Insta Life

We moved again last Saturday and our computer is still not set up. So I'm blogging from my phone. And the easiest way to do so is to post my latest instagrams, since they are stored so nicely in their own folder in my iPhotos. Hopefully I'll post captions sometime when I get my computer back.

Enjoying his treat from the Jelly Belly Factory.

Another great check up for Ben.  Love that Ben loves going to the doctors and dentist. 

Daddy and Ben date to see The Croods. 

Ben was making cookies with his GG when I started to take pictures.  This is him pointing and 

me and telling me not to post this on the internet.  I never told him I wouldn't.  Haha.  

Jackson loves the splash park. 

Ben came home with these fake mustaches from Chuck E Cheese. 

Ben and I at our first movie on the lawn of the season- The Sandlot. So fun! 

What did you do at school today?

This is a question that both myself and James ask Ben every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. His usual responses: "nothing," "I don't know," or "I don't remember." James teasingly always gives him a hard time about these answers and says things like "what are they teaching you at that school?" One day a couple months ago Ben thought up a clever little solution to this problem. He asked one of his teachers to write down a list of things he did that day as dictated by himself, which he now periodically does and brings home for his daddy!

House Poor

We made it through our starving student days.  And survived our starving student with a baby days.  We definitely aren't there anymore.  But it probably feels that way to Ben sometimes.  We are hoping to purchase our first home around next spring.  We have been saving for a 20% down payment (we want to avoid PMI like the plaque) for a few years now.  So Ben often hears the phrases "that costs too much money," or "we have to save our money for the house."  He has had several funny responses to this pursuit.  He has suggested that he could help us to save money if. . .

• we purchase him a wagon.  That way he can sell things door to door. : ) 
• we purchase him a larger piggy bank.  His current gum ball machine/piggy bank only holds maybe ten dollars in change.  

On our way home from Tahoe, and after dropping off one of his buddies he told me all about their plan to make a movie.  He explained that instead of paying to go see a movie, that people could pay us to watch ours!  He was very excited about this and then went on to tell me his little pitch: "Ladies and gentlemen, come and see our movie.  Please pay us to see it.  Our family is very poor!"  

Easter

James suggested the night before after I broke down for him our busy Easter Sunday schedule that we go to the other ward's time (since our's doesn't start till 12:30).  We only had first hour, followed by a linger longer but I bolted out right after Sacrament and didn't look back.  You see during the closing song Jackson decided to bee line it for the halls.  So I sent Ben after him.  Usually he comes right back struggling while carrying a gigantic baby.  Well he didn't come right back so I had to go get them.  I thought the song was about to end (turns out it had one more verse), so I hurriedly got up and turned the corner to get out before the closing prayer started.  Because we are always late we sit in the back on the basketball court floors.  Those floors, combined with me being in a rush and heels that I never wear caused me to slip and land on top of an old man sitting in front of us.  At least it wasn't our ward. : ) 

As soon as we pulled up to the house I informed everyone to stay outside for a family photo.  I set the camera on top of our mailbox and using the self timer was able to take a few good pics.  I had the ISO (controls the amount of light the camera takes in) on really high by mistake and we were looking into the sun, so they came out very bright.  We are not a tan family by any means, but we also aren't quite this pale.  Oh well.  I still love the photo.  Especially Jacky.  He cracks me up, lookin all pimp. : )  

After lunch and a good nap (for Jacky) we set off for my grandpa's house to celebrate Easter (of course) and also his 80th birthday.  We were able to stay for about an hour and the boys were showered with more goodies from the Easter bunny (AKA Mimi).  Ben's favorites: his baseball and mitt- he is becoming quite the player.  We then went to the Greene's for dinner, more goodies, and an easter egg hunt with cousin Dylan.  The grass was wet from a few scattered showers but the sun was shining and the plastic eggs were full of candy and money.  Jackson would grab one egg, put it in his basket, and then put his basket on his head.  He was happy.  

Another wonderful celebration of rebirth and the sacred gift of our Savior.  Trying to reteach Ben about the atonement and resurrection has been quite eventful.  It has brought up lots of questions.  This kid always has lots of questions.  So much so that I have been known to blurt out "quiet time!" in the car more than once.  He literally rattles my brains sometimes.  But these kinds of questions are golden!

Jackson Turns One- the movie

Every year I make a video for the boys on their birthdays.  I played around with making a condensed version of Jackson's movie to post on the blog, but decided to just go with the full version.  Whoever cares enough to watch it, will hopefully not mind the fact that it's about fifteen minutes long.

When we lived in Utah I used to post videos on my blog on Monday for my mom mainly, so she could see Ben in action.  Since I've never posted any of Ben's birthday movies, I thought I would bring back movie Monday and post all his old ones in the coming Mondays.
Jackson Turns One from Julie Greene on Vimeo.