My husband and I spent Saturday, August 14, 1999, recuperating from celebrating a major milestone. The day before, my husband had graduated from college with a bachelor's degree. As the one working to put him through school, I was thrilled he'd completed an important part of his education. That night the two of us celebrated, enjoying a delicious Italian dinner at one of our favorite restaurants—and gearing up for my husband to start graduate school in two weeks. You can bet we spoiled ourselves that night!

Even if you didn't celebrate a momentous occasion on August 14, you did something that's become a part of your history. We asked you to share it with us by entering pages in our "A Night in Your Life" contest. As usual, you impressed us! From camping under the stars to welcoming a new pet to concocting killer salsa, you captured the magic of real life and let us have a peek.

How'd we finally settle on 10 grand-prize winners? We looked for creativity, strong journaling and sharp photos. Just ask our judging panel how difficult it was to choose the winners. We named 10, then added five honorable-mention winners we felt just couldn't go unnoticed. Read on to enjoy a "night in the life" of our 15 winners.

The Badgett family's backyard was the perfect setting for a camp-out—until the younger campers discovered how dark it was out there. "The kids decided the front yard wasn't as scary as the backyard," shares Susan, "so we moved everyone to the front lawn." That's when the festivities really got started. Susan, her husband and their sons, Will and Noah, and Susan's godchildren, Elise and Jarod, gathered sticks to build a roaring campfire. Of course the campers roasted marshmallows over the fire—after they danced around it in their pajamas. And simple stargazing wouldn't do for this family. Everyone took their turn howling at the bright moon.

After a rousing sing-along complete with kid-sized guitars and toy keyboards, the family enjoyed homemade s'mores and a hand-shadow puppet show. "We had a blast," says Susan. "When the kids decided the dark night was getting too scary—Jarod thought there might be bears in the bushes—we packed up and headed inside for an indoor camp-out instead!"

Nothing beats an exotic summer vacation. That's why Brenda and her husband, Nathan, were so excited when their family decided to spend some time at their summer home in the San Juan Islands. "Every day and night of the vacation was heavily planned," explains Brenda. "The only night we had to ourselves happened to be Saturday, August 14." Earlier in the day, the family had taken the ferry to the main island, San Juan, to enjoy the sights on the Friday Harbor pier. Says Brenda, "We found a little place that sold all sorts of fresh 'creatures,' so we thought we'd live a little and pick up some crab."

After rummaging through the garage later that afternoon, Brenda and her husband found a little rowboat-the perfect setting for a romantic candlelight dinner on the ocean. To make the night even more romantic, Brenda brought candles and fresh flowers. She and Nathan set a beautiful "table" in the boat and rowed out into the ocean to enjoy their crab by candlelight. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Brenda to realize they hadn't brought anything along to crack the crab open! "We still had a great time rowing about and enjoying the beautiful island," smiles Brenda. "Later we went back to the house and enjoyed the crab!"

For over a year, Michele and her husband, Michael, have been getting together with friends for a monthly game night. Lucky for them, game night fell on August 14! The group gathered at the home of Stefanie and Jeff to enjoy a wild game of Guesstures and leftover fare from Stefanie's baby shower (she was seven months pregnant at the time!). "Guesstures is a lot like charades," explains Michele, "but the words are easier and you only have a matter of seconds to act them out." The group had a great time, and Stefanie made sure to capture everyone on film. Laughs Michele, "We looked pretty silly as the camera caught our primitive theatrical talents!"

"My son, Marc, had plans with friends on the night of August 14," explains Pam, "so my husband, Dennis, and I decided to spend some one-on-one time with our daughter, Sara." When it came time to choose the entertainment, the decision wasn't difficult. The Tallutos headed to Olde World Canterbury Village. This historic landmark in Michigan sits on 21 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and boasts 18 specialty shops and the incredible Kings Court Castle Restaurant.

After a stop at the Confectionary for their favorite old-fashioned candy, the Tallutos headed to the restaurant, where they enjoyed fascinating castle features while they waited to be seated-oak paneling and carvings from France, swords and tapestries, and full suits of armor. At last they sat at their table and were served a meal fit for a king. Says Pam, "It was a great evening-a 'knight' we will always remember!"

After dinner at a favorite restaurant, the Garrods headed to a family fun center for a night of entertainment. Sally's kids, Robby, Adrienne, Andrew and Sarah, played arcade games and miniature golf, then Robby and Andrew stood in line for a half hour for the main attraction—the go-cart track!

The Garrod boys were rarin' to go as they jumped into their cars and waited for the green light. Andrew wasn't quite tall enough to ride alone, so Dad jumped in to give him a hand (and a foot!). At the signal, the Garrod racers took off around the track. After just a few laps, Robby's car made an unexpected pit stop, but the crew came to his rescue with a new car.

Sally and her daughters watched from the sidelines as the cars raced. "Robby and Andrew loved speeding around the track," says Sally. "We all had a wonderful night spending time together."

Not much was happening in Cleveland on August 14," explains Liz, "so I decided to create a layout about what I wish would have happened!" Liz combined her obsession with the 1950s and her secret wish to be a rock 'n roll singer into one fantastic dream, complete with Elvis, aliens and a time machine. Dressed as rock star Lakewood Lorraine, Liz set out for a night of adventure with her boyfriend, Joey.

Liz decided to use black-and-white film to capture the fun after reading that most people dream in black and white. Liz's mom was recruited to take some shots as Lakewood Lorraine sped off to become a star. Little did she know she would meet a handsome prince and end up on Mars! Liz wrote a fun poem to tell the story of the night's events. "This layout is totally me," shares Liz. "And Joey and I had a great time traveling through time that night!"

August 14 was an exciting night for Brenée's son Keegan-he celebrated his ninth birthday with a swashbuckling pirate party! Brenée had spent days looking for just the right cake decorations, pirate hooks, scarves and eye patches. The invitations-old-world maps-had been rolled and hand-delivered to Keegan's pirate pals, Tyler and Jordan.

The big night was a huge success. Keegan's little brother (and first mate), Korbin, joined in on the fun as the pirates hunted for treasure and played "Pin the X on the Map." Bobbing for apples was also on the captain's log until the guests saw Keegan "slobber" on one of the apples!

Keegan's Grandma Karen helped with the games while Brenée captured the pirate antics on film. The pirates finally reached the treasure-chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate coins on top, and even chocolate ice cream on the side. This was an adventure the Williams family won't soon forget!

When Melisa's husband was given free tickets to the Memphis Redbirds game on August 14, Melisa knew this was the perfect time to take their son, John Michael, to his first "real" baseball game. "We thought John Michael would really enjoy seeing the baseball players and watching the game," explains Melisa. "Little did we know he would have more fun playing on the bleachers, eating popcorn and ice cream, and counting the airplanes that flew over the stadium!"

While Melisa's husband and her brother tried to explain the finer points of baseball to John Michael, Melisa was busy taking pictures of the big event. The Memphis heat and humidity eventually got to the group, and they ended up leaving the game early. Says Melisa, "It wasn't easy trying to keep an almost two-year-old entertained during the game, and the Redbirds ended up getting beat pretty badly anyway!"

"My husband and I wanted to do something really exciting on the night of August 14," begins Leslie, "but we decided an exciting night wouldn't be an accurate description of what our Saturday nights are usually like." Leslie is pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology-an endeavor that takes up most of her free time. She spends weekends catching up on assignments and getting ready for the events of the coming week. "Since this is my sixth year in graduate school, I've gotten used to spending Saturday nights this way!" she says.

Leslie counts herself lucky to have such a supportive husband. That night, like many others, he made dinner for Leslie and made sure the household chores were taken care of. At the end of a long, productive night, Leslie hit the sack in preparation for another day of hard work. Such is the life of a graduate student!

When Renée's son, Steffan, turned five, all he wanted for his birthday was a pet dog or cat. Unfortunately, Renée is allergic to both. "I really wanted to give Steffan and my daughter, Emilee, a pet," explains Renée, "so I decided to surprise them with 'grass heads.'" These lovable creatures require the same care a pet does, without the unwelcome side effects for Renée. Steffan and Emilee faithfully watered their "pets," named Larry Boy and Tina, anticipating the day when they'd be able to give them "haircuts."

After two months, the big day arrived. Steffan and Emilee each got a pair of scissors and a comb from Mom and gave Larry Boy and Tina a much-needed trim. "The kids had such a hard time waiting until they could cut the 'hair,'" explains Renée. Steffan and Emilee were proud of their handiwork, but the pride wore off quickly. Says Renée, "After the kids cut the hair, they lost interest, knowing their pets had already had a haircut. It didn't take long until Larry Boy and Tina died from lack of water!"