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My nephew, Barry Schulenberg has a year as a supervisor under his belt now, and he has decided that he really likes being the one in charge. It’s not about being power hungry, but rather about helping his workers to become the best team they can be. The job they do is important to people of this county. Barry is a supervisor for the Highway Department, and his area is Natrona County. He is dedicated to keeping our highways safe for the people who drive on them, and he does an excellent job.
Barry had never considered being the boss, until this position was offered to him. Since he was a little kid, hanging out with his grandpa, my father-in-law, Walt Schulenberg, all Barry wanted to do was to be a mechanic…just like his grandpa. In fact, Barry simply couldn’t see the need to go to school when his grandpa needed him to help out in the garage. Of course, that was Barry as a five-year-old, and he soon realized that school was important too…unfortunately. These days, as the supervisor, I’m sure he is thankful for his education, which allowed him to be promoted to the position he now holds.
Barry loves his job, but it is not his whole life. On his off-duty time, Barry likes to hang out with his wife Kelli and their dog, Scout. He loves camping, hiking, bicycling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. He also loves to travel and go to concerts…a passion he and Kelli share. The have a place out in the country as well, that provides them the peace and quiet they enjoy. He can often be found in the summertime, mowing on is riding mower, or watering the trees, when he isn’t relaxing or playing with Scout. The Big Horn Mountains is one of their favorite places to go camping, and like many other Wyomingites, the summer fires up there have left them concerned for their favorite camping spots. Last summer’s fire was one that was almost unheard of in prior years. Much of the forest, including a lot of the campgrounds were damaged. I’m sure it will be with great anxiety that people will head back up there this summer.
All in all, it has been a great year for Barry. He and Kelli have done some traveling, and Barry has had to travel for meetings and such for his job, but it has been good. I don’t suppose most people like meetings, and I don’t know how Barry feels about them, but it has been a real learning experience for him, and while it isn’t the way he thought his life would turn out, I know that being a supervisor was the next logical step, and one he can be proud to have taken. Today is Barry’s birthday. Happy birthday Barry!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Kelli Schulenberg has always been a bit of a health nut, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. She has some food allergies, so meals have always been a challenge, but she handles it quite well. She simply knows what she can and cannot have, and she cooks accordingly. She accepts what is and works to find ways to make her meals tasty and healthy. I have to admire that. Many people, even with allergies, don’t eat the way they should, and of course, they pay the price for it with gastrointestinal issues and such. Kelli protects herself by following her own self-imposed protocol. It isn’t an easy way to live, but it is a smart way for her to live.
Kelli also loves staying physically fit. Her favorite summertime activity is bicycling, and of course she also loves hiking. I think most outdoor enthusiasts love hiking. It’s like it’s in our blood. In the winter, Kelli likes cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, but the reality is that Winter is definitely not Kelli’s favorite season. I think she is rather a 
“southern girl” at heart, and she will tell you that she much prefers Summer. She doesn’t really love the cold here, and especially the wind, and who can blame her for that. I don’t know of anyone who really loves or even likes the wind…unless it’s a sailor.
Kellie loves to travel, and especially to attend concerts. She and my nephew, Barry Schulenberg plan several trips a year to feed their travel appetite. That has taken them to many great places to hike and ride their bicycles as well. They have a place out in the country where the peacefully live their lives with their dog, Scout, who is quite spoiled from what I can see. They love to go to out and shoot their guns, and both are good marksmen. These days, that is an important part of safety. Kelli and Barry love to go camping, and you never 
know when you might come across a danger that requires you to protect yourself…and not just of the animal sort. One of their favorite places to go camping is the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming. I hope that after the recent fires up their, their favorite camping spots are still in good shape. Time will tell. Today is Kelli’s birthday. Happy birthday Kelli!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
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 niece, Jenny Masterson is a woman of many talents. As many people know, she is a natural-born hostess. She loves to entertain. That is a rare talent. Most of us get stressed out when we have to host holidays, birthdays, or parties. It’s not that we don’t enjoy having the party, but rather that some of us are great at it and others of us simply throw it together. In reality, many of us would much rather have Jenny plan and execute the party and let us take the credit for it. Jenny is a natural, and her parties are fun. Jenny’s favorite parties are the holidays with family. That stands to reason, because Jenny is all about family. She loves them all.
Jenny also loves to hike the mountains, and since my niece, her cousin Andrea Beach moved back to Casper from Rawlins, she and Jenny have been doing a lot of hiking, even in the winter. Of course, you can’t hike some of the tougher trails in the winter, but they do what they can, in anticipation of the summer hiking season to come. The truth is that these two girls have really become close. They do a lot of things together, and they spend time talking, and just enjoying each other’s company. It’s been a really good thing for both of them. They are both social people, and it’s always nice to have a “bestie” to share things with. They have both been a blessing to each other. Jenny also loves taking her other hiking buddy along too. Bella the dog is always ready to go with the girls and the famiy on the next hiking adventure.
Of course, Jenny’s main “bestie” is her husband, Steve Spethman. They have been madly in love since the day they met some 22+ years ago. They are perfect for each other. They have like values and like interests. They 
love to travel and see new things. They love their family and watching their children grow up. They love God, and they love growing in faith every day. They stand by each other in good times and in bad times. Each of them knows that the other is there for them and will support them no matter what. They are totally committed to each other, totally happy, and they are best friends. Life just doesn’t get better than that, does it? Today is Jenny’s birthday. Happy birthday Jenny!! 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!!
My grandson, Josh Petersen and his fiancée, Athena Salazar met in middle school, and at the time, Athena tells me that she didn’t really like Josh much. That’s not such an odd thing. in those early teen years, everybody feels awkward, and doesn’t really know how to show someone that you like them, and especially for girls, the awkward maneuvering of the teenaged boys makes them someone the girls would rather just avoid. I don’t really know if Josh liked Athena back then, but when they met again, both working at Sanford’s, they knew that things had changed for them. Now before them was a person who was suddenly quite loveable, and they knew that they had found their soulmate for life. Josh and Athena had followed the path of his Grandma and Grandpa Schulenberg, who had known each other all their lives, and for those awkward teen years, she didn’t like him, but then it all changed, and they were together for life. It’s really a sweet story, when you think about it. Today, the story of Josh and Athena is going to the next level. 
Today, they will marry the love of their lives. They have been waiting for so long, and they are so excited.
We are so happy to have Athena join our family. It is wonderful to see Josh so happy. They couldn’t be more perfect for each other if they tried. They find the same things to be funny, and they love the same things, especially their son, Justin, who was born in 2022 and their little baby boy who will be making his entrance at the end of September. Life is good for these sweet kids, and now it is going to be even sweeter as they become husband and wife. They have so many good things ahead of them and this is just the beginning, the point when two lives who have known each other for so long, 
and now become one.
Josh and Athena have so much in common, from school days to work, to their likes and dislikes, and their temperaments. They are the kind of people who are always willing to help others, and that endears them to many people. They like to travel and see new places, but they enjoy hanging out at home just as much. Their son, Justin and soon his little brother, Axel are their top priorities, and they love them both so much. They are already such great parents, and so great as a couple, and I know they will be equally as great as husband and wife. Today is the day…their Wedding Day!! Congratulations Athena and Josh!! Congratulations on your marriage!! We are so happy for you both!! We love you!!
My niece, Kelli Schulenberg is totally an outdoorsy girl. She loves to go camping, hiking, and just hanging out by a campfire with her husband, my nephew, Barry Schulenberg and their dog Scout. They have camped out many places, but they always seem to head back to the Big Horn Mountains. It’s close to home and that might be the reason they choose the Big Horns or Casper Mountain for their camping and hiking. Their dog loves to go along with them and tries to run the show. Kelli and Barry 
also like to ride their bicycles on the mountain, as well as on some of the local trails inside the city limits of Casper, and in the local dog park, which is nice for Scout.
While Kelli isn’t a big fan of Winter, she surprises me a little in that she rather likes cross country skiing and snow shoeing. Most of us “Winter Haters” would refuse to go out in snowy weather, at least any more than we absolutely had to. Yes, I’m a “Winter Hater” too, in case you couldn’t tell. Nevertheless, Kelli like to go cross country skiing, and I have to say, “Cudos to you, Kelli!!” Kelli really loves the mountains, and that is very likely the reason that she adds a few wintertime outings to her fitness calendar. She also loves to stay in shape, and the different sports things she does help her do that quite well. A dog, who is always up for an outing helps too. Dog owners tend to get out more in the winter than non-owners.
Of course, a year in the life of Kelli Schulenberg would never be complete without several trips around the nation to take in all the country music concerts she can squeeze in. That part of life for Kelli actually takes in what are quite likely her favorite activities…music and travel. So, every chance they get, Kelli and Barry (and often her mom, Mary Wages too) will hit the road or fly the friendly skies, in search of another travel and music adventure. I’m not sure how many states Kelli has been in, but I would wager that it is probably quite a few. When you have a “hobby” like Kelli’s, it can take you to many very cool places…and it can be a lot of fun too. Today is Kelli’s birthday. Happy birthday Kelli!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Susan Griffith has been having an interesting year. She has one daughter, Jala Satterwhite, who has moved out and is living on her own now. Jala also took her first cross country flight alone. Susan was a bit of a basket case over that one…which she may or may not have wanted Jala to know, so don’t read that part, Jala. Susan has been teaching her other daughter, Kaytlyn Griffith to drive, so she could get her hardship license, which she recently received. Susan and her husband, Josh Griffith purchased a placed in the country, and with Jala no longer in the home, Kaytlyn qualifies for the hardship license. It’s a little easier to take these new steps in the lives of your kids, when they are closer to home, so at least for now, Susan is ok with Kaytlyn’s new-found freedom. 
Susan has always been such an optimistic person, and she always tells Jala that every year, life just gets better and better. That is a wonderful attitude to have. It pretty much guarantees happiness. Susan says that she is the happiest she has ever been with her life, and that the 40s have been the best ever. While that is very true, the 40s can also bring about change…like empty nest syndrome. While Susan isn’t there yet, she only has one of her children still at home. She does miss her older daughter though, and nothing proves that more than the “renaming” of the dog. Susan used to call Jala, “Jala Elizabeth” and now the dog is “Olive Elizabeth” as opposed to just Olive. I think she misses her girl some. Nevertheless, Jala isn’t too far away. She just moved to town. Still, you don’t see as much of your kids when they move out, so it’s a little hard.
Life is all about change. It’s just something each of us has to deal with. Much of that change is wonderful, some is sad, and some of it is just new. Susan has a great perspective concerning change. With that, she will do well 
in life. Susan will always have her beautiful place in the country, camping with her husband, and her great outlook on life, and those things will take her wherever she wants to go. She and Josh like to travel, and they have taken the family to some great places, and I’m sure there will be more in the future, and later, some trips for just the two of them…like maybe a second honeymoon. Today is Susan’s birthday. Happy birthday Susan!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Not every man can say he shares his birthday with his son-in-law or father-in-law, but my uncle, Jim Wolfe and his son-in-law, Bernard “Shorty” Cameron got to say that. Shorty became Uncle Jim’s son-in-law, on December 28, 1969, when he married my cousin Shirley Cameron. Uncle Jim and Shorty always got along very well…even living next door to each other for most of their lives. When it came to Uncle Jim needing help due to his Alzheimer’s Disease, Shorty was one of the people who helped him. I think Uncle Jim and Shorty always liked that they had the same birthday. They liked doing things together like taking trips, the whole family sometimes came for surprise visits. It was always a great time.
Since Uncle Jim and Aunt Ruth moved away from Casper when my sisters and I were just kids, I suppose that 
they always seemed like world travelers to us. I don’t think they ever really traveled to anyplace exotic, unless maybe Uncle Jim did when he was in the service. Nevertheless, he always seemed to know a lot about a lot of places, and we really loved hearing the stories he had to tell. I always wondered how he could know so much about so many things. I suppose that he might have been pulling our legs with his knowledge, but it always seemed plausible, so we believed him. I will always remember how much we loved to listen to him tell his tales, be they truth or fiction.
Uncle Jim was a gentle man, who loved kids. He treasured each and every one of his children and grandchildren. They were the lights of his life…after his beloved wife, my Aunt Ruth, that is. Uncle Jim loved Aunt Ruth so much. It was always so sweet to see them together. They did everything together, from working 
around their place to the many miles they traveled. It broke his heart when she left us in 1992, at just 66 years old. While he lived for another twenty-one years before he joined her in Heaven, I don’t really think that he was ever the same. He eventually slipped into his own memory world, where Aunt Ruth was still alive and with him. Today would have been Uncle Jim’s 101st and Shorty’s 81st birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven Uncle Jim and Shorty!! Try to stay out of trouble today!! I know the party will be great anyway. We love and miss you very much.
