Destiny was born June 20, 2005 at Blue Mountain Hospital. At 16 months, she can say at least 20 words. "Tickle, tickle, tickle," is one of her favorite things to say.<I><BR>The Eagle/Tina Cook</I>

JOHN DAY – Meet Destiny Danielle Pelayo. She may be a famous artist someday, or a dancer, singer or a magician. Who knows?

Destiny, 16 months, expresses her artistic side by drawing squiggly designs on paper. Like many mothers, hers keeps most of her artwork and has her first drawing on display on the family refrigerator. She loves to dance and sing and she likes to make things disappear. Once, she hid her mom’s keys in the trunk of a toy car.

“It wasn’t too bad. I knew she had them. It was just a matter of where,” her mother, Brandi Pelayo, said.

Destiny was winner of the Aug. 19 All for Kids cutest toddler contest. Her parents are Daniel and Brandi Pelayo of Canyon City, and she is a younger version of her mother, but with her father’s blue eyes.

“I told him if she gets one thing from you it better be your blue eyes,” Brandi Pelayo said.

Daniel Pelayo works for Grayback, and Brandi Pelayo is a homemaker. The family owns a dog named Leelou, a cat and a fish. They also have a frog that Daniel rescued from the Shake Table fire.

Destiny is well-behaved.

“I was lucky to get such a good first kid,” Brandi said.

Her favorite food is Gerber brand strawberry-banana breakfast bars. Destiny has a favorite sippy cup, but she still nurses before bed. Her favorite time of day is when her dad comes home. They play together until her bedtime.

“She’s a daddy’s girl,” Brandi said.

Her favorite toy is a homely little doll with scraggly hair.

“That doll creeps me out,” Brandi said.

Destiny is always on the go. She started walking at 11 months and stopped crawling completely on her first birthday.

“She’s hard to keep up with,” Brandi said.

Mothers always know how to soothe their young, and this mother is no exception. When Destiny was in the womb, Brandi would play “Ghetto Cowboy” by Bone Thugs ‘n’ Harmony.

“To this day, she’ll still calm down when she hears that song,” Brandi said.