Easter Day... and away we go!!

What an amazing day!  After weeks of organizing, cleaning, and packing, Leroy and I woke up on

Off on an adventure!

Easter morning with almost all preparations finished.  We were able to focus on services at church and enjoy the many good wishes and expressions of care from the wonderful folks there.  I was especially happy to have both my kids at church, seated in the front row!  We left exhilerated and thankful, then headed to brunch for some final family time before being dropped off at the airport by Olivia and Erik.

We are now happily settled into our room at the Fairfield Inn by JFK Airport.  Travel arrangements went as planned for today, and we are hoping that's a good omen the long journey ahead.  The driver of the shuttle from the airport made chit-chat with us and was astonished to hear our travel plans.  He said he'd never heard of anyone traveling for three months overseas... with so little luggage!  The young woman who checked us in at the hotel also wanted to hear about our trip, which she declared was "awesome!"

Best part of Easter: Spending time with Erik and Olivia!

I am most definitely feeling grateful for a good day, for a supportive church community, for a loving family, and for three and a half months of adventure ahead.  Tomorrow we're up extra early and back to JFK before 6 am for an 8 am flight to London and then Cyprus.

While we were wating for our flight to JFK, Leroy and I both remarked on how surreal it feels to finally be starting this trip.  Two years ago, our departure seemed very far away.  The last few months have actually passed rather quickly with so many preparations to be completed by the Easter deadline.  I'm hoping time will slow down now so we can fully savor the new experiences we'll share.

Time for some sleep!