Better get started

on getting caught up before another week gets away from me! So I’ll start with my trip to PA, two weekends ago!

The reason for my trip north was to attend the funeral of my dear friend Connie. That day was special beyond words. Reconnecting with old friends who also loved Connie, hugging and weeping with her beautiful daughters, remembering and reflecting on what a Godly, gracious, and very fun friend she was – well, those moments were priceless. I’m so very thankful I was able to be there. Too much hugging for pictures – they are all just beautiful memories.

But to make that part of the weekend work, I needed to solicit the help of my sister and her daughter, Abby. (Airport pick-ups and drop-offs, accommodations, driving me about – you know, that kind of stuff!)
Such a fun way to start the visit – here’s Joie with three of her grands-

and Fitz with the littlest one.

It was a lovely start to the weekend!
Once we made it to Joie’s we got to work sorting through our Mom’s hope chest and a variety of other family history items.

Look at this cute little family!

Awww…
At the bottom of that trunk was this doll –

dressed in a replica of my mother’s dress from her 1947 wedding.

How very special! But what to do with it?? The doll was in some disrepair – the head showed some previous repair work and was no longer attached (but the eyes still worked!) and the legs and arms were quite cracked.
We’re hoping to put the dress along with a photo or two into a shadow box and maybe someone from the next generation will be interested in it. But right now we’re looking for a home for the doll. The one doll hospital I contacted said they already had plenty of these dolls (apparently she’s an early ‘Patsy Effanbee” doll). So we’re still on the lookout for someone to care for her! (Let me know in the comments if you’re interested or know someone who might be!)
It was a wonderful weekend! Another set of Joie’s kids came by on Sunday, and then on Monday we were on our way back towards Abby’s for my early Tuesday return to Tampa. Being able to sneak in some unexpected sister time this winter was a huge blessing.