Spending SIX days in the car--to spend SIX days in Vermont

Fifteen hours after we arrived in Rapid City, we loaded up our car for a 3700 mile road trip. It was an official celebration to the end of Jason's job hunt & the last 3 years of working toward his career change.

We stayed with friends along the way and although there were definitely some tense moments in the car with the kids, overall they did really well. All things considered -- they were only strapped into their car seats for nearly 60 hours, poor things!

We were fortunate to be able to stay the whole week at our beloved Forest Echo Farm (FEF)-- where we previously lived as caretakers for two years. It was a joy to re-introduce Luke to his very first home and we were so happy to be back at that special place. We had wondered if we remembered Vermont and Forest Echo as better than they actually were ... we definitely did not!

We stayed in the Ripley Hill cabin -- complete with wonderful sleeping porch, views of the farm pond & a kybo (outhouse)!

We arrived at nearly midnight to an unbelievable display of heavenly beauty - the stars were incredible. We had a lazy morning the next day, reacquainting ourselves with Forest Echo a bit before heading to our old church and catching up with friends there.

The next day was an all-FEF day -- we had FABULOUSLY warm weather which I was so so thankful for -- and spent a great deal of the day on FEF's small lake, Tiny Pond.

But first, a view of our old barn-home where we lived as caretakers. It's been painted RED since we last saw it!

Luke loved the hike down to the pond and Mabel was ready to paddle once we arrived!

We paddled all over the lake, checking out the beaver lodge and even found a geocache that we'd uncovered years ago.

Then it was time for a swim from the small dock which floats 20 yards from shore.

Our only outing for the day was to travel down one of our MOST favorite roads - Patchbrook Rd -- to get Maple Creemees at the Green Mountain Sugar House! Amazingly delicous!!!!

Driving back we came up the main road to Forest Echo and took in the beauty once again of a road we drove so so many times in our two years there. A beautiful couple miles in every season!

In an effort to squeeze the most out of the lovely warm day, we even had a campfire that evening.

And the next morning was a perfect day for playing in leaf piles!

Then we were off to Woodstock for the day -- one of my favorite Vermont cities!



























































































































A special bonus was seeing Jack & Ruth, some of the owners of FEF who we hadn't seen since Luke celebrated his one month birthday. They have always been incredibly kind to us and it was a pleasure to get to see them again in their lovely Woodstock home.




























We spent even more time visiting our old haunts at FEF the next day ... realizing the time was already slipping by too fast!

W also visited some of our favorite village stores --

One of the reasons getting back to Vermont had been so heavy on my heart for the past year was that we left some very special, older friends there who had promised not to die until we were able to get back. I wanted them to be able to keep their promise and even more, to just see them. Unfortunately for us, Bud went to be with Jesus a month before we arrived. We were glad to know he was in a better place, but selfishly wished he would have held on just a bit longer. We were incredibly thankful to be able to spend some very special time with Edie. Bud and Edie were the first non-family/non-medical people to see and hold Luke. Luke had grown a little since then :) Edie was great with the kids, getting on the floor with them to teach them marbles, letting them play with her hearing aids and treating all of us to ice cream sundaes!

We had one final, grand day at Forest Echo 





And all too soon, it was time to say goodbye. To Forest Echo & Vermont. Until next time.

Leaving Vermont

Each time we leave a place we have lived, it is incredibly difficult.  In leaving I realize that it's possible that I may never be able to visit that place again.  In the days leading up to our departure I find myself trying to imprint the place on my brain so that I won't forget those things which I love about it -- and cramming in as many "last things" as I can...

Leaving Vermont was really tough -- Forest Echo is SUCH a special place for us.  It was the absolutely perfect place to recover from the noise and pollution of China and a true retreat.   Jason asked me what I thought I would miss the most about our home in Vermont and the first thought that popped into my head was the peace.  It is probably the most peaceful place I will ever live...I so hope that we will get to visit it again someday and show Luke the beautiful place he got to live for the first few months of his life.

In any place, it is the connections with people who make the place alive for me.  The people we met through Forest Echo, through our church and through our jobs at Okemo will always be part of our special Vermont memories.  We have been welcomed and loved by so many ... saying goodbye to them was heart wrenching.  I can only look forward to seeing who we cross paths with again.

Our last morning at Forest Echo Farm -- we love that we lived in a barn for nearly two years!

 One last afternoon on our little lake - Tiny Pond















































We didn't have a formal goodbye at our sweet church which was nice in a way -- the sadness of goodbyes can be so emotionally draining ...

... but we did get to spend one last afternoon with our dear friends, Bud & Edie who are 92 and 89 years old and still maintain a lovely home on three acres.  They share the same names as my Mom's parents who I never got the opportunity to know and were perhaps immediately special to me because of that coincidence.  They shared their hearts with us and we will forever be grateful for that.

We visited them on our second to last day in our barn and I'm looking mighty fine in my cleaning garb :)

Two of our bosses from Okemo (Wendy & Juliet) who felt more like friends than bosses and were incredibly generous with us.































Val & Terry -- Okemo co-workers who blessed us with their friendship (Luke is the 2nd baby that Val has ever held -- she looks really good, doesn't she?)

I met Sue briefly in the fall through Okemo and we started talking a lot more when we realized we were both expecting.  As we got to know she and her husband, Dustin more, we found that we had many common interests and were left wishing we had gotten to hang out with them sooner.  Sue became a sort of Mentor Mom for me which was wonderful.  She was about 3 months ahead of my pregnancy and was a great resource for me about pregnancy and motherhood as I stumbled along figuring things out.  Sadly I forgot to get a picture of their beautiful daughter, Ada, but we managed to snap one of the four of us at least.

One final, final visit to Forest Echo to do a hand off with the long-time summer caretakers, John & Mary Di.  Kindred spirits who have not worked traditional jobs for 25 years :)

One of my "last things" -- a final maple creemee (soft serve ice cream flavored with real Vermont maple syrup!)

First Snow!

We got our first snow for the season last night!  I'm feel like I'm still sort of a kid when it comes to snow - I get so excited by it!  I guess growing up in a place that only gets snow every 15 - 20 years kind of set me up for being thrilled by it.  I love how it makes everything look so pretty and like new!

This is Vermont

Lately, I've been thinking about doing a little series on some of the randomness of Vermont ... and some of the things that we see here that are SO SO different than how I imagined (& how I would think you might imagine) Vermont to be like.

I had an appointment in Rutland on Friday and along the highway on my way home, I drove past this sign.  Stopped, turned around and tried my darnedest to snap a shot.  Deer hunting season begins soon!

Days like these ...

... I sure love living at Forest Echo Farm!

I love living here most of the time, but these gorgeous days make it even more worthwhile!