Goodbye, NYC!

At 4:30 pm on Sunday we were still touring the Statue of Liberty and had to get a ferry back to Manhattan, take a subway to our hotel to get our luggage and catch a taxi to the airport. I really don't know how we made our 7:20 pm flight back to Cleveland, but we did! (I was definitely sweating it; Shay was hopeful about getting another night in NYC.)

With one of NYC's sweetest and most intelligent resident's - Nitza! She was one of Shayla's "Start with Art" teachers at the Met. She taught her how to write her name! It is an amazing blessing she still keeps in touch with us. On "Black Friday" we spent 7 hours at the Met. Nitza was our tour guide for about four hours - what a gift! And then another one of NYC's sweetest and most intelligent residents (Olivia) joined us and we spent three more hours. I really don't think Shayla was ready to leave, but I was exhausted!

Shrek, the Musical FAR EXCEEDED our expectations. Although Shayla said, "The acting wasn't as good," I much preferred it to "Mary Poppins". During the show Shayla said, "This is the funniest show I've ever seen." I have to agree. Shayne and Olivia enjoyed it too - what fun!

Shayla and Veronica enjoy a final moment together, sipping on chocolate treats at Max Brenner's before we had to leave.

We visited with Shayla's other "Start with Art" teacher (Carolyn) and she gave us an amazing tour of St. John the Divine - an amazing cathedral we went to church at once while we were living in the Ronald House (Spring 2003).
Amazing Store Front Windows! (Shayne and I enjoyed walking back from 11th Street Saturday night all the way to our hotel up on 47th street. The weather was perfect and the stores' windows were incredible.)
West Side Story - located directly beside our hotel.
Shayla was able to stay overnight with Veronica and to see her friend perform in an "off Broadway" production of "A Christmas Carol". Both of the girls love theatre and we're hoping they can perhaps take a summer theatre camp together - in one of our states.
With Shay on the campus of Columbia University. We enjoyed our time up i that part of NYC with our friends. (They were able to stay with us in August.)
Returning to "Christi's Hospital" (MSKCC) for my first time was challenging emotionally. Shayne had returned on two or three other occasions to donate blood, but this was my first time back. Just walking up and seeing the hospital, the bagel shop across the street, the playground where my heart was always so heavy as I'd watch Christi play and then look at all of the healthy kids and wonder why she had to have cancer, the library which she loved - it was pretty hard. My thanks to Olivia for setting up appointments and for being one amazing and brave young woman! THANK YOU!