Ainsley's Horse Birthday with Friends

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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