Jennie Jefferies Callister

May 31, 1915 - November 26, 2009

My beautiful little Granny passed away in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving 2009. She had suffered three heart attacks five days earlier, and stayed here on the Earth long enough for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to visit with her one last time. I had a wonderful talk with her about my Grandpa and the house he built, their trips to Hawaii together and our mutual love of rubies and diamonds.

For as long as I can remember, my Dad has been bringing Granny to all of our birthday parties, Christmas parties, Halloween parties and every dutch oven my brothers and sisters threw together for one reason or another. Here she is at the "May" birthday party and Ashli's graduation celebration in 2008.

Christmas 2007 was noisy and crazy, like it always is. Granny was perfectly content to sneak the hat off of Kurt's head and sit quietly on the couch.

The last pictures I took of Granny were at Ashli's bridal shower in July 2009. Here she is with Aunt Kay. One of my favorite memories of Granny happened about 15 years ago after I told Kay she looked pretty. Granny pulled me aside, and quietly whispered to me "Tina, did you know Kay colors her hair?" Ha Ha.. She was so serious, like Kay had committed a serious crime by coloring her hair.

In 2008, Granny had a serious fall. Her recovery took a long time, and it seemed like she just started to go downhill after that. She was always so independent, driving clear up until she was over 90 years old. It was difficult for her to begin losing her independence.

Here she is at Landen's birthday party 2009 with my Dad and Brexlie.

Granny loved the little children. She ordered kids' meals for herself whenever she went to McDonald's or Wendy's, and when she'd come to family parties, she'd dump a bag of kids' meal toys in the middle of the floor, and the little kids could choose a prize from Granny's stash.

Ashli, Boston and Granny Christmas 2007.

Granny even came to my Grandma Becca's 80th birthday party with my Dad.. September 2006.

I love this picture of Landen, Granny and my Dad...

This is one of my favorite pictures of Granny. For Easter, we hid a plastic egg in her hair for the little ones to search for. She was always so fun and full of life, dancing and laughing, smiling and cheerful. Her secret to longevity was drinking a Dr Pepper over ice every day:)

Granny LOVED Wendover! So for Christmas 2007 we got her a "Gamblin' Granny" T-shirt. (Sorry about the background!)

Easter many years ago... there must be something compelling on the ceiling for Granny and Tyler.

Granny even came to our Halloween party in Nephi with my Dad.

And here she is with me and my little girl. I am SO grateful for the many, many times I got to see my Grandma over the past few years. She seemed so young to us all. She danced in the Grantsville Old Folks' Sociable until well after her 50th class reunion. She loved my Grandpa so much. She never dated any other boy in high school, married him when she was 19 years and was never interested in another man after he died. We'll be burying her on Monday, November 30, 2009, 20 years to the day since Grandpa died. I'm happy for my Grandma. I like to believe that my Grandpa met her with open arms today.

He served his mission in Hawaii and developed a real love for the Hawaiian people. He took Grandma to Hawaii four times. So today for our Thanksgiving dinner, we all wore Hawaiian leis and celebrated the return of my beautiful little Granny to the arms of my Grandpa Noel. We'll miss her so much. She was a light in our lives, a bright, happy, funny, talented, tiny little ball of energy, and I'm so grateful for the years my children, husband and I had with her. Aloha, Granny...

Kurt

TO tell you the truth, I don't remember the EXACT day we met.... I say it was February 16 because that COULD have been the day, and I'm big into "anniversaries" so I picked that one. But it was sometime in February 1989. A Friday or Saturday night, because we were at the "Palladium", a dance place in Salt Lake where we all hung out every weekend. Occasionally we'd go to the Fairgrounds for Country Night, but on this particular weekend, it was the Palladium. I know it's cliche, but I really did think "Have I seen you somewhere before?" even though we'd never met before. I loved him immediately and I followed him around, stalking him, until he finally felt the same way. Of course, it helped that I had laryngitis when we met. Had he known how much I talk, we may not be together today.

This is one of my favorite pictures of us. We had our midlife crises last year, and Ashli took this picture of us at the golf course as we were emerging from all that. We had so much fun last summer, camping and fishing. On Sunday mornings, we'd get up early and drive our little golf cart up to the golf course, where he'd golf 9 holes, then we'd sneak off to breakfast before our 12:30 church meetings started. Good times.....

He's given me the most interesting life. I remember the times we loaded up our little kids and took them on trips because he had a truck load going somewhere.. usually California. One time I was in the sleeper of the diesel feeding Tyler when all of a sudden, the truck was raised 100 feet in the air (he says it was more like 50 feet) as they dumped hay cubes out of the trailer. I was terrified! Kurt says they could hear me screaming clear down on the ground.

He adores his kids. This little girl is the light of his life. I can only imagine how he felt when she and Mack climbed in her little Neon and took off for their honeymoon. I saw him watching them when Mack helped her load her gun while we were out trapshooting last weekend, and I know it must be hard for him to see someone else doing his job. He's a great Dad.

We were so young when we had our kids. Ash was born 8 days before our 1st wedding anniversary and we've never really known anything but kids. He adores our friends' kids, the kids at church, kids at the ball park... He'll be an awesome Grandpa, but not too soon, we hope!

He talked me into becoming an EMT a few years ago and it's turned into a great career for me. I love it when he's on my crew, and I take every shift I can get with him. I feel confident and more sure of myself when he is by my side. He helps me reach for things I didn't even know I could do. Kurt called the hospital on a run one day when Ashli and I were in the back with a patient, and they told him to have me give the patient an IM medication. I was terrified. He looked at me and said "You can do it" and I did! I was so nervous, and he didn't have one second of doubt. He believes in me even when I don't believe in myself.

And.... he NEVER tells me I'm fat! I love you, hon. Thanks for being in my corner.

Lessons Learned from a Liberal

On Sunday, I spent 7 hours with an old friend in San Francisco. At first glance, we would appear to be polar opposites. I arrived in my husband’s semi-truck, the quintessential redneck hicks from Utah. She has a gorgeous haircut , a great corporate job and she’s a *gasp* Democrat!!!! I was a little worried about what we’d talk about. I hadn’t seen her for 23 years and I didn’t want our first visit to turn into a heated political battle. I shouldn’t have worried. It was wonderful to see her again, and I am learning at 41 years of age, to embrace diversity. I learned a lot in my “Day with a Democrat”…..

1. Wear sensible shoes. I wore jeans and ropers. My boots get more comfortable every time I wear them. They’re two years old now and I love them, but they weren’t the best choice for walking along the piers. I learned to be prepared for opportunities that may arise. Dress in layers in case the weather changes, and wear sensible shoes in case you have the chance to do something amazing outdoors.

2. We went to a San Francisco Giants/LA Dodgers game and she suggested we try the garlic fries. I love what she said “The best thing about the garlic fries is that you get to enjoy them for three or four days”. Ha Ha! They were delicious, and the taste definitely lingered long after the fries were gone!

3. I went to San Francisco about ten years ago, and I hated it. I wondered what in the world people saw in that city. Seeing San Francisco through her eyes made me fall in love with the city. She told me about the architecture, about the history of her beloved Giants, and simply walking around the beautiful Bay made me see how people from every walk of life could find a home in San Francisco.

4. Who would have thought that I’d learn my greatest lesson about being a Christian on a Sunday at an MLB game, when I probably should have been at church? Lisa told me about her friend... a born-again Christian… and this is what she said about him “He could see a 400-pound woman in a bikini with pink hair and not bat an eye”. Beautiful! That is what being Christ-like is all about. It’s not about judging others and keeping score like so many of us “Latter Day Saints” do. We tend to be an arrogant, holier-than-though people and I vow to be less judgmental of others and more like Christ in my dealings with my fellow man.

5. You don’t have to eat carrots sticks and spend four hours a day in the gym to be physically fit. People in San Francisco eat everything from fried shrimp to artisan cheeses (Which she treated us to…delicious!), but incorporate fitness into their everyday lives. They walk, ride bikes, jog. Exercise is part of their daily lives, part of their social lives, and an essential means of transportation in a city where owning a vehicle is really more of a burden than a convenience. So if you see me walking to work, don’t offer me a ride, please. I’m incorporating fitness into my everyday life!

Mom

The blog topic for today is "Your Parents" so I'm re-posting an old post about my Mom. But I better add something about my Dad, too!!!

My Dad never forgets a birthday, anniversary or Valentine's Day.. He never fails to send a card to me, Kurt and the kids, complete with one of his ink stamps in the bottom corner by his signature. He sends facebook hearts, hugs and smiles every day. He's very talented. He can fix anything and we never had to call anyone from a plumber to a building contractor when I was growing up. He built the addition to our home, sewed a 3-piece suit and has rebuilt countless vehicles from the engine to the paint job. He is an amazing woodworker, and I love the gifts he creates for me.

When people tell me "You remind me of your Mom", I know it's just my physical appearance. Noone ever really stops and tells me "You remind me of your Mom because..." Here's what I'd like to hear...

Becky Callister was a passionate person. She loved, laughed, cried all with the same intensity. I inherited that from her. Tami inherited that from her. We do nothing halfway. When I'm mad, I'm not just a little upset... I'm MAD!! When I like a Christmas gift, I don't just smile and say "Thank you". I jump up and squeal and scream and act like it's the most amazing gift I've ever received.

Becky Callister was an avid sports fan. If we couldn't find her at Grandma's house, we'd check the ball park. She donated countless hours to Bobby Sox and Little League. She used to ump games and they'd give her one hamburger from the snack bar for every game she umped. So she'd stand there behind home plate on a Saturday, game after game, in the hot sun, until she got a hamburger for each of us kids.

All of Becky's kids have spent more than one summer vacation at softball or baseball tournaments with our own kids.

When I see Tami, Tara, Paul and Ted at ball games with their kids, weekend after weekend all summer, I remember Mom and Grandma Becca doing the same thing.

When we were younger, before cable TV and the Turner networks, you either liked the Dodgers or the Yankees, because they were the only teams you ever saw play on TV. So, Mom was a Yankees fan, Grandma Becca was a Yankees fan, I married a Yankees fan and gave birth to three little Yankees fans.

Even Tara and Tawni's kids are getting old enough to play ball now.

Zack bought Logan his first baseball bat for his birthday this year. Mom would be so proud:)

My Mom was always too busy taking care of other people to take care of herself. I don't think I ever saw her wearing makeup. When she'd need to get her hair done, she'd have Judy Ault cut it short and perm it so it was low maintenance. She was just too busy to worry about hair and makeup when there were places to go, people to see and kids to watch at ball games or spelling bees. Until she got sick, I don't remember seeing my Mom actually sleeping. Sometimes she'd doze off in a chair, but she was always up before me and in bed sometime after I went to sleep.

My Mom taught me my first Primary song- "The Golden Plates"- and taught me that Families can be together forever. She got me hooked on Saturday's Warrior and I have those songs on my iPod today.

She taught me that the greatest gift God ever gave her was her children. Because of her love for us all, I couldn't wait to be a Mom myself someday.

She had a laundry basket full of unmatched socks. Yup, I do, too. I know I should throw them away, but I keep thinking the mate will turn up somewhere.

She had a hard time letting go of me. I moved up to Weber State to start college, and she showed up two days later to "check on me". I was SO mad!! Man, I'd like to have that day back. I get it now. It's hard to let go of your daughter. I inherited that from my Mom.





My Mom passed away 22 years ago. I still miss her so much sometimes. I know she'd have been an awesome Grandma, and she would have loved my husband. She'd be proud of all of her kids and grandkids and I like to believe our babies will get to meet her someday.

Ashli and Mack's Wedding

There is no way I can express all my feelings about my only daughter's wedding in one blog entry. When I look back on Ashli's wedding, I will always remember the love and peace I felt. I certainly had moments of stress. We did everything from the engagement photos to the server aprons to the yard work ourselves. But every time it got to be a little bit overwhelming, someone would call or drop by with something we needed. My friend Jennifer called one day wondering if we could use some white flowers and greenery. Jolene dropped by and said she had round tables. Kelsey had table decorations and flowers for the arch. Lisa called, texted or Emailed atleast once a week even when it was mini-drill or when Macy was in ICU. Candy came over as soon as she got back to town after some stressful events in her own family.

Carrie Baxter and her Mom made Ashli's cake exactly the way she wanted it. They brought us a sample cake top the week before the wedding and showed up with this perfect cake a couple hours before the reception. We didn't have to worry about a thing.

Our friend Phil Harold hauled all of his DJ equipment to our home and provided the perfect background music for the reception as his gift to the bride and groom. He played "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw as Kurt danced with our daughter.

He played"Just Look at You Girl" by Chris LeDoux while Mack danced with his new wife, "After all These Years" by Journey while we old married couples danced, and"This is Where the Cowboy Rides Away" while Mack danced with his Mom, Amy, the amazing woman who came into Mike and Mack's life with aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas who surrounded Mack with love from the moment they met him.

My sister called me about a week before the wedding and said "I quit my job. I'm coming down to help you get ready." And on Monday morning, when Tami arrived in Nephi with extension cords and white lights, money to buy shepherd's hooks and a beautiful little girl with a heart as big as the ocean, I knew everything would be OK.

I'm the oldest, but Tami has always been our Mom. She and Brooklyn did everything that needed to be done the week before the wedding. I don't know how many times they raked up leaves and picked up plums and apples from the lawn only to have the wind come through and blow more down. So they'd start all over again. We did get the teenagers to help us a lot-Mav, Zack and Ty cleaned the "office",which is really just the room where we put every random stray item from our house- but Tami and Brooklyn were tireless.

On the day of the reception, my family just appeared out of nowhere and went to work. The men set up tables and chairs. Suzie sat out in the hot sun for hours and taped down tablecloths. Grandpa Peter used a log to pound holes with a metal rod for the tiki torches. Grandma Becca, Kylie and Amie decorated tables. Tawni made hundreds of little cucumber dill sandwiches. Joey helped the bride with her hair and me with my dress. I'd be busy with something, look up and see someone else I love there for me and Ash. Jade put on her flowery little server apron, Logan his usher tag. Throughout the reception, Tara and Anastyn would know just when to send a plate of brownies or drinks over to the line.

It was the Juab County Fair, so when I saw Lisa Woodland in the waiting room at the temple, I knew she'd made a sacrifice to be there- then Brett and Andrea, Vernice, Ben & Jerilyn, Travis & Taunya, Sam Memmott-all made the time to come to the reception even though they were busy with the Fair.

But perhaps the person who taught me the most about love and friendship throughout the whole wedding process was my friend Amanda. I found out about ten days before the wedding that our photographer wouldn't be able to do it. I knew we couldn't afford to hire some of the people she suggested we call, and I was worried about finding another photographer that close to the event. When I asked Amanda if there was any way she could do it, she didn't hesitate at all. She just said "Tell me what time and I'll be there". And I KNEW she would. I knew I didn't need to worry. I thought back to all the times that I hadn't been a very good friend to Amanda-the times that I took two or three days to return her calls, the times I asked her to hold Presidency meetings in her house with four babies under the age of 7. Yet here she was coming through for me at a time when I needed her most. So, at 1:30 in the morning, crying as I read and re-read a message from Amanda, I found out who my friends are. I didn't even know until four days after the wedding that Amanda's family was in the midst of preparations for Amanda's little sister to undergo surgery donating a kidney to her toddler son. She had every reason to tell us "No" when I asked her to be the wedding photographer, but there she was from dawn to dusk the day of the wedding.

When I saw this picture that Amanda captured of Ashli, I knew that noone else could have done it. Our photographer was someone who loves our family and she did an amazing job. She said her photography was her gift to Ashli. Wow! What an amazing gift-I have this moment captured forever of my gorgeous daughter as she stepped out of the Manti temple after being married for time and all eternity to the man she loves. And whether you believe in temple marriage or not, you can't help but see the radiance and peace on Ashli's face. I'm so proud of her for living her life the way she has, for finding a man who loves her enough to want to spend eternity with her. And I'm so glad I had the chance to learn so much about love and friendship from my friends and family as we planned this wedding.

I cried a lot on Ashli's wedding day, but in the end, as I danced in the arms of the man who helped me give her life, we just felt joy. We're so happy for our daughter and son-in-law and hope our next 20 years are as meaningful as the past 20 have been.