livin', laughin' & lovin' me some demon

I love games. I love family. So games + family = the BEST time ever. Especially when they're a competitive little bunch.

Lara, Kirk, Kaitlin & the boys have made our past few Sundays the best! Each week we go over there our visits are characterized by 3 main components.

1. Sugar

2. Spice, i.e. competition, sass, smack talk

3. And nice little nephews with loads of energy!

When I walked downstairs today to say hi the room erupted in a roar of 'Aunt Chelsey!' and before I knew it I had a bunch of little bodies tackling me to the couch (apparently I have a reputation for wrestling these days J). I love it! The boys are so fun, so very sweet, and so well-mannered too. I was so impressed seeing them trickle off to bed all on their own after being asked not the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time but the very 1st! WOW!

Once the kids were to bed the gaming began. The first week we came we learned how to play Hand & Foot. Tonight we decided to do the teaching with one of my all-time favorite card games, Red Demon. I'm so happy to have so many new, fierce little competitors. Red Demon is a mix of solitaire and speed and made for multitaskers, which leaves some eager to ditch the cards and move onto the next game.

Fortunately, my family likes a challenge. I initially thought everyone would detest the game (like my dear husband did his first time) and attempt to scrap it after a round or two without hurting my feelings. It turned out to be quite the opposite! Every "k, last one" turned into "we'll play to 50 this time " and then "deal again. we're playing to 100."

We played round after round after round and those little speed demons just took off! Seriously—I've never seen anyone pick it up so fast since the houseboat week Nicole and I made it a mission to beat our teacher. I think this group is out to get their little sensei too! (A trusted source even reports that they're running time trials for practice on weekdays...now that's commitment to excellence people J).

Anyway, I just loved the night. I think the best part was finally converting my husband to "Red Baron," as he calls it (we're planning practice runs on our own time too...better watch your backs Langstons J). Other highlights include Kirk's trash talk, Lara's calmness and sense of composure in the midst of all our madness, Parker's sassy little side comments that I think half the time no one heard but me, Parker and Kaitlin's little tiffs over my mentoring, Kaitlin's speed racer skills in getting cards out into the middle, Kirk's insistence that his seat at the end of the table was the reason for his demise, our eventual seat swap, Kaitlin's determination to beat him to prove the seat theory wrong, and a million other moments I know I missed.

I realize now I could've said it all with just the first line of this post...shocker. I just feel so blessed to have family that lives close by and takes us into their home each week. There's something about being in a real home with kids and a dog and parents on Sunday that just feels right. Thanks so being so great to us Langstons! I promise that someday soon we'll find a way to be social and make some married to give you a break. "til then, game on! J

All time favorite Red Demon quote any Sparks people reading:

(at the cheating table)

"52! Wow! someone went a little bit overboard..."

"tiff. that's you..."

bahahahaha....oh tiffy, still makes me laugh!