A family of 4

So two parents and two children equals a family of FOUR. I have to say that I really like it! I was really nervous about having two kids, but I love it. It really is much easier then I thought that it would be. It helps that my kids are super good. I feel really blessed! Little Dutch sleeps really good for us. Every night she goes for a 5 to 6 hour stretch wakes up to eat and goes back down for 3 more hours. It has been this way ever since she was two weeks old. Jackson has really become a big helper and is very patient with us and with Dutch. He is in love with her. He proclaims his love for her often and tells me that he NEEDS to hold her. Sometimes he loves her too much and we have to save her from him. Dutch is smiling all of the time now. She laughed for the first time the other day at Ben. It was soooooo cute! We are having a lot of fun together!!! I LOVE my little family! BOOYA!!!

Can you believe she is already 2 months old?

Jack lookin like a G all ready for the park

Sleepy baby

She is not big enough for her bumbo seat but Jackson loves it!
The tray won't click in because he is too big but he insists on having it.

Jackson and me playing GO FISH
(he used to say "No, gold fish crackers" instead of go fish)

Loving each other

For Katie!

Tummy time

Things that make you go Hmmmm....

Time to update this blog again. This is Ben bytheway, and I may have been designated as the official blogger of the house. A decision Amy may live to regret. Because guess what? I'm at work, with some spare time. And away we go.
Amy and I created this game last night in the style of the World Series of Pop Culture tie-breaker. We pick an actor or director and go back and forth seeing who can name more of their films. We probably played for an hour. Then later we brainstormed who the best actors would be to play my favorite comic book heroes in as-yet-unmade movies. That's how much she loves me.
So, in 2 weeks almost ALL of our families are coming to town for Dutch's baby blessing. It's such a blessing that so many from my side AND her side can make it. We're going to have the best time. We are all so excited for them to come, even Jackson. Amy spent some time with him today looking at a family portrait to make sure he knows all of their names.
Jackson goes through funny phases. He used to yell "Don'choo ever Daddy!! Don'choo ever!!" Before that if he ever started to cry about anything it would always include, "I can't ... (sob) ... be yate (late)!!!" More recently, every word that comes out of his mouth is from the Jungle Book, like "Go away and yeave me ayone (alone)," or singing "The Bear Necessaries." And we proudly announce that he is fully potty-trained (knock on wood). He's great.
Baby Dutch is going to meet her extended family here soon. They will never be the same.
Amy spends every spare minute, which are few and far between, choreographing cheer routines for non-existent squads or watching America's Next Dance Crew on MTV. Or she will sit and watch old X-Files with me.
I am speaking Spanish at work still, although I have only gotten one call in the last 9 hours. (It's a nice job.) I'm spending the free time drawing for the portfolio that I'm turning in to BYU at the end of the month. I'm taking a break to write this. I'll post some drawings here one day.
On a personal note, I'm extremely stoked for the Indiana Jones, Batman, Iron Man and Hulk movies coming out in the next few months. If you know anything about me, you should have guessed that, though. I'll have to buy Jackson all the new toys (but who are they really for...?)

Oh yeah, here's a P.S. that I have to include. It's about Jackson, I must love him or something. Whenever we open the back seat for him to crawl into his carseat, he pats the carseat and says "It's beautiful! It's beautiful!" The End

New car and old pics

Hey, it's Ben. We've got some swell updates for the blog today. First some big news, we got a new (used) car last week! Here's the fotos:

2005 Chevy Malibu

We bought it at the Church Office Building. It was previously driven by a pair of LDS missionaries in Texas. It was a great deal, the price was well below wholesale, and the Church gives their cars oil changes and check-ups religiously (no pun intended).


This is our first car with power options and keyless entry, so we're more than happy.


Now for a great story of the day we bought the car. We had just handed over the check and we got in the elevator in the parking garage, when who gets into the crowded elevator with us??





Why, it's the Elders M. Russell Ballard and Quentin L. Cook!
(Elder Cook is new to the Apostleship as of October, he was called to take President Faust's place.)






So, our little family of 4 is crammed in an elevator with two apostles and some other folk. Jackson looks around at the adult faces in the elevator, and STOMPS on Elder Cook's foot! (I'm exaggerating a little, it was a gentle sort of foot placement.) But still, how many people even get that close to an Apostle, let alone tread on his shoes! Little monster.

Speaking of Jackson, we found an old roll of film that we had never developed, so we took it to Target. Most well-spent $9.00 of our life! Look at little Jackson from a year and a half ago. I almost don't remember him looking like this!