The Rankin Family

Ainsley's Horse Birthday with Friends

2011-01-20T15:15:00.002-06:00

Can I have a birthday party with my friends mom? It was fun to have Ainsley really participate in creating an invite list and picking out gifts for gift bags this year. Last year was fun but this year had so many new things. Crafts, games, and a pinata!

Ainsley invited seven friends to come and paint unicorn sun catchers, play pin the tail on the horse, break a pinata, and just plain celebrate with her. Favorite snacks, apples and popcorn along with sparkling juice were served. It's always easy to gather around a bowl of fresh popcorn!

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We had friends from all of the things we enjoy doing. Playgroup, church, and those we have just met in our daily routine. All of the girls did great together. Despite not everyone knowing one another.

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Here's a close up of Ainsley's cake. It was horse number two for the week. The pan definitely got a work out along with my cookie press with frosting attachment.

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Making a wish, again!

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Ainsley said she had a great birthday! Overall, I think it was a success.

Happy Birthday Ainsley and Andrew!

2011-01-15T15:01:00.000-06:00

Isn't it amazing how time flies. I seem to have blinked and now we have a 5 year old and 2 year old. This year the theme was horses and footballs. Yes, two very opposite and uncoordinated themes but we made it work. Football and unicorn balloons. Football and horse cakes.

Here's our birthday girl. We've been talking about the horse party for over three months. Needless to say, that was plenty of time to find a horse dress. Ainsley saw a horse cake pan one day at Hobby Lobby and requested that particular cake. I had two months to prep myself for making cakes this year and what a joy it was! We had so much fun just enjoying her. We even had a birthday breakfast, cinnamon rolls, her favorite.

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And then, there's our little man. He was so excited for his football party. He was greeted with football balloons and a football cake. He hasn't figured out yet that he went from one to two years old. But he did know how to say party and presents before the party weekend was through. He has asked for cake at every meal since with a candle to blow out. I think I have sung happy birthday at least as many times as their combined ages.

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Blowing out the candles!

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Enjoying the cake!

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1st Snow Storm 2011

2011-01-10T14:49:00.001-06:00

Ainsley has been so disappointed in our winter this year. She says it's just not winter without snow. Well, now we have snow and a lot of it! This was the first true snow storm of the season for us, we got about 6-8 inches in about a day. The temperatures are getting ready to turn bitter cold so before that happens we all went out for a romp in the snow.

Andrew's first snow suit experience!

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He loved the snow and enjoyed our hike as long as I was carrying him. He had a hard time walking in the boots. Then, we got out the dump truck and shovel and he loved it even more. It was enough to keep him occupied while we shoveled the drive.

SInce it didn't look like we would be in for a bad winter I didn't purchase a new snow suit for Ainsley this year. So, we are making due with our old pant and mismatched coat. Thankfully the pants are just long enough to cover the boots. We are definitely in need of a new snow suit for next year though.

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Ainsley could have stayed out in the snow all day. But eventually the snow did make its way into her boots and her feet got cold. I think Ruby took a cue from Ainsley and decided she loved the snow just as much too!

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Ruby, Bolt, Ainsley

2011-01-04T14:41:00.000-06:00

Ainsley and Ruby have become really good pals over the last month. Although Bolt is still very much in the picture. (See white dog in background.) Ainsley still takes Bolt everywhere when Ruby can't tag along and she still sleeps with Bolt. But Ruby is her official play mate and would follow her everywhere in the house if she were allowed.

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Ruby is a great family dog. She's fit right into our life and looking back, I don't think I would want to spend a day without her now. Despite some things we have had to go to the vet for, it's been a rather uneventful transition. We are no longer getting up in the middle of the night with her, the crying has stopped, and she likes her kennel. Training has been easy and she sits, stays, lays down, and shakes on command. We are excited for the weather to get warmer so we can take her on walks and get some of her energy out but for now she's great at playing fetch in the house. Adding Ruby to the Rankin family was a tough decision for me, but looking at it now it really should have been a much easier one!

Randall Christmas

2011-01-01T14:37:00.000-06:00

And now we are at Christmas part three....we celebrated Christmas on New Year's morning with Gigi and Papa. One of my new favorite characters is Rapunzel. I went on a daddy daughter date with my dad and saw Tangled the movie. I told my Papa and Gigi all about it and was surprised on Christmas morning with some new Rapunzel things. I love playing Rapunzel and would like to grow my hair out long like hers.

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Andrew got some of his favorite things! Sports balls. He also got cars and a huge fire truck. All Andrew talks about is his cars, trains, and football. Sounds like a brother to me.

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Rankin Christmas - Joplin

2010-12-25T14:29:00.001-06:00

We spent Christmas with Nana and Granddad in Joplin this year. We had so much fun and really enjoyed the holiday. Christmas eve service was nice and Ainsley held her very own candle. Andrew also participated in the candle lighting by repeatedly blowing out my light. Here's Ainsley in her Christmas dress.

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Christmas morning was exciting and we got started as soon as Aunt Katherine was up. Ainsley wanted to get into it early and tried guessing a few of the gifts that were hers under the tree.

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Andrew was excited and really into gift opening this year. It's such a joy to see their excitement and then the contentment with the new things they receive. Andrew got a new barn and played with it all morning.

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Ruby and Bella

2010-12-23T14:25:00.002-06:00

Ruby met her cousins over the Christmas holiday! We got some great shots of her with Bella, Aunt Katherine's dog. The initial meeting. Ruby was excited from the start. By the end of the long weekend they were good friends. Ruby also met Charge, cousin Will and Chanie's dog.

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Ruby Rankin: Aussie-poo
Charge Rankin: Cocka-poo
Bella Rankin: Malti-poo

Lazy Days

2010-12-22T14:12:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful morning doing some things around the house and then the kids took a break. I thought it was awfully quiet in the basement....check out what I found.

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I've never ever experienced this. I think I sufficiently wore him out. Ainsley thought she'd take a break as well and rest with Ruby. Thankfully, Ruby was willing to have some down time as well.

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Christmas Crafts

2010-12-21T13:42:00.000-06:00

This year we started so many new traditions for the holiday season! We have really enjoyed focusing on advent and studying both the old and new testament scriptures. We have also incorporated some new crafts and other things to pass the time in the cold weather. Ainsley has taken some art classes at our local art museum and we have focused a lot on baking.

Here is our first gingerbread house ever! (Mom's too!) We thought this would be so much fun and it really was. It did take significantly longer than we had planned but it made a great centerpiece for our table throughout the season!

Here Ainsley is hard at work. I piped the icing on and she decorated. Her skills were clearly better than mine.

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We are almost done. Ainsley is creating a fence with our leftover gum drops.

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Finished product! The gingerbread house is next to our other craft project, a shrinky dink Christmas tree. I made an advent calendar for her filled with shrinky dink ornaments. Each morning, Ainsley would color and bake a new addition for her tree. It was a lot of fun and a non-candy way to go through the Advent season.

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Here are some of Ainsley's baking goodies. We went through the cookie magazines again this year and Ainsley picked out quite a few. We made it through all of them on her list except one.

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Continuing on from last year, a Happy Birthday Jesus cake. Ainsley asked to make it this year, which warmed my heart. She drew the picture she wanted on it and picked out the flavor. This year's creation was a mint chocolate cake with mint frosting.

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Early Christmas

2010-12-18T15:24:00.002-06:00

Christmas came early for Ainsley with the arrival of Ruby. Andrew also received an early Christmas present. Timing just worked out for us to celebrate our own family Christmas on Saturday. There was no lack of smiles to go around!

A train! A train!

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After many a tear after leaving the Barnes and Noble Thomas the Train play area, Andrew now has his own train play area. It's not nearly as elaborate as Thomas but it's perfect for him and he loves it!

Christmas PJ's

2010-12-18T14:30:00.003-06:00

We have that tradition of Christmas pajamas in our family. Each year on Christmas eve, we've had the kids open their pajamas for the night and the opening of our presents the next morning. This year was no different, except that we celebrated Christmas early.

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Andrew patiently waiting. Is it time yet?

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Ainsley is excited. Ruby is here and there are still a few presents for her under the tree.

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It's been fun with two children to have them in matching PJ's. I'll soak up their joy in this as long as I can. I know it won't last forever.

Meet Ruby

2010-12-17T14:45:00.002-06:00

After many years of praying. After countless pretend dogs that numbered in the hundreds at times. After many stuffed animal puppies. After sleeping with Bolt, the super dog, for a year every night without fail. Ainsley now can tell all of her friends that yes, "I have an alive dog that breathes!"

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Matthew and I finally committed to a puppy this year. We discussed it for awhile and decided that it was time to get Ainsley (and the rest of our family) a puppy. We had a few incidents this year at the pet store while caring for our fish that had Ainsley leaving in tears because an adoptable puppy loved her and needed a home. So we are now happy owners of a 9-week old Australian Shepherd/Poodle, named Ruby.

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Ruby has been having some separation anxiety. Ainsley is helping out here by singing "Jesus Loves Me" to Ruby. Ainsley would have slept on the floor next to the crate Ruby's first night if we would have let her.

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Ruby on Day 3 is still getting all the loves she needs from her new "pack."

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Christmas Nativity Pageant

2010-12-12T14:41:00.002-06:00

Can you guess what I am going to be in our Christmas Nativity pageant? I have wings, but I will walk, not fly.

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Yes, Ainsley was an Angel in this years church nativity pageant. It was such a cute "production." It was a blessing for her to be able to participate and fun for us to help her learn her line.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
Luke 2:14

Play Day with Mom

2010-12-04T18:51:00.002-06:00

Ainsley has been attending a few art classes at the Nelson-Atkins art museum. So today, dad dropped her off and I got a whole morning along with our "little man."

So, out came Fort Rankin, complete with Christmas gaurd dog.

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We did some vrooming with the cars. It was a fun and totally new way to play without Ainsley's girly touches involved. I relished each moment and took lots of pictures since one-on-one time with him is rare. We started off playing fireman, complete with fireman coat. I didn't realize how much he would love this raincoat. (You'll see what I mean later.) Thank you, Aunt Marigene.

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Andrew's car garage! He particularly likes the tow truck, Ford Mustang hot wheel, and Porsche hot wheel (circa daddy's playtime era).

It's puzzle time! He loves doing puzzles. More than I ever thought he would. Especially if they are of cars.

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Andrew's new favorite thing is turning on the lights. He turns on every light on our first floor and then says, "I did it!" Look at how proud he is. He's growing up too fast. I'm thankful that he still needs the stool!

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Sufficiently worn out. And yes, that's his jacket in bed with him. I was lucky to get it off but it wasn't going with me!

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Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere

2010-12-01T18:35:00.000-06:00

Tonight Andrew took his first bath with real bubbles! He was amazed as they continued to pile higher, and higher, and higher. Ainsley was right there with him showing him how to make mustaches, hair do's, and more bubbles by swirling the water. Here are some of my favorite moments from our special bubble bath time.

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Singing together. The more Ainsley sang, the louder Andrew got! It was so cute to see them making melody together.

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Sheer joy! Andrew loved having a bubble hair do. Ainsley styled it for him.

Tree Raising 2010

2010-11-24T18:42:00.000-06:00

The Christmas tree raising was extra special for me this year. I had two helpers!

Here's Ainsley fluffing our branches. Yes, we have a fake tree. I'm not up for the mess of a real tree. We do put evergreen car fresheners in the tree to give us the full effect!

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Hooray, we can start hanging ornaments!

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I was really nervous to have Andrew help us, but they're just ornaments. He did a great job and only one ornament went to the repair shop. I was also wondering how the "no touch" rule would work after he had put the ornaments on the tree himself. It took a day or so of correcting, but he knows to only touch with mom there.

This is Andrew's favorite ornament. Rocket, from Little Einsteins, complete with theme song. This was also the ornament that went to the repair shop this year. Rocket almost lost his antenna. Crazy Glue to the rescue. I'm positive the battery will be dead by the end of this season.

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I'm now the official unwrapper for the ornaments. The kids had the whole bottom 1/3 of the tree decorated in short order. Then I got to hang a few while Ainsley unwrapped.

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It's hard to believe that Christmas is upon us. I am so thankful for the holiday season and to see it through the eyes of our children is a double blessing!

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-10T13:56:00.002-06:00

It was a blustery evening and the kids were recovering from a rough week of colds and a stomach flu but they assured me they were well enough to go trick or treating with our friends. Here's our sweet dinosaur.

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And our roaring dinosaur.

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And of course, our sweet pink dancing ballerina.

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Andrew only made it about 10 houses. It was more mom's call than his. The cold weather sent him in to visit Pap and Gigi in the warmth. Ainsley, however, made it a whole two hours! I think that she would have stayed out longer if her friends weren't packing it in. We were so far from home, our friends sister came and picked us up in the mini van. It was a happy but sniffly halloween. (Mom trick or treated for Kleenex and a wonderful homeowner gave her the whole box! It came in handy.)

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-18T14:56:00.002-05:00

Today was a beautiful fall day. Fall sun and temperatures in the morning and the graying sky this afternoon. Our Monday playgroup ventured out for our annual pumpkin patch trip. With Ainsley and Andrew ready to find the great or perfect pumpkin in a 60 acre patch!

We had a great tour of the farm and learned about pumpkins. Of course there was a hayride, the picking, the playing, and pumpkin donuts! The kids were thrilled and had a blast. Here are a few of our favorite pictures from our outing.

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Ainsley found her perfect pumpkin. She let me know it had a good stem, was very round, and just the right size. She even managed to carefully carry it all the way to the wagon for the trip back.

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Look mom, I'm so strong! Andrew found his pumpkin, and then another, and then another, and then another. Is it a pumpkin or a ball. Better yet, it's both to him. Thankfully the pumpkins weren't damaged and we came home with a round and unscarred pumpkin for the little man.

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Family picture time! It never seems to be easy these day to capture both children looking at the camera and smiling. This was my best shot. Ainsley seems to be striking a pose all the time.

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Andrew loving the pumpkins!

Challenger 3985 Steam Train

2010-10-03T15:18:00.002-05:00

Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985 was designed by Union Pacific and built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company. It is one of 105 Challengers built for Union Pacific between 1936 and 1943 and is the only operating engine of its class in the world today – the largest and most powerful operating steam locomotive.

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We were able to visit this train at Union Station. We took the trip down on Sunday afternoon because we had been studying steam power earlier in the week. Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel was the story of the week. I had no idea how big the train would be. It was pretty neat to compare the train wheels to Ainsley. We also met a boiler inspector and watched as they cleaned some of the train parts.

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Ainsley also had the opportunity to meet the trains conductor. He told us all about his journey from Cheyenne, Wyoming with the train. He punched an old-fashioned ticket for Ainsley and showed her his pocket watch. He came from a family of conductors (dad, and grandfather) and his pocket watch was still running from 1906.

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After waiting an hour, we finally got to go up and see the inside of the engine car. We saw the whistle pull, the bell wheel, the gauges, the speedometer, and got a quick lesson in watching out the train window. It was probably a once in a lifetime experience to see the train this up close and working.

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Apple Picking 2010

2010-09-29T15:09:00.002-05:00

We went a little late this year but we still fit in our annual apple orchard trip. Up to St. Joseph we went again. This year we picked Jonagold's, Jonathon's (Ainsley's favorite), and some unknown variety of very hard apples. Again, we had beautiful weather and so much fun!

Mom, I've never seen an apple on the tree! How do I get this thing off? Andrew pulled so hard a couple of times that he fell down on his rump. He didn't quite get the whole idea of twisting off the apple from the tree.

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Mom! Look, an apple apron.

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Ainsley with the apples. We were shocked at how full the trees were this year. There were plenty of apples to be had at all heights. No need to use mom as a ladder this year.

Once we got going, there wasn't a moment I can remember when Ainsley wasn't chomping on an apple. She tried each variety, each tree we picked from, and a few more.

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Picking and eating.

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Andrew had the most fun running in the aisles between the tress and in the treehouse at the end of our picking adventure!

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Mount Trashmore

2010-09-18T15:04:00.002-05:00

We visited Mount Trashmore on our last day in town. It truly is a mountain of trash underneath the beautiful green lawns and play structures. they've transformed an old landfill into a great area with plenty of play space, kite flying, lake, and walking trails.

Me and our kiddos.

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Riding the tire bull.

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Getting the energy out before we start our plane ride home!

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We had a great lunch at a creperie! They had gellato too. Of course the crepes were a hit but not quite as much as the gellato.

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Oceana Air Show

2010-09-17T15:00:00.002-05:00

We were able to catch the first day of the Oceana NAS Air Show. It was at night! We got there around 6:00 and enjoyed the show for a couple of hours. As night fell, the kids were amazed at the fireworks that the planes were equipped with. They had fireworks coming out of the planes, helicopters, and in the sky! It was a really cool sight, especially for Ainsley. She was so happy to see fireworks and not be afraid.

Check out that ear protection! Ainsley was styling with some pink ear plugs and Andrew got the big muffs!

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Some cool planes with smoke to show their flight path! They did some loops! Andrew liked these planes because he had a lot to look at in the sky.

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Virginia Beach - Day 2

2010-09-16T14:50:00.002-05:00

Here we are Day 2. We went to the Virginia Beach aquarium.

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The kids loved the dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and komono dragons! One of the biggest highlights though was the cattle nose rays that were in the petting tank! Here's Ainsley reaching in to say hi.

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The beach was our afternoon activity! Here are some great pictures. We couldn't have hit better weather. Especially since the coast got drenched a week or so after we left!

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Virginia Beach and More!

2010-09-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

One of our first trips was to the Children's Museum of Portsmouth. They had a lot of hands on activities and a great dragon to crawl on outside. We got a great picture of the kids together.

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When we left there, we were off to the beach. We drove out to a military base and had a picnic lunch and the met some friends of our friends at the beach. Ainsley and Andrew were so excited to see the ocean again! We had long sleeve sun shirts on and it was just right!

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We went for a walk at the end of the day and saw Poseidon. (Ainsley informed me that it was not Poseidon but King Triton, the little mermaids dad.) Andrew was more interested in the turtle than the title of the statue.

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The kids were exhausted on the way home. A sure sign of a extremely fun day!

First Airplane Ride!

2010-09-14T14:36:00.000-05:00

We are on our way out of town again! This time it's just mom, me, and Andrew. We are flying to Portsmouth, Virginia. We are going to visit some friends of ours who moved there in June. I can't wait to see new places and fly with Andrew on his first flight!

Here we are waiting for the plane.

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Ooooooh, here comes the plane.

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It was a rainy morning and Andrew was mesmerized watching the plane pull in.

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Of course, Bolt had to come with us on the plane. It was his first flight also!

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Bubble Blower Extraordinaire

2010-09-08T14:34:00.000-05:00

Andrew is really getting the hang of blowing. He's gotten great at bubbles, blowing on his hot dinner food, and blowing bubbles in the bath tub!

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Home Ec or Cooking 101

2010-08-27T14:27:00.001-05:00

Ainsley is earning how to cook as well. Each week she prepares one whole meal for us to eat. It ties in with our story for the week and is a great way to help her with hand-eye coordination and math. Here we are with all of our ingredients.

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We made Oat Peanut Butter cookies for our dessert this week. Here's Ainsley scooping the cookies. Her hands were exhausted by the time she was done. She didn't realize how hard it was to make 3 dozen cookies. It really made her appreciate the 100 + cookies our friend made for a Kansas City meal program. She used Ainsley's recipe and they were a hit.

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Enjoying the fruits of our labor!

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Ainsley's first time at the stove. She's stirring sauce for homemade macaroni and cheese.

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Ainsley's completed meal. Homemade macaroni and cheese, spiced carrots, and oat cookies. It was very yummy!

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Picasso and VanGogh

2010-08-25T14:23:00.000-05:00

We have a special art project once a week that introduces Ainsley to different art mediums, artists, and styles of art. This is one of the times Andrew really gets into school as well. I love watching them both get creative (and messy!).

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Little Picasso.

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The family artist. Check out that boat with the purple sail if you can. Watercolors are her favorite so far.

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First Day of School

2010-08-23T14:17:00.002-05:00

Our school year began this morning. What a pleasure it was for me the teacher! Ainsley was so excited and ready to wear her school clothes for the morning.

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Rug time! We bought to special mats for the kids to have story time on. Andrew loves his with a baseball, soccer ball, football, and basketball. So far, he's pointing out the balls more than listening to the story. But I know we will get there with practice.

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Wisconsin Wedding

2010-08-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Chase and Lynn on their wedding. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed our family and dancing so much!

All dressed up and someplace to go! Andrew was dashing in his white button down and a great complement to his big sister.

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Family photos.

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The Rankin girls.

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The Rankin men.

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Smelling the roses.

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Showing us the moves!

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Early Accomplishments

2010-08-04T17:08:00.001-05:00

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No, this isn't coffee. Yes, it's a Starbuck's cup. I should probably send this to them for advertising, getting hooked early. It is in fact a chai latte, the Rankin family drink of choice. Andrew prefers non-fat with whip cream and the leftovers of it in my cup.

Early driving lessons?

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We are in fact on another cross-country tour. This time we are heading northward to a family wedding. Wisconsin is our destination. Yet another 8 hour drive. By the time all was said and done, in 2 1/2 weeks our kids were in the car for approximately 58 hours. Yes, we still have our sanity. And we celebrated 9 years of wonderful, exciting, adventurous marriage today. God has blessed us greatly with two children and a happy marriage.

Sleeping Handsome and Beauty

2010-08-04T17:01:00.001-05:00

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We went to the pool this morning and played hard. Nap wouldn't be complete without a unicorn, especially when your carriage is taking you to a princess party!

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A Week at the Beach

2010-07-24T15:05:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the marathon blogging technique that I seem to have acquired. Nothing like sharing a week of pictures let alone catching everyone up on three months of what our family has been doing. This summer seems to have been particularly full of activities and fun things for our family to do.

So, here begins the vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC. We went with the whole Rankin family and all shared a house together right on the ocean. It was a memorable experience that I hope our children will always remember. The first time to see a beach, to see the ocean, to see dolphins, and to ride on a boat. Smiles were abundant, exhaustion was common, and sleep was welcome at nap time and at the end of each day.

Day 1
The first ocean/beach experience. Ainsley loved it. Andrew wasn't so sure. He liked the sand and then he didn't like it. We got there mid-afternoon so it was a short taste of what we would experience all week.

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Day 2
Loving the beach! We spent the morning building sand castles, walking the beach, and running in the water. By the time we returned for the afternoon nap, Andrew was exhausted and Ainsley was ready to get washed up. Though it was just the beginning, sand was everywhere on both the kids when we returned home. Each day the crevices the sand got in seem to get worse. Ears, toes, nose, you name it...sand found it. Happy Birthday to Chanie!

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Ainsley's first rescue, a starfish. She picked it up and gently placed it back in the ocean. We did find a few with missing arms throughout the week. Ainsley knew not to be sad though, she knew they regenerate their broken pieces and that gave her even more reason to rescue them.

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Day 3
Twins, nothing like a pair of matching suits to show you are related and good buddies. We saw a sting ray on the beach and stood by while we watched someone else rescue it. Poor guy had been hooked and gotten flipped over. We got a lesson on the spike at the base of the tail and the proper way to hold one. Happy Birthday to mom!

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Day 4
Bring on the pool. Nothing like a noodle leash :)

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Afternoon on day 3 brought the rescue of shark number two. (Mom didn't have the camera for the first rescue.) Yes, this is a real shark, yes my daughter is holding it, yes it freaked me out both times. This was a highlight though for Ainsley. Feeling the skin, looking at the teeth, letting it go back in the ocean. Every person who has asked about vacation has been told the story of the shark rescue.

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Andrew loving every minute is never short on the smiles!

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This is probably the best family photo we have had to date. So, I'm sure you all may see this again at Christmas.

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Day 4
Brought us out on the ocean. We went on our very first dolphin cruise with Greg Russell. Officially it's called the bubblegum boat tour. We had live kids music, up close dolphins, old lighthouses, and even one tarpin!

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Nothing like a little natural product. Between the sweat and the sunscreen, Andrew always had a pretty cool hairdo.

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Here's our hermit crab castle. Ainsley found a hermit crab and wanted to bring it home with us. After researching and determining that it was in fact an aquatic hermit crab, we built a home for it so it could naturally be taken back out by the tide. This made the parting much less sorrowful.

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Day 5
As vacation is wrapping up and you've seen the biggest highlights, here are a couple of favorite pictures of the kids. The beach and ocean always offer such stunning backgrounds!

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Tennessee Aquarium

2010-07-23T14:54:00.002-05:00

Our trip to the beach is underway and we are driving cross country (20 hours) to get there. We decided early on that this trip would definitely call for a stop along the way. We had planned this trip for a few months and in preparation started studying things about the ocean. So what better than to start off vacation with a trip to the aquarium. So, here we are at the Tennessee Aquarium.

We saw all sorts of ocean and freshwater animals. Ainsley loved every minute and seems to want to be an animal scientist more and more each day.

From Rankin Family

The aquarium is rated number one in the U.S. and we can see why. Exploring river fish like sturgeons and petting them was definitely a highlight.

From Rankin Family

The ocean exhibit was a huge hit with both kids. Ainsley loved the penguins, sharks, and sea turtles. Andrew liked everything but definitely seemed to like the sea turtles the best.

From Rankin Family

The kids each left with a stuffed souvenir and didn't let them go for the rest of vacation. Andrew has "turtle" and Ainsley has "Betta" the Macaroni Penguin. (Betta came from the soon to be Rankin family pet. A pet fish...."shimmer sparkles" the male betta.)

2010-07-17T14:37:00.000-05:00

We have been packing for our big trip. The sunglasses came out and the kids are looking forward to catching some rays.

From Rankin Family

Swimming Lesson

2010-07-13T14:27:00.002-05:00

I signed Ainsley up for 4 weeks of swimming lessons this year. We are prepping for our big family vacation to Hilton Head, SC. I had no idea how quickly she would take to swimming. She learned how to freestyle, backstroke, and swim underwater. Her confidence skyrocketed and I was much more at ease taking two children to the pool once she had a few strokes down.

From Rankin Family

Ainsley started in Level 1 and by the end of the four weeks she has now graduated to Level 3. We will have to decide if we want to start lessons again in the winter as a break from the snow or if we will hold off until summer. If Ainsley had her way she would swim year round! Looks like a swim team could be in her future.

Big BUGS!

2010-07-09T14:21:00.002-05:00

We love Powell Gardens and they always have some fun, neat things for us to explore. We went for a trip to see the BIG BUGS exhibit with Nana. It was a warm day and incredibly sunny with blue sky. We couldn't have a more beautiful day both with Nana and the weather.

The bugs are made out of different types of wood and are bigger than life. The kids wondered at them and Ainsley loved taking pictures. Here's a photo from our budding photographer.

From Rankin Family

Look at the size of this bug, mom!

From Rankin Family

Running on the sidewalk. Andrew is enjoying the ability to explore the garden. He isn't quite sure what to make of all the space, plants, and the bugs.

From Rankin Family

Ready for Battle

2010-07-06T14:19:00.002-05:00

Who needs toys when you have kitchen supplies? Andrew is gearing up for battle with a helmet that tops them all. After sporting this look he began running around the kitchen island and growling. Somehow he's becoming more and more of a little boy with every passing day.

From Rankin Family

Blueberry Picking 2010

2010-06-25T13:56:00.001-05:00

We geared up for our annual blueberry picking trip this morning. Ainsley was so excited and couldn't wait, she had talked about it for a whole month! It was a beautiful morning and the bushes were full. It was the best picking that we have seen in the three years that we now have gone.

From Rankin Family

Andrew loved carrying the bucket. We picked just enough berries that by the end of the morning he couldn't carry it without some help.

From Rankin Family

Ainsley was so surprised to see how full the bushes were. It was easy this year for her to truly pick the berries. The berries made it into the bucket more than the tummy also. She remembered the blueberry lemonade and the yummy cookies from last year and was saving room.

From Rankin Family

It was a really successful, fun day. It has been such a joy in my life to see the children love each other in the little sweet moments they don't know I see.

From Rankin Family

The berry train ride was so fun. Ainsley graciously let her brother sit with her for a short photo op. Andrew was disappointed, he is still too little to ride the train alone.

From Rankin Family

Rosy cheeks and big smiles all around!

From Rankin Family

Mini Vacation

2010-06-12T15:57:00.001-05:00

We went to Nana and Granddad's for a mini vacation while dad wrapped up school for the semester. It was a great 6 days and we had lots of fun. We got some of the old school toys out and enjoyed the driveway. Here's Andrew with his dad's old Fisher Price ATV, a classic!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

And of course, no trip to Nana's is ever complete without a ride in the golf cart. This trip, there were many! We even had to recharge the battery a few times.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

One of the highlight's is Bella, Aunt Katherine's dog. It takes awhile for the dog and the kids to make peace with one another and the shared space, but this time around they settled in quickly.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Even Andrew and Bella made friends this trip. (Bella received plenty of table scraps from Andrew who was innocently sharing his food and his fingers.)

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

And then there was the pool. Ainsley started really making an effort at swimming with water wings or the innertube and Andrew proved his lack of fear repeatedly. (I see a life jacket in his near future.)

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Nana also gave Ainsley a few special surprises! There was a special earthworm class the two of them went to. And then there was the quick trip to Branson, MO to see Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Andrew and I came along and enjoyed the fun. Both the kids loved it and were mesmerized by the sights of the horses and special effects. Ainsley couldn't stop talking about it and continually asked when we could return. Andrew was hoarse from all of the squealing he did at the horses and the actors/actresses. It was a special treat and we sure are thankful for the time we can spend with our family.

First Sting

2010-06-10T15:49:00.001-05:00

We had our first sting on either of the children today. It was traumatic for all of us! Andrew was on the deck and playing by the rail. Mom was down in the lawn. Andrew hit just the right spot and out came some wasps from their home. Andrew took a direct hit to the forehead. As the screaming began, I pushed him away from the nest and onto his bottom. Since our deck has no stairs, I had to run around the house, inside, and then out to get him. Needless to say, he was not happy with that wasp or with is mommy!

Ice and a baking soda paste seemed to relieve the pain.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

It's now two weeks later and the site of the crime, our deck, is now under construction. The railing came down last weekend and steps will be added.

The Museum

2010-06-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

Since going through our art books, Ainsley has been asking to go to the museum. We have a wonderful one downtown and so our first rainy day, we went. I think Ainsley would have stayed all day. Andrew, however, made the trip enjoyable for about an hour and a half.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

All of it was exciting but Ainsley was on a mission to see the Egyptian gallery and the knight.

A stone tablet complete with hieroglyphics. We managed to join in on a high school group's tour to hear more about the egyptian artifact's. The tour guide asked some questions and Ainsley piped up. She let everyone know the writing was hieroglyphics.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

A real sarcophagus and a mummy! The concept of the mummy was exciting to her and a bit frightening. We have discussed this in length since our visit.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Could this be Saint George's armor?

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T15:24:00.002-05:00

We had a quiet weekend and had a good time just frolicking in the back yard. The pools came out and the kids really enjoyed each other. We got some great pictures of them enjoying life!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Getting ready for fun. "What do you want to do?"

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

"Ring Around the Rosy" brought big splashes and big smiles. Ainsley played in the small pool with Andrew and had so much fun with him. You would have never guessed that a few inches of water in a small baby pool would have brought so many smiles.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

"Again, again. More, more!" Was Andrew's response to this new game.

Ainsley enjoying the outdoors!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Andrew enjoying his snack! This boy can eat and drink all day. I am having a hard time imagining what this will be like when he's older.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Definitely a Boy!

2010-05-27T15:21:00.001-05:00

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Need we say more.

Deanna Rose Farmstead

2010-05-24T15:13:00.002-05:00

We had company in from out of town, a special treat for the kids. Their Great Aunt was in town and Gigi took some time off of work. We were able to spend some extra time with our company and we went to Deanna Rose, one of our favorite activities. This was Andrew's first time, truly enjoying it!

He loved the ducks. I think the goats were a little to aggressive for the little guy. He enjoyed the fish and some of the larger animals, but he really loved the ducks.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Of course, Ainsley's favorite is the pony ride. She has loved animals for as long as I can remember but her passion is really heading toward farm creatures and gardening.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

It's hot and it's snack time. As the day wore on we took frequent breaks!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Everything Ainsley does, Andrew tries to get in on the action. Ainsley is usually very helpful and will often get right in with him to help him out. Here they are milking a cow together. (It's a water filled utter on a cow replica, thankfully.)

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We had a blast and are looking forward to our next trip there. Andrew is definitely ready to get out and explore!

1st Trip to the Zoo

2010-05-19T15:01:00.000-05:00

We made our first visit to the Zoo with Andrew!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We went with some friends that we made through soccer. It wasn't the prettiest day, in fact we got rained on the whole time. The kids loved it and the mom's stuck it out.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We went through all of Africa and saw so many different animals up close. I think they prefer the rainy weather to the heat and sunshine. Our zoo also has train rides, tram rides, and carousel rides. We did all three. Andrew didn't make it on to the carousel, but he sure thought it looked neat. He especially liked it when Ainsley came around. Here he is waiting for the train, he was pretty excited.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Craft Time

2010-05-07T15:08:00.000-05:00

We've been exploring different art books from the library this summer. We are looking for good arts and crafts books to use throughout the school year. Right now, we really like the Usborne Art Treasury and First Book of Art. Ainsley picked out one craft to try out to see if she could do it on her own. Here's her rendition of Saint George and the Dragon.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

The book was great, it had the actual artwork with information about both the painting and the artist. It also had the craft instructions detailed enough that she could mostly do the art on her own. We followed it up with a book from the library retelling the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. It's one of her favorite's this spring!

Quick Visit

2010-05-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

We had the opportunity to take a quick trip down to Nana and Granddad's. I thought I would have captured more pictures of our fun; we had golf cart rides, duck feedings, fish feedings, time with a dog, and fun toys. However, all I seem to have are a few good ones of Andrew sporting his pink shirt.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

He's gotten some more teeth finally. He's teething pattern is so different than Ainsley's was. He now has his top two and bottom two teeth. Teething has started again, but it's his molars! I guess he's trying to get all of the big teeth out of the way first. The next picture is one of my favorites. One of the few that captured the twinkle I see in his eyes everyday. That twinkle is part joy, part mischief, and part love.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

He loves be tickled and laugh. I think I could tickle him all day and he would never say "Uncle".

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Sand, Sporks, and Smiles

2010-04-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

Well, it's June and I'm just now updating April....where has the time gone. A good friend of mine mentioned that I was good at marathon blog posting, I'm hoping to not disappoint.

Spring flew by, but not without it's fair share of new activities, accomplishments, and plenty of fun. Andrew discovered the small sandbox we have on our back patio. It's his favorite outdoor activity by far. He loves just playing and picking out the tiny stones. He's also become quite accomplished at filling in holes in our yard with sand.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Ainsley has continued a tremendous love for nature. We now have a "critter shack" which houses caterpillars, ladybugs, and other interesting finds. We need to become better at nurturing our bugs, we haven't had any long term tenants. She has also enjoyed the dandelions we have had in our lawn. Mom and dad pull them and she blows them. It's been a vicious cycle as we see new ones sprout up daily.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Andrew started using silverware on his own this month. This has been particularly challenging for me. The mess is everywhere! He is becoming more efficient with the utensils. His independent streak shows more and more each day with eating. It has been interesting to see him decline any help from mom, when Ainsley is still so willing to accept help in this area.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We are so blessed to see both Ainsley and Andrew beginning to really enjoy each other. The smiles are always on when the two of them are together. It seems as though they just love to get each other to laugh and make silly faces.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

March Madness

2010-03-21T11:10:00.003-05:00

March Madness, Rankin Style!

I never thought I would witness shooting hoops inside! But alas, with the boys there seems to be no avoiding it. Andrew loves dunking it. He is by far the most improved player since receiving the net for his birthday.

Is it Spring?

2010-03-20T11:24:00.002-05:00

Today marked the first day of spring and we awoke to about 6 inches of snow! Somehow it just doesn't seem right. Yesterday it was in the 60's and we were walking the neighborhood.

The birds were wondering if they migrated a little too soon. Ainsley and Andrew love watching the birds at the feeder and today there was no shortage of feathered friends.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We filled the feeder twice and we had the whole flock out our window. Andrew loved banging the window and scattering them. It was a fun game for him to watch them fly away and then come back. Ainsley loved pointing out the cardinals. We had 3 females and 2 males. I can see a bird unit for school in our future.

New do!

2010-03-16T11:30:00.003-05:00

Today, Ainsley got a new do. We went to a friend of mine for a hair cut and Ainsley decided she wanted short hair. Though I am sad that the pig tails are gone for the most part, I'm enjoying the wash, dry, and ready to go style. Bed head is even a good look. I was concerned that the curl in her hair would be cut off, but it looks like the natural wave has remained. Not onle does her hair look really healthy, she looks like she has a ton more hair!

From The Rankin Family

First Soccer Practice!

2010-03-16T11:15:00.000-05:00

We are trying out our first organized sport, soccer! We registered in a league that a lot of our play group friends are in and we will be playing until May. Ainsley has been practicing fundamentals at our church soccer camp, but now she is excited to play in a real soccer game! She looks so cute out there with her little shin guards and soccer cleats.

Making new friends. How old are you?

From The Rankin Family

Practicing throwing in. She did a great job despite the cold temps and the gloves!

From The Rankin Family

Dribbling thru the cones.

From The Rankin Family

Her first game will be in a few weeks. I am sure she will have her own cheering section.

Big Man

2010-03-08T11:18:00.002-06:00

Today was the first ride in the big boy car seat.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Being upright, looking out the window, trying for the door lock, he seemed to be a happy boy. However, when the car got rolling, he wasn't sure what to think. Surprisingly, the first ride wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. Having Ainsley there eased the transition. They held hands until he fell asleep.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We are used to it now, and I'm looking forward to pointing out all the fun things we drive by just like I did with Ainsley. Ainsley is enjoying being mom's big helper as she shares snacks with Andrew and hands him toys. This is just one more sign that time keeps going and they grow up so fast. I almost shed a tear as the infant car seat got stored away.

Faux Hawk

2010-03-05T11:15:00.002-06:00

It's not often that I style Andrew's hair. But we had a little bit of fun this morning with the product.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

It's long on the top and on the bottom. If you look hard enough you'll see the hawk but you'll also see the mullet. A hair cut is scheduled, again. This will make it number 3 in the first year of life or so.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Cuddle Bugs

2010-03-03T10:56:00.001-06:00

Doesn't this just warm your heart? Andrew is getting more and more involved with Ainsley every day. He enjoys doing everything that she is doing and she's been a good sport about it.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We are a two manny, lamb blanket family. Matthew and I just smile as we watch them with their luvies. Believe it or not, despite not knowing his colors, Andrew knows which one is his. Ainsley will try to play switch-a-roo every once in awhile and he always gets it right.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

It's not often there is downtime when they are both awake. Andrew is starting to like watching PBS with Ainsley for the rare treat. There favorite is Word World. They both exhibit a love for animals that is amazing.

Roller Skating

2010-01-26T15:58:00.000-06:00

January is a month full of birthdays for Ainsley and her friends. Ainsley was invited to a roller skating party this week for two of the kids in playgroup. Here we are at the skate rink with beginner roller skates.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We quickly graduated to the faster roller skates that were very heavy!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Andrew stayed home with Aunt Trish for this party. Why, because mom knew she would be getting on skates as well. Here we are together taking a roll around the rink.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Thanks to one of the big brother's there for holding Ainsley's hand. We had a blast and she's been talking about going back! It was a workout for me like I hadn't had in awhile. My back and abs definitely felt the job of keeping Ainsley standing. But, Ainsley could skate by the time we left and she had a lot of fun!

Let's Have a Tea Party

2010-01-25T15:42:00.000-06:00

Ainsley asked if she could have a birthday party with her friends this year as well. So, we invited a few friends to a tea party, a princess tea party and had some fun. It was really cute to see Ainsley play hostess and celebrate with a few of her friends. I am always amazed at how little she is yet how grown-up she is all at the same time.

We had the party at Gigi's house since the friends we invited all lived down in that area. It was really nice of Gigi to let us use her house and we were grateful that she could came home from work for some of the party. Here are some pre-party pictures:

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We were definitely celebrating in the pink! We had strawberry cupcakes with pink flowers. We had raspberry lemonade and strawberries. We also had strawberry jelly heart sandwiches. Ainsley picked out the ice cream, was it strawberry? No, it was chocolate :) I tried to get her to go neapolitan to keep up the theme, but the birthday girl really likes her chocolate and so did her friends!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Ainsley and her friends.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Four for tea and watching for their princes to come.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Craft time was make your own tiara's.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Happy Birthday, Ainsley!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Yearly Stats

2010-01-20T15:52:00.000-06:00

We had our well-checks today to see how the kids are growing. We have healthy kids, praise God for that! Here's where they are right now:

Ainsley:
Weight: 30lbs. 6oz. she finally hit 13% on the weight chart.
Height: 39 and 3/4 inches that puts her in the 51% area.

Andrew:
(Taking after his sister on the growth curves!)
Weight: 18lbs. 2 oz This puts him in the 2% range compared to other boys.
Height: 28 and 1/4 inches He's at 7.5%. Though I'm sure he will hit a growth spurt soon.
Head: 18" in the 29% range.

He doesn't look tiny because he's pretty proportionate. Ainsley was just like this until recently when she started growing like a weed! I think they follow each other closely. Andrew got his first tooth on the same exact day she did.

I'm Four Years Old!

2010-01-19T15:36:00.001-06:00

Mom - "Happy Birthday, Ainsley!"
Ainsley - "Mom, am I already 4 yearls old?"
Mom - "Yes, sweetheart, your 4 years old."
Ainsley - "Isn't that so exciting!"

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Ainsley opened presents the morning of her birthday. She really loves being mommy's little helper. So, she got an ironing board for her birthday. We ironed almost every piece of clothing in her closet that day! Here she is trying it out on her new magnet doll outfits.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Andrew didn't need much to have fun on Ainsley's birthday. He loved the balloons from the weekend and enjoyed crawling all over with them. Thankfully, none of them popped and he is still getting much joy out of the simple things.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Double Birthday Party

2010-01-17T15:21:00.001-06:00

"Mom, I would like to have a Bolt birthday party this year. Andrew let me know that he would like that too." -Ainsley

So, this year it was Bolt. The whole year has been about Bolt the super dog. We have pretend Bolt, stuffed animal brown Bolt, baby Bolt, and we play Bolt. You name it, if it's Bolt, we've probably done it. Bolt goes everywhere with us. So it was fitting that we would have a Bolt birthday party to celebrate the fact that we are moving from three to four.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

The Bolt birthday cake and the birthday girl. (It took multiple stores to find someone who had a Bolt cake kit left. Thank you Target for keeping outdated toys! Making a Bolt birthday cake myself would have been a bit too much for me.)

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Did Andrew get into his cake. That's the most asked question after a baby turns one isn't it? I won't leave you in suspense and you can decide for yourself...did he like it?

I gave him a small taste and he went with it with both hands. However; nothing was going into his mouth. The table sure did get it's fair share of the cake!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Oh but wait, the cake is yummy!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

I love it mom! Sorry it's everywhere!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

After letting Papa know for months, she would really like the movie Bolt. Her birthday was complete.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

I'm One

2010-01-14T15:13:00.000-06:00

Today I turned one year old! It's hard to believe that this much time has already gone by. I've changed so much since I came into this world. I now have three teeth and another one on the way. I am crawling and working on walking. I eat so many big people foods and I drink milk, real milk! I can talk and say "mama" and "dada" and it sounds like more words will be on their way soon. I have an independent, sweet, sensitive spirit and always have a smile to offer anyone who glances my way. Overall, the first year of life was great and I can't wait to see what changes I have in year two! Mom and dad aren't rushing me but I'm excited to walk, talk, and catch up with my sister.

Here I am, on top of my present! Mom dressed me up today like a big boy! Button down shirt and all.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Getting into my birthday present. I wonder what it could be?

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

MMMM, basketball! I love it and so does dad :)! Mom never could have imagined a game of hoops in the house but that day is here. Well, almost I have to figure out how to throw the ball and not eat it.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Bumper Bowling

2009-12-28T14:54:00.000-06:00

The weather is cold and our play groups have been meeting inside. Today, we went bumper bowling! It was a riot to watch the kids bowl and be so excited when they got just even a few pins down. It took about 2 hours but we finally made it to the 8th frame (we didn't get to finish out the last two frames, we ran out of time!) and Ainsley rolled an 82. Not bad for 8 frames and a roll speed of almost nothing.

Here she is with her 5 pound ball!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

She has some great bowling gene's in her. Mom, Papa, Great Grandma Annie, and Great Aunt Barb are or were all good bowlers.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Andrew wasn't quite sure what to make of the morning. There was a senior league their while we were and the kids all got an overdose of attention. It was hard, but I managed to keep him from chasing the ball down the oiled lanes.

Christmas Morning

2009-12-27T17:32:00.003-06:00

Christmas morning at our house was filled with fun, excitement, and a lot of anticipation. Ainsley kept wondering if she would see a Bolt ornament (found at the very tip toe of her stocking), or Bolt anything! We were curious to see if Andrew would get the concept of opening presents. But most of all there was a lot of anticipation on my part to see if Ainsley would like her gift this year.

Getting going Christmas morning....we had a delay. Since winter storm 2009 dropped almost a foot of snow on us, dad was outside shoveling and helping a neighbor push their car out of the snow. Later that day the favor was returned as we tried to venture out to go to Papa and Gigi's. But we were all patient and waited to start opening presents until we were all warm and cozy together.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

It didn't take Andrew long to figure out how to get into his present! He loved ripping the paper, sand he had a huge smile on his face, much like the one here when he saw something come out of the box!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Ainsley's present this year was a puppet theater complete with handmade puppets by mom! (I was curious to see if she would like the puppets and realize who made them.) Well, she likes the puppets but I must say the puppet theater has seen a bigger hit. It has doubled as a play house, ice cream stand, theater, and store front. It has been a huge blessing to her and we give thanks to the wonderful couple who handed it down to us.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

This Christmas has been so very special because we have been blessed in so many ways...Andrew is with us, Ainsley is with us, the Lord has continued to provide for us, and we have been blessed by the many generous friends we have in our life.We hope that you too have had a joyous holiday with many blessings.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Christmas Traditions

2009-12-27T17:00:00.000-06:00

It's important to have fun things to remember about your Christmas. Special moments, special gifts, and special family traditions. This year we carried on an old tradition and started a few new ones. The most exciting tradition we started this year was Christmas Cookie baking. Now, yes, I've always made Christmas cookies. Good old stand by's, cookies I grew up with, and perhaps one new trial cookie each year. This year though, Ainsley joined in the fun. I purchased two magazines full of holiday cookies and let her go through and pick out the ones she wanted to make. Eight different cookies in all (we only conquered seven.) Here's a picture of the cookies we made this year:

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Little did I know she would pick out cookies that required some serious decorating. We had spritz cookies, grandma's classic chocolate sandwiches, spice x-mas packages, butter stars w/ butter frosting, red velvet shortbread cookies, peanut butter blossoms (my grandma's recipe), and christmas sandies. I told her that each year we would carry on with her picking out the cookies (Andrew will join in as well when he's old enough.) My hope is that she continues to have a love for baking and that we have a fun time together in the kitchen. Not to mention, we will have a wonderful selection of cookies to share with our friends and family.

Another tradition we started this year was a birthday cake for Jesus. Ainsley really focused on the fact that we were celebrating Jesus' birthday at Christmas time. Naturally, she wondered if we could bake a cake for him. So, we baked together again and sang happy birthday to Jesus on Christmas Day. It warmed my heart to hear my family singing to Jesus. I hope that this is a tradition t hat we continue through the years. Here's our first Happy Birthday Jesus cake.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

And last but not least the tradition of Christmas PJs carried on! This year the kids had christmas PJs with dogs on them. Ainsley loved them and Andrew was just as happy as usual. I wonder how long I will be able to keep them matching.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Christmas Catch Up

2009-12-27T16:47:00.002-06:00

The holidays are passing by and the trips to see family and friends are slowly coming to an end. Mom has caught the blog up on the events leading up to this joyous season where we celebrate the birth of Jesus; now, it's time to get caught up on what we did throughout the season. We will be posting soon about the new traditions that our family has started, the fun we had with our families, and the exciting new blessings that we have received.

As you wait to see what has gone on throughout our holiday, we hope that you had a joyous one! The Rankins.

1st Snow 2009

2009-12-09T16:18:00.001-06:00

We are beginning to see winter here in Kansas City and I couldn't wait until the first snow. Today it came in true midwest Missouri form. We had rain, than ice, than the fabulous snow! I forgot how many clothes mom had to put on me before I went out. It was cold and bright! I think we need to add sunglasses to the winter wardrobe.

From The Rankin Family

It wasn't the right type of snow for snowmen, but I had fun making snow angels with my neighbor! Mom even took us on a trek through the woods looking for animal footprints. This is my favorite thing to do when it snows, I love the adventure. I can't wait for some more big snows and the chance to make a snowman!

Movie Star

2009-12-05T16:35:00.001-06:00

My sister loves her sunglasses. She has red ones, blue ones, pink ones, and funny shaped ones. Today, mom caught her sharing with me. I thought it was great and had a huge smile on my face. My sister always makes me smile especially when she is being so kind.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

I really loved it, but wasn't so sure about the yellow world I saw through these lenses. So even though the sunglasses only lasted a few minutes in their proper place, we sure had fun together and lots of laughs.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Mom just loves these moments of happiness between the two of us that she captures on camera.

Trimming the Tree

2009-12-03T16:24:00.002-06:00

We started putting out Christmas this week. Last night the tree, the tree lights, and the angel went on top. Dad lifted me up and I got to top the tree. So this morning while Andrew was sleeping, mom and I trimmed the tree. I couldn't wait to get started and get our special ornaments out. Last year my favorite was the Little Einstein rocket ship and it's music. This year it was the first to go on the tree.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

The tree is done! I stepped back and looked at my work and thought it was pretty good. Mom did have to space a few ornaments out for me and we were careful to not put many at the bottom where Andrew could get to them. We are looking forward to what he thinks when he sees this new addition to the family room.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Andrew likes it! He's fascinated by the lights and he has spied some of the shiny ornaments. He stared at the tree for awhile and mom wishes she knew just what he really was thinking. With some of my funny antics I got his attention and mom got a great photo!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

After that great picture, I had to let Andrew know that touching was a no, no. Mom enforced this as well as the tiny little fingers kept inching closer to the tree. Andrew took direction well and we have been playing happily near the tree. Mom took a quick snap of the two of us. We love the joy this season brings in so many ways.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T16:41:00.002-06:00

From The Rankin Family

We are thankful for so many things this year...the birth of Andrew, health, and the support of our loving families. We are thankful for our friends and all the moments we have shared with them. And we are also thankful for the opportunity to share our lives with those around us. We hope that you all are touched in some way this holiday through loving family, friends, and our Lord and Savior. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Blue Birdhouse

2009-11-08T16:12:00.001-06:00

Today while mom was out and Andrew was napping, dad and I went out to the garage and built a birdhouse together. I've been watching the birds all summer and with winter coming, I really felt they needed a real home in our backyard. So, with the scraps in our garage we built this sweet little home for the birds.

From The Rankin Family

Of course, we had to paint it. My first choice was yellow. Lowe's didn't come through for us though with a birdhouse size can of paint in yellow. So instead, the bird house is blue! Not a bad choice, it's my favorite color. I love doing art, painting, and making things. So this was a real treat for me to work in daddy's workshop.

From The Rankin Family

Now, we just need to find a place to hang it!

Fall Fun

2009-11-07T16:00:00.001-06:00

We had a beautiful day here and I got to go outside with my first truck! My cousin, Will, donated some of his old toys to me and I'm loving them! I knew what to do with this big yellow Tonka Truck the minute I saw it. I definitely have some of my dad's gene's in me. Not only do I look a bit like him but I also have his affinity for trying to see how things work. I had the wheels off in no time.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Here I am checking out the grass. Unlike my sister, I love the feel of the grass between my fingers and honestly, it doesn't taste too bad either!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

My First Musical

2009-11-05T15:45:00.002-06:00

From The Rankin Family

Ainsley, mom, and dad had a rare treat on Thursday night. Thanks to Papa and Gigi, we were able to go out just the three of us. It had been a long time since we had some alone time with just Ainsley and she has had a big year! A new brother, enrolling in speech classes, parents who are busy...we wanted to reassure her and let her know that she has a very special place in our family and we are thankful of the blessing that she is to us. So we all got dressed up and headed off to dinner. One of her favorite spots is California Pizza Kitchen, so that's where we went. After a pepperoni pizza for three, we were off to the big event!

From The Rankin Family

Ainsley's first musical! I got the tickets awhile back for opening night and it was so exciting. Ainsley couldn't wait to see George and the Man with the yellow hat on stage. We took some time to let her know it was a story being played out right in front of her, that there would be music and dancing, and that there wouldn't be a break for her to go potty for awhile. She was absolutely enthralled.

From The Rankin Family

I know it made an impression. This morning I found her dancing and singing "That's a Meatball" in the family room. It was a pretty cute sight. I wish I could have got that on video!

Belton/Grandview Train Ride

2009-11-02T07:13:00.001-06:00

From The Rankin Family

After a long period of fascination with trains, Ainsley finally got to ride on a real one with her Monday morning play group. We made the drive down to Belton for an authentic train ride experience. Here is the train conductor.

From The Rankin Family

The train is run by a group of volunteers and they make a great effort to keep it vintage. There were old suitcases on the train and really cool lights on the ceiling. It was a 45 minute ride to the next station up the tracks and then the train went "backwards" all the way back to the depot. Here is Ainsley getting her ticket punched. The guy had an authentic ticket puncher that made a really cool shape.

From The Rankin Family

Andrew came along for the ride. He did great and really enjoyed looking out the window. A friend of mine got this picture of the two of us. One of the few with just me and him.

From The Rankin Family

Ainsley enjoyed looking out the window as well. She was pretending she was on a treasure hunt and enjoyed playing "I Spy" as well.

From The Rankin Family

Overall, this was a great raveling experience. I'm not sure how they would do on a long train ride. We're hoping to take them on the train to St. Louis one day. I guess will find out if a short trip is what makes the difference.

Happy Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T10:57:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween! This year we were off to Papa and Gigi's for some treating. No tricking here. They have a great neighborhood and Ainsley even got to trick or treat with her new little friend who was snow white.

What was Ainsley you ask, well this year she really wanted to be a princess. For a few days it was Sleeping Beauty, then it was Ariel and she kept waffling. So, here I was running out of time to get her a costume. Of course I was looking forward to the last minute discount but equally concerned I wouldn't get the desired look. So off we went to shop, Ariel, no Sleeping Beauty, no Snow White and then I said, "No matter which one you pick, you must wear clothes underneath your costume." (It was going to be very cold on Halloween night.) Fearing she would ruin the look she said, "Mom, I'll be the dragon costume that we already have." (I had picked this up for free at a garage sale this summer.) We stopped at one last place, Target. She saw this costume and was hooked and so was I. It was warm, she could wear a cream shirt underneath, and it was well constructed. Happiness all around, including a 30% discount :)

From The Rankin Family

And then there was Andrew. He was the duck/chicken that Ainsley was for her first halloween. (Minus the striped tights.) I think he is equally as cute as a duck/chicken!

From The Rankin Family

Here is the finished pumpkin carving project. Ainsley is fascinated by the moon, we always look for it and talk about it's shape.

From The Rankin Family

Pumpkin Carving 2009

2009-10-30T10:57:00.001-05:00

Well, nothing has changed much on the pumpkin carving front in the last year. Ainsley is still not willing to dig in. This year she did take a hold of the spoon and make an effort at some scoops in cleaning out the pumpkin.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Then Ainsley decided that the pumpkin smelled funny. This has been her new thing lately, "Mom, I smell something pewy." And once, I hear that it's all over. She's usually right, and often it's Andrew. But you know there was no cleaning out the pumpkin after that statement. Dad, was called in for the remainder of the clean out.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Andrew was completely unsure of the whole pumpkin thing. He looked inside it, didn't even make an attempt to touch it, and when I helped he remained unfazed. Admittedly, I was disappointed.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Perhaps next year will get more of a reaction out of him. Right now, he is just content with his thumb and his lambie.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

She was definitely into the carving portion more this year. We purchased a new pumpkin carving knife but she's still not quite strong enough to do it without some assistance. She still loves to yank out the carved pieces though. This year, no toothpick necessary!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Our girl is a puzzle fanatic. Have I mentioned we are up to 300 piece puzzles with her. She can really get going if the puzzle has discernible colors. So it was no surprise that she loved fitting the pumpkin top back on. "Mom, it's like a puzzle!"

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

First Fall/Winter Walk

2009-10-27T21:11:00.005-05:00

The weather has been strange here in Missouri. We've had a really rainy October with a lot of really big temperature swings. Today it started off sunny and in the high 60s but by mid-afternoon we had gray skies and low 50s. Ainsley still really wanted to go for a walk though. So after what seemed like 30 minutes of preparation, we went out for the same length walk.

Fall raincoats and winter hats/mittens. I haven't quite gotten to the winter coat stage yet, but we are close. Andrew was not a fan of all the extra gear, not that you could tell by this picture.

From The Rankin Family

Ainsley loves walking with her dog Bolt. Usually Bolt is in a doll stroller, today we kept him warm by carrying him. I would not be surprised if he got a dog jacket yet this winter and a Christmas present. He goes everywhere with us, absolutely everywhere.

From The Rankin Family

Rosy cheeks, red noses, and cold hands when we got home. I need to stock up on some hot chocolate and marshmallows, Ainsleys drink of choice on days like this. (Sometimes, I think it's the whole premise for going on a walk in the first place.)

From The Rankin Family

Halloween Cookie Making

2009-10-22T21:05:00.004-05:00

It's been rainy here and we've been stuck inside. So, mom and I made our annual halloween pumpkin cookies. This year I have been much more involved. I helped with the counting and measuring when we made the dough. Then, I got to help with the rolling of the dough. Mom even gave me the scraps so that I could really roll my own cookies! But then there was my favorite part, DECORATING!

I picked out some sprinkles at the store and mom let me go to town. By the time I was done, you couldn't even see the smiling pumpkin face underneath!

From The Rankin Family

Here's one of mom's decorated cookies. She only made two. I wonder why. :)

From The Rankin Family

Why is this one plain? Oh yes, we are going to frost these!

From The Rankin Family

Umm, Andrew is definitely suffering from second child syndrome. Can you believe that he has sampled these cookies!

Drinking!

2009-10-19T20:57:00.005-05:00

Andrew is slowly graduating to a cup. I'm not sure why it has taken him so long to catch on. Perhaps it's because with the second child I decided to introduce water only or mommy's milk. (Bottle acceptance diminishes rapidly at this house and a cup is my only hope.) Or perhaps it's because the cup seems as big as he is. Whatever the case, I am glad he is finally getting the hang of it.

Ahh, a sippie cup.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Look mom, so big!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

I really do know how to use this thing.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

He'll only drink about two ounces a day, but it's a start. He really enjoys just chewing on it and making squeaking noises on the rubber spout with his gums. Oh well, he's happy. What more could I ask for!

Harvest Party

2009-10-18T07:12:00.001-05:00

Ainsley has made a few new friends lately and we were invited to a 4th birthday Harvest party this weekend. Ainsley had a lot of fun at the party with her new friend and experiencing some new fall activities.

Here she is painting a pumpkin. She made a very beautiful abstract design. I have had it on my window sill in the kitchen admiring it. I'm sure we'll be painting pumpkins again next year.

From The Rankin Family

They also had a pony ride and a hay ride. Of course Ainsley was excited about Shadow, the pony! She sure is an animal lover. There is a pet somewhere in our future, hopefully not something quite this large!

From The Rankin Family

Out of everything though, she was most excited about bobbing for apples. She talked about this from the time we got the invitation. She had a blast getting wet up to her pig tails. She had a few young coaches on the sideline tipping her off to the stem trick.

From The Rankin Family

Check it out mom, I got it!

From The Rankin Family

We're so thankful that God is bringing these new friends into Ainsley's life. This particular friend is close to our home out in Independence and he has also blessed us with a new friend down the street from Papa and Gigi's house. Even after three years of living in Missouri we are still finding our way and he is guiding us.

The Cider Mill and Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-17T06:58:00.002-05:00

It was Andrew's first trip to the pumpkin patch this year and the weather did not cooperate. It was cold and gray, but we had fun anyway. We started off our annual excursion with a trip to the cider mil. Ainsley loves cinnamon and sugar donuts right out of the fryer! Guess what, Andrew does too! (And, I'm wondering why he's not so into his normal food right now. What with cookie and donut tastings who wants bland mushy apples.)

Hay rides, feeding the chickens, pony rides, and big orange round things. Andrew took it all in stride and we had a blast despite the chill in the air.

From The Rankin Family

Checking out the surroundings. I think he was a bit overwhelmed.

From The Rankin Family

Ainsley on the look out for the pumpkins. She's also checking out the very serious pumpkin cannon that the farm had. It was in working order and shot pumpkins out like you wouldn't believe. We also saw some camels you could ride.

The great pumpkin patch. We took the hay ride out to the u-pick pumpkin patch but didn't brave the mud. We have had a very rainy October and when we saw mud-caked tennis shoes on their way in, we thought we would play it safe and check out the pre-picked patch in the greenhouse.

From The Rankin Family

How tall are we this year. Andrew's getting a bit of a boost from mom so it's not accurate. However, if you could see the numbers you would notice Ainsley is past the 3 foot mark. Last known measurement 37.5 inches! She's up to my hip, it's amazing how fast they grow! Before I know it I bet Andrew will be taller than me.

From The Rankin Family

Milking the cows and feeding the REAL chickens. There's no fear in her. She's ready for the farm.

From The Rankin Family

Taking a break in the hay bale maze.

From The Rankin Family

We had a wonderful time and it's been exciting to have Andrew along with us this year.

Pie Making Extravaganza

2009-10-15T20:49:00.002-05:00

Well, you saw the apple orchard pictures and after picking almost 3 whole bushels of apples this year we had to figure out what to do with all of them. So, mom, Gigi, me, and Andrew had a pie making party. Gigi wasn't so sure how this would all work out, you know having two small children around while peeling, coring, slicing, and rolling dough. I do know she sure didn't expect to get 12 whole pies made!

We got some great pictures of the day. How did I help? Well, I stirred the apples up. They made my hands sticky!

From The Rankin Family

And then I measured out the apples into Gig's big measuring cup.

From The Rankin Family

Then, we mixed in the cinnamon and sugar. (This was my favorite part. I wasn't exact on the measuring part because I knew I
would be eating here.)

From The Rankin Family

Here's Andrew helping. He sorted through some of the apples.

From The Rankin Family

And tried to taste some. Still no teeth, so the apples were still usable. (After a good washing of course!)

From The Rankin Family

And check it out, Andrew can palm an apple. Maybe basketball is in his future.

From The Rankin Family

It was a long one but we all smiled and really enjoyed that extra pie after dinner!

Catching Up!

2009-10-12T10:59:00.006-05:00

Wow, has it really been two whole months since our last post? So many things have happened since August and we can't wait to catch you up on everything! You are in for a treat to see how we have been growing, what we've been up too, and what we have coming up! So make sure you see all the posts from August to the beginning of this month! What's there you may ask...

Andrew
Crawling, standing up, eating finger foods, drinking from a cup, and some stats will be posted after out Dr.'s visit on Wednesday.

Ainsley
Apple picking, pony tails, park visits, soccer, coloring, reading and acorn necklaces!

From The Rankin Family

So long for now, we'll be posting again throughout the month of October to show you hay rides, pumpkin picking, cute costumes, pie making, and hopefully some other fun things!

Isn't blogger nice. It shows you how many posts per year you make. I noticed today that I am approximately 40 posts shy of 2006, the year we had Ainsley. I still have a few months left, so I'm trying to tie it up. Unfortunately, not every post is dedicated to the development and growth of our dear boy Andrew, but he's made significant appearances. Overall, not bad for a second child I think. Now, if only I could get caught up on the baby books!

Union Station, Trains, and a REAL Mickey!

2009-10-10T13:35:00.002-05:00

Matthew has been pretty busy on the weekends so I frequently make an attempt to get the kids out of the house for a few hours. This allows him to have some uninterrupted work time and a better chance at just hanging out with the kids (and mom) after nap. I usually bank on the soccer clinic but it was cancelled today. But the Lord provided through a great heads-up phone call from Gigi! Union Station was having a Marine Corp Toys for Tots drive that included Mickey Mouse. (Bonus: It was free!, Besides your donated toy.)

From The Rankin Family

Sponsored by Radio Disney AM 1190, there was singing, dancing, toy give aways, etc. Plus mickey themed stations, complete with trains, for the kids to play at.

Clapping to the beat. Ainsley was a bit shocked to see Mickey Mouse. His first time on stage she was very reserved. By his fourth appearance we were front row and doing the how-down with his co-host!

From The Rankin Family

Andrew wasn't quite sure what to make of everything. I am sure the fact that Ainsley made an effort to get two of every free giveaway was lost on him. I think his expression captures the idea that Mickey is larger than life to most kids.

From The Rankin Family

We visited each station an donated a Dr. Suess book and received a train conductor's hat!

From The Rankin Family

Mickey changed and got ready for his big train ride to California. If you are interested, you can watch Mickey on the train on UTube.

From The Rankin Family

We didn't get hugs or handshakes from the big guy but it was fun just the same!

From The Rankin Family

At bed time Ainsley said, "Mom, wasn't it so cool to see a REAL Mickey Mouse." A slightly warped sense of reality but with a thread of truth. To a three year old, seeing Mickey Mouse outside of the confines of a DVD or a storybook had to be pretty amazing!

Motorcycles and Apple Orchards

2009-09-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

Every time we are driving on the road Ainsley will pipe up from the back and say, "Mom, motorcycles are dangerous. They put you in the hospital." Knowing that, try to explain why one of your very good friends arrives on a Harley.

From The Rankin Family

It took a bit of coaching and reassurance that this motorcycle would not be moving prior to getting this picture. She also considered wearing her bicycle helmet. She's very safety conscience. Mrs. Helman is a friend from church and her husband is in med school on rotations. Because he's frequently gone, we love to invite her to come and hang with us. We love Mrs. Helman and are thankful that she can share in the fun things we do with the kids.

As you may have guessed, today we are going to the apple orchard with our dear friend. She rode with us in the car. (Making Ainsley very happy.) We went up to St. Joseph and to an apple orchard with a lot of variety. Still we have yet to find cider and donuts that compare to what there is in Michigan, but it's still fun.

Pickers, ladders, who needs them. Thank goodness my mom is tall!

From The Rankin Family

Andrew loved being outside and seeing all the apples. He also loves eating the homemade applesauce. Chunky please. (We are going to try spiced on him next.)

From The Rankin Family

Tasting the tree before picking. Each tree produces a different flavor of apple. It was funny to see Ainsley say yes or no to the tree she was about to pick from.

From The Rankin Family

Learning to twist, not pull!

From The Rankin Family

Andrew is wondering, "Where is mine?"

From The Rankin Family

It was a beautiful day. Just warm enough to give us all rosy cheeks, but not hot enough to break a sweat.

From The Rankin Family

They had a great play area for when we were finished. Andrew loved the bumblebee swing!

From The Rankin Family

Ainsley loved the straw maze! It was great that she could play and get lost while we could still see her.

From The Rankin Family

A Climber!

2009-09-11T13:49:00.001-05:00

Yes, I've got a climber. I think he's going to keep me busy.

Watch me mom!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Almost up.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Soccer

2009-09-08T12:28:00.002-05:00

I am going to be attending a soccer clinic at church with some of my friends. Coach Chico says I'll have moves by the time the clinic is over. In preparation; mom, dad, Andrew, and I went out to the park to practice in my new soccer shoes and kick my new soccer ball. Mom got some great shots of dad and me. (Dad's the soccer player, not mom.) You would have never guessed it was my first time out.

From The Rankin Family

Running and kicking. I was showing more coordination than mom had expected. Of course, we won't post the pictures were the ball got in my way!

Is this called dribbling?

From The Rankin Family

Andrew enjoying the surroundings. A flag football practice and watching soccer. As well as a casual spoonful of food. It doesn't get much better than this!

From The Rankin Family

Will it be a goal?

From The Rankin Family

They aren't sporty, but they are mom's favorites. It was a wonderful day for me to watch Ainsley and dad just playing together. I hope they can continue to find things to do that they both enjoy!

From The Rankin Family

Puffs. What, I use my hands?

2009-09-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

Andrew has been introduced to Puffs. A magical food by Gerber that most babies like. Andrew has been particularly antsy when it comes to getting into the high chair. It seemed as if food wasn't immediately in his mouth, we were sure to know about it. So, the introduction of Puffs came. A bit too early we discovered since he couldn't quite get them to his mouth, but they were entertaining all the same.

You can see from this first picture that he is very unsure of this new food group on his tray.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Ahhh, these fingers have a bigger purpose than to just chew on. Check it out, they hold onto these things. But, now what do I do with them?

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

We cheated, Ainsley had an assist to her credit and now Andrew also know what they taste like. He seems to be pleasantly pleased..

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

October 12th update: Well, as I'm sure you have guessed, he's a champ at eating finger foods by now. Gerber has these new things ( well, new since Ainsley was at this stage), freeze dried yogurt morsels. Andrew loves them, to the point he now turns his nose up at Puffs frequently. Especially if he can see the bag in sight. I am sure this is a ploy by Gerber because they are more expensive per ounce than Puffs.

Coloring and Drawing

2009-09-04T11:50:00.003-05:00

Ainsley has had an increased desire for coloring and drawing as of late. We have been drawing the majority of our bible lessons out in the morning and she has been imitating some of the things she sees me draw. She also has been using some of the Kumon learning books and we have seen a huge improvement in line drawings, coloring in the lines, and completing mazes. Watching her creativity blossom has been a huge joy for me since art is a passion for me and something I enjoy. I hope we can continue to foster creativity in Ainsley and that she will enjoy her masterpieces later as much as she does now.

From The Rankin Family

Some explanation may be required for this self-portrait. This is Ainsley with blond hair. Eyes, nose, mouth, arms, and legs are all intelligible. The red circle is her heart. (We focus a lot on being self aware about the state of our hearts. Are they black or red, loving or sinful?) The blue part according to Ainsley is her body. She's been praying for a big family and is very focused on when she will get married and have children of her own. Perhaps she's drawing a future Ainsley with a pregnant belly or she truly just doesn't get the concept of the stick figure. I'm guessing it's the latter.

From The Rankin Family

October 12th update: Stick figures now include ears, pig tails, shirts, and foreheads (these are indicated by a covering of blond bangs). Some pictures show our house too.

Playing at the Park

2009-09-02T11:31:00.000-05:00

The humidity has broken and we went immediately to fall type weather. We've tried to stay outdoors and enjoy the fresh air because we know winter will be here before we know it. These pictures were taken at a park that we visit with our church friends. It's a castle theme park which Ainsley loves. It also has a rubber walking surface. That means no mud and less bruises when the inevitable falls occur.

From The Rankin Family

Always ready for a photo.

From The Rankin Family

Sliding and making echoes on/in the tunnel slide was plenty of fun to everyone.

From The Rankin Family

Hanging all be herself on the slider. I can't count how many times I pushed her back and forth. There was never a complaint about sore arm muscles either!

I'm Standing!

2009-08-29T11:38:00.000-05:00

Watch out world, I'm standing. Actually, it's more like watch out Ainsley here I come to see your toys! I'm not sure how this happened so fast. It seems like we went from crawling to standing within weeks of each other. (Well, that actually was the approximate timing.) Thankfully Andrew has been quite content to just stand and look at things. Here are some shots of him standing up like a big boy.

Who me? Yes, I'm standing and crawling up the stairs. (8/29/09)

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Please come get me, I have no where to go! (9/01/09)

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

I'm so grown up. Grown up clothes, grown up pose. (9/03/09)

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Barely hanging on. We are definitely one-handing most everything now. Stand and reach is his motto. (10/1/09)

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Since I'm writing this in October now, I can tell you that his confidence has increased with this skill dramatically. Over the past two weeks we have successfully noticed some walking around tables and a desire to stand without assistance. I'm guessing we will have some videos of him walking before we reach the end of the year.

oh, and notice the lack of footwear. This is becoming a problem. Socks are a definite dislike in Andrew's book. To keep them on we have to put shoes on as well. You should see the grin he gets though when he's allowed to yank them off and wiggle his toes. I'm thinking we will suffer from cold feet all winter. He's just like his sister :)

Pony Tail

2009-08-27T11:26:00.001-05:00

Ainsley's hair is getting longer and longer. It seems to have really hit a growth spurt as of late. Here she is sporting her first pony tail ever.

From The Rankin Family

We also have been working on perfecting braiding. I've gotten decent at braiding the pig tails. Nana managed to french braid Ainsley's hair last time she was here. We'll try to get pictures of that sometime soon.

Reading!

2009-08-27T11:08:00.000-05:00

Ainsley has really gotten busy into reading here lately.

From The Rankin Family

I'm not sure how this happened, but we have started reading big books. Not big word or big picture books, long books. Mom's books from her childhood are still in pretty good shape and we've been reading at least two chapters a day. We successfully read through The Ordinary Princess and we only have one chapter left in Charlotte's Web. So far, Ainsley prefers The Ordinary Princess and has asked to read it again. Personally, my vote is for Stuart Little or The Trumpet of the Swan next. Don't get me wrong, we still read Curious George, Skippy Jon Jones, and other picture books but the imagination has been going crazy as we have read books with less pictures.

We also have been working diligently on writing her name, spelling words, and the sounds each letter makes in the alphabet. Some of our fun activities include finding all the letters in her name on signs while we are in the car, spelling every word we say (mom's getting better at making the sounds of the letters), and singing all the things we do.

Teaching Ainsley how to read is on our list of school items for the year. She is ready. So now, we just need to find some easy readers that she hasn't already memorized. Go Dog Go, A Fish Out of Water, Put Me in the Zoo, Hop On Pop, and other short Dr. Suess books have already been comittted to memory. I'll take suggestions if you have any.

Strike a Pose (with some Balance)

2009-08-07T09:58:00.002-05:00

I am so into dress up now a days. I wear a dress (regular clothes or dress up) every day now. It's hard when we go to the park sometimes and I have to put on shorts, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. I am really more into "tapping shoes" and ballet slippers. I really like jewelry too! Check out all of my necklaces and my outfit.

From The Rankin Family

Though I am great at all of this girl stuff, it's important to have some balance. So, here I am in my garden. It's a good outdoor thing, complete with bugs and dirt.

From The Rankin Family

Our produce has been growing great. Here is a picture of our first harvest.

From The Rankin Family

The beans are the best. I may have pulled my carrots a bit too soon, they were a little bitter and not sweet. Or perhaps, that's the way home grown carrots taste. I am very excited to try our peppers. The pepper plants are almost weighed down with all of the little peppers we have growing. They are by far the most bountiful. We've got tomatoes too. Truth be told they aren't my favorites. But mom and I made some salsa with them and that was pretty good.

My First Swing

2009-08-06T09:49:00.001-05:00

Wow, the time has flown and I am growing up so quickly. June brought the feat of sitting up by myself and with that I get to do a whole bunch of new things. I'm in the high chair which you have all seen. But check this out, now I am in a swing.

From The Rankin Family

I love swinging in our backyard with my sister right next to me. It's fun to watch her.

From The Rankin Family

I get to go higher than she does because she is just learning how to swing herself. Mom gives me smiles while she pushes me. Then she says "out" and "in" to Ainsley while she's teaching her the finer points of pumping her legs. (I think mom's doing this so she doesn't have to push two of us.)

Our sweet boy!

2009-08-04T10:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, he's still sweet and beginning to develop a bit of a personality. I would verge on calling it demanding now. I use to pass it off as frustration on his part but now, he's demanding. His great way to communicate "more food, please!" is with a few hand smacks on the high chair tray. But he keeps the smiles coming and I look forward to seeing how his personality and Ainsley's mesh together as he begins to do more than babble and goes after things he would like to explore.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

6.5 Months

2009-07-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

I am 6 1/2 months old! We went to the Dr. today and got my stats. Surprise, surprise...I am a lean, mean, growing machine! I weighed in at a whopping 15 lbs. 4 oz. Over a pound heavier than Ainsley at this age. However, compared to the rest of the boy babies in this country I fall in the 7.5 percentile. Mom and the Dr. just laughed. I am 25.75 inches tall as well. Overall, a very proportioned little boy.

I am doing lots of things and verging on serious mobility. I can sit myself up now and am working hard on the crawling. I am eating really well and especially love fruits and orange vegetables. I am not really into the green vegetables, despite mom's persistence.

August is sure to bring changes and challenges for our family as I learn to crawl. Stay tuned to see what types of things I get into and what my various achievements are in the coming month.

Getting Ready!

2009-07-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am getting closer and closer to crawling! Mom got a few snap shots up of me as I got up on all fours, started rocking, and getting ready. I have really been working on my upper body strength and can't wait to be able to move around myself.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Ainsley keeps demonstrating to me how I should crawl. I get a lesson at least once a day. I don't think she realizes how her life will change once I get on the move. Watch out toys, here I come! Perhaps, though it will be good for both of us. We enjoy each other so much!

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

The Cabin and a Birthday

2009-07-27T10:18:00.002-05:00

Wouldn't you know we don't have any picture's, but we went to our friend's cabin for a few days down at the lake. It was an amazing time of fellowship and firsts for all of us as a family. Our friends have the proof (pictures) but mom got in the river. Can you believe it!

I loved the river, I went in with a life jacket and loved floating and spinning. The best though, was when dad took me on the jet ski, I kept telling him to go faster. I also went tubing with my friends Ethan and Luke. Ethan held on to me tight to keep me in the tube and dad drove fast. Andrew loved hanging out in the pack n' play outside and playing with his toys. Andrew was a great baby to vacation with.

We had campfires every night. I loved the roasted marshmallows. My friend Julia and I had a slumber party up in the loft and we read stories together at bed time every night. Then, mom, dad, Andrew, and I all slept together in the same room a few nights.

While we were at the Lake, we went to Ha Ha Tonka, a state park. We saw castle ruins and my favorite the entrance to a cave. They had a gate up so we couldn't go in but there was an exit hatch for all of the bats that live in it.

It was a great time to bond as a family and we thank our friends for offering to spend this time with us and share their cabin with us. We came home on mom's birthday. Happy Birthday, mom! Having cake was a great way to end our vacation.

From The Rankin Family

Vacation at Nana's

2009-07-11T10:07:00.002-05:00

This year mom and the kids went to Nana's for a little vacation and some quality time. It was a blast and we got to do a lot of neat things. Mom painted a bathroom and made some artwork (things she enjoys) while I got to learn how to drive a golf cart! This was my favorite part of vacation (besides riding in Nana's convertible, just to the pool down the street and back).

From The Rankin Family

One of my driving destinations was feeding the ducks. There were ducks there, but then the geese came. A lot of them! We had to be careful because geese can be aggressive, especially when they are hungry. But that was okay because it gave me a chance to work on my throwing form.

From The Rankin Family

We also went to the pool. Nana's pool and the city pool. Both were a lot of fun. At Nana's I learned how to swim with my water wings and wasn't afraid because I can finally touch the bottom in the pool. Andrew loves the water too. He liked to play in his starfish float and he even kicked his legs and splashed.

From The Rankin Family

At the city pool, they had fountains, water slides, and places for me to jump in. I had fun at the fountains while Andrew enjoyed hanging out with Nana.

From The Rankin Family

Mom's favorite moment though was watching me learn to play my first board game. Candyland!

From The Rankin Family

Thanks Nana and Granddad for a great time! We can't wait to do it again next summer.