I have been blessed with six lovely nieces. Over the years we’ve kept track of them, rejoiced at their weddings, celebrated at the birth of their children and prayed for them in their times of need. One of the blessings of my recent trip to Vermont was being able to spend time with three of them and getting to know them on a whole new level!
First there was Heather, Elna’s oldest daughter –

Let’s face it – 20 hours on the road and sharing a Econo-lodge double room sets the stage for a fair bit of conversation.

Since Heather was the driver (and bless her heart, she did ALL the driving), I figured it was my job to keep the stories coming, right? There were historical stories (about her grandparents and great grandparents), there were travel stories (yes, I have a few of those), there were family stories (we do have a fair number of family members in common), and there were sister stories (her sister, my sisters – whatever!). We didn’t come close to solving the problems of the world, but we did share our hearts as she kept the pedal to the metal (within the speed limit of course!) heading north. I think one of the reasons we kept up the steady stream of stories was because when we paused we would remember just why we were in that little Honda for hours on end. It was easier to keep talking than to focus on the unknowns ahead.
Heather, that was a very long road trip we shared – and I’ll be treasuring each mile for a long while to come.

Then there was Chris, daughter #2 from the Fitzpatrick clan.

Chris moved to Bradford (the same town where Elna & Henry live) last summer after she took a job at Dartmouth. She not only shared her lovely guest room with me,

but she fed me, loaned me her car, supplied me with all sorts of winter gear and even convinced me to hike into the cabin after a fresh snow!



It was a grand and beautiful day and a totally unexpected addition to this little Vermont jaunt.
Chris – Your hospitality was stellar! We are all so thankful you are close by Elna – and that you loves her so!

And then there was Bethany – Daughter #2 of Elna & Henry.

Bethany, her dear hubby and two sweet little boys live in Utah, and she had flown in for the weekend. Given the limited visitor schedule, I didn’t get a lot of visiting time with Beth over the weekend (her first priority was time with Elna of course). However, since I was trying to figure out just how and when I was going to get back Florida and she was flying home on Monday, it seemed that a plan which involved getting to an airport via Beth was a good plan indeed. Thanks to some travel agent-type magic, Chris found me a flight out of the same airport, on the same airline, on the same day and virtually at the same time. Once again, God had worked out those details.

And since the airport in question was JFK in New York City – it was another road trip in the making! We didn’t have as much time together as Heather and I, but it was still precious heart-sharing time.
Bethany – I was honored to share the time with you!

And so I could see God’s hand even in the uncertainty of those Vermont days.  He was holding us close – and we could feel it in every hug we shared.

This past Sunday two of those nieces (along with several other family members) gathered at Elna’s for a big family visit. It might’ve been exhausting, but judging by the look on her face – it was well worth it!

Thank you for your prayers for Elna and our family. They have been appreciated – and felt!

PS – the header picture is from 2003. I can’t remember how we got all those girl cousins (except Sydney who was only 13) to our house but love this sweet memory. For those of you who know us  – L-R: Hannah, Heather, Lara, Chris, Abby, and Bethany =)

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