Our Vermont Family

I am fully aware that this post may not be of interest to most of you who are following our journey to Albania.  In fact, I think there are really only three people in Green Valley that this was really written for... so, you have my permission (not that you needed it) to click the little red "X" at the top of your window. 

If you're still with me, I'm proud to share photos of our time with my sister's family, who graciously welcomed us into their cozy, pre-Revolutionary-war farm cottage on a mountainside above Bridgewater Corners, Vermont.  I know, it sounds like a place from a picture book.  Sadly, I did not get many photos of the beautiful countryside.  I guess I'm just going to have to come back for that!

Jenny & Seth, Pippa and Tua

Look!  Winnie made it up the mountain!

Unusually warm weather meant meals outdoors!

Probably a safer slide?

It broke 70 degrees Fahrenheit so my nieces broke out ... the sprinkler!  Reni couldn't wait for me to pull out the swim bag so he started donning his cousins' clothes... Yeah, it was kind of tough at times to be the only boy!

Reni had a blast juicing some oranges

Several years ago we picked up a National Park Service passport book for Ellie where she could collect stamps from every national park we would visit.  The only national park in the state of Vermont happens to be about 20 minutes down the road from Bridgewater, and in spite of it not yet being open for the season yet to the public, we were able to get it stamped 'cause we have connections, don't you know.

My sister has worked here for over ten years and is now employed as a budget analyst. Knowing her frugality, I wish she was a budget analyst for some gov't budgets a bit larger than just her park's! ;-)

If you are interested in learning more about this park, click here.  It's named after three former residents of the property which shared common values of stewardship and conservation, pioneering principles such as re-forestation and scientific farm management.

These two share a common interest in all things fashionable and cool

A final quick snap out the window as we pulled away