Artist at Work

My first painting experience! I've been waiting and waiting to try the paints out that go with the new art easel. Mom has a sheet out in the middle of our family room and the easel is on top. So I've been playing with chalk, drawing with crayons, and using dry erase markers because the paint was just too messy. But she's finally ready and here comes the paint!

From The Rankin Family

My favorite color is blue and that's all I wanted to paint with. I'm into circles, eyes, and just drawing lines. I'm happy with my faces and the lines make up my maps. I take the maps with us in the car on our trips and am learning my directions really well. I'm not real fond of having to wear a smock but this is a must with the poster paints.

From The Rankin Family

Overall, mom has been a good sport with all of the creativeness I'm expressing. She's just hoping that I continue to follow directions and all of my artwork stays on the easel and paper.

Christmas Round One, Two, and Three

Merry Christmas everyone! After a wonderful Christmas Eve with church and all of my grandparents, I actually slept in a little for mom and dad. Had I known what was waiting for me downstairs, they may not have gotten the reprieve. Our stockings were full and there were a few presents for me under the tree and I was so excited to get started.

From The Rankin Family

I got to help mom and dad open their stockings, my stockings, and then I opened my small gifts. I got a lot of art related supplies to go with what is now my favorite activity. An art easel! It's out in the center of our family room now and it's the first thing I play with each morning.

From The Rankin Family

After a wonderful morning with just mom and dad, we headed over Papa and Gigi's hose for Christmas part two. We got there for breakfast (cookies and some healthy items, but I liked the cookies) and started opening some more presents! I got t help everyone and was very interested in playing with each item for awhile before moving on. (Mom really enjoyed seeing me appreciate each and every item and there was no rushing.)

From The Rankin Family

Trying out some more new art things. Mom says I get my creative art streak from her. Dad seems to agree.

I had a few wow gifts this year. Wow gift one, my new puppies (Bella and Bean). Aunt Trish got me a whole ensemble for the puppies. This set came with a stroller, back pack, carrier, and dog bed. I've had a lot of fun feeding, tending, and pushing my new friends around. Mom says it's good practice for what's coming in the New Year.

From The Rankin Family

Christmas part three began after my nap, what a busy day! We went over to Aunt Markie's and Uncle David's for Christmas with Nana, granddad, my cousins, and my aunts and uncle. Nana and granddad got me this really cool bean bag for my new big girl room. I read there now each day before my bed times. It's pretty big for me and almost swallows me up! I'm usually not this serious, but I'm starting to listen to stories and become much more intrigued by similar items.

From The Rankin Family

And here is wow two, Aunt Katherine got my cousin Chanie and me the same gift, a princess dress up trunk! I like to layer the dresses, Chanie was really into the jewels. We wore the dresses for the rest of the night playing tea party and doing other little girl things. Dad's been a good sport and has been known to pretend to be a prince for me and help me dance.

From The Rankin Family

I'm a very blessed little girl to have been able to spend my entire day with all of my family, full of love and excitement, and the joy of a few gifts in between.

Early Christmas

I had an early Christmas surprise from mom and dad this year. My dad has been playing hockey and for his birthday, mom and I got him hockey skates. I had been talking about ice skating since the moment I saw those shiny blades. On Monday, my prayer for ice skates was answered and dad even took me ice skating!

Here I am opening my brand new, double runner figure skates complete with pink laces. They are a little bit big for me now, but mom and dad said that I will grow into them. We'll just use double socks for the time being.

From The Rankin Family

Here I am opening my new helmet. Safety first on the ice. I helped pick it out, my favorite color right now is blue. Mom says I can use this helmet in the spring/summer too for our bike rides.

From The Rankin Family

Ready to skate!

From The Rankin Family

Out on the ice!

From The Rankin Family

Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Hausmann for letting us all come over for this early Christmas. They have an ice skating rink right out in their front yard that Mr. Hausmann built. That's where dad will play hockey this winter. It even has lights! Between their horses and now the ice rink, this is one of my most requested trips.

Evidence of dad playing hockey.

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Snow Bound

Well, the snow has really been flying here today. I couldn't wait to get out there and really give my new snow suit a try. The snow wasn't quite right for snowman, but it worked great for snow angels and a hike in the woods with my dad.

From The Rankin Family

From The Rankin Family

My favorite though was just playing around. I loved rolling, digging, and running in the snow. The ground sure seems softer with all this padding and the fluffy snow. Mom watched me purposefully falling down every once in awhile just for the fun of it and got quite a kick out of it.

From The Rankin Family

It was pretty cold out there for both mom and me. When we came in we had rosy cheeks and cold feet. So, mom told me there's nothing like warming up in front of the fire and a good cup of hot cocoa (and chocolate donut). I even got to use a grown up hot chocolate mug. It was my first effort with a no lid cup and I did great!

From The Rankin Family

From The Rankin Family

Giving the Tree a Trim

We got up our tree this year with much help from Aunt Trish. Thanks Aunt Trish! It was fun to get all of the decorations up at once and mom let me hang all of the special ornaments on the tree myself. I even got to hear a special story about each ornament.

From The Rankin Family

The finished product!

From The Rankin Family

Since the tree has been up, I've enjoyed pointing to each ornament and repeating the story. I have also enjoyed seeing how much my hands have grown each year and frequently put my hands down on the tree skirt. Mom's got me hand prints from this year to add and we've talked about how there will be a new set of hand prints that our smaller than mine next year.

First Snow, 2009

It's winter here, that's for sure, and the snow is beginning to fall to the ground. Mom got me all bundled up and I went out to see the snow. You'll see I have winter crocs on, stay tuned for posts with boots, the weatherman says we'll be needing them in a week. It sure was cold, but I loved trying to catch the snowflakes with my hands.

From The Rankin Family

From The Rankin Family

I can't wait for enough snow to fall to build snowman and snow angels. I talk about that and going for a walk in the woods to find animal footprints all the time. This could be a challenge for mom, so we'll have to call for some reinforcements when the time is right.

Mom stayed in the garage while snapping these photos. Baby is growing more and more each day and mom can't button her winter jacket all the way. Even with dad's fleece under her jacket, I think mom and baby were pretty cold. Speaking of baby, we received the good news from the Dr. that mom's placenta previa has moved. In fact, it moved the full distance necessary for mom to go full term and have a regular delivery. SO, baby may share my birthday with me after all!