At long last, after a week at DisneyWorld (and nearly 2 years in recounting the story), we awoke on our last morning. And this was the worst kind of last morning because there would be no park visits before heading home, just packing up and hitting the road. Blech.
Even though there was little incentive to get up, Judy was rolling by 6:30 and I followed at 7am. But before I got out of bed, while I was laying there, gradually emerging from sleep to consciousness, for some reason my mind went to the group picture that we had taken at the Luau the night before. We hadn't bought it, but it was a really nice picture. And I thought, "You know, we never know what to get my parents for Christmas." (Especially my Dad, who already has a closet-full of flannel shirts to rival any lumberjack.) "Why don't we try to purchase that picture and save it for a Christmas present?" I ran my idea by Judy and she agreed. After I showered, I set off making some calls to find out how I could purchase it. It was a good thing that I did, because I learned that they destroy the unpurchased digital photos within a day or so after the Luau, and that I needed to go to the Polynesian that day to complete the transaction. So, the morning's plan was set: get up, pack up, and detour by the Poly before leaving WDW property.
Before packing up my camera bag I thought that I'd take pictures of things that are different in the additional bedroom of a 2-bedroom suite, versus a 1-bedroom. (Apparently it was that time when you start thinking "it'll be sooo long 'til I see this again...I'd better take a picture of it!"
Like, the shower tiles:
And the art in the bedroom:
Judy made some sandwiches for the drive, and did a good job in using up some of our groceries by making them from our remaining hamburger buns, turkey lunch meat, cheese, and ranch dressing. She also cut up and bagged some apples and threw in the carrot sticks. We used the cooler that we bought in Vero Beach and made sure to keep our lunch items near the top, for easy access. Schmaaart!
I think my Dad must have taken their luggage down to the lobby to check-in for their flight, and I met my Mom in their room to settle up purchases they'd charged to the room. She wrote me a check and added on some, knowing that the room wasn’t "free". I certainly wasn't going to ask my Mom and Dad to contribute anything. Heck, I was the one who asked them to come along (a fact that she liked to tell random strangers at Disney during our trip – "we used to bring them, and now they're bringing us!"). And I would have been just as happy if we only settled-up what we each had charged to the room. But still, I appreciated it, knowing that I'd have a pretty fat credit card statement waiting for me back home.
Then came what I'll call "the moment". With tears in her eyes, my Mom thanked me so sincerely for asking her and Dad to come along on our trip, and latched onto me in a big hug. We stood there for a moment, and when I went to let go, she didn't. I could tell that she didn't want to see this moment, or this trip, come to an end. Without saying it, we both knew that this was a time together that we would never be able to replicate. Oh, we'll have visits and family holidays, but we'll probably never have an extended vacation together like this again. She and Dad are having more trouble getting around as their bodies age. And our kids, well they're growing up. I retreated to my bedroom to finish organizing my stuff, but really I just needed a moment to make sure that my eyes weren't misty before rejoining the family in staging our luggage to carry down to the van.
While some people were finishing up their packing, others were savoring a last look over the savanna. Here are James and Poppy, hanging out on the balcony. Don't those stickers on the sliding glass door look like they're patches on Poppy's pants pockets? "Warning! Hands Off!" "Absolutely no goosing permitted!"
"It sure is a long way down."
Eventually everyone was ready and we started a human caravan to move all of our stuff down to the van. Marlene was industrious and was the first one to grab an armful, and she set off by herself. Then she realized that she was going to have trouble without a free hand, and she quickly turned back around and put her foot in the door before it closed.
She said, "Wait, I need someone to open doors and push buttons for me!"
I said, "Marlene, we all need someone like that in our lives."
Then we set out in groups of 2 or 3 (the Buddy System, people) and had everything packed in just a couple of trips. During one of my trips down, I passed a woman who was also a passenger on the previous nights' memorable bus ride. She recognized me from the bus and launched into a rendition of Tom Jones' "Delilah". "My, my, my....Deliliah!" Like battle-weary veterans we had a shared experience, that only we, who had lived through it together, could relate to.
We made a last once-over of the suite, to check for any missed any items. "Soak it in, Lauren. We've gotta go".
My memory may be going on this, but it seems like we found something of James' behind the sofa chair. A shirt, or hat, or a stuffed animal or something. I could be confusing this with another trip, but I don't think so. It certainly wouldn't be out of the ordinary for him to miss something. Anyway, Gram and Poppy walked us down to our van and we hugged them goodbye. Then we pulled out of the Kidani parking lot and they walked over to the lobby to wait for their Magical Express ride to the airport.
Soon we arrived at the Polynesian to see about purchasing our Luau picture from the night before. I was directed to a Photopass podium near the front of the lobby and the rest of the family went to browse the gift shop downstairs. I had to wait a little while for a person ahead of me in line who was taking care of some Photopass issues, but then it was my turn. I had to pick one of the shots to be the "official" one that got printed as an 8x10, and quite frankly they all looked the same. But once picked, they cropped it and printed it for me right there. I went down to the gift shop and Judy and I looked for a Polynesian-themed frame, but they didn't have any that would fit our Luau picture! Missed opportunity there, Disney.
Here's how the Luau pictures turned out:
Then, as much as we hated to, we got rolling north. I made a note in my trip journal that Judy put a blanket over her arm when she was driving, to keep from getting sunburned. Hufflepuff skin is very sensitive.
We made a pit stop near Townsend Georgia, and it was 100 degrees. My parents couldn't have handled going to parks in heat like that, so maybe Tropical Storm Debby really was a blessing in disguise.
Then we learned that there had been some really bad storms the night before around Virginia and D.C. I got a text from one of my sisters who said that the news was reporting that there were millions without power. So
that explained all of the power company utility trucks we'd seen on the highway! I called the hotel that I'd reserved in Chester Virginia, and they said that it was raining at that moment, but they still had power. We trudged on and made it there before dark, and were able to unload our overnight stuff in-between downpours. Like our trip down a week+ earlier, I'd asked everyone to pack a separate bag of all the stuff they'd need at the hotel so that I wouldn’t have to get into luggage stowed in the cartop carrier.
Also just like the trip down a week+ earlier, Marlene asked me to let her access her duffel bag in the cartop carrier because she'd forgotten to pack any pajamas in her overnight bag.
(Prayer for these kids' future spouses would be much appreciated.)
The next day, Sunday July 1st, we checked-out and hit IHOP for breakfast. All Judy ever talks about whenever the subject of IHOP comes up is how she loves their buckwheat pancakes. She even makes them for herself on most occasions when she fixes pancakes for the rest of us. Well, it had been years and years since we'd set foot in an IHOP, and there were no buckwheat pancakes on the menu. Probably due to Judy's lack of financial support, being that it had been years and years since we'd set foot in an IHOP. I don't remember what she got instead, but she was sorely disappointed at the disappearance of her favorite menu item.
We teased Marlene for ordering hot chocolate on triple-digit day.
We left IHOP at 10 and made our final push for home, another 4 and half hours of driving. Judy took a picture of this road sign which had blown down, somewhere near D.C. Yes, some nasty storms.
And since I've taken my time in recounting this story, I have the good fortune to post a picture of Gram and Poppy opening the Luau picture that following Christmas.
They loved it, of course. Or maybe Gram's just happy that it isn't another flannel shirt for Poppy.
Up next: My favorite pictures and a final wrap up
Link to next chapter
Look forward to all he boys stopping by hint Dan and Tim!!!
I think the next family trip will be when she graduates high school, in the mean time I'll be doing some solo trips, or at least that's my goal. 
Thank you for taking us along. 
Just kidding, but I thought I'd make a "slow TR" joke before someone else did. 
Actually, I forgot about the "picture in picture" one, but the Rules Committee verified that you're right! 
