This month's camping excursion was at a little Georgia Power recreation park called Blanton Creek. It's located on a finger of Bartlett's Ferry on the Chattahoochee River in Fortson, GA. This campground is ok if you are a water-sport enthusiast and if you happen to have a boat or other floating device with you in camp. If not, then you probably wouldn't like this park so much.

However, the driving force behind us camping at Blanton Creek was not the beautiful lake. The location is very close to the Stowe's Fortson home and it was grandson, Braxton's 13th, and brother-in-law, Karl's 66th birthday! Thanks right, it was a birthday week celebration. Cookie-mama (sister) planned a full day of activities at Ft. Benning.... from simulated firearms at the shoot-house to eating lunch with our soldiers. We also visited the Nation Infantry Museum and made a pit stop at "Ranger Joes" military surplus store. Braxton and Brice went bonkers when the saw all of the "army stuff" at Ranger Joe. And yes they did talk Pappy into buying a cammo back pack for both of them. But all in all, it was a pretty cool day for all of us!

That evening all 24 of us gathered at Lain & Steve's for burgers, birthday cake and plenty of swimming for the kidos. Thanks so much to Steve and Lain for opening their home to us and topping off the day with "happy birthday" to the birthday boys.

This morning (Wed July 13th) we headed over to Pine Mountain for a ride through Wild Animal Safari. If you haven't tried this local attraction it's worth spending a morning for the variety of wild animals you'll see and (of course) feed. From zebras to kangaroos and giraffes - they pretty much had all you'd expect to see at one of these farms. Taking the 1-hour long zebra painted bus tour through the park was something the grandkidos won't soon forget. There's just something about a giraffe sticking it's head through your window and seeing that foot long tongue wrap around your food pellets .... you just can't ignore that kind of fun now can you!

I just don't know how we could top a week like this for the g-kids .... except maybe a trip to Disney World. Naw... don't think I'll ever do the Disney World thing again..... but, then you never know do you?

(Having issues with photo uploads - so if you want to see a full album of this trip go to my facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.228014617233075.66003.100000736148554)