All Good Things Must Come To An End

The last evening of our fabulous anniversary celebration was terrific. After the day packing and exploring Messina, the adult kids decided they didn't want to go to the Vista Dining Room and the children decided they did want to go to the kids program where they were to have a pillow fight.

Jim went down to give an extra tip to Yuri and Aria who had done a wonderful job serving us dinner each night. They wanted to bring the Kids Menu up to the stateroom. We thought it would be the actual menus they brought, but instead Aria showed up at the door with a cart loaded with all the favorite things the kids had eaten from the kids menu. They filled their stomachs and were off to play.

Dinner with the kids was complete with performances by Christopher- singing the camp song about a Penguin coming to tea- complete with lots of motions and energy- and Jack doing a song and dramatic piece from Beauty and the Beast. They were both so funny. Christopher raised and lowered the lights and announced all the acts. Naturally we have the most talented grandchildren in the world but we did finally have to call a halt to the talent show so we could eat.

We ordered from the room service menu and filled our faces with burgers and pasta plus lots of cookies. The conversation and the memories shared were so wonderful! It was so amazing to have this space for our times to gather and this last meal felt like a great ending time.

Morning dawned and we were all off our separate ways. Bill's family came down to say good-bye and once again thank us for the "awesome trip." Bill said they talk about "trips of a lifetime" but this had really been that for their family. Same is certainly true for us. 

Everybody arrived home safe and sound- although a bit weary. Bill and the 2 guys three suitcases weighted 88.4 kilograms out of an allowance of 90 kilograms. Careful packing! Ella slept on the floor of the Nashville Airport while their luggage arrived. Kate said Ethan fell sleep on the pane just before they landed in Philadelphia. She couldn't wake him up and each time they stopped for a line he sat down on the floor and went to sleep. We got home just after midnight and were in bed by 12:08AM. 


What a grand time we had!