7 Year Pictures!

Well what can I say, we tried a new photographer this time for Mikayla's 7 year pictures (thanks Jessica) and WOW!!!  I am so excited about how they came out. I know it would be ridiculous to want to print a canvas of them (nor do I have the wall space) (but it doesn't take the wanting away). 

Mikayla is very much into dressing up and dressing up her doll.  Naturally for her pictures we had to do both.  This is exactly who she is! 

The day we went to the park was a balmy less than 50 degrees out but WOW I am just blown away. 

I just can't believe she's 7 already (and has been for a couple months)!!  Where has the time gone.  It feels like it's going too fast.

I love the "sassy" she's sporting in the picture below!

Um.... 7 right?? 

I love the fresh new look of this type photography.

Her eyes!!!!  wow!!

How do I try to formulate how incredible this little girl is.  She will probably never know what an important part she has played in our lives.   She has such a tender heart. 

She knows she is loved and cherished, please let me never take it for granted.

Right now she is very into her kindle she got for Christmas, she is reading soooo well and seems to enjoy it.  She has started picking out harder books than she was.  (yay!!)

She says first grade is the worst grade ever, it's so hard and why on earth does Ms. Harper have to be so hard on them all...they're only 7 years old, for Pete's sake.

She loves singing - she goes really high and wavers her voice like a professional.

She dances and sings and cheers and does cartwheels every single day.

She loves playing XBox (even though we only know how to get to 2 games....).

She is so sweet with little kids.  She will be a great role model for them someday.

She is VERY into her American Doll.  She has started saving up her money for her next doll and some more accessories.

One of her most recent funny questions was "Mom, do you have to take your clothes off to kiss.....".... um...... "NO... NO we never take our clothes off.... ;)" 

We can no longer S.P.E.L.L. words out we don't want her to know, she know how to spell what we're saying. (DRAT)

I'm just going to say it, she's a GREAT kid and I'm so blessed to be her mom!!! (isn't she beautiful though, some of these pictures wow'd me into silence).

Some more house updates - faucets baby!

Well here are Bob's GOLDEN faucets that were in both bathrooms upstairs. (sorry picture is upside down...)

ICK ICK ICK.... I hated the tarnished and nasty!

It is now a brushed nickel.  We bought two faucets online - not knowing that they wouldn't fit...so we bought two more faucets from Home Depot in order just to be done with the plumbing.  So I still have to return the originals I bought, or sell them, anyone interested?  They're awesome faucets but in order NOT to have to rip out the walls to change the interior, we had to buy mohen.... sure wish I had known that from the get go......

Here is Bob's oh so beautiful GOLD!

AHHHHHH hear the harps?

Super hard to get the lighting right ha! 

Bob's Roman Tub in master 

Again - harps (note to self...get updated picture)...

Bob's Powder room, the pedestal sink is what we replaced.





Our project list for this little room is to paint it (someday), hang the pictures (they're just hanging out (not up LOL) for now) and we'll call it good but in the picture below, you can see the new vanity.... I love love love it.  Kirkland's has the best vanities!!  yay team!!

 

Plumbing list

Four new overflow protection toilets - check

Three new sink faucets for upstairs - check

Two new tub/shower combo sets for upstairs - check (twice...)

New vanity in powder room - check

New master roman tub/shower/two sink faucets - check (sink faucets twice)

PHEW!  The  plumbing is DONE!!!!

The American Girl Store

Mikayla loved the critters in this car (pictured below) she wanted her picture taken with them HA!  Of course you know I'm willing to take pics anytime, anywhere! 

See what's in the background?

You guessed it!!  The American Girl Store!!!  WOO HOO.  Mikayla saved up her birthday money, Christmas money, tooth fairy money and earned some too.  She had over $80!!

We were going for some very specific McKenna items, well...... uh oh.... they were 100% sold out!!!!  OH DEAR!!!!  well we walked around and around and around the store.  Mikayla had picked out a couple of outfits for her doll and she wanted some of the shoes.  So when I was walking around looking for the shoes - I spotted a set of crutches (for the doll) (and that is what she REALLY wanted) they don't belong to the McKenna line but she doesn't mind....she got some crutches (to go along with the story) the day was saved!!!! WOW!!!  You wouldn't believe how many people were in there, it was AMAZING!  No recession in that store for sure!

It is such a treat to come here!  I enjoy looking at this stuff as much as she does (I'll bet that surprises you huh)  LOL

One of these times, we'll be able to eat there, you have to have reservations and right now they're booked until April but we'll make it!! 

Good times!!!

A few more house things.....

My time off from work was really very productive!

I'm so excited.  Prepare for some before/afters :) 

Here is Bob's dining room. 

And then it became this (below).

then this....

And now.... :)  we were able to have Christmas and every day since then in our new dining room.  It is SO nice, it's really a great room to hang out in.  We still have some projects to do (paint/rug/glass for cabinet/window treatments) but for now - we will call it done!!!! 

Bob's guest room #2

Mikayla's play room #1 (same room as above LOL)

The empty wall space below is where her projector shines (yes, the school projector that Katie gave her last year - Mikayla has a lot of kids to teach and this is her classroom).  This room - we can call it done for now, I will be changing/making/adding wall art, we are in desperate need of a projector cart and from the time these pictures were taken, she had a week of home play days/Christmas happened and the projector and full size floor easel has come up.  So it's a bit bombish right now but it looks good in the pictures LOL

We added shelving in the closet!   3/4 of the bins are really empty I just put some things in there to make her think I didn't get rid of anything - worked like a charm.

Bobs guest room #1

turned into Mikayla's bedroom #1,  in her room, I just want to freshen up the paint (same color though - I love it) and figure out/make some art for the walls - not too much, just a bit :)  her room is so peaceful and WONDERFUL and full of fairy dreams and princess fun.

I took the lamp shade below....

Embellished it a little bit....

two times.....

And updated our bedside lamps.  For the lamps themselves.  I spray painted the clear glass with some "looking glass" spray, a few light coats, I sprinkled the lamps with water in between coats to get that Mercury glass look (I need to get better at the "before" pics...this was clear glass with gold trim and light kit).

The finished product.

And the biggest change this week.... is below.... well, I intentionally didn't take a before although just for fun I should have.   Take the garage below.... add in a single garage storage of stuff...and put it in there.  That is where we started from.  But don't forget to throw in all the extra construction stuff we had done, boxes, 5 inches of dust from the guy sanding/cutting with the garage door OPEN..... things of that nature.  It was a SERIOUS beast.....

and now..... both cars fit...all has been sorted except for 2 areas which we should be able to go right through.  Considering the amount of time spent doing this...what is left is peanuts.  So we can't call it done done but we sure can call it MUCH MUCH BETTER!!! 

We can both park inside now and that hasn't been the case for YEARS.... the shelving at the other house was too big so Michael's car didn't fit so stuff accumulated... but now both fit!!  WOO HOO!!!!  Can you believe it!  Look at that!!!!!

WOO HOO!!!!!!