above it all by katrina berg, 11×14 oil on cradled masonite, SOLD

Freshman year away at BYU was an unforgettable year.  I met amazing friends that have stayed close through the years.  One of those special friends was Phil Jimenez.  He still manages to flawlessly keep tabs on everyone.  That year, we managed to play several pranks on our guy friends and of course received some good retaliation.  Too many good stories to mention here, but Phil single-handedly got Nance convinced that she had an admirer.  The prank went on for weeks and I shamelessly assisted all that I could.  Of course Nance was a wonderful sport and Phil and I became fast friends.

That year I had a crazy mattress that completely sunk in the middle.  After a couple sleepless nights, a terrible back ache, and vainless appeals to our headmistress, I gave up and spent the rest of the year sleeping on the floor.  My roomie Amos was the real trooper allowing me to sleep in the only vacant floor space between our two beds.  This however turned out to be a quite gratuitous as we had a “guest bed”.  Whenever any of our friends had younger sisters in town, they got to stay in “the guest bed”.

And that’s how I met Phil’s sister Lisa.  Lisa is one of those creative, positive, and beautiful people that simply make you smile.  She is quick and witty and a whole lotta fun.  Whenever I’d run into her on campus, she’d have something exciting up her sleeve.  Today it is no different.  She is involved with an amazing dance group who bring beauty wherever they go.  Lisa commissioned this painting for her husband’s Christmas gift.  It is his beautiful cabin in Timberlakes {above Heber City}.   I’ve put off posting this for fear of spoiling a Christmas surprise.  Nothing is secret these days!  Hope it reminds you both of many wonderful memories spent above it all! ~ katrina