White Picket Fences

Grant and I in front of our first home together! We really lucked out, this place is so cute!

My Birthday!

I'm now 21! My birthday was yesterday and it was such a fantastic one! We kicked it off early on Monday night by going over to Jessie and Steve's to watch the latest episode of the Bachelorette. I know, I know, the show is so dumb but I got hooked. All of our friends watch it (well all the wives and the husbands are dragged along) and so it originally started as just a way to socialize, but I'll admit - I got hooked. It is so cheesy and dramatic, it's great.

So after the Bachelorette Grant and I, Ben, Lindsay and Preston, Cory, Parker, and some of Cory's friends all went to play sand volleyball. We had some really good games going for just over an hour, and then the light's turned off on us. So we decided to go out to ice cream (because at this point it was close enough to midnight to call it my birthday and everyone let me choose!) We decided on Yozone, and Steve and Jessie met up with us as well.

We sat around chatting for about an hour and a half and ended up deciding that we're all going down for a Vegas trip the weekend of August 13-15. I'm so excited! Lindsay and Preston know of a really great 5-Star hotel we can stay at that's really nice, and not too expensive. Plus Jessie and Steve said they were looking for Cirque du Soleil tickets and the show "Love" (with all the Beatles music) is only $55 per ticket! So that is the plan so far, and I'm really excited! I just love our friends!

Then the next morning was really nice because Grant is usually gone before I wake up (he has really early morning class) but when I woke up he was there! He had slept in to be with me a little in the morning, which was a really great treat! And even better, Grant showed up around noon where I work with a dozen beautiful roses for me and a Happy Birthday balloon! He is the best husband ever!

Up until this point no one at work knew it was my birthday, so though the balloon might have been a bit embarrassing it was awesome because everyone realized it was my birthday and kept talking about it! Plus one of the girls that I work with even went out and bought me a bunch of candy - she is great!

Grant also took me to lunch to a great pasta place that I love, and it was so nice to be able to see him for a little bit during the day! I got my favorite, Penne Rosa with Parmesan Crusted Chicken:

And when I got off of work, Grant made me the most delicious dinner ever! He went and bought tons of vegetables, and some shrimp and meat and we had a little hibachi-style dinner, where we cooked the food as we ate. It was so so good! And we have tons left over, so we get to keep enjoying it for many more meals  :)

He also had gotten me a great couple of gifts! He got me/us a humidifier, which we need desperately. We are both from really humid areas and can't stand this dry weather. And it's one that is also a cooler, so hopefully that will help me sleep at night!

 He also got me Alice in Wonderland in HD! I am SO excited! I love love loved that movie, and he hasn't even seen it yet so we'll have to watch it soon!

And Grant got me one of those head massages with the wire hands. They are amazing! And I used to have one but it's back in CT, so he got me a new one. (He probably did this so I wouldn't ask for so many head massages haha)

And lastly, he got me Rapid Lash! This expensive little product is magical. You put it on your eyelashes before you go to bed and after a couple of weeks your eyelashes grow in much much darker and thicker. I've now been using it for about 3 weeks and it has worked so well! Unfortunately I'm running out and Grant was really really kind to get me a new bottle! Not to mention he's the one that puts it on my eyelashes every night - talk about an act of service! He is really the best :)

And then after dinner we topped my birthday off with a huge bonfire up the canyon with all of my friends. Courtney and Kelli came along with Miranda and her boyfriend Daniel. And then Steve and Jessie, Lindsay, Ben, and Cory and Parker and some friends. It was so great! We has smores and Miranda made me cupcakes. She is the best!

So this year's birthday was amazing, mostly due to my amazing husband. For the longest time I had no idea we were even doing anything for my birthday - he completely kept me in the dark about all the plans for the dinner and bonfire, and like I already said the flowers/balloon/ and lunch was a complete surprise! He made my birthday so special, and I love him even more for that.

A Dedication to my Grandfather; Part III

This post is the last installment of a series of posts dedicated to my grandfather, the late Donald Lafayette Staheli. See here and here for parts I and II.

His funeral took place on Saturday, June 5th and it was really really special. Grant, Andrea, and I drove down as soon as we got off work and school on Friday afternoon. We drove straight to the funeral home, where the first viewing was. At the viewing we stood in line and greeted everyone who came through to pay their respects. It was really nice to meet all these people from my Grandpa's life. A lot of people were family and close friends, but there were also people who he had associated with in business, some he had lived down the street from when he was younger, some he had gone to college with, and some were just people he had really touched and influenced over his life.

My favorite part was the slideshow that my mom and aunts had put together. It was playing at the funeral home and I sat down and watched it for a long time. There were pictures from the time he was a little boy to the time he died, and all along the way were pictures of him with his family and friends, and my grandma. It was so sweet to see, and so sad. It really touched me and made me cry and cry and cry. But it's a good cry. We all miss him so much, and we are so sad he's gone but we'll see him again, and that's the best thing ever.

The next morning was the funeral and there was a viewing again in the morning. President Monson, Elder Ballard, and a couple men from the 70 came. It was so nice of them to come all the way down to St. George to honor my grandpa and President Monson said some really nice things at the viewing for just the family before the funeral. And then we went to the chapel for the actual service and both President Monson and Elder Ballard spoke. Elder Ballard and his wife were next door neighbors to my grandparents for so long so they really got to know him. He said some really funny things about my grandpa, and some really nice things too. He did such a great job.

President Monson talked about how my grandpa was always the one he would turn to if he needed help overseas in China. My grandpa had gained the trust of so many great men over there and he was more influential than anyone else for getting the church recognized in China. He also spoke about my Grandma a lot and how wonderful she is and how she's always been behind my Grandpa. He said one thing that was just so true. I wrote it down so I would have it word for word. He talked about how the work doesn't stop on the other side and he said, "Who do you think is teaching them? Don is just as busy as always. For it wouldn't be heaven for Don, if he wasn't working."

My mom, my Aunt Gaye, and my Aunt Kim also spoke. My mom gave the eulogy and did such an amazing job. She talked about all of his abundant accomplishments (including being the National FFA President at age 20 and meeting President Truman, being the adviser to the mayor of Shanghai, being old pals with incredibly famous people like Henry Kissinger and George Bush Senior, being on the education board at BYU-Hawaii, being the only non-family member to be the CEO of Continental Grain, being on a dozen different boards having to deal with international relations between the US and China, having a great deal to do with the international business program at BYU and now has an award named after him, etc.) The list goes on and on. He was incredible. My aunt Kim and Gaye both gave really great talks as well, the whole service was amazing.

Rod Hawes also spoke. He, as President Monson refers to him, is the "insurance guy" and he was great friends with my grandpa and his daughter Kimberly is one of my mom's best friends and her son, Matthew, is one of my best friends, and etc. We love their family, can you tell? He gave an amazing talk, speaking of my grandpa's ability to listen to others. He spoke about how my grandpa was an amazing business man, family man, and friend because he would listen, evaluate, and then speak. And with this approach he was able to gain people's trust and persuade them to see the right choice.

I so badly want to be like him! Going to his service and hearing all these men and women talk about his life from their perspectives just gave me so much motivational to better myself. I want so badly to be like my Grandpa and to leave such a legacy like he has.

Everything was perfect about his service. After everyone gave their talks, we went to the cemetery and my Uncle Todd dedicated the grave and all the grandchildren got to go up to the casket and place a rose on it and have our last few moments to say goodbye. And since my grandpa was in the military, they had a military procession, which is always the coolest.

It was a great weekend to see all my family, but also a really sad weekend because I really really miss my Grandpa. It still hasn't sunk in yet entirely. Half of me still expects to see him this summer up at his cabin fixing the fences and teaching us how to do it just right. But I'll just have to wait a little it longer than usual to see him, I guess.

Martha Stewart Junior?

I found this recipe online (thanks Martha!) and I thought it sounded delicious.

So of course I attempted it at home and even though I'd probably be embarrassed if Martha Stewart herself was to come to dinner and sample it, I think it still turned out pretty good!

Memorial Day Weekend

Grant and I have been gone every single weekend since we've been married except one, Memorial Day weekend. We spent ours outside in the sun and with friends. It was the best!

On Friday afternoon after we were both done with school and work, we ran some errands (almost forgetting Justin and Holly's present at the store) and came back and just relaxed at home. Then on Saturday we wanted to enjoy the nice weather so we went on a hike up Rock Canyon! Instead of following the trail, we decided to make our own path and scaled the side of the mountain up to this point:

It was beautiful! Grant didn't love having his picture taken, but I managed to get a few. (Notice the matching tank tops haha)

The only problem was getting down! It was easy to get up, but as soon as I looked down I started to feel a little less confident. So we found a different way and started back up on the normal trail. We only made it a little farther and decided to make our own way up the opposite mountain. We had to push through tons of small shrubs and trees, and only made it half way before decided it probably wasn't worth it to go all the way up, especially because it looked like it was about to rain! We stopped and got some great photos of the view though, and our matching tank tops :)

 

We jogged all the way back to our car, and loaded things up and headed out. We then stopped over at my Aunt Debbie's and chatted with her and my Uncle Bruce for an hour or two. After wards we went to my Granny's and spent some time with her, and grabbed the long table she was letting us borrow for our BBQ.

That night we went and played volleyball with Cory, Steve, Ben, Jamie and Nicole, Jordan, and some friends of our friends. It turned out to be really fun (though I don't contribute much). Then we ended the night watching The Bourne Identity at our place and eating home made ice cream!

Monday was our BBQ! We started at 3:30 and went until late late late. It was perfect. Grant & I made BBQ sandwiches, Preston & Lindsay brought drinks, Jamie & Nicole made potato salad, Steve & Jessie brought chips and dip, and Daniel & Natalie brought dessert! We had a feast and played a Badmitton tournament. Grant & I were up against Preston & Lindsay for the win, and unfortunately we didn't come out on top but still had tons of fun!

We all just hang out, played a game of croquet, and enjoyed the weather and day off! After we cleaned up, we headed over to Mckay's Shaved Ice shack and got more food :) Then we finished the night with The Bachelorette over at Steve & Jessie's place.

It was a perfect weekend!

Wish List

Being young married college students is tough - especially on our bank account. So all I can do is dream of the future when maybe I'll be able to afford these amazing things. Here's some items that I just can't get off my mind:

I am just so in love with Anthropologie. And my birthday is in 15 days, so maybe Grant will let me go shopping! That is very, very hopeful, and I should not get my hopes up. So for now, I'll keep dreaming. And pouring over beautiful catalogues at clothes I just can't afford.

A Dedication to my Grandfather; Part II

On Saturday, May 29, at 12:30pm my grandfather passed away. I wish I could have been there.

It's comforting to know, though, that he was with so many loved ones. My mom was down there with him along with my grandma and my aunts and uncles and my cousins. My mom said he went really peacefully and as selfish as it is that I still want him here, I'm so glad he's no longer suffering. Elder Holland came to visit my grandpa and he spoke to my family after he passed and answered some questions and really calmed everyone's spirits. He said some people have to suffer here on this life to come even closer to Christ - because it was Christ who ultimately suffered for all of us. And maybe my grandpa still had one more lesson to learn, and that's why he suffered - or maybe it was for someone who was there the whole time. We really won't know on this life, but there was a good reason as to why my grandpa had to endure the trials of the cancer.

It really was such a miracle that he was able to come to Grant and I's wedding. And not only did he just attend, he married us. He's the reason for a lot of things going the way they did in my life, and one of those is the fact that I'm married right now. Grant and I dated for a long time and my grandpa would always want to know about Grant every time I went to see him. He'd always sneak in the question: "Callie, are you still in love?" and I'd say "Yes! Grandpa, are you still in love?" And he'd look longfully at my grandma and say proudly, "Well, yes I am."

Side Note: I just loved how much my grandpa loved my grandma. As I've said before in an earlier post, they were more than just high school sweethearts. They grew up down the street from each other and my grandpa would always say that he loved my grandma for as long as he can remember, but she'd break up with him every now and then, whenever someone better came along. But she'd always come back to him in the end. And that is what mattered, he said.

So my grandpa would always take special interest in Grant and I's relationship - always asking me how it was going and how we felt about marriage. When Grant and I finally did talk about marriage, we were thinking far down the road like late July. But then we decided on a date in May (may 21st) and that was switched to April 23rd because of my grandpa. It really meant a lot to us to have him there, so we pushed up the wedding and planned everything around it.

He looked better that morning than I had seen him look in a long time. And just for us, he didn't take any pain medication because he didn't want to become loopy or stumble over his words. I can't believe all that he did for us and I'm so so grateful for him. Everyone was so grateful to have him back at the temple. All the temple workers absolutely loved having him and my grandma there - the president and matron back finally! And I could tell they loved it too. He made our ceremony in the temple the most special - better than I could have ever imagined. And what's more, he even came to our reception later on that night! I couldn't believe it! I know that took so much out of him. But it meant so much to have him there and get these great photos with him:

He is just the best grandfather. And I know that he is with the rest of his family that have already passed on, and he's perfect, and his main goal is to take care of his family who are still here on this Earth. I'm so glad I got to say goodbye to him. After the wedding, I went down to St. George 3 different times and the first two times I just saw him briefly, but on the third trip (which Andrea and I made) we stayed with him and we got to say goodbye. It was such a great goodbye too.

Andrea first hugged him and then I went in and said, "Grandpa it's Callie. Can I give you a hug?" And when I leaned over the bed where he was laying, he squeezed me back. And while we were hugging he was whispering things to me - I couldn't understand everything he was saying but I know they were such sweet things. I know he was telling me he loved me and he was hopeful that Grant would take care of me. I could hear little bits and pieces of his words, but the spirit I felt was so strong and I just know he was telling me he loved me too.

It was a great goodbye.

I also want to note that my grandpa, though stern and strict at times, also had a hidden sense of humor. During his last few months and battle with cancer, this really came out. A couple of things to remember:

- My grandma had to tie a string to her pencil and then tie the other end of that string to the desk. This was because every time my grandpa would sit in that chair, he'd steal her pencil. So my grandma finally figured out how to keep the pencil there, and away from him.

- When learning that my mom was coming to visit my grandpa said, "When is Shannon coming? She's the only one that isn't mean."

- But then once my mom got there and spent some time with my Grandpa, all he had to say was "She's the one that I can't get rid of."

- When Grant first met my Grandpa, my whole family went out to dinner and he sat across the table from Grant, yet insisted on interviewing Grant the entire time - making everyone else stop their conversations and listen. It was truly awkward at the moment, but looking back, it was pretty funny. Grandpa always interviewed people - it's just how he showed interest.

- When Elder Ballard brought over his old walker for my grandpa to use, my grandpa got up to try it out, and then tried running away with it!

- When Grant and I were first dating, my grandpa had a hard time remembering his name (which is normal, since he had never even met him) and instead he would just make up other names for him, calling him Bernard and Harold. Once my grandma asked, "Who is Bernard?" and he replied, "You know. Callie's guy."

- My cousin Tanner had a similar experience. Except my grandpa called Tanner's girlfriend, "Twilight".

- When he came to BYU-Hawaii to speak, we hung out all that day and then that night he wanted to take me to dinner and beforehand he drove me back to the Turtle Bay, where he was staying, and said "If you want to wait in the lobby quick, I'm going to run up and change into something more casual." When he came back he was wearing another suit! I said, "Grandpa? That's more casual?" And he replied, "Well yeah, it's grey."

- When all of his children were younger, he'd make them all wait at the top of the stairs on Christmas Day until he had showered, shaved, and changed into a suit before he let them go down to see their presents under the tree.

- When my Aunt Sharmaine and Uncle Rick were still dating, they went to Candlewood Lake with my Grandpa, who took out his boat for about the first time. He had never driven it before, and he really wanted to try it out. So they all got in the boat, and without telling anyone, my Grandpa gunned it and threw everyone back. Then when they got their footing in place, my grandpa insisted that something had fallen out of the boat. And everyone said, "No, Dad, nothing fell out." and he kept saying "Yes, something fell out." And everyone would say, "No, nothing fell out." So he finally admitted "Well, yes, something fell out, because it hit me in the head!" And then they figured out the buoys had flown up when he gunned it, and hit him in the head!

- When my cousin Zach went on a hike with my grandpa up to fix the fences around his cabin, my grandpa couldn't stop talking about these wild berries that were everywhere and how they mae his favorite jam. When they got done fiing the fence, my grandpa stopped and picked some berries, all the while saying how sweet there were. But when he put the berry into his mouth he made the biggest sour face Zach has ever seen and held it for several seconds. He then didn't want to talk about the berries for the rest of the hike.

- When my grandpa cut his finger one year, he called the doctor and the doctor asked, "How deep is the cut?" In order to reply, he got out a ruler, bent his finger over, and stuck the ruler in and measured. He then came back to the phone and said, "Well, I think it's to the bone." And then he drove himself to the hospital. 
 

There are so many great memories of him. And there's a lot of advice that everyone remembers because my grandpa was the best person to turn to for any type of advice. Here are just a couple of things to remember that were said from the family gathering.

- "No one looked better in a suit than Grandpa. It was like he was made to wear a suit."

- Grandpa always said, "If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right."

- Grandpa told my Dad once, "Don, I start everything I do, or my day, with a to-do list. I put "to-do" at the top and I start listing." He really simplified things. 

- My grandma said, "He lived that way. And he planned ahead. Even though he was so sick, he always said, "What's the schedule for tomorrow."

Though he's gone now, all the great memories and all the great work he has done will live on. His sacrifices and services will never be forgotten.