Kids

On January 15, 2024, at 8:31am, my niece, Siara Kirk and her husband, Chris were blessed with the birth of their first child together…a beautiful baby boy named Nathaniel Andrew Kirk. Nataniel was delivered by c-section, weighed in at 8 pounds 7 ounces and was 19.75 inches long. He has dark hair, but not very much of it yet, and I could try to guess who he looks like, but I’m not very good at that. If I had to guess, I would say that I rather think maybe he is his daddy’s boy. Nathaniel is a baby that is so, so very wanted. I know you might say that most babies are so wanted, but for Siara, Nathaniel is her “Rainbow Baby” because she lost her first son, Alec Todd Olsen when he was 3 days short of three months old. For Chris, Nathaniel is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of having a family of his own. When Chris looked at his precious son, he said that it just “feels so natural” to him. Parenthood…oh yes, it feels so perfectly natural, because it is such a wonderful, beautiful, miracle of God!!

When I looked at the pictures of this sweet little family, I could easily see the total love these parents have for their precious little boy. They have both waited so long for this little miracle, and now he is a reality…and they are so blessed. Nathaniel is a good baby, who doesn’t cry very much. I suppose that could change as he gets a little older, but I know that Siara and Chris won’t mind that one bit. Babies get noisy, and there will be far more laughter than tears in the future, and the giggly, laughter moments in the life of a baby are simply the best thing ever. They never get old.

Nathaniel (aka Nathan or Nate the Great) joins his parents to make them a family. His name was chosen with great care. In Hebrew it means “Gift from Heaven” and little Nathaniel is just that a wonderful gift from Heaven. On that day…January 15, that little gift from Heaven made his appearance, and with that, Siara and Chris stepped across another threshold…the one to parenthood. Their lives have been forever changed. Their home is filled with sunshine, their days filled with smiles, the precious sounds of their baby cooing, giggling, and even crying are the greatest sounds they have ever, or ever will hear. Congratulations Siara and Chris, and we welcome little Nathaniel Andrew Kirk. We love you very much!!

My mom’s brothers, Larry and Wayne Byer were born on either side of her. That made her the middle sister of the family. It also made her part of a threesome. Those three kids were always into so kind of mischief. I can’t say which one of them was the biggest instigator, but if I were to venture a guess, I would say that it would be Uncle Wayne. Even as an adult, Uncle Wayne always had a knack for the “humorous” or mischief as most people call it. As a little boy, that likely got him in trouble with his parents, my Grandma and Grandpa Byer, older siblings, teachers, and other adults. Still, Uncle Wayne’s sense of humor was well known, and much enjoyed by all the kids who knew him then…and those who know him now…as well as, the adults (like me) who used to be one of those kids who loved and enjoyed Uncle Wayne’s sense of humor.

Uncle Wayne has long been a big name in this town…maybe not as one of the wealthiest, or as a top political person, or even as an important schoolteacher, but he was well known and much respected in the school system, nevertheless. The kids all loved him, and so did the teachers, principals, and staff. Uncle Wayne worked hard, and that hard work paid off. People loved him and he loved people. I think his love of people was a big part of his charm. My sisters and I benefitted some because of Uncle Wayne too. Now I don’t mean that we got anything improper, but the staff in the cafeteria always treated us well, as did teachers and office staff. They knew who we were, because we were Uncle Wayne’s nieces.

As boys, Uncle Larry and Uncle Wayne went hunting with their dad to help make ends meet. They grew up in the Great Depression years. Times were tight and everybody needed to help out, and the Byer kids were always willing to help. The kids helped with cooking, cleaning, hunting, fishing, and even financially. The kids didn’t feel cheated either. Their parents were loved and respected, and the kids grew up watching their parents’ giving nature. The older kids helped with the younger kids, and they were just one big happy family, with two parents and nine kids. Their home was filled with love. Today is Uncle Wayne’s 86th birthday. Happy birthday Uncle Wayne!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My niece, Gaby Beach is a nurse at the Veteran’s Hospital in Eugene, Oregon. She loves her work. Being a veteran herself, Gaby has a heart for veterans. In her work, she deals various ailments, disabilities, and emotional needs the veterans. I’m sure that any nurse could go in and take care of the needs of the bodies of the veterans in Eugene, Oregon, or any veteran’s hospital, but it occurs to me that a nurse who is also a veteran, would have a unique connection to the needs of the men and women themselves…not just their bodies. I think that is where Gaby is maybe the best nurse they could have at that hospital.

Gaby has a good heart. She loves dogs and has trained them to visit hospitals. The dogs help bring healing through those visits. It’s an emotional thing. Dogs have been known to lower blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, promote healing, provide comfort during tests and procedures, and provide companionship and comfort to patients and even to the staff. The thing is that these dogs must be trained to do their work. It isn’t something that comes totally naturally. Yes, the compassion is there, but the mannerisms aren’t. They must be taught how to treat a patient and how to behave in a hospital setting. That was where Gaby and others like her came in. I wonder if the Veteran’s Hospital in Eugene uses dogs as part of the therapy. If they do, it would be almost like coming full circle for Gaby. She loved those dogs. I could see it in her face when she told me about the kind of work she did with the dogs.

These days, Gaby and her husband, my nephew, Allen Beach have their own fur baby…in the form of a cute pup named Oly. Gaby and Allen love to hike and travel. They recently took a trip with Allen’s mom, Caryl Reed, and Stepdad, Mike Reed. They traveled along the Oregon coast, and really enjoyed getting to know the area they now call home. They moved to Oregon from Wyoming a little over a year ago, but when you live in a place, you don’t always do all of the touristy things. They did some hiking in the area, but now, they are looking forward to taking more trips to the places they visited with Allen’s parents. They are settling in well to their new home, and they are very happy there, even if Allen says they lead boring lives. I guess everyone settles into a routine, and it could seem boring, but as long as they are happy, that is all that matters. Today is Gaby’s birthday. Happy birthday Gaby!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My niece, Toni Chase feels like this has been a rather uneventful year for her and her family. She and her husband, Dave Chase, but her sister, Chantel has a very different take on Toni and Dave have been up to this year. Chantel says, “Toni has begun a great renovation adventure. They have a regular contractor who has says he’s willing to train her on her days off. She has been learning, to texturize walls? and I believe she has already learned how frustrating and expensive renovation can be! Everyone already knows this stuff to some extent, but she has such a can do spirit that she just researches more and tries again! She’s always been a hard worker, so I know she’ll work hard until she gets it right!” The renovation Chantel is referring to is a rental house that Toni and Dave own, that will now be sold to her son, James and his wife, Manuela. The house was already very nice, but like all house built in the 1950s, and any year really, there are always repairs and other updates that needed to be done for the sale. These days, pretty much everyone likes the “open concept” style of home, and while I’m not sure I am totally onboard with that, I can see the value. Chantel is right about Toni’s “can-do” spirit. She looks at challenges as a new skill to be conquered and mastered. She takes the necessary steps to become an expert in the field, and boom…she has mastered it. Toni didn’t even consider the renovation as noteworthy, but she was very pleased that her big sister did.

Toni’s husband, Dave has a laid-back attitude that Chantel says, “is perfect for Toni.” My sister, Cheryl, Toni’s mom, says “Dave is perfect for Toni, but I think practical, sensible, funny and tolerant describes him way better! He’s a busy man, and I’m not sure “laid back” fits him!” Of course, the opinion on what is “laid-back” could be different. Dave is motivated and hardworking, but he is also easy to get along with and accepting of others, and I think maybe that is what Chantel meant. In a marriage, the two partners have to be accepting of the quirks of their partner, or they will always be a little bit at odds with one another. Toni is a sweet girl, and she has her own style and ideas. Dave wouldn’t want it any other way. Dave and Toni like to let each be their own person, and it works out quite well for them. They love each other for keeps, and that’s why they make a beautiful couple.

Toni and Dave often take trips to Centennial, Wyoming, where they get together with Dave’s mom, brother, and sister. They took a couple of trips there this year. Centennial is a beautiful area, and they love each visit with family. Toni and Dave really love to travel, and they take several trips each year. In May, they took a trip to Marco Island in Florida. They plan was just to relax by the seashore and see some of the sites down there. Toni says that their lives are “happy, but boring.” I always find that amazing, because what people think is boring and everyday stuff, often appeals to other people. If you consider the “Little House on the Prairie” books or “Anne of Green Gables” you would find that these were simply books about life, and as my Aunt Bertha Hallgren quoted in her writings, “I love losing myself in other men’s minds.”. Sometimes, the most interesting things happen in the seemingly “mundane” lives of other people. Today is Toni’s birthday. Happy birthday Toni!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

This past year has been such an exciting year for my grandniece, Siara Kirk. Siara got married to her husband Chris on July 23, 2022, and they have been so happy. Still, they knew that their lives needed something more…a family. With that goal in mind, Siara and Chris began planning their future. Things moved along quickly, as you might expect, and by May, they were expecting a sweet baby boy, though they didn’t know it at that time…that news came at the end of June. For any of you who don’t know, Siara lost her son, Alec on January 25, 2020, so this baby is her “Rainbow Baby” and Chris’ first child.

With the addition of their new son, came the need for a bigger place to live, and when the house next door to Siara’s parents, Chantel and Dave Balcerzak, came available, they jumped at the chance. The two couples are more than parents and children, they are best friends too, so the house next door is a great blessing. I’ve always thought that it would be cool to have grandchildren who could just pop in at my house periodically to play. Siara and Chris’ son will have that kind of relationship with his grandparents. I am so excited for all of them to be able to have this kind of special relationship with each other, and with the future grandbabies.

With the purchase of the house, which gave them lots of room to grow, also came a few projects…mostly painting, but not all painting. Some of the rooms had some wild color choices, so they had to do multiple coats to fully cover them. With Siara being pregnant, she was unable to help in the painting, due to the fumes. So, Siara and her mom worked on simply getting the decorations together. They did a beautiful job. They were, of course, under a bit of a time crunch, because by the time they bought the house in early October, the time until the baby arrives was already getting short. They quickly got to work flipping the house to make it their own, and by the time of the housewarming/baby shower, they were done. It is a beautiful home, and now everything is ready for Baby Kirk to arrive by the 15th of this month. Several of us had hoped for a New Year’s Baby, which would also make it on Siara’s great grandma, Collene Spencer’s birthday, but that was not to be. I suppose there is still time for him to come on Siara’s birthday, since she has to have a Caesarian delivery, but again he is going to have to get busy. Either way, he will arrive when he’s ready or on the scheduled date for the Caesarian which ever it happens to be. Baby birthday or not, today is Siara’s 30th birthday. Happy birthday Siara!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

As kids grow up, you suddenly find yourself looking at a whole new person. It’s not just the normal changes that happen as kids grow, like height and a new grown up look about them. Suddenly, they have interests that are very different than yours. Sometimes that could be a bad thing, but for my grandnephew, Ethan Hadlock those new interests are different than many kids his age. Ethan is really into history, and especially World War I. History is often the last thing kids are interested in, but for Ethan, history and especially World War I are the coolest things. He even wanted his friend birthday party to have a World War I theme. His mom, Chelsea Hadlock did a great job creating that for him.

Ethan is the grandson of a retired cop, my brother-in-law, Chris Hadlock and an uncle who is a cop, Jason Sawdon, so security is important to him. With that in mind, Ethan has joined the club Cyber Patriots which teaches kids to check websites and things for cyber security threats. I think that is an amazing club to have. These kinds of threats are a very real part of life these days, and everyone needs to know about it, especially kids. Ethan is also in a welding class right now and he really loves it! That isn’t surprising either, considering his great grandpa, my dad, Allen Spencer was a welder by trade. Christmas brought Ethan a couple of new horizons to try. He was give golf lessons, and he can’t wait to start them and learn the game of golf. He also received a World War I tiger tank Lego set. It is an RC car that he will have to put together. He can’t wait to get going on that. Everyone loves Legos, and Ethan is no exception. He’s really good at Rubik’s cubes too! He can put them right really quickly!!

Ethan loves animals. The Hadlock family is a family of “dog lovers” and Ethan loves all of them. He is always willing to help with the animals, whether it is feeding them, playing with them, or chasing them down when they don’t want to come in the house. Recently, his aunt, Kellie Hadlock hired him to watch her bird. Ethan quickly accepted the job, but really thought it was a volunteer job. When Kellie paid him, he was so thankful that he honestly thanked her every time he saw her for like a week!! It was so sweet! Ethan is no stranger to volunteer work either. Each summer, he volunteers at the Vacation Bible School at his Aunt Lindsay Moore’s church in Laramie! He always works in the recreation area and gets to do things like shoot water rockets!! He always has a blast!! Being the only boy among the cousins, Ethan is always ready to take care of all his cousins too! He watches out for them!

Now that Ethan is 15 years old, he is ready to take his drivers ed test!! He is very excited about learning to drive. He and his mom went to get his study books a while back, and he is ready for the test on Monday. I can’t believe that this sweet boy, who picks on everyone just like his dad, Ryan Hadlock, but is always ready to give a hug to anyone in the family, and even seeks out the family for a hug, is old enough to learn to drive. While it may seem impossible in years, it isn’t surprising in size. Ethan is already well on his way to gaining the height of his dad and grandpa, who are both well over six foot. Ethan is close to six foot now, and with a number of years to grow yet. Today is Ethan’s 15th birthday. Happy birthday Ethan!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My great grandniece, Izabella “Belle” Harman is such a sweet girl. Her grandma, Chantel Balcerzak calls her “pure sunshine” and while that might be biased, it definitely doesn’t make her wrong. Belle’s aunt, Siara Kirk says that she is the most kindhearted little girl ever. Her grandma originally gave her the nickname Tinkerbelle, but that later morphed to Tink, which also suits this little sweetie.

She is a helper to anyone who needs it. She is always wanting to help Siara when she’s with her or her grandma when she is with her. Belle is as sweet as she can be, but she is fierce in her loyalties she will defend her people with a sweet sassiness that is all her own. If you are good to her people, she will be good to you, but if you cross her people, you might want to watch out for this little “she bear!!” Belle’s dad, Jake Harman loves to pick on people and might even be famous for it. That is fine with Belle, but if she thinks he is getting out of hand with her grandma or Aunt Siara, “Tink” never fails to stick up for Grandma or Siara…even against her daddy. Siara tells me that “She is always on my side when Jake is being his bratty self, because we’re best friends.” Her teachers say that “she is so kind to everyone at school. A friend to everyone.” She really is such a light and joy in this world. She has also been asking Chantel to take her to church, because she loves church and God and at that age, I think that’s very special. Chantel tells me that “she is truly the head and not the tail!” She is a leader in every way. She is so generous and thinks of everyone, but herself. This year, she has wanted to get everyone gifts for Christmas…from her own money and heart.

Belle is an active, busy girl. She doesn’t want to sit in front of a video games. She wants to go outside or make up her own games to play. Her imagination is amazing. She takes after the women in her life…her mom, Melanie Harman; Grandma, Chantel; and Aunt Siara…girly girls all. She is beautiful, inside and out. She has the sweetest spirit. Oh…and, she is a lip gloss thief…but, who can blame her. A girly girls can’t be without her lip gloss…lets be real here. While she is a girly girl, Belle loves her daddy, and helps him with anything and follows him wherever he goes. Maybe there is a little bit of the tomboy in her after all. Today is Belle’s 8th birthday. Happy birthday Belle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My niece, Michelle Miller has had a busy year this year. She and her husband, Matt love the outdoors, and had done some camping before, but this year they bought a “new to them” fifth wheel from Michelle’s Aunt Kathy and Uncle Mike. The trailer is pretty big and gives them all the comforts they could want. They really love it, and they have gone camping this year, more than ever before. They are both very busy people, and being able to get away is so important, so I am very happy for them.

In July, the whole Miller family went to Alaska for Matt’s brother, Mikey’s birthday. It was a wonderful trip, and Michelle loved Alaska. I think that is how everyone feels about Alaska, me included. Mikey has a sailboat, and they got to go out in it a few times and really enjoyed it. Being the sporting family they are, they did a lot of fishing, and of course, eating the fish they caught. Since they were a big group, they rented an RV, so they could do a lot of camping and sightseeing. Michelle especially loved the mountains and overall scenery of Alaska. The mountains are so majestic. Everything seems huge in Alaska. You discover how small humans are in comparison.

On October 28, her sister, Lacey got married, and Michelle was one of the bridesmaids. The wedding was beautiful, and everyone looked so elegant. Michelle was so happy for her sister, and the wedding preparation went perfectly. The bachelorette weekend was held in Nashville at the end of September, and Michelle really pampered her sister. Everyone had so much fun. Michelle helped in any way that she could to ensure that the wedding went smoothly and that it was Lacey’s dream wedding.

Michelle has been really busy at The Nic (The Nicolaysen Art Museum) where she works, but she has found time to get back into doing her own art, and Michelle is an amazing artist, so I’m glad that her talent has been able to blossom again. She has also been doing a lot of sewing. I didn’t know she could sew, and I am amazed at anyone who can. I’ve sewed some things, but I would not call myself a seamstress. Michelle really loves both activities. Michelle and her husband also have two fur babies…puppies Obie and Leia. They truly are her babies, and she loves to spoil them terribly, but that is what people do with their fur babies, after all. Michelle even has a nanny cam so she can see them and talk to them while she’s at work. Now, that’s love…they can’t be lonely, right!! Good job fur momma!! Today is Michelle’s birthday. Happy birthday Michelle!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My great grandniece, Reece Balcerzak came into this world as an early Christmas present for her parents, Katie and Keifer Balcerzak, and even though her arrival was a scary one, the gift they were given was so precious to them. They spent that Christmas in the neonatal unit of Presbyterian Saint Luke’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado, where Reece received amazing care and grew to be the size of a full-term baby, so she could go home on January 29, 2017, and life settled down…well, as much as it can with a newborn. Since that time, Reece has shown the world just what a spunky girl she is. She is full of energy and laughter, and her smile just lights up your heart when you see it. Being born prematurely was not going to slow this little girl down one bit. She couldn’t wait to get born and she can’t wait to experience all that life has to offer.

These days, Reece is big sister to her brother, Aysa and she loves him dearly. Aysa is almost Reece’s mini-me…at least where his smile is concerned. Reece has been a big sister for over two years now, and none of us can believe that time has flown by so fast. Reece is such a loving girl, and she truly showers her brother and everyone she cares about with much love. She is a joy to be around and fills their home with happiness. Reece also loves her cousin, Max Herr, and her other cousins, which are numerous. She loves spending time with aunts, uncles, cousins, and especially grandparents.

She is very active, very social, and she is having a great time is Kindergarten this year. This year found Reece learning to ride a horse. She had such a good time, and who knows, maybe we have an equestrienne in our family. She has also taken dance lessons, played t-ball, and she is an all-around girly girl. Reece is a girl with many talents and just as many likes and dislikes. Mostly she likes many things and many people. And everyone loves Reece. Reece is totally able to entertain anyone with her antics, especially the other kids. Today is Reece’s 6th birthday. Happy birthday Reece!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

My nephew, Barry Schulenberg has always been a hardworking man. Even as a young boy, all he ever wanted was to be a mechanic, just like his grandpa, my father-in-law, Walt Schulenberg. Barry was always very much like his grandpa. They were like twins…at least in their hopes and aspirations. Over the years, those hopes and dreams never changed. Of course, my father-in-law was a mechanic all along, but Barry wasn’t. He was a little boy who just wanted to quit school and go to work with his grandpa. We all thought it was such a cute thing that Barry loved his grandpa so much and wanted to be just like him.

Barry is grown up now, and he fulfilled that lifelong dream of being a mechanic. He has been working for the State of Wyoming for years now, and he loved his job very much. Recently, when his supervisor announced his decision to retire, Barry was offered the position of supervisor. Of course, he accepted and after some training, he is now the shop supervisor. It is quite a change for Barry, but it’s one that was really the logical next step for him. I don’t know how much mechanics work he does these days, but he is at least in an advisory position for the work that is being done in the shop. It is a big responsibility, because he is responsible for making sure the highways are open and maintained…at least opened, as much as possible in Wyoming’s winters. He would also be responsible for making the decision to close, I suppose. It’s all a big change from being elbow deep in the engine of a truck, to being elbow deep in paperwork, but Barry is a smart man, and he can handle either one.

When he’s not working, Barry and his wife, Kelli loved to go bicycling, hiking, skiing, and camping. They love the outdoors, and would happily spend all their free time outside, if the weather permitted. of course, most of the outdoor activity they enjoy works far better in the summertime, so the warmer months are probably the ones they favor. They also love to travel and go to concerts. They have attended many over the nearly twenty years they have been married. Barry and Kellie have a sweet dog named Scout. He is their second dog together. Their first dog, Dakota died before they got Scout. Scout helped with the grieving process, and now, Scout is just their baby. They are all a happy family. Today is Barry’s birthday. Happy birthday Barry!! Have a great day!! We love you!!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives
Check these out!