Ben's 30th Birthday Weekend!

We spent Ben's birthday weekend at the lakehouse with no kids and some close family and friends. It is so much more what Ben would have wanted than a big party. He is very much a quality time person and every couple that camee know both Ben and I inside and out and all love each other like crazy too.
I couldn't have asked for anything more.
I left early on Friday for the weekend to get there in time to do a little birthday party decorating.     

I ended up using the pictures I printed for his 30th birthday envelope and taped them up as a big '30' in the window. 

And everybody had party favor sacks filled with goodies they could enjoy throughout the weekend. 

I did want the weekend to be a little different than any other lake weekend so I planned some tournament-style games for us to play throughout the weekend to keep it exciting. I decided each couple coming should be a team and when I sent out their invitations, I wrote on the back what each team's color would be. I told them to pack plenty of their team color attire in their bags for the weekend. 

 And BOY did they get totally into it. 

 I loved it so much.
The teams were:
Ben & Lindsay - Team Black
Alex & Mendy - Team Purple
Bart & Olivia - Team Red
Scott & Katie - Team Maroon
Kristen & Jeff - Team White
Ashley & Neil - Team Green
I could have SWORN I got a team pic of every team...but, I just can't find them. 
Here are a few:

TEAM BLACK TEAM GREEN TEAM WHITE...even Shea was decked out and ready to play...  

I had all kinds of games planned for the weekend.
Couples vs couples games,
team games (i.e. over 30 vs under 30, Aggies vs Wildcats, boys vs girls, etc.),
individual games,
and games we could all play together as a group. 

 Each time anyone from your team won a game you would make a mark on the scoreboard for your team.  (The amazing Ben's Birthday Battle chalkboard - courtesy of mendy - of course)
   At the end of the weekend we would add up the score and the winning team would get a prize. Even though every team or person did not really get through every game, it didn't matter.  We played games when we wanted too.  Played more games, not even on the board, and just hung out and ate and talked and really had no schedule at all. 
It was amazing.

This is everyone "signing" their team color... 

A little brother/sister battle TEAM RED vs TEAM PURPLE cornhole game... 

 

The only game I truly home-made was this adult battleship game. 

 I laminated some posterboard grids and put them in pizza boxes as makeshift battleship boards. Each player could set up their mini cups as ships with their beverage of choice and try to sink the other person's ships.
This game was so much fun and a big hit with everyone.  

We laughed and laughed and laughed all weekend. 

When I saw Ben look like this, I knew it was the perfect way to celebrate. 

Thank you so much guys for coming to celebrate Ben. It took lots of effort and lots of babysitters and an entire weekend.  But, we treasured each of you there so, so much. 
It was such a fun, relaxing and easy weekend with the best friends and family ever. 

 Happy 30th Birthday Ben!