Bedroom Remodel

We have done a little spiffing up in our bedroom. My grandmother had some old dressers and a vanity that we got refinished. I'm really digging the painted furniture look, so first I found some fabric I liked for some drapes. Our friend Rachael whipped those up for us. Then we decided to paint the vanity yellow. The dressers just got a fresh coat of stain in a dark chocolate. Now I need to find some new pillows, a bedspread, and some accessories for the walls. It is still a work in progress.

This is the vanity before. It had a reddish cherry wood look.

This is the vanity now...I still need to recover the seat.

Dresser before

Dresser after...an espresso colored stain.

*Magical Trip*

On June 20th, our family took a trip to Disneyworld in Orlando. My mom has always dreamed of taking the grandchildren there, so we made the decision to do it about a month ago. There were eight of us including my brother's family and kids, my family, and my mother. We stayed at Saratoga Resort and Spa, which is a Disney Resort hotel. The resort was HUGE. It sits on 65 acres. Our particular building was near Downtown Disney (we could walk there in 5 minutes.) That turned out to be pretty convenient for dinner, since we were on the Disney Dining Plan. Our group did mostly little boy things since we had a 6-year-old, a 4-year-old, and a 3-year-old. We got help planning the trip from Cindy Miner, who is a Disney guru from Little Rock. She helped us with things like booking our dinner/lunch reservations, giving us directions on which lines to get in first and so forth. I highly recommend her services if you are planning a Disney vacation. She has made Disney her life and visits the parks about 10 times per year. She really knows what she is doing. I also recommend downloading an app that gives you wait times on rides. It will save you alot of walking. I got one that is called "Undercover Tourist: Disney World." This one includes maps of all four parks along with wait times and a GPS locator, cuz it's always good to know where you are. ;-)

Henry on the Carousel at Downtown Disney

First day: Magic Kingdom

Henry's absolute fav: Star Tours at Hollywood Studios

The wrath of tropical storm Debby--it rained ALL day on Sunday for Hollywood Studios

Character lunch at Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom

Dinner on the first night at Whispering Canyon Cafe--If you ask for ketsup, you GET KETSUP!

Henry after Day 1: Asleep in the stroller

My mom and I on "It's a Small World"

Henry on "It's a Small World"

Karin and Solveig on Main Street

Watching Chip and Dale at the hotel lobby

Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom

Eulogy

I think of my dad many times each day and it is still hard for me to believe that he is gone. Here is the eulogy that I gave at his memorial service:

Many of the qualities and traits that I possess, I feel I inherited from my dad: I am an early riser, I enjoy reading fantasy and science fiction, I love history, sports and travel, & I enjoy friends and family, as did he. But how do you sum up a lifetime? How do you do justice to someone that has been so many things to so many people? This is a question that I have struggled with over the course of the past week. I don't have the answer, but I want to share with you three things I've learned through his example: These things he learned from his parents, Billie and Blake.

1. Enjoy life and follow your hearts' desire. When Erik and I were small, we looked forward to “foot rides” when Dad got home from work. We would wrap our arms and legs around his legs, and sit down on his feet. He would walk us around the house, one on each foot. That is an example of enjoying life, little by little, day by day. Dad loved the Razorbacks and attended more Razorback events than anyone I know. Many of you here have listened to, watched or attended games, bowls, and tournaments in sometimes faraway places with him. He passed this love on to his grandsons, who all learned to “call the hogs” very early in life. Those are some of the best times; memories we will always cherish. He also loved history and travel. He taught us to be open to new experiences and see the world through others' eyes. With him, we traveled to places like Portugal, Finland, Canada, Mexico, and of course, Sweden. And what child can say they visited Russia during the height of the Cold War? Dad, you gave us these experiences. He told me many times that he wanted me to get a college education, but he didn’t care what the degree was in. He knew that whatever I chose, it would need to be something I was passionate about. He wanted me to follow my own course, and that only a course of my own choosing could lead to happiness. I was so touched when I learned that he cried during my wedding ceremony. I know he enjoyed that day as much as I did. Over the course of the past week, I have had the desire to freeze time. Each day that slips by is a day that further separates me from him, but dad would not want this. So to honor him we all must enjoy life and follow our hearts' desire as he did.

 2. Be dependable and resolute. Those of you that knew my dad well knew that he was a very dependable person. He was more than punctual, he was early. We all knew that when Dad said 5:00, he really meant 4:30 or 4:45. This may seem trivial, but not when it is applied to all aspects of life, as he did. You could always count on Brent to get things done. He was always there at the appointed time and place, (and he had probably been waiting there for quite some time by the time others arrived). Being resolute can be construed as a positive or a negative quality. I know, because I have inherited this quality from him. But being resolute can mean being determined and steadfast. These qualities, I am sure, are what carried him so far in his professional career. He never gave up on the things and people he believed in.

3. Be Loyal Dad was a loyal in so many ways. He was loyal to his beliefs, his country, he was a loyal husband and father, and a loyal friend. For example, Dad believed in buying American. He always had an American-made car. It was just a principle that he had. He didn't try to convince others to do the same. In addition to his loyalty to American-made cars, dad was loyal to his family. Though their health was sometimes failing, he cared for his mother, Billie, and his wife, Solveig. The past few years have been difficult, but Dad wanted to be there for both of them, taking them to appointments and checking on them daily. On the morning after my mother's cancer diagnosis one year ago, he and I were up early discussing how much Solveig meant to both of us. We both cried that morning, and developed our plan of attack on her cancer. He said to me on that morning, “She does so much for everyone.” And she does. Dad told me that morning that he did not know how he could survive without her. He never had to. She was with him throughout his life, for almost 42 years, to the end.

So follow Brent's lead; These are lessons that he taught us all: Enjoy life and follow your hearts' desire, Be dependable and resolute, and be loyal. I know that Dad loved us all, and I love you too, Dad.

I want to close with the reading of some scriptures:

Psalm 61: 1-4 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

And from Isaiah 61: 1-3 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the oppressed. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and to open the prison to those that are bound, To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes of sorrow, The oil of gladness instead of tears of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called trees of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Two Shores

I am standing on the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and the sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, "There, she's gone."

Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spars as when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living freight to their place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at that moment when someone at my side says, "There, she's gone," there are other eyes that are watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "There she comes!"

~Anonymous

Rough Week

Dad fell a week ago Sunday and it has been a rough week on all of us. If you would like an update or more information you can check my mother's care page. I just posted more details there.
Go to: carepages.com and search "Solveig." You will need to sign in using an email account.

Wish List

Henry's wish list keeps changing. When he visited with Santa he told him he wanted a frog that blew bubbles for the bathtub. I had no idea what he was talking about, but Henry assured me that Santa has "all the toys." Later I found out it was from a Curious George video. Luckily, Henry is the type of kid that would be happy with anything.

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. I think it is because it's relatively stress-free compared with Christmas and I get to hang out with my most favorite people in the world. It also happens to coincide with the most exciting time of football season.

My mom's cake. It's so pretty I had to take a picture.

Erik, my brother, and his family.

Chad and my cousins Jay & Blake Berry.

(I took a picture of my mom and dad too, but it didn't turn out. That's why you should always take two!)

This year Chad and I hosted. There were 13 of us and everybody brought something, so it wasn't too difficult to pull together. I am so thankful for many things this year, but most of all I am thankful that we were able to spend it with my parents. Both of them have battled cancer and other health issues this year. Here are some other things that I am thankful for:

1. Chad's thoughtfulness- He kept my nephew last weekend so Karin could pack her house and Erik and I could go to the Little Rock game child-free.
2. Henry's hug-ability - He is a sweet little angel.
3. Grandma's wisdom - She is 90 and has her ups and downs, but she has helped me tremendously in dealing with my mother's cancer.
4. My co-workers who always have my back.
   
5. Some of the most dedicated, creative students I have had in years.
6. My extended family and friends.
   
7. Arsaga's coffee, iPhones, Bobby Petrino, dark chocolate, a fire in the chimney, and two terrier mutts.