"A lesson on genetics".

Miss Piggy

I scrounged up every millimeter of hair on Mikayla's head that I could and we finally got some "real" pigtails on the back of her head!

If I sit her on the bathroom sink she'll play with our toothbrushes (shhh...don't tell Dustin-he's a germaphobe!) and sit still long enough for me to do her hair.

The problem is the pigtails were are tiny you can't see them from the front (not to mention her 99th percentile-sized head kind of hides things) and her hair isn't long enough to move them forward much. I sat her back down on the sink so she'd sit still and let me get a picture from the back to prove they really existed for a short time.

Aren't they adorable?!

While she was sitting on the sink something finally clicked and she realized she could make faces in the mirror.  I was laughing so hard at her trying to think of faces to make at herself and I just couldn't help taking pictures.  There are a bazillion pictures that all look pretty much the same (and I fully recognize that not everyone thinks my daughter is as cute as I do so feel free to ignore all my pictures!), but her faces in the mirror make me super happy so I had to include them all. :)

I can't resist.

Sorry if this is a spoiler for you, but I have to share these pictures...

I was sorting through Mikayla's clothes on Saturday and came across one of my old Halloween costumes.

One thing led to another and we ended up trying it on because I was afraid Mikayla would be too "fluffy" for it.  Mikayla was NOT excited to be playing dress-up on her break from working outside.

Check out her face in the top left picture.  It is the absolute epitome of the "Mikayla face".  She gives this scowl to everyone.  ALL.THE.TIME.  She's done it since the day she was born.

We've had many good laughs the last couple of days over all her expressions in these pictures.

Now, check this out.  My Mom emailed me this picture after she saw these pictures of Mikayla.

It's me, at 19 months (the same age as Mikayla right now), in the same costume.

See any resemblance?

Chit Chat

If you ever need someone to talk to, you know who you can call...

She'll even blow you kisses and wave good-bye over the phone for you!  Call anytime....just be prepared to TALK!!!

Snapshots of home.

The outside isn't the only part of the house that's been getting some attention lately.  I've put Dustin and anyone who walks in the door at the right time (mostly my Dad) to work hanging some things around the house.

First off, Mikayla's room is officially the first totally completed room in the house.  Dustin hung up all the chair railing and I just LOVE her room.

I don't know if many of you truly appreciate the degree of nerds that Dustin and I are.  Let me explain.  One of our dreams is to have a library in our home.  Yes.  A library with millions of books, big picture windows and huge comfy chairs to sit in and read all day long.  

Until we have our dream library we needed a home to house our kids books.  I've been dreaming of rain gutter bookshelves for quite some time and now we have them.  Mikayla loves her books and "reads" them all day long.  It's perfect. 

We've been collecting kid's books since we got married with our old books, at yard sales, thrift stores, etc. We started to get a good collection, then my grandma retired from teaching and gave us some books, too.   Now we have a kid's library.  Thanks, Dearie!  The rest of the books just found their way out of boxes and it is so much fun!

The playroom is almost done.  We just have to find a mirror to put in the frame over the piano and we'll be good to go.

Our kitchen shelves (that still need things in the boxes and frames, but all in good time!).

Sorry, this was the best shot to get it all in, but it's a weird angle.

And, lastly, last night my Dad and Dustin hung the picture collage in the living room.  I wanted something simple and something that I could change out pictures in so this is what we came up with.

That's the update on our home!

Who needs a toilet?

Who needs a toilet when you have a perfectly good nightstand to sit on and read?

"Oprah calls it multi-tasking" (name that movie!).

Movin' dirt-again.

Dirt from work=a great excuse to whip out the tractor and play in the dirt!

I can't get enough of these two on the tractor together!  Mikayla loves riding on the tractor with Grandad!

It only took a couple of times dumping loads before Mikayla figured out how to dump the dirt and she took it upon herself to run that operation.

Yours truly, the neighborhood rednecks (visiting teaching spared me from the grubby clothes movement).

Quality control for the dirt mound.  Eventually it'll be a raised patio so you can sit and look at our beautiful mountain views over the wall.

The best little helper!

Wrapped around his finger.

Mikayla isn't just a Mama's girl.  She pretty much idolizes her Dad and LOVES to be outside with him.

Watering the plants with Mom just isn't the same...some things are just better with Dad.

Miracles don't cease to exist.

Your proof?

I sewed something.

3 somethings if you want to get technical.

I don't know if anyone is aware about how picky Dustin is in regard to stockings.  

And I mean extremely PICKY.  We've been on a 4 year quest to find the "perfect" stocking. 

He says he likes these.  I think he's afraid to say otherwise.

Sorry about the horrible picture.  My creative juices were sucked dry by that horrid thing called a sewing machine.

Speaking of creative juices-check out what Dustin and Mikayla made for a welcome home present after our girl's outing last weekend.

It's a bromeliad (not sure what that is?  I wouldn't know either if I wasn't married to Dustin...here's a picture.)

The best part?  The flower is made out of paper and Mikayla's hand and feet prints.  I love it.

Mama's girl.