Love-fest

BJ has been kind enough to bring it to my attention that I am totally, completely and disgustingly in love with my baby girl.

But, how can you not be? I mean, look at this girl!! She's awesome!!

Haunted hay ride with creepy noises? No problem!

Ask me what a chicken says. I dare you. "Bawk bawk bawk!"

Then i'll giggle, cause I know i'm hilarious.

Lolli and Kenley, BFF's

A swing is called "Wwweeeee!!"

Touchdown!!

We're number 1!!

................

I rest my case.

Paragliding

Ever since the first time I saw those colorful parachutes at point of the mountain, i've imagined what it would be like if I ever got up the guts to do it.

And it was so much more fun than I imagined!

Here's BJ taking off.

It's the coolest sensation to just float up off the ground!

I really wanted a picture of me up in the air but I had the camera in my pocket, this was the best I could do.

(My instructor strapped to my back laughed at me when I said that "I shoulda worn cuter shoes")

I'm mildly terrified of heights and was more than a little nervous. I was afraid I would feel like I was constantly falling, but we just floated along at a surprising speed.

It was heavenly.

BJ's instructor was really funny, and did some tricks that woulda made me puke.

I asked him how he liked having a guy straddling him for a half hour.

He said: "I got his number. That's not weird, is it?"

Beyonce the metal chicken

For some reason, for the past week BJ has been irritating me more than he normally would.

I can't really put my finger on why every syllable he utters = nails on a chalk board.

A few things have just gotten under my skin more than they would normally.

Like those socks he tosses half-heartedly and lets lie next to the hamper.

Or yelling at the football/xbox game.

I promise i'm a really nice person and haven't snapped at him or been (very) irrational! And I can't be the only wife who (very rarely) feels like this???

But yesterday morning, after a week of feeling irritated, I had my boxing gloves ready for a fight, I just didn't know what it was about yet.

We were getting ready to head to a birthday party at chuck-E-cheese, and I had pulled out clothes for Kenley.

After her bath, to my delight, BJ dutifully took her to get dressed. I walked into the living room to find them in matching outfits, with the clothes I had set out still resting on the arm of the couch.

They were in matching football jerseys.

I promptly threw a fit and demanded she be changed into the clothes I had sanctioned acceptable for our outing.

To which BJ responded by smugly snapping the final button in place on her top.

So naturally, this propelled me into a rage.

(Because who wouldn't be pissed that a loving husband got their toddler in clean clothes that would probably only stay that way for another hour at best??)

I stomped away to finish getting myself dressed and fumed for a few minutes.

That's when I heard the shower.

It was my chance!

I rushed into the living room and coaxed Kenley to let me re-dress her.

When i was done, I hid the mini jersey.

Yep.... really did hide it like a little kid.

I all but stuck my tongue out at BJ when he saw what she was wearing.

I got the cold-shoulder all the way to chuck-e-cheese, and I sat silently listing reasons why I was right and justified in my behavior.

But I couldn't really come up with a good reason why to get into a fight over it. I suddenly felt really dumb, childish, and ridiculous!

And I actually started laughing! Cracking up that THIS was the biggest problem in my life right now, and I had created it!

BJ looked sideways at me, i'm sure wondering if his wife had completely lost it, and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

I apologized and explained, and lost all feelings of irritation. (At least til my blood sugar dipped again)

I hope next time I wont be so bull-headedly stubborn and pick my battles a little better.

While thinking about picking my battles, I came across this story that made me pee-laugh cause it sounds like a fight we had a few months back about toilet paper :)

Hey, at least I didn't put a giant metal chicken in your way!

Alabama trip Part 1

We flew into alabama friday evening and stayed for a very jam-packed week. BJ had his 10 year reunion, and Carrie got married! In between I snuck in some site-seeing. But I'll talk more about that later.

BJ's 10 year high school reunion was great for him. But you know how it is when you get old friends together and you don't know anyone they're talking about. I felt a little awkward. I was also a little jealous, BJ had such a close senior class. We got to take a tour of the school and make bets on when Tiffany would cry (one of BJ's closest friends) They were a lot of fun later that night when we met at a bar to watch the senior video. I got to dance to some of the hits of 2001 while laughing at pictures of BJ in jorts, earings, gold chains, and socks with sandals.We did some porch settin' on a lazy sunday afternoon. I love hanging out with the in-laws :)

Everyone took a ride on aunt Teri's "car" as Ethan called it.

The new happy family.

This was the trip we discovered Kenley has allergies :( poor baby developed a cough, constant itchy eyes, and had a hard time breathing and therefore sleeping at night. We tried a few medications before settling on Allegra. What a difference it made! She was back to herself in no time.

This was just too cute: She got really hot running around outside so I changed her out of her clothes and she took off running and I couldn't stop laughing watching her run in just a diaper and tennis shoes.

She has a lil' swagger! Her hips swing when she walks with attitude. So of course I had to let her run free :)

4 Years

4 years ago I made one of the biggest choices of my life. It was picking you BJ! And I will do it every day for the rest of forever. This year we were in Alabama for our 4th anniversary. BJ bought me these awesome running shoes, and surprised me with a night at the suite where we spent our wedding night.

Actually... I should specify that he dropped me off and left to go play basketball. It was glorious!

But before you think thats not as romantic as it actually was, let me tell you this: Since Kenley has come into our lives I have had ZERO minutes alone just by myself. I value my quiet time a lot more now. Also we'd been staying at BJ's parents who are extremely giving and loving people. But the house was packed, and the Driggers' consider everything in the house to be communal. Including space.

So I would be dead asleep and in walks someone wanting to watch TV in the room we're sleeping in. Or I will be in the bathroom and one of the boys will try to come in and be so upset that I lock the door, which I guess never happens.

Needless to say I was about to crack!

So letting me spend some time alone in a beautiful room with my good friend- midnight milky way- was a great way to celebrate four happy years of marriage. We stayed and slept in the huge bed until check out time at 1:30. Amazing.

I love you so much BJ and look forward to many many more happy years!!

Husbands and other nonsense

There's nothing like seeing a terrible marriage to make you appreciate your own imperfectly perfect marriage. Or make you want to run home to hubby, hug him and apologize for anything and everything, and make silly promises like "we'll never fight again! promise!". Not that we've been having any problems lately. But I've recently had the opportunity to witness up close and personal a couple that has problems. It makes me really sad.

Afterwards I immediately had to call BJ to tell him I love him. I don't think he understood where my mood was coming from. He always chalks that sort of thing up to me being a "girl".

Lets face it-

Couples fight

Bicker

Get sick of each other

If you think being married is all cotton candy and hugs, sorry to tell you that you're gonna have some of your worst fights with the one you love the most.

But I'm so grateful for BJ. There's no one I would rather argue with.

This has been sort of an off week for me. I've been grumpy and out of sorts. Not only because I've started a new job, but I feel like i'm drowning in my last few weeks of school.

So when the basement flooded, I did NOT want to deal with the mildewy smell and having to sleep on a mattress on the floor in the living room. Yuck. The clutter and jumbled furniture surrounds my space at home and makes me anxious and upset.

But yesterday, on one of the only days BJ has off, he bathed, fed, played with, and changed diapers for K girl. He taught our rowdy class of boys at Sunday school. AND he made dinner.

I'm so lucky to have such a loving and hard working husband.

Maybe I won't nag him this week.... Maybe

Holl-A-day

We've moved! Hopefully the last time for very long time since I really like the house, and the area (plus I HATE the hassle of moving). Drake has a nice big, fenced backyard to play in and Kenley has a very cute little room for herself.

Our friend Tasha said it's a "happy little place" :)

I was excited to move to Holladay because my Aunt, Grandma and other family live here and have always told me how much they love it here.

We really got lucky finding this place, it's so close to work and school. There are a lot of young families too!

I am, however, a little worried about fitting in. What I mean by that is:

Our cars are an Accord and a Jetta + I haven't seen so many Subaru Outbacks with bike/snowboard racks in my life = I hope we can prove to be outdoorsy enough to play with these folks.

My morning jog in my sweater I've worn since high school and yesterdays mascara making me look at raccoon-y+ Tiny, beautiful women jogging in brand name sports attire in full makeup and hair done = Thank goodness for 24 hr gym memberships!

Our very modest furniture + the million dollar homes decorated to the 9's down the street = Holy inferiority batman!

We haven't even been here 2 weeks but I'm learning that Holladay is a whole new subculture of Utah that I never really knew about. People that have lived in Utah for years don't know exactly where it is, and misspell it like I did (but don't worry! know-it-all-BJ set me straight on the spelling)

Of course BJ is so excited about all the snowboarding peeps that I'm a little worried I wont see him at all in the winter months. But we're excited to be living in this cute place with our little fam and I'm especially excited to see what trouble I can get into here.

WANTED

Husband for Football Season

Duties include:Attending family functions, Not flaking on date-nights, the occasional best-friends'-kids'-first birthday party, Saying "uh-huh" when you've actually heard what i've said, Wearing something other than the "lucky team hat" which is dirty and stinks, Never yelling at the TV or using the phrase "right in the kisser".

Qualifications: Must either hate or have a strong sense of boredom when watching anything football. ie: pre-game show, "the big game" (which, i guess, they all are) , half-time show, post-game highlights/discussion.
Must love to: hike, swim, bowl, spend time with good friends, have all-around fun.

Compensation: A strong feeling of fulfilment and well being, the chance to play with some fun people!

If you have any inquiries or interests in this exciting job opportunity, come on over! I will be the one wearing this--