Fun with the boys!!!

This weekend was Nate & Tiff's anniversary, so they took a little trip out of town for some R&R and we got to take care of our nephews! It was a blast, although 2 out of 3 were not feeling very well, so that was sad :( We got a crash-course in Parenting 101, complete with staying up late with a sick baby, getting up early with a sick 2 year old (who we then took back to bed with us but would not go back to sleep; instead he used my back & arms as a "road" for his cars/trucks for hours) and potty training woes with the 4 year old!

Our dogs were there too, and while that was a source of stress for me (as they are unaccustomed to little hands and feet, grabbing, pinching, and kicking) I'm happy to report that they behaved themselves very well and no one got bit! Jackson and Brandon were very gentle and I was so impressed by them all! Ben is so cute with the boys, I can't wait for him to become a daddy someday! My favorite part of the weekend were those moments when the boys would make some sweet comment (Jackson praying and thanking Heavenly Father for us and asking Him to bless that "Uncle Ben and Aunt Alex will stay and play a looooong time") or Brandon tackling me to give me a big hug and kiss, and when I fell asleep on the couch with Andrew on my chest. I think that those sweet moments, which I got but just a tiny sampling of, must be what makes parenting so worth the fatigue, blood, sweat, and tears!!! I remember being so tired Friday night (I'd gone to work at 5:30am and then taken care of the kiddos alone most of the afternoon/evening until Ben got there around 8:30ish) but I was laying on the couch with Andrew asleep on my chest, and it was just the best feeling in the world. That's the stuff happiness is made of, for sure! :) Thanks to Nate & Tiff for letting us have a little slice of heaven this weekend!

Anyway, enough of my sentimental gab, here are some pics of my adorable nephews who rock my socks!!!

Jackson and Brandon having fun in the sprinklers!

Andrew, giving me the stink eye for putting him down on the grass! :)

Sirius loves to lick Andrew!!! He didn't seem to mind though.

Who is the cutest baby ever??? Andrew is!!!

Happiness is a baby sleeping soundly on you!

Uncle Ben, Andrew trying to love on Mini, and Brandon.... um, looking kinda confused? (In his defense, he had just woken up from his nap)

Jackson being a ham!

PS> This has nothing do do with this post, but I just had to say.... BOOOOO Kanye West! Not cool dude... NOT cool! That is all.