Redneck Swimming

As promised.

This is redneck swimming.

The trash can portion of the get up is what qualifies it as "redneck".

We (meaning Dustin and Mikayla-someone had to take pictures and that's where I came in) celebrated the 4th by going swimming.  In the holes that my Dad dug with his tractor that we're going to be putting our trees in (SO excited!).

What's a pool without a water slide?  I love how this picture makes it look a lot bigger and badder than it really was. ;)  

Dustin said one of his co-workers was wondering if Mikayla ever got dirty.  Here's your proof.  And in case you had any doubts, you could always refer back to this post.

Someday I am going to learn how to nail exposure and it's going to be AMAZING.  Someday.

And to prove that we are really more dignified once in a while (on rare occasions, of course), here's some pictures from a more refined swimming experience later in the evening.

I have to add a picture of my Dad digging our tree holes for us.  Just because it makes me so happy.  Look at all the good helpers he has!

P.S. Mikayla still hasn't woken up for the day and it's 11:05!  I've heard her a couple times so I at least know she's alive.  I'm just hoping she isn't getting the bug Dustin and I have. :(  For now...happy blogging for me!

We have a celebrity in our midst.

Miss Daisy Mae Duke herself.

She's missing her Dad today.  We got spoiled having him home for the long weekend and she got to do cool things like redneck swimming (more to come on that!).  She looked everywhere for him this morning, but no luck...she's stuck with boring 'ol Mom again. :(  

Even celebrities need their Dad sometimes.

Everyone needs a place to call home.

Some just prefer to settle in crazier places than others.

I'm sure glad we bought a home that has a room just for Mikayla and painted it pink and decorated it all girly.  Just for her.  And she prefers our shower.

Kisses anyone?

Just thought I'd ask.

The Scoop

So, we are in our new place and settled for the most part and LOVING it!!!  We are having so much fun playing house and unpacking all of our belongings that have been lost in boxes for a year.  It's almost like Christmas!  Almost. : )  We have have most everything unpacked, but decorating has been a little slower.  "We're working on it!"  I took some pictures yesterday to send to my brother and since people have been bugging me about when I'm going to post something I thought I'd put the pictures I sent him up on the blog.  It is by no means a finished product, but at least you can get an idea of what our house is looking like.  Sorry in advance about the terrible lighting on the house pictures.

The living room...this is the view you see when you walk into the house.

The living room view from the dining room.

This is the den/playroom that is right off of the living room.  It's kind of a terracotta color.

Dining room right off the kitchen (the door you see to the left is our bedroom).

The best kitchen EVER! 

Our bedroom...the plan is for it to be an African themed room and decorate it with stuff from Dustin's mission.

Mikayla's room is still a work in progress, but it is bright pink (the picture makes it look dark and orangey or something, but it's not) and we are going to put up a white chair rail between the pink and the stripes.  

The other bedroom is filled with books and pictures and stuff.  It's officially labeled "the boys room".  It's Dustin's hope for a masculine addition to all the pink that comes with Mikayla.

And, what's a post without this face?!

This was Dustin's quote of the century yesterday:

"Take all the feminine stereotypes and put them in one little body, douse it with a little bit of spunk and you have Mikayla.  Luckily, her Dad has a little bit of influence and gave her really bad hair and a love for dirt."

Does that imply that I gave her all the feminine stereotypes?  Just wondering.  Don't answer that question.

There you have it.  That's the update from our neck of the woods.

Moments That Matter Most

This video made me so happy to watch and is a great reminder of the things that matter most...

Let's Talk Business.

Being a business woman is hard work.  Ask Mikayla, she should know.  There are SO many things you have to do each day to play the part.

You have to make lots of important phone calls (in this case, resorting to a SPOON of all things to make the calls go through-what is this world coming to?!).

You spend all day in your "office" dealing with the junk piled on (or under as the case may be) your desk.

Sometimes dealing with all the junk that piles up requires you to make a bigger mess before you can make any progress.

Reading all kinds of VERY important papers is one of the most serious jobs around.

At times, the work load gets so heavy it requires a third hand (or mouth) to get a handle on it all.

Most days, you're so busy you don't even have time to sit down and eat a real meal.

The hardest part of all?  Dressing the part.  You can never take dressing the part of a business woman lightly.  Accessories are a must.

Dressing the part requires so much effort that sometimes it just isn't worth smiling about.

It could wear a person out!

And finally, good friends are a must if you're going to make it through the day.

Thank you, Mrs. Bear and silk flowers for being the best friends a girl could ever ask for.  You make the life of a busy business woman bearable.

My Shadow

We got the keys to our house and an hour later started destroying the walls trying to figure out what colors we were going to paint.  Needless to say, Mikayla went to the paint store a few times with me to get different colors to try out.  She caught on quick to the name of the game.

We LOVE paint swatches!

Here's a sneak peak at our colors.  Don't be scared.  They'll be awesome. : )

I couldn't get the color for Mikayla's room to copy.  Let's just say that the name of it is "First Love".  Ya, it's that cool.

Paint this week and move-in on Saturday!

By the way, how about Mikayla's bed head this morning?  I can't get a picture that does it justice, but you can get the idea!