high school sweethearts
My grandniece, Katie Balcerzak has been a part of this family for a very long time. When she was dating my grandnephew, Keifer Balcerzak, I remember thinking a couple of things. The first was that she was a beautiful girl, and the second was that she and Keifer seemed so young. You don’t often see high school sweethearts who get married, and then stay married, but these kids did, and they are very happy. Their marriage has been blessed with two beautiful children, Reese and Asa, who share their sweet mommy’s smile. These beautiful babies are the everything to their parents, and the four of them are happy as can be.
Katie is such a loving mom, and her babies are everything to her…and Keifer too, of course. He is Katie’s best friend. They are totally compatible and are always going in the same direction in life. They are best friends, and I think they 
were best friends long before they married, but then that’s pretty common in “best friend” marriages. Now their friendship has grown and includes their children. Katie is teaching her kids to love life. They play. They laugh. They smile…and those smiles light up every one of those faces. In fact, their whole face smiles.
This has been a very full summer for the whole Balcerzak family. Everyone has been to or participated in sporting events. Katie is a “sports mom” who goes to almost everything her kids participate in. And the stuff 
her husband participates in. Reece has tried a number of sports, from t-ball to horseback riding, and Katie has supported her in each new endeavor. That’s the thing about Katie. She is one of the greatest support persons out there. If you look at Katie’s Facebook page, you will find very few pictures of her, because it’s all about her family. She is so supportive of anything they like. This summer, Reece is into gardening, so the pictures show Reece and her flowers. Asa is into just about anything his big sister in into, although the flowers aren’t his big interest…the sprinkler is, hahaha!! It doesn’t matter. Katie is just enjoying the whole process of watching her kids grow up. Today is Katie’s birthday. Happy birthday Katie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grandnephew, Xander Spethman and his partner, Alli Simpson moved into their own place this past year, and they have been figuring out life as they go along. Xander still loves to go hunting and feels really good about filling his own freezer with meat to last them through the winter months to come. Xander is becoming a responsible man, preparing to take care of his partner and himself. Xander and Alli were high school sweethearts, and their love has continued. They are very happy together. Alli is a sweet girl, who is perfect for Xander. She is gentle and kind, as is he.
Xander and Allie have their own place, but they still spend most evenings with Xander’s family…parents Jenny and Steve 
Spethman; brothers Zack and Isaac; and sister, Aleesia. The Spethman family is a very close family, and since Jenny and Steve love to entertain, it is the “happening” place to be. Xander has always known that, and that hasn’t changed, just because he has his own place. People always want to hang out where all the fun people are, and the Spethman kids know that the fun people hang out at their parents’ house.
Last June, Xander and Alli decided to expand their little family, so they became “fur” parents to a sweet dog named Rocky. They love their sweet pup and take Rocky most places with them. They know that taking Rocky to Xander’s parents’ house is ok, because Xander got his love of animals for his parents, and most especially from his mom, who is an animal fanatic. Over the years, Xander and his siblings have had just about every type of pet, from lizards, to fish, to cats, to dogs, and even for a time, a raccoon who lost its mother. So having a dog of his own was a completely natural next 
step for Xander.
These days Xander works at Walmart, as a stocker. He was working for a pipe company called Tubescope, but Walmart pays better, and when you are a responsible family man, you have to take that into consideration. One thing about it, Walmart would also be a less dangerous job to have. Working with pipes and such is a dirty job, and it can be dangerous around heavy pipe. That said, I’m sure Alli likes this job much better for him. For Xander, it’s all about what is best for his family and that is what makes him a responsible man. Today is Xander’s 20th birthday. Happy birthday Xander!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
