Our School Room - Part 2

I think I'm finally happy with the school room. YAY! All that's missing is a white board which will go on the empty wall in picture below.

Preschool Charts and our map of the United States. The yellow tote holds frequently used supplies such as pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue, scissors and rulers. The table is our old kitchen table and the chairs are from IKEA

Here's a view of the closet that holds a dresser with our extra craft and misc. supplies and a little desk with our pet hamster Squishy. Then there's the circle time area for preschool with Aurora.

Of course we have to double up and use this room as a guest room as well, especially since we have a variety of people spending the night at least 2-3 times each month. The bed doubles as a reading area. I still need some art for the wall.

Here' are our bookcases with leveled readers, educational books that go with our curriculum  and manipulative's, as well as out nature shelf to display the things we find on our days out.

One Year Ago...

...today my Mother's body left this world and her Spirit moved on. It's times like this that I really appreciate the Atonement and I'm so glad that I have the knowledge that I will see her again.

I went months without dreaming about her but in January of this year the dreams started and they pick up right where the last one left off, It has brought me so much comfort. The last year has been the most difficult time of my life, but I am happy to report that I have come a very long way in the last month and I look forward to what my future holds. I know that my Mom is here with me, cheering me on and comforting me and my family.

{this was taken 9 days before her death}

I am grateful for the example she set and while it is almost impossible to live up to, I am doing my best to make her proud. A few weeks after her passing I received a letter from her dear friends Terry and Belann Earley which said:

Joseph Smith said that women generally have by nature, generosity and largeness of soul. That is what I think when I consider my time with Maxine. She is the acme of that characterization.

I think of my 3 oldest girls who still, after 15 years have (and use) the quilts that Maxine tied for them when they were married.

I think of Kira, whose first car immediately blew its radiator, so Maxine and Sid quietly arranged for a replacement when we could not.

I think of the many times she would not come out of the kitchen to be recognized, but would work herself to exhaustion serving and cleaning up at countless events. Her car was always the first at the kitchen door and the last to leave.

I remember two daughters, sharing a wedding reception when we had no funds at all to pay, Maxine stretching our meager $700 to make it a memorable affair. Those decorations had been used dozens of times before and dozens of times since.

I remember that every single conversation we had when she served as our ward Relief Society president ended with her question, “Now Bishop, what can I do for you?”

As I sat through her services Monday, I looked around and realized that every single person in that room had been served in some way by her. That is why they were all there, to honor her.

How can a family or a ward replace such a woman? I am afraid we cannot. She is truly one in a million. The question is, could we be just a little more untiring as servants to others because she touched our lives?

Finally, when I read Revelation 7:13-17, I always think of my friend, Maxine, who now serves on the other side of the veil as her Savior smiles on her continuing efforts.

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.  

We have a lot planned today to honor her and I'll post pictures later.

Our School Room - Part 1

We recently got our school room partially finished. It is by no means complete and I'm sure it will evolve a lot in the coming months.

The Social Studies wall

 The Preschool wall



 The work table

 The reading nook/guest bed

Book cases with books, supplies and nature display



School Room Prep - IKEA sytle

We are busy prepping for school and so to mentally prepare myself I went to IKEA for some inspiration and came home with some great items to get me started.

 I picked up some of these chair pads and this hot pink and a bright blue

I am in love with these chairs and they fold for flat storage when we have company since our school room is also our guest room.

And of course no school room is complete without an easel.

I am still getting everything together and when it's all done I'll share the pictures.