May 31, 2015 - First Day at Sea

Love those days at sea!  Today, we enjoyed waking up to glorious sunshine, which we enjoyed from our balcony.  After a relaxing breakfast, David and Lily headed off to the Oceaneer Club, Bubbie went to the gym, Connor went off to explore, and Zaydie sipped coffee at the Cafe Club.  Later,  we enjoyed a poolside lunch.  Zaydie and David decided to try the Aqua-Duck.  This crazy tube ride WAY ABOVE the top deck of the cruise ship.  Lily is still furious with Disney because she was 1/2 inch  too short to ride!

We found other activities to distract Lily while David and Zaydie rode that wild Acqua-Duck twice!

After a great day of fun in the sun, we returned to our cabin to get ready for the first formal night.  I must say, our group cleans up well!

We enjoyed an awesome dinner in the Enchanted Dining Room.  Afterwards, Connor went off to have fun with his new friends in the Vibe, while David and Lily played in the Oceaneer Playground for the hour that Bubbie and Zaydie sipped coffee.  We returned to the cutest sea turtle made from pillows/blankets in our cabin.  Love these sea days!

Welcome Aboard - Fantasy Disney Cruise

After an easy drive from Orlando to Port Canaveral along the BeachLine Expressway, we boarded the Disney Fantasy, Cabin 8132!  We registered David and Lily for the Kids Club, enjoyed a delicious lunch, and then headed out to the pool where David and Lily enjoyed sliding down the pool's slide about a zillion times!  Everyone showered for dinner and headed off to the Animator's Palate for an awesome dinner.  Our table mates (#111) were a lovely mom and her two sons from Miami.

Afterwards, we spent some time on our balcony admiring the stars.  Then, we headed off to bed (we loved the swan our Cabin Steward left on the bed) after a fabulous first day on our cruise.

Kleimon Cousins are Reunited!

May 29, 2015

David's first words this morning, "Lily, today Cousin Connor Kleimon gets here!" And the excitement escalated from there.  After a lovely breakfast at the hotel, we traveled about 2-1/2 hours to our next hotel, The Hampton Inn, near the Orlando International Airport.  We enjoyed lunch at Chili's (love their new screen games for kids), and then Rob left for the airport to pick up Connor.  Lily, Bubbie, and David played at the pool until everyone was reunited around 5:30! Then everyone played at the pool until it was time for dinner.

After a quick clean up, we walked over to Chili's for dinner, but the wait was an hour!  We walked to Sonny's, and while walking  (about 25 yards) a tired David sighed and said, "I think we need a taxi!"

We did enjoy an awesome dinner at Sonny's!  Once back in our hotel room, the Kleimon Cousins put together puzzles, played games, and Connor read bedtime stories. 

 Absolutely perfect ending to a perfect day.  Life is good!

Disney Cruise - 2015

May 28, 2015
    Today we began our journey - destination Disney Cruise!   This trip is just for the Grandparents and Grandchildren.  We left Marietta around 10:20 this morning traveling to our first hotel in Lake City, FL.  The weather was perfect, the traffic fairly light, and the kids (David and Lily) were fabulous travelers.  We stopped at a McDonald's in Perry, GA where the kids enjoyed the playground and lunch. We arrived around 4:00 PM in Lake City to spend the evening at the Country Inn & Suites.  We booked this hotel intentionally because of their indoor swimming pool.  This way, the kids could swim off their energy no matter what the weather.

We enjoyed a couple of hours relaxing and splashing.  David said that he wanted to eat in a "real restaurant" so we ventured off to the Long Horn.  Everyone was starved and enjoyed a fabulous meal. Time for bed now, for tomorrow is another exciting day.  Connor arrives at the Orlando Airport around 4:00 PM.  Can't wait to have all the Kleimon kids assembled!

The National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, GA - Sunday, March 12, 2015

After a leisurely breakfast, we headed off to visit the National Infantry Museum, which was about 45 miles from our campground, grateful for our GPS!  We traveled along the "Scenic Hometown Highway" which truly lived up to its name.

It is such a "family friendly" museum!

The museum is truly awesome and we enjoyed the movie, many exhibits, and the children's center. 

 Here are a couple of future recruits - 

Notice who's wearing the drill sergeant's hat?  We all know who is REALLY in charge!

Afterwards, we drove over to the Fort Benning Post Exchange, enjoyed lunch, and then shopped for a bit.  Once back in our camper, the rain started, but who cares?  We're snuggled up in our cozy RV!

Wild Animal Safari, Campfire, and S'mores - Saturday, April 11, 2015

It is a short drive to today's destination - Wild Animal Safari.  It is an absolutely beautiful day, and we are VERY excited about our safari!  We board the bus and head off onto the trail.

We're thankful that we arrived fairly early in the day, because the lines are starting to get a bit long and the sun is almost toasty.  Immediately, we spot a mama buffalo with her new baby!

We had purchased food for the animals and a "slobber towel" which proved to be very wise purchases, especially when the giraffe reached inside the bus for a snack!

Our driver, Mike, was VERY knowledgeable, as well as funny, and we all learned SO much!  The ride lasted just over an hour and we saw buffalo, bison, deer, elk, pigs, sheep, lions, donkeys, horses, turtles, emu, llamas, ostriches, geese, ducks, and a rhino.  Afterwards, we enjoyed "The Walk About" where we fed many other animals - sheep and baboons, plus visited with lions, tigers, snakes, hyenas, a peacock, and turtles.

Once back "home",  we had lunch in the camper, and then Zaydie played with Lily and David while Bubbie helped the local economy (shopped) in the cute little town of Pine Mountain.

Our camper was conveniently located next to the playground, so we enjoyed the swings and slides. Later, we hiked around the campground collecting kindling for our campfire.

Thank you, Zaydie, for the campfire, so we could enjoy s'mores - the perfect ending to a perfect day!

Butterflies, Safaris, and Infantry - Pine Mountain, GA - April 10 - 13, 2015

April 10, 2015
It's a rainy Friday morning, but Bubbie, Zaydie, Lily, and David are off for a "glamping" trip to Pine Mountain, GA.  As we're traveling down I-85, the rain stops, the clouds clear, and we arrive at our sunny destinaton!  After Zaydie gets the camper all set up, we decide to let him take a rest while Bubbie, David and Lily head off to Callaway Gardens!

The drive through the gardens is exquisite!  We arrive at the Day Butterfly Center and are captivated by the beautiful flowers and butterflies!

After walking through the indoor center, we decide to make a couple of purchases to help support Callaway Gardens since the sweet man at the entrance to the gardens didn't charge us an entrance fee because we were only going to butterfly center.

Back at the camper, we have a relaxing dinner, and take a walk around the Pine Mountain RV Campground.  After baths, we read a few books, and eventually go to bed excited about tomorrow's adventure!