family game night {6.13.13}

Way back when, out family used to have Scrabble tournaments. We played Apples & Apples until we knew all of the cards. And we faithfully play several rounds of Catch Phrase at any Lyons family gathering. Our newest addition to our chest of games (you think we're kidding...there's a whole chest full of them in our living room) is Headbandz.

Yeahhh. They get a little crazy playing it.

WE LOVE THIS GAME. So much fun and laughter and inside jokes abound.So what if this game is for little kids?! It's a new family favorite. What are you waiting for? Go buy headbandz!

the cuz weekend {6.6-6.9.13}

In the midst of all the graduation festivites, Brock came to stay with us for a few days that weekend. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard or that much as I did that weekend. You get him & Clark together and they just bounce off one another, keeping me rolling on the floor. Literally. I fell out of the gaming chair they picked up at some random yard sale one Saturday afternoon up in Fuquay. We're not even sure Clark gave the money to the actual yard sale people or not. Those are the kind of adventures our family has, the kind of things that make us as close as we are. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.

So yeah, graduation weekend was pretty dang awesome, and it wasn't even MY graduation. I managed to take a few pictures inbetween laughter-crying of this two best buds in action.

The most awesome ginger in the world.

We shoot squirrels in our spare time. Don't judge us.

There was TONS of Xbox. 

And even more Dr. Pepper to fuel their Call of Duty playing.

Chillin' after capturing baby bunnies.

Good grief, I love family weekends.

weekend with the cousins {6.02.13}

Only Instagram photos from this weekend because dude. I have so much fun with these crazy kids I FORGET TO TAKE PICTURES. A quick trip to Gran Jan's for a little night visit (and phone stealing on the boys part), soccer games the next morning (which meant butt sweat and working on our pre-summer tan), and tons of Mellow Mushroom pizza for lunch (which we ate outside because it was glorious weather).

 Best buds. I love them both so much.

Perfect post game food.

Dang, I love it my family weekends.

memorial day {5.27.13}

A rare Monday off meant family time and good food. And that's all I really have to say about Memorial Day 2013 other than THANK YOU to the men and women who made it possible.

Learning how to wax the cars. 

Samantha helped Mom figure out where her new job was.

That green reflection is from our pool. Yuck.

Clark inspecting the various organisms living in OUR pool.

Grillin' and chillin'.

Our alleyway (shoutout to Rachel ;)

Perfect cookout food.

Holy yum, guys. I was so excited to have food other than CFA.

The master chef himself.

You have to have a blue car to be in our family.

Good times. How was your Memorial Day, readers?

birthday dinners {4.6.13}

Our family rarely goes out to eat as a family anymore, but birthday dinners out on the town of Gvegas are a tradition that we aren't going to stop anytime soon. Last weekend was full of some awesome birthday noms. I love this family time birthday dinners provide. 

Me & Daddio.

Mom & Clark.

Clark's big honkin' burger...the kid loves his beef.



Cutie even when he's stuffing his face.

Mom ordered chicken fingers. And I had one. ::shame::

I ate it all. 

Kinda in love with the aRtSy-ness of this.

CFA for dessert cause COOKIE SUNDAES.

Zoe's Kitchen after church...new favorite restaurant.

I love food and I love my family and I especially love it when those two things are combined. So, birthday dinners out are my favorite-favorite. What are your family birthday traditions?

NYE 2012

Maybe I've mentioned this on the blog before and maybe I haven't (I'm thinking the latter), but for 4 years now we've had a huge birthday bash for Quinn/family reunion for Dad's side of family/NYE PARTAY. And guys, it is SO MUCH FUN. We have made so many great family memories and last year we introduced the NYE challenge. More about that later though. Something happened before the Challenge that must be noted.

The big huge amazing awesome totally cool thing that happened this year was Quinn turned ten, and was allowed to get her ears pierced...and I turned the fun age of 17 six months before and finally convinced my parents to let me get my second holes! We were both so excited, lemme tell ya. We got up super early on NYE to make it to Fuquay so us girls (all dressed in purple because if we wanted to go with Quinn, we had to wear purple) could all go. It was totally worth the 6AM wake up call...I'm ready for my third holes.

Last picture before her earrings!

One ear down, one to go!

All done!

And then it was my turn and honestly, the lady marking where to put earring was more painful than the thing they use to shoot the earring in.

Typical SA face. I was just so excited. 

Cousin love! 

Back to the house for the BYE Challenge. Basically, we all forget we're family and trash talk and whoop some behinds in some crazy challenges and the most awesome of them all: the scavenger hunt through FV. This year we had a books of the Bible challenge, foosball tournament, an insanely long Wheel of Fortune game on the Wii, pretzel stack and Catch Phrase since it was too dark for the scavenger hunt (SUPER SAD FACE). That was only a third of them, but those were the only ones I took pictures of since I was the most intense competitor ever. Sike. I just enjoyed being in the audience and losing at everything I played.

Gran Jan gave my team their only win...yeah Gran Jan!

Things got stressful & intense at the end.

In the end, Aunt Ann Marie, Clark, and Uncle Terry won with GTM (Garrison, Uncle Tyler, and Mom) and Locked 'n' Loaded (Brock, Aunt Michelle, and Dad) tying for second. Girl Power, which was Quinn, Gran Jan, and I came in last but we probably had the most fun just playing.

Such a beautiful board.

After the victors celebrated with awesome fleece blankets, we remembered we were family and decided to love on the birthday girl. See?

Two of my favorite ladies ever.

COOKIE CAKE TIME!

We killed time until midnight by playing Telestrations and the annual game of Bunco. Basically, we tried not to fall asleep so we were really loud and made up silly drawings like a crack pipe and yelled FUNCO! all.the.time to confuse people. I love my family. 

By the time we finished all the games, it was almost midnight so we turned the TV on to watch the ball drop. We (barely) made it, but we survived to give NYE kisses (OK, just the parents) and then went our separate ways to sleep until 10AM, in my case. We left not much after I woke up with faces that hurt from laughing so hard and a heart full of great memories that'll have to compete with next years memories we're already looking forward to.

How was your NYE, readers?