a wonderful year. Her daughter, Siara Kirk and Siara’s husband, Chris bought that house next door to Chantel and her husband, Dave earlier this year. They quickly renovated the house, because they were having a baby boy named Nathaniel Andrew Kirk on January 15, 2024. It has been so nice for Chantel and Dave to have them living right next door, because Chantel and Siara are very close. Now that baby Nathaniel is a couple of months old, Siara is getting ready to go back to work, he will be spending his days with his grandma and his daddy. While it will be really hard on Siara, she knows that her sweet boy will be is good hands and having fun. I have always thought it would be cool to have my grandchildren live within walking distance of me. Of course, that doesn’t always work out, but the most important thing is to be close to them in hearts, if not in distance. One is as important as the other. I’m so excited for Chantel to have this precious time with her newest grandson.
Besides being a grandmother, Chantel is an amazing artist. We have several in our family. I, however, am not one of them. Nevertheless, I very much appreciate the work of those artists around me. Chantel has a kind heart, that sees the beauty around her. Her home reflects the beauty that is in her spirit…and a beautiful spirit it is. Chantel has a gentleness that not everyone possesses. It is just a part of who she is. Some people just seem to belong in a gentler time…and Chantel is one of those. Even her home reflects that. I always think that her home has a Victorian flair to it. Personally, I love the Victorian era designs. I’m not sure exactly what Chantel’s design style of choice is, but I think that whatever you might call it, I would call is very pretty. She has even helped Siara with the decoration of her new home. Siara shares many of her mom’s artistic abilities. 
They have decorated a few places together, and both are very capable.
Chantel has truly embraced the role of grandmother. She as several other grandchildren too, and she enjoys spending time with all of them. Chantel is young at heart. I think she always will be. That has made her a great mom and grandmother. Chantel is my first niece. She was always a sweet little diva, and fashionista. Maybe it was her artistic abilities showing themselves at a very young age. I’m sure it was. Chantel hasn’t really changed all that much over the years, after all. Today is Chantel’s birthday. Happy birthday Chantel!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Liz Masterson is without a doubt, one of the busiest people on Earth. Liz is a Journalism and English teacher at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming. By definition, that puts Liz in charge of the annual, the student news site (Kelly Kall), as well as taking pictures for all of the various events that go on. From, sports to cheerleaders, and from clubs to events, Liz is there. As a photographer, she also takes many of the senior pictures for the students. Her work is excellent, and word of mouth referrals have grown her popularity exponentially. Not only does she take the pictures, but she heads up the staff that put the annual and paper together. Of course, this means long nights of going through photographs to make any edits necessary. It is a process that takes weeks and months, and all this is in addition to her normal duties as a teacher.
As most people know, teachers don’t get off work at 3:00pm or whatever time school gets out. They have to grade papers, grade tests, create tests, hold parent/teacher conferences, back to school nights. Often, a teacher’s day doesn’t end until 10:00pm or beyond…and that is just for the class work. Any club work or staff 
work is extra. There is usually little time for anything of a personal life. Nevertheless, Liz is part of a book club and has set herself to the task of reading a book about each of our presidents. Liz is a Journalism and English teacher, but she is also a history buff. She has read books on the Holocaust, World War II (which her grandpa Allen Spencer, my dad, fought in), and the other wars too. She has also studied the presidents, as I said. In her “free” time, Liz spends a much time as her can with her fur babies, her dogs, Buffy, Scout, Holiday, and Gracie, as well as her cat, whose name is Piper, but she is always called Kitty.
As if that wasn’t enough, Liz is studying for her Master’s Degree. Normally this is a two-year program, but she has chosen to do it in one year…making it very intense. Part of the program required her to write a blog. She is then graded on the number of comments, and the comments themselves. The blog is called That’ll Teach You, and the articles are very good. I encourage you to read them, and please be sure to comment. It will help Liz a lot.
As if that wasn’t enough, Liz is studying for her master’s degree. This is a year-long process and very intense. 
She is required to write a blog and she is graded on the responses both the number of comments and the comments made. The blog is called That’ll Teach You and the articles are very good. I encourage you to have a look. Be sure to comment too. It will really help her a lot. Liz is a great teacher and writer. I am so excited for her to get her master’s degree. Today Is Liz’s birthday. Happy birthday Liz!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Amanda Reed and her long-time partner, Sean Mortensen love the outdoors and love to travel. Recently, they took a Winter getaway to south Florida to escape the cold of Wyoming and to visit Sean’s parents in Fort Meyers. They had an incredible time. and I’m sure they hated to come back to the cold, even though we have had a pretty easy Winter here in Wyoming. Nevertheless, Amanda and Sean have really enjoyed their early Spring getaway. They have been touring and even took a 98-mile boat ride. Now that’s a tour!! They saw dolphins, turtle, eagles, bar fish, and snails…just to name a few. Of course, they also got to hang out with family and friends, eat lots of great food, and then, come home with a tan that made everyone else jealous.
Amanda and Sean love everything “outdoors” and spend as much time as they can outside. They are not 
Summer people or Winter people…they are outdoor people. Right now, they are in the process of closing up their cabin in the mountains, and preparing to head to Seminole Reservoir, to start their summertime fun. They really do love the lake, and they will be out boating as soon as it’s warm enough. They love boating, jet skis, swimming, fishing, and of course, soaking up the sun. I hope they will have an amazing Summer. And the best news is that their daughter, Jayden Mortensen will be home from Laramie, where she goes to school. Amanda and Sean are great parents, and they raised a beautiful girl.
Amanda and Sean love to go to Las Vegas too. They really enjoy the night life and they love being with friends. 
Amanda and Sean are very social people. Oh, that I could be such, but I definitely am not. I’m rather introverted…a word that doesn’t at all describe Amanda and Sean. They have a great group of friends, and they love to get together to go to the lake or to the mountains. Amanda and Sean love hosting weekends at their cabin or the lake. The more people the merrier. They are true socialites. Today is Amanda’s birthday. Happy birthday Amanda!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Kellie Hadlock is one of those rare people who never seems to have a bad day. If she does, she certainly never shows it. She is always smiling and laughing. I remember my mom telling us that we shouldn’t frown because our face would get stuck like that. Well, Kellie’s face has certainly become stuck in a constant smile, and that is not a bad thing at all. Kellie shares her birthday with one of my favorite ancestors, my great aunt, Bertha Schumacher. I never met Aunt Bertha, but her journal has been a plethora of information on the Schumacher side of my family history for years now. Kellie isn’t a writer, nor is she specifically anything like Aunt Bertha, but they do share their special day…no charge for that tidbit…that was put in for free.
Kellie’s sister, Jessi Sawdon tells me that Kellie is the fun aunt. Jessi lays claim to being the cool aunt, but every kid loves it more when Aunt Kellie is around. It’s easy to love Kellie, because she loves to laugh and loves life. Kellie loves singing and is one of the worship leaders at church. She and her dad, Chris Hadlock practice many songs at te house, while he accompanies her on the guitar. Her mom, Allyn loves those practice sessions. It’s 
like having her own concert. Jessi’s daughter, Adelaide absolutely loves to sing like Aunt Kellie. As kids, Kellie’s older siblings, Jessi, Ryan Hadlock, and Lindsay Moore never missed an opportunity to tell Kellie to shut up, because she was always singing. Jessi has received a little payback these days, because now Adelaide is doing the same thing. The good news for Adelaide is that they don’t tell her to shut up. Jessi figures her mom felt the same way, you just can’t tell your sweet little girl not to sing…even if her siblings can. Kellie just does all the “Kellie things” and that makes her fun.
Kellie has become a knitting/crocheting extraordinaire. Jessi isn’t in to that stuff, so she isn’t sure she could tell the difference. Kellie learned a long time ago from her Meemaw (Ramona Hadlock), and seemed to like it, but she didn’t love it then, like she does now. These days, everyone enjoys watching Kellie as she quickly goes from start to finish of a project, and how great they look. Kellie has been doing a lot of crocheting. She has been considering starting a small business called Kingdom Crochet. Kellie makes hats, headbands, blankets, etc. And they are beautiful. This would be a “side gig” as she still 
works at American Title, where she has been six years.
Kellie has been dating her boyfriend, Tim Thompson for a while now, and they are doing well. Kellie especially loves Tim’s sweet daughter, Jolene Thompson. Kellie took a trip to Cheyenne for Jessi’s birthday, and they all went out. They had a great time, and Jessi especially enjoys those visits, because they get her all to themselves. Today is Kellie’s birthday. Happy birthday Kellie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
