Our day with the Clendinens

Today was a very special day for us.  Why?  Because we got to spend it with some very special friends...our best friends from Tanzania!  They are now living in Tampa and came up for the day to be with us.  Can we just say it was like we were never apart, so much talking and love!  It was "practically perfect in every way!"

We spent the morning talking up a storm and then had a wonderful lunch at Mangino's, a gift from my parents.

Then, Carolyn said we should head over to the Grand Floridian to see the Christmas decorations.  Here are the girls as we walked in to the hotel.

Goofing off on the golf carts.

One of the towers of this amazing Victorian inspired Disney resort.

They even had old cars outside...Indy loved it!

The girls, trying to get in the carriage.

Their family, and ours.

The kids with my parents.

That gingerbread house is really edible, and quite life size.

Ariana and Sissi had a shared love of 'bands' and so spent time talking and planning and making band bracelets and rings and other jewelry.

Indy and I by the gingerbread house.

Our family.

Walking around the resort grounds, Carolyn and Anissa.

One of the things that Sissi learned from the Clendinen girls while we were in Tanzania was how to draw and design things like gardens and clothes.  Here she is, taking a moment to draw a design in her notebook.

Sissi with Grandma.

Ariana and Sissi.

My Krypto, down by the dock that leads over to the Magic Kingdom.

The monorail, passing in front of the Magic Kingdom.  The monorail stops inside of the Grand Floridian.

This is HIGH...the lower light you see is the grand chandelier, so there is another 2/3rds of this tree that you can't see in this photo.

All of the people working at the Grand Floridian are in Victorian Era clothing.

After the Grand Floridian, we came back to our own hotel and spent the afternoon in the pool.

Dancing around, splashing and allowing me to take pictures of water movement :).

The guys, in serious conversation.

Break time, let's play with the kids.

More rough housing.

Ariana was helping Sissi to do some of her swimming here.

Cute girls on the edge of the pool.

This watermill is right by the pool.

I got Indy to take a picture of us..there were several, but I liked our smiles in this one the best.  We were laughing about the previous picture he took that had a big turkey (they run free all over the Disney grounds) behind our heads!

Once our friends left after sharing dinner with us, the kids got to decorate their own cookies here at Shades of Green.

They had so much fun.  Lots of toppings to choose from, and it was as much as you wanted to use.

Here is Krypto's completed project.

Gwangi's....with lots of frosting and candy.

Sissi decided to take hers over to Santa, who was also there.  She then dropped them on the floor as she handed them to him.  Poor girl.  She picked them up from the carpet and even though they told her she could make more, she ate them anyway...

The one cookie he was able to salvage before the tray tipped.

Another fabulous day.  We're excited, tired, and ready for a fun filled day tomorrow at Epcot...did you know it means Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow? I didn't, Krypto told me that, because he read a book all about Disney and how the park was created.  Can't wait!

Favorites from our first day at Disney

We started off our day here at Shades of Green (the military owned resort located here at Disney) with breakfast at the buffet and a bus ride over to get our discount tickets turned into real Disney passes.

This was a picture I took on the ride over to the Ticket and Transportation Center...already tired and it's just 8 in the morning...ahhh!  He is such a sweet big brother, in fact they both were very solicitous to their little sister today.

One of our first views upon coming into the Magic Kingdom...a Christmas tree, the American flag, and the Cinderella Castle.

Sissi and I in front of the Cinderella Castle.

It's Christmas time, the most wonderful time of the year...and we got to see the place all dressed up, people dancing, and all kinds of special Christmas-y type stuff.

Indy and the kids in front of the castle.

One of our first stops...no, THE first stop, was the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.  We LOVE that movie, the book, the whole story, and it was an awesome thing to walk through the treehouse with the kids.

The view of the castle from the treehouse (do you think I like the castle?)

LOVED this...Zanzibar, and all the people we know there and the numerous times we've visited there.

A spitting camel.

Sissi with Jasmine and Aladdin!

The Jungle Cruise and the hippos.

Elephants, playing in the water on the Jungle Cruise.

I love "weird face" pictures...I'm keeping the "good" ones too, but this was too cute, and showed too much personality, not to share.

Just a cute shot of her walking along on Tom Sawyer's Island.

Yep!  We went to Samuel "L" Clemens "Fort" on Tom Sawyer Island.  A great place to walk and play!

My oldest...such a handsome young man.

Another "seriously cute" shot of the real Gwangi.

My Indy...I remember the first time we ever went on the "Haunted Mansion" ride together.

Sissi, playing the organ as we waited in line.

Another "real life" picture opportunity...waiting in what was supposed to be a 20 minute line to see Rapunzel and Snow White...this was what I saw at about 40 minutes, give or take a few.

Yes, she wasn't thrilled with the super long wait.

Finally, we're getting ready to go in...Cinderella's Glass Slipper.

We got to meet Rapunzel...

...and, Snow White!

Then, while we were meeting princesses, the boys went shooting in the arcade and got us Fast Passes for the Winnie the Pooh ride.

By about 3:30 or so, we were ready to enter Tomorrowland...and the Speedway!

I let her drive...later, I rode with Krypto, she is a better driver ;)...

One of my favorite rides growing up.  I heard a lot of screaming from behind me on this one...Gwangi says he won't go back. Then, he changed his mind and said we NEEDED to go back, we asked him why.  He responded that he left his stomach there, we had to go back to get it ;).

Yes, Buzz Lightyear was a hit.  We did it twice!

Krypto's first "favorite" Disney character!

We got to meet some old friends for dinner, and also our second spin on the Speedway and ride through Buzz Lightyear.  Thanks for spending the time with us Jerry and Kim, it was a blessing!

What we saw as we left the park tonight!  An amazing first day!  Tomorrow is a "down day"...the pool, some friends visiting from Tampa...we'll see what we come up with!