[ Brian's Birthday ]

My friend Diane had to go away for the weekend to a board meeting for Life Connection Mission. So, while mom's away the kids will play...at my house! :) Brian and Kristi came over today and will spend the night and we'll go to church together in the morning before mom comes home. And today is Brian's birthday! He celebrated early with mom before she left yesterday so he brought his Nintendo DS along for some fun. He's video game junkie I swear!

The kids have been really good and I had to work a bit this afternoon. They came along and while I had a photo session Tyler was being an awesome big brother and they walked to the convenience store to load up on junk food snacks and soda. Lucky for me, pop doesn't affect their personalities. ;) lol After work we headed to the grocery store to get fixin's for homemade pizza and treats for after dinner (fruit roll ups). No one warned me that going to the grocery store would be such a chore! lol But we survived.

Yummy! I love homemade pizza!

The kids play and get along great for the most part. Tanner being the youngest tends to get bored or overlooked at times. He gets tired of playing video games when Brian gets ahead of him or feels left out when his brother won't make crafts with him but he looks forward to doing them with Kristi. He had it rough today anyway...stepped on a bee and got stung right on the bottom of his foot while they were playing tag and hide-n-go-seek outside.

Tyler and Kristi made sock puppets as a surprise for Kristi. Tyler wants a little sister so bad. :) His big brother role with Tanner is sometimes great, but most times difficult. They love one another, but tend to fight like cats and dogs. Being the middle child has been tough for Tyler, but he hangs in there. :) God knows he's the tough one or he wouldn't have given him the middle child role.

Miss attitude with her weapon! lol Tyler would hold the yarn hair and tell Kristi to cut. She got faster and faster and between giggles Tyler would say "Slow Down Kristi! You're gonna cut my fingers off!" lol Of course she was being careful but he loves to make her giggle.

Kristi's sock puppet, finished. Almost looks like she's smiling doesn't it?! Tyler made pigtails for her puppet but Kristi didn't like them so we took them back down. Her yarn hair almost looks like little 'fro braids. :)

And of course boys will be boys. We'll take time to put everything away before bed right? I hope. Otherwise it's going to be a long morning playing pick up before church! Hey boys! Look at me! Boys.... Oh Boys!.... Please? YO! BOYS! Hmmmm...

Okay, fine. I made Kristi and Tyler come to the living room and made the boys pause the video game so we could take a group picture for Brian's birthday. :) It's no giant party with balloons or cake, or even any real presents...but we're having a great time!

Tyler, Kristi, Tanner and Brian

My four kids for today. Tomorrow I'll be back to my normal three. (Taylor will finally be done working at the cook shack during the fair and I'll have my daughter back!) Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Despite the heat we're having a ball. Giggles, laughter and squeels galore! May God richly bless your weekend as He has mine.

Oh... and a huge P.S. This is tax free weekend! Tomorrow we're going school supply shopping! Every penny counts!