Christina's visit

Last week my sister Christina came for a visit. Being the great hostess I am...I promptly put her to work! Actually, the plan had been to sit on the couch and watch as much Olympic coverage as possible. However, due to a delay in getting into the new school, I was in desperate need of extra hands to help with setup. She cheerfully cleaned and organized and it was exactly what I needed! Thanks Christina, you rock!

The whole classroom in splendid disarray.

Christina sorted the books into such a cute circle.
Then she cleaned the bins and stacked them in a pyramid.

The finished classroom library area!
There is still a ton of setup left to do, but this was a huge task to be able to check off.

The Upstairs

I had a difficult time figuring out how best to show off the new upstairs... Finally, I decided to stand in the middle of the house and take a 360 degree view. For those of you who've been here before, I've started you off in the front of the house on the driveway side. Also, you can see the stairs on the far side of the first picture. Hope you can visualize...if you can't, hope you'll be over to check it out sometime. =)

Front bedroom. Stairwell on right side.

Second front bedroom. Linen closet.

Office nook. (Sorry, wasn't paying attention when I was taking this picture and the auto-features based it's setting from the very bright window... There's only so much Photoshop can do to correct that!)

Master bedroom. (Please notice the lovely tray ceiling. I love it!)

The master bath and the other full bath we're adding upstairs.

The other bath and the hallway to the stairs.
Which completes the rotation and my tour!

Stairs

I'll never forget how excited I was back in June, when one of the contractors heard me come home from school and stuck his head out the upstairs window to inform me that we had a stairway. I threw down my school bag and ran up those steps for my first glimpse at the second story. It was amazing.

The new steps. (Located on the driveway side of the house.)

A quick 'sneak peak' from the top of the stairs. Will post in more detail soon.

One month...and life carries on

It is hard to believe that only a month has passed, it feels like I've aged a lifetime...and yet, I'm also amazed at how much has changed. It seemed like everything stopped for me on July 10th, but now I look around and see that life does carry on, whether you pay attention or not. Slowly I've started living my life again, figuring out my place and future in this new life. I feel a bit like a groundhog, peeping out and scurrying underground again at the sight of my own shadow. I take comfort (and gain strength) in something written by a friend from school, "Know that life continues on and you are stronger because you have experienced unconditional love."

Speaking of messages from friends, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone. From food to kind words to the space given to grieve, nothing has gone unnoticed or unappreciated. I felt supported and loved, and that has helped me to realize that life isn't over. There are people out there who love me and so I can't just give up and sit in a dark room and cry for the rest of my life. So, thank you...two small words trying to contain my heartfelt appreciation for encircling me with love and support in my worst moments.

One of the biggest, most in my face, changes this past month has been the progress on our house. When I was finally able to pick up my camera again, I took a bunch of shots of this progress. My aim is to start sharing with the world again, and I think this is a good safe topic. Hopefully I don't bore you all too much...

The new exterior, all sided and complete with porch.

And a Waltham memorial...
Written above the window in what should have been their nursery:

Although you never came home to this nursery
We hope your spirits will reside here as well as in our hearts
Look after those who live here as we remember and love you always