Wild Goose Chase 5K

SNOWED all day yesterday, so I kind of HOPED I'd get to the 5K race site this morning and find that they'd cancelled it due to weather.

~No Such Luck~

I arrived at 9:00 this morning in Delta, Utah, for the Wild Goose Chase 5K/10K Run/Walk. I had signed up for the 5k Walk section, but planned to jog as much as I could, in spite of the fact that this morning I was only one pound lower than my highest weight of

ALL TIME!

I've been a faithful exerciser since January, but not so faithful with the eating habits, so I haven't dropped any weight.... but I still felt ready to plug along and do my best to finish a 5K today....

Mostly so I could say "BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.. GOT THE T-SHIRT!"

I met up with my friends Brent and Amanda and we stretched out together, but I knew I'd never be able to keep up with them. Brent's been running really regularly and Amanda's a tiny little thing with the determination to be successful at whatever she tries. So I stuck Kurt's skull candies in my ears, shuffled the iPod and zoned out at the start line. I kept up with Amanda for a minute, but she was awesome. She finished 6 minutes faster than her best training time, in spite of the fact that we were trudging through

MUD as we circled the Gunnison Bend Reservoir.
I jogged some, walked some, but was determined to jog the last 1/4 mile (Because everyone could see me!) Got close to what I thought what was the finish line, only to find that it was about another 1/8 mile or so. Thought I'd

cry.....

And then my

GUARDIAN ANGEL

appeared at my side. Amanda's daughter, Kourtney, materialized out of the blue and jogged with me to the finish line.

"You're almost there!"

she'd say.. and I believed her.... and I was...

ALMOST THERE!

And then I was.. THERE... done.... I'd finished a 5K with a body that really shouldn't have been able to do it. It was 30 degrees outside and I was burning hot.. At Mile 1, I had ripped off my gloves. Mile 1.5, I lost the scarf around my ears. And LONGED to have dressed in layers so I could shed the hoodie, but alas, I wore the Utah Jazz hoodie through the entire race. I drove all the way home, 50 miles, with the windows down in the Jeep and my face was still this red when I got home. And I'm ready to do it again. Get a little lighter, a little faster and a little better each time....

Thank you

to everyone who said I could. I did.

I am a Child of God

I saw Thurl Bailey in the temple when I was there for my cousin Bethany's wedding. We met Billy Dean through Kurt's work at the radio station when Ashli was a little girl and he was so cute with her, picking her up and talking to her. They're both just amazing men. And THESE are amazing kids:)

OK, OK, I Apologize!

I wrote a blog post a week or so ago about how I feel ignored by my husband. I thought he'd be moved to tears when he read it. See things my way and humbly apologize for making me feel so invisible. Yeah, no. He was moved, but not to tears. He was pretty upset for a few days. Angry that I called him a selfish, well, you know, a selfish @*&^$@^& for the whole world to read. I tried to assure him that the "whole world" doesn't even read my blog. Nobody really cares that much about the ramblings of a frumpy middle-aged housewife in the middle of Utah. And those who DO read it are women who probably feel the same way I do occasionally.

He wasn't buying it, so I pulled the post, moved the blog to "private" and pouted for a few days. Then I put it back up and decided I better do some damage control.

He's not selfish ALL the time...

Once when he was heading out on the truck for a few days (probably 16 years ago) and we were SO BROKE, he walked down to the Pepsi machine at his Dad's trailer park and spend all the change he could round up to put a Diet Pepsi in the fridge for me.

When we were in the midst of our war over the original blog post, he met me and the kids in Provo at midnight to watch Valentines Day, a chick flick, even though he had to work the next morning.

He loves to play recreational sports. We used to spend at least three nights a week in the gym or on the ball field somewhere while he played ball with his friends. But as our kids got older and I had my hands full, he eventually played less and less until finally he pretty much quit playing everything but Old Mens' Softball and started reffing and umping instead to earn a little extra money for our family.

One day in the summer of 2008 I made us an appointment for something that was really important to me. On our way to Provo, we had the radio on and something came on about the MLB All-Star game being played THAT NIGHT at Yankee Stadium. In the midst of all that went on that summer, I hadn't even realized when the All Star game was. He knew, of course, but he didn't say a word about it. Just got in the car and went to Provo with me for our appointment. That was definitely the least selfish thing he's ever done.

So I vow to notice the little things he does on a daily basis and have fewer pity parties as I navigate through my mid-life crisis, and most definitely to quit blaming him for EVERYTHING. I'll continue to blame him for things that really are his fault, but I'll try really hard not to post it for the "whole world" to see.

He's 43 years old today. Happy Birthday, Kurt! Love you:)

Don't You Know Who I Am?

Maybe it's common for people who have been married for 21 years. I don't know. My husband will never read this. He knows I have a blog but he just doesn't have time to sit and read it, but IF he did, I'd love to ask:

1. What was my Facebook status this morning?
2. What is my favorite hymn?
3. What is my favorite color?
4. Other than the day my Mom passed away, what was the date of the worst day of my life?
5. What is my bra size?
6. What is my favorite brand of deodorant?
7. What is my favorite restaurant?
8. What color eye shadow do I wear?
9. What color are my nails painted right now?
10. Did I mop the kitchen today?

I guess the point is, he would know none of those answers.

And I would tell him.. You don't update your facebook status unless something is really important to you. You got two new Facebook friends today and you have $752,649 in Texas Hold 'Em chips. You fluctuate between $600,000 to $1Million in poker chips, and if you got down to $500,000 you'd spend hours trying to build up your account again. You like the hymn "Put your Shoulder to the Wheel" but you were moved by "Lord I Would Follow Thee" when Fran taught it to us in Primary. You've held to saying that orange is your favorite color, but the truth is you really don't care that much about any color. You have more important things to think about than what color you like. You like white T-shirts, blue hats and black hoodies but you'll wear anything. The worst day of your life was the day your Uncle Rick died, although there were lots of days that pretty much sucked both before and after that one. Your jeans fluctuate between 2 different sizes, so we keep some of each size in jeans for you.
You simply don't have a favorite brand of deodorant. You buy whatever is cheapest and only because it's necessary to have it. You really don't care. I buy you "sport" scents because I like them, but you really coudn't care less. Sizzler is your favorite restaurant. I know you think it's mine, but the reason we always go there is really because it's your favorite. When your back is hurting, you get a knot of tension at the base of your spine on the right hand side. It will hurt for atleast a week, sometimes as much as a few weeks, but it eventually gets feeling better only to happen again a few times a year. You don't want to go to the doctor for anything, so if you do go , I know you're really hurting. You're most proud of the fact that you work hard and you most enjoy peace and quiet here at home. You don't like big noisy family gatherings and you would prefer to simply stay home all weekend unless you have tickets to a game. You'll go to movies but you'd rather not. You don't cry, but Ashli has the power to make it happen. You like your hair short and you hate to wear cologne. You prefer to shave in the shower, not at the bathroom sink. You like all kinds of music, depending on the mood you're in that day, even the stations the kids listen to. You enjoy touching base with your friends as often as possible, but preferrably through text and not a phone call. You hate to talk on the phone. You would rather have a bag of chips than a bag of licorice. You love the New York Yankees, the Dallas Cowboys and the Utah Jazz. You love vacationing in New York, but think it's time to go somewhere else. You regret that you've never been to Mexico and hope that it's still in the cards for you someday. You love your kids, your nieces and nephews, and every baby you see in church or that our friends are blessed enough to have. You'd like to buy a radio station someday.

Men...

When I first got married a million years ago (Ok, 21..) I remember being a little surprised that my new husband wasn't exactly like my Dad. I thought all men could fix ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING like my Dad could. We never called a plumber, a mechanic or even a contractor when I was growing up. Dad just fixed everything and even built his own addition to our house when our family outgrew the little home they bought from Grandpa Larry for $7,000! I expected that Kurt would do the same.

The first time we had to call the Roto-Rooter man and pay him $45 to snake a drain, I was pretty frustrated because I was convinced my Dad could have done it for nothing. Fortunately, I quickly learned that even though he was NOTHING like my Dad, Kurt was EXACTLY what I needed and wanted in my life. He cannot fix a car engine. Nope. He can change the oil but he'd rather take it to someone else. Give Kurt five weeks of sick leave, and he just simply won't use it. I think he may have missed two days of work with sickness in the whole time I've known him. He works hard and takes care of us and I am so glad he is exactly who he is.

This morning I found myself frustrated because my new Son-in-Law isn't EXACTLY like Kurt. And I found myself remembering that Kurt wasn't exactly like my Dad, either. I'm slowly learning to be a Mother-in-Law and I'm usually not very good at it. Fortunately for Mack, he has a wonderful wife who knows that he is her top priority. She successfully makes us all feel loved and respected and helps us all learn to navigate this new stage of life. So even though he is not exactly like her Dad, I think Ashli is pretty happy with him just the way he is:)

Sayonara 2009!!!

This pretty much sums up the year for me.... a bloody mess!

This was probably THE most stressful year I've had for a while, and I'm not at all sorry to see it end...lower credit scores, higher interest rates, job loss, weight gain... UGH! My Grandma passed away on Thanksgiving Day and I think I'd like to skip November forever!!!! I cannot WAIT to turn the page to a new year and a new decade and begin the next phase of life.

There were some good moments, though, and I'll sum up the highlights~

I became an EMT-Intermediate (Thus the photo above. I did NOT start that IV!) even though I never wanted the responsibility. It was challenging and difficult, but I'm glad I did it. I'm now the Juab County EMS Coordinator, and I LOVE my job!

Kurt and I spent a lot of time together this year and I love him more all the time. Even when things are challenging, we somehow manage to work through it as a team. He's most definitely my best friend. We celebrated our 20th anniversary in 2009 and did some traveling to both coasts this year. We enjoy the same things and have tons of common interests and I love the time I spend with my husband :)

Tyler

My baby got his driver's license and became a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. He was just baptized the other day, wasn't he? And now he can baptize others. Where did the years go? He's even got a girlfriend! Our Bishop called us "empty nesters" on Sunday, and he is so right! Just a couple of years and we'll be on our own. I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

Zack is a Senior in high school and attended Boys' State at Weber State this year. He was a member of the first Juab High School region championship team (golf) since moving up to 3A. He plans to go to Weber after his mission and pursue a degree in education. Zack will be a GREAT teacher. That's not the field we EVER thought he'd go into, but he relates so well to people. Kids will LOVE having him as a teacher.

And of course, Ashli got married. We love her husband and we're so thrilled that he is a part of our family, but I'm still kind of a mess without my little girl living here. Christmas was just not the same. I miss her all the time, even though she lives right here in town. I don't know if you're ever ready for your firstborn to marry and move out, particularly when she happens to be a girl.

So there it is... we close the door on 2009 and look forward to the future. I have the same "resolutions" I always have.. physical fitness, financial fitness and spiritual fitness. But above all, I want to be more Christlike in everything I do. I want to treat others with more love, respect and dignity and cherish the time I spend with the people I love.

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.