Dr. Tim Thayne Presents:
I want to tell you a story about a really cool guy, my dad. Growing up, he was just that, a dad. He taught me how to ride a bike, helped me with my math, wiped away my tears, and kicked my butt when I needed it. We had a lot of fun together. He was pretty soft spoken and gentle, but he was tough when he needed to be. He loved fart jokes, Harley Davidsons, stray animals, and peanuts. The ones in the salty shell and the dry roasted ones that come in a jar.
But before he was my dad, he was a rock star. He never made it famous, but he lived out his dream of playing in a band. He was the lead singer of a band called “4 Good Reasons.” They played at a bar in Vail, Colorado. He played the guitar and the mandolin and was the lead singer. He drove a gold Stingray Corvette. I can only imagine how cool he was. No wonder my mom was smitten by him!
Although I didn’t get to see my dad as a rock star, he brought music into my life. We grew up going camping in our green and white Nomad trailer and fishing in our little tin boat on the beautiful and pristine Fish Lake. Every night, without fail, we would sit around the campfire all snuggled up and my dad would play the guitar and we would all sing along. Our favorites were from John Denver, the Beatles, and Peter, Paul and Mary. I didn’t know any different and I just thought everyone did that. My favorite song of all time was “Back Home Again,” by John Denver. “Hey it’s good to be back home again, sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend.”
As I grew up and got married, my dad’s health started to deteriorate. He continued to play the guitar and sing for us every chance we had. We still tried to go camping and share the campfire experiences with our own kids. My older brother inherited my dad’s talent of singing and playing the guitar, so they would often sing together and we would all join in. This became so special to all of our family. We would gather around on Christmas Eve when we were all together and have a singalong.
My dad’s health continued to get worse. He was diabetic and often his blood sugar would drop so low in the middle of the night that he would have to be rushed to the hospital. He would spend a few days in the ICU until he was able to come back home again. This continued to become more and more frequent, and combined with other health issues, he was losing his strength and will.
One night it got really bad. My mom called me in the middle of the night and I rushed over. He was really sick and could hardly get out of bed to go to the bathroom. We knew he needed to get to the hospital immediately or he wouldn’t make it. We kept begging him to try and get up with our help, and he just shook his head. He looked at me and pointed toward heaven. I said, “Dad, do you want to go home?” and he gave me a nod. As hard as it was for us to accept, we knew this was his time.
We called hospice and they came right away and set up a hospital bed right in his bedroom. I dressed the bed carefully and lovingly with Harley Davidson sheets and we got him all comfortable and situated. My whole family came and gathered around his bedside. And I’m sure you can imagine the scene. My brother pulled out his guitar and we started our campfire sing along. We all joined in singing, “Back Home Again”:
“It’s the sweetest thing I know of, just spending time with you
It’s the little things that make a house a home
Like a fire softly burning and supper on the stove
The light in your eyes that makes me warm.”
We were all together that night as my dad went “home.” We didn’t have a spectacular life, but we had all the little things that matter most. And to us, our dad was a rock star.
I was cleaning my car just the other day, and I found a jar of dry roasted peanuts under the seat from our last road trip, my dad’s favorites. I was famished so I popped it open and started eating them. All of a sudden I had this overwhelming feeling of my dad being right there with me. So we ate peanuts together and chatted about life. I know he’s back home again, but I know he’s watching over me and my family until we meet again.
– Jeanette Pixton
Jeanette Pixton and her husband Todd are the proud parents of four amazing children. They enjoy spending time together at Lake Powell and Island Park, where they try to incorporate singing around the campfire every chance they get.
Dr. Tim Thayne Presents:
Mike is one of those brilliant, self-taught, back end developers that you always hear about. As a youth he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what . . .” When he isn’t cranking out new code, Mike keeps up on the newest technologies and every Tuesday and Thursday nights he trains SpeedSoft with his team.
Rafael has his degree in Marketing and Advertising and years of experience with our dev team. As a teen he could trust that “The most important thing in life is love, and the most valuable things are our family and friends.” When he isn’t working on making the website and mobile versions of Trustyy seamless and functional, he unwinds by exploring nature. His favorite activities are climbing mountains, camping, going to the beach, swimming, playing the harmonica and always learning new things.
Afton’s experience is in marketing and bookkeeping. As a teen she could trust that with her parents “Feeding the horses and milking the cow each day before school–not after–was a must.” When she isn’t busy with keeping Trustyy’s lights on, you’ll usually find her baking up a new treat or working on a sewing project.
Nicoli has a degree in Multimedia Production. She has worked with our team of developers for three years. She learned to trust her own parents when they taught her “Things won’t come easy and that working hard will bring me great blessings!” When she isn’t putting together beautiful marketing pieces for the Trustyy App she likes to take pictures, play the guitar, piano, and drums, and meet up with her family to laugh over the silly things they did as kids.
Adriano is certified in Analysis and Systems Development. In his family he could trust the fact that “One difficult experience teaches me that failure is not the end, but rather an opportunity for growth and learning.” When he is away from his work in making sure the Trustyy App buttons and bells and whistles are working properly, he likes to go to the gym, to the beach to surf, on walks with his dog, or go out with his girlfriend.
Lucas’s work experience is in User Experience, Interface Design and Product Management. As a teen he could trust that “In my home honesty was highly valued and lying was not tolerated.” When he isn’t at work making sure the Trustyy App is easy on the eyes, Lucas likes hiking, gaming, going out for dinner, and spending time with family.
Cadu has his education in Analysis and System Development. While growing up he could always trust that “My parents would be there to support from playing soccer at the park to learning to ride a bike.” When he isn’t making sure things are easily navigated for our Trustyy App users, he likes to play beach soccer and enjoy music of any type, but specifically rock, country, R&B, and pop.
Mike is one of those brilliant, self-taught, back-end developers that you always hear about. As a youth he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what.” When he isn’t cranking out new code, Mike keeps up on the newest technologies and every Tuesday and Thursday nights he trains SpeedSoft with his team.
Roxanne received her bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education. She has worked in publishing and marketing for the past 14 years. In her family Roxanne says she could trust that “Her grammar and posture would be consistently corrected, to help her to become a lady.” When she isn’t busy writing and beautifying things for the Trustyy App, you can find her reading biographies, practicing yoga, or gathering the family to talk business, celebrate wins or just plain hang out.
Sidney has a bachelor’s degree in Web Development and has worked in technology for 16 years, building apps for the last 10 years. Growing up he could trust that “It was always expected that I would fix anything related to technology.” When he isn’t managing the development of the Trustyy App, you will find him spending time with his wife and kids. He loves to make Brazillian BBQ with his family.
Jim has a degree in Design and over 25 years of experience creating SaaS products and managing talented product and development teams. In his years at home as the oldest of five he could trust that “Each child got a weekly ‘night-up’ where we got to stay up late with a parent and do anything we wanted with them.” When he isn’t looking 10 miles down the road for what will come next on the Trustyy App, you will find Jim canyoneering, doing photography, watercolor painting, or keeping up on the latest gadgets and technologies.
Eric earned his degree in Communications, Public Relations and Advertising, then added on an MBA. He says he could trust that “His parents were honest people who kept their commitments–especially to their kids.” When Eric isn’t keeping everyone at Trustyy on task, he is an outdoor enthusiast, year around, rain or shine, cold or hot, with biking in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Tim earned masters and doctoral degrees in Marriage and Family Therapy, and has 30 years of experience working with families. While growing up Tim says he could trust that “My mother would love me no matter what, and that my dad would require that I respect my mother.” When he isn’t busy guiding the vision for the Trustyy App, you can find Tim working around the house and yard, taking care of his sheep, dogs and horses, or enjoying a game of Corn Hole with the family.
