Saying Goodbye to the Year 2008

2008 was a year filled with joy and sadness.

After ending 2007 with a wonderful Christmas in Norway we returned to spend a quite New Years Eve at home.

It was a warm winter without any large snowfalls, which suited me fine, but left the kids without a big season of sledding and skiing. This also meant that there was less shoveling and backache for the adults (read me). Mormor bought the kids skates for Christmas and we had several trips to the local ice skating rink. Thankfully only bruises and no broken bones.

February was a great time for the mother of the house, a new 24” imac joined our family. This was after months of wanting to throw the 9 year old pc out the window, at several occasions. It took a little getting used to, but we have adjusted to the new software.

The spring was spent preparing for Britt’s First Communion. Trying to decide the day of the big date, depended on the aspargus season ( in Norway), my mothers health and the other families at the church. As any person preparing to have a party at their house would do, Brian decided that he did not want the weeds in the front yard. So he killed the entire lawn, 3 weeks before the big day. I was very happy to have my father here to help us turn the dirt and help us plant the new grass. The lawn looked great 2 weeks after the party.

My parents and brother and his family were able to make the trip and we were very excited about it. My nieces were able to join the girls at Coopertown Elementary and had fun seeing how school is “over there.” We took a few day trips with the family and spent 2 nights in Washington DC. We visited almost every possible tourist spot in the DC area. While Brian and the gang went back to the hotel after walking all day, my mother and I spent more time walking around where I took more photographs. I wanted to take a taxi home and my mother said “it is ONLY 20 blocks, we ended up walking.

Britt’s First Communion was very special. She had her hair done at the hair dresser and looked do grown up. She was not to happy about the little photo shoot I dragged her on, but it was well worth it. Brian’s brother Craig and his family as well as Cathy came in from San Diego for the event. She wanted to get a lab top computer and was very happy when somebody handed her an envelope.

Ever since my mother found out she had ovarian cancer, 7 years ago, I spoke on the phone with her every day. Knowing that she had cancer has been tucked bank in my mind, as May approached, I could hear in her voice that things were not as usual. My father took sick leave from the hospital and stayed home until his vacation started.

Brian and his college buddies planed a weekend in Providence, without their wives and kids. Brian had helped plan this for months and was excited for a weekend of golf and “reading.” Well, being the best wife ever, I put a stopper to his plans. I ended up in the ER the night before he was leaving with shoulder pain. After having received more painkillers that could kill a cow, he decided to stay home to take care of me and the kids. So obviously I still owe him big time (added by Brian)

As tradition is, the girls and I headed home to Norway as soon as school was out. My parents met us at the airport, and my mom looked a little skinny, but otherwise “healthy.” As I did the summer before, I worked at a local restaurant. My mother being herself, pushed me to work as much as possible. A few weeks into our stay my mother went for her weekly checkup at the hospital and they wanted to keep her to give her more fluids. She had a blood clot and the change in her, was dramatic. She had decided to spend her last days at home and we had a hospital bed and other equipment delivered to the house. She was welcomed home with a sign, fresh flowers from the garden and snacks at a table next to her bed, all made by the grandchildren.

My brother, Trond came home from Oslo, ad his family came the week after. They rented a vacation house with a pool, where my girls loved to spend time with their cousins. Even if it was a sad time, it was nice to have all the family around at this time. Unfortunately, Trond’s mother in law passed when they were in Mandal. She had been sick for several years and it was not a surprise. My mother died three days later, July 31, 2008 with all her family by her side.

A few night before she died, I sent the girls downstairs to say good night and good buy to MorMor and Kristin said she did not want her to go to heaven yet, she laughs and said she did not think it was going to be yet. They went back upstairs and then they came back downstairs with a little basket and a letter Britt wrote. This is what the note said

“MorMor,
Mormor you were a very great mormor. I want you to stay down here not up there in heaven. But if you do I will really really miss you SO much. Well Kristin will miss you to so much to. But anyway, me and Kristin made you something.
Love
Britt & Kristin”

They had made an envelope and put Norwegian and American coins in it so she could buy coffee for Brian’s grandmother and herself when she arrived in heaven. She loved coffee.

The funeral was very nice and very sad. I want to thank my aunt Astrid and my sister in laws for taking the girls, so I could spend time with my mother, in her last weeks.

We were home long enough to help my father clean out some of my mothers clothes and belongings, so he would not have to do it on his own. Driving to the airport was an unreal event knowing I would never see my mother again.

The kids are dealing with her death well and were happy to start school in the fall. Both Britt and Kristin played soccer in the fall. It was amazing to see Britt’s soccer team starting to play like a team and not 12 kids trying to kick the ball at the same time.

In the end of September about 40 photographers that I have met on a photography forum met in Beckley WV. It was a great weekend, where I got the opportunity to meet friends and do a lot of shooting. As usual as a great wife this trip put a stop to Brian playing golf with some of his buddies at an exclusive club that most golfers consider one of the best courses anywhere.(Metedekonk National C.C.)

Two weeks later I went to the PhotoPlus convention in New York City and was again meet a group of photographer from the same forum and enjoy a few hours on a private boat trip on the Hudson River. The trip was sponsored by Mpix, Popular Photographer magazine and American Photo Magazine. They asked us to submit our photographs from the rip and one of my photographs was chosen to appear in the January issue of the magazines.

As we have the past few years we had our family over for Thanksgiving. It was overall a success, except when they all came wearing their World Champs Phillies shirts. After Brian and his cousins had been texting back and fourth throughout the baseball season, Brian saw it coming and hung the Giants jersey in the dining room.

Early in December we spent the weekend in NJ, with the family. Craig and family were in town for the annual Christmas party and Cathy and Jason came in from California as well. It was the first time we met Jason and we hope we did not scare him away.

Christmas was spent in Morristown with the in-laws. Not thinking that Morristown is north of here, we let the kids were sneakers and crocks. When we came to NJ I remembered that they had snow the week earlier. So, the kids wanted to go out and play, but couldn’t.. Sorry kids. The big gift this year was a Wii. The kids (including Brian) has spent their fair time in front of the TV playing their new games. I just want them to remember to wear their wrist band, so they do not break the TV. So far, so good.

So, here we have reached the last day of the year and it is cold and windy. They just said it is the 7th coldest New Years Eve in 100 years. So, we will not be heading downtown for the fireworks tonight. As long as the TV is not broken by a Wii remote, we will be watching it in front of the fireplace.

We hope you all had a great 2008, and wish all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2009!