Tonight

I'm exhausted. It was a long busy day. One that makes me feel good and productive. But still exhausted.

It started with a trip to the doctors. It was Kenley's 4 month appointment, which means shots :(

She gave me this face on and off all day: It broke my heart. These weren't her normal cries with easy comforting, these were soft pathetic raspy cries that had me holding, singing and rocking her all day. The tears she has now make it 10 times worse! (if you've never notived, newborns dont have tears)

Her measurements told us this: Weight-50th, height-82nd and head-90th. I coulda told them she had a huge noggin!

When she would drift off to sleep for 20-30 minutes at a time, I would pick up the books to study for my last 2 finals (almost over!) But I'm burnt out and ready for it to just be done! So I took on the task of re-arranging all the furniture in the house. Our house is pretty tiny, but I moved and cleaned everything. So it kept me busy and running back and forth to the shed all day.

You know that feeling when every last dust bunny in your house is dead? Thats a good feeling!

I had just gotten Kenley down for another cat-nap and was in the process of moving the couch, when someone threw a rock at the window! Or so I thought... I ran to the back porch only to hear more hitting the front door. Then the pelting really began. It was so loud! I realized it was hail and remembered that I left the shed door wide open and ran to save all our junk through these huge suckers---

Thats the size of ice I like to have in my drinks! Those crazy clouds!

After it died down, the thunder and lightening started again that had been going all last night and Kenley was in need of another good cuddle. After a struggle I finally got her to sleep around 10 and then got all the furniture in place in time for BJ to get home.

So here I sit, tired and covered in the grime of deep cleaning, but satisfied and wanting to remember this feeling; In todays chaos, I was reminded that this is everything I have ever wanted-a life to share and make better with my own family. It was a good day-and tonight I'll sleep like a rock!

Kari, Kari, Carrie, Kris, Chris, and three Ray's

I have a task ahead of me to distinguish all the aunts and uncles in my family for Kenley. It's kind of confusing as it is:

Kari Dolan (My brothers fiance, soon to be Kari Bryner)
Kari Bryner (my sister)
Carrie Driggers (BJ's sister)

Carrie is a hair dresser, and my sister Kari is going to beauty school to become a hair dresser.
What do you think I should do? Nick-names for all? Or # them 1-2-and 3?
Oh, and they just happen to all be adorable.


Kris Driggers (BJ's brother)
Chris Bryner (my brother)
These two also happen to have the same birthday. Crazy right?


Ray is a family name on both our sides. My grandpa was Ray so my brother Evan has Ray as his middle name. So do BJ and his dad.

We're planning on naming our first boy after BJ, so there would be 3 Bennett Ray's in the family.
I hope Kenley isn't too confused!

Road Rage

With all the driving I have to do lately, i've made a few observations:

1. When i'm in my car I have a false sense of security that drives me to act in inappropriate ways.
2. I have very little patience for poor drivers
3. My impatience and feelings of invincibility prompt many horn honks and hand gestures to these poor drivers who could quite possibly be serial killers.

Although on some level, I'm worried that one day I might be tracked down by some unsavory character that i've offended. All caution is thrown to the wind when, in a single hour, I share the road with the following people:

-The person who turns his blinker on and is shocked that I don't magically disappear when he tries to merge into me.
-Somebody digging in a bag on the passenger seat and swerves halfway into my lane.
-Stopped at a red light, the person in front of me doesn't notice when the light turns green. Leaving me stuck for another rotation.
-The person going 20 in a 40 mph zone (always when i'm running late)
-The one who doesn't understand that, even though the light is red, after you stop you CAN turn right.
-The people who don't know how four-way stops work.
-The aggressive driver that likes to drive as close as possible to my bumper.
-The person turning left, that only watches to his left, as I come up the road on his right.
-The driver going much slower than me on the right, that decides to get into my lane just before I pass, forcing me to slam on my brakes.
-The person that SLAMS on their brakes the minute the light turns yellow.

This is about the time I come un-glued and you would never guess that i'm actually kind of shy and reserved. Are licenses given away in cereal boxes here in Utah??
Maybe I can learn to channel my frustration in some useful way.
Until then, if you pass me on the road and I give you a salute, I hope you will remember that I really am a nice person when out from behind the wheel.

TRAUMA!!

Yesterday we caved and took Kenley to get her ears pierced. It was traumatic! ...for 20 seconds.

She was so good and didn't know what was going on until the piercer went in for ear #2. Poor baby wailed, and I felt like shedding a tear myself. But once she was done and I scooped her up in my arms she was over it and had some sparkly new trophies to show for it. I recorded it so my mom and sister could see since they were so curious as to how she would handle it. She's a tough girl and doesn't usually cry for very long, but the video is just too heart-breaking to post. So instead, here's a picture of her visiting her dad at work and how much she loves it!