Our Cramazing May, Episode XI

Our seats on the plane to England were great!  We were seated in the bulkhead seats, in the middle section, and Rex loved playing around with all the gadgets available.  We had figured out what the schedule of our sleeping should be so that we could best avoid jetlag...that didn't work so well, mostly because Rex was so wired and excited that there was no way that he was going to sleep anytime soon.  :)

One of my favorite things about the plane ride was that I finally got to crack open the book Choosing to See, by Mary Beth Chapman.  This book, which tells the Chapmans' story of watching the Lord work in their lives through the ups and downs of life, became my companion on the trip, and it was perfect.  My friend, Kara, had given me the book for my birthday a couple of months before, but I saved it for the trip.  Some of the stories that Mary Beth records are of their trips to China to meet and bring home their 3 youngest daughters.  Taking the book on the trip made me feel like I was walking through their story in real time.  Steven Curtis Chapman has always been one of my favorite recording artists, and their organization, Show Hope, has helped us bring both Neil and Tom home by giving us grants to help with our adoption costs.  We had just turned in our application for a grant right before leaving, so between that and the book, it felt like the Chapmans were with us on our trip to India!

It was hard to believe that we were actually on our way, but by this point, it was beginning to seem very, very real...thinking back to it now, I can remember the excitement as I sat on that plane trip.  A bit of a deja vu from when we flew to England before meeting Neil, but at that time, Rex was only 3 years old, and now he was 8.  That time, he stayed in England while we went on to Ethiopia.  This time, he was making the whole journey with us.  And I was so glad....it was a great decision for many reasons, and I'm so glad that we chose to do it this way and that God provided the needed resources to make it happen.  Rex will never forget this trip for the rest of this life...and neither will we.


Untitled from Hoffbeauty on Vimeo.

I posted this journal entry back in May, but because it belongs in this post, recording my heart during the plane trip, I am reposting it: 

"We're on the plane, just over the Labrador Sea.  I can hardly believe that this is real...but it is.  I vacillate between being wildly excited--and calmly accepting.  Life will change.  Challenges will come.  Love will grow.  And it is all very good.

Hoffbeast sleeps, and Rex tosses and turns, shimmies and squirms.  And I'm awake, at 3 a.m. England time, waiting for my little man to doze.  Seems like a scene right out of...2319.  :)

Just 3 more days, and Tom will be in my arms.  The reality is overwhelming and wonderful.  To think of all that had to happen to get us to this point...I wish I could write it all down, but thinking of it makes my head spin.

I worship you, Lord.   You are the Creator of all things and our Great Joy.  I bless your name tonight..."