So during this year's vacation week, we added a few friendly family competitions to the evening activities.

Abram is the Gray family paper airplane expert. It would be impossible to count the number of airplanes this 9-year-old has made the past 5 years...he started making them when his brother Daniel was born. I actually helped create this airplane monster...to entertain him while Kara was in the hospital with Daniel, I showed him how to make and fly a paper airplane. And the rest, as they say, is history. This boy has designed and flown hundreds of different unique and complicated designs and truly is the paper airplane aficionado in our family.

And so Abram organized our first annual Gray family paper airplane competition. He handed out paper and told us the rules...

...and each person had 5 minutes to create his/her airplane.

After establishing blind-draw brackets for a double-elimination tourney, let the competition begin!

Gramaw's was a major crash-&-burn! Yes, they are staring in disbelief at my terrible throw!

But in her usual compassionate Ellie way, she gave me a consolation hug anyway. Love that sweet girl!

What a cute cheering section!

Dana celebrates a successful flight!

Daniel had to be retrieved from the game room for his turn...

Lots of great competition, but in the end it was Dana vs. Krew for the championship.

When all airplanes were flown, Papaw ended up as the worst paper-airplaner. Abram gave him a consolation prize:  an instruction book about how to make paper airplanes so he can practice for next year's competition!

Kassie won for the best girl...

...Krew for the best boy (and also runner-up)...

And Dana (this gal is always a tough competitor!) was the overall winner and received her trophy of a model airplane.

Everyone had fun and congratulations to Dana, the champion of the Gray family...

...inaugural paper airplane contest!