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| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
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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| From Rankin Family |
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Sleeping Handsome and Beauty
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!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
A Week at the Beach
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.
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!
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.
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!
Day 4
Bring on the pool. Nothing like a noodle leash :)
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.
Andrew loving every minute is never short on the smiles!
This is probably the best family photo we have had to date. So, I'm sure you all may see this again at Christmas.
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!
Nothing like a little natural product. Between the sweat and the sunscreen, Andrew always had a pretty cool hairdo.
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.
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!
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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| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
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!
 |
| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
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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| From Rankin Family |
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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| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
Day 4
Bring on the pool. Nothing like a noodle leash :)
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| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
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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| From Rankin Family |
Andrew loving every minute is never short on the smiles!
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| From Rankin Family |
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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| From Rankin Family |
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!
 |
| From Rankin Family |
Nothing like a little natural product. Between the sweat and the sunscreen, Andrew always had a pretty cool hairdo.
 |
| From Rankin Family |
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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| From Rankin Family |
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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| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
Friday, July 23, 2010
Tennessee Aquarium
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.)
Saturday, July 17, 2010
We have been packing for our big trip. The sunglasses came out and the kids are looking forward to catching some rays.
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| From Rankin Family |
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| From Rankin Family |
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Swimming Lesson
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.
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.
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| From Rankin Family |
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| 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.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Big BUGS!
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.
Look at the size of this bug, mom!
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.
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.
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| From Rankin Family |
Look at the size of this bug, mom!
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| 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.
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| From Rankin Family |
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Ready for Battle
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.
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| From Rankin Family |
Friday, June 25, 2010
Blueberry Picking 2010
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rosy cheeks and big smiles all around!
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| From Rankin Family |
Rosy cheeks and big smiles all around!
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| From Rankin Family |
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Mini Vacation
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!
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.
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.
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.)
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.)
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!
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.)
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| 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 |
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| 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.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
First Sting
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.
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.
Ice and a baking soda paste seemed to relieve the pain.
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| 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.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
The Museum
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.
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.
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.
Could this be Saint George's armor?
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| From Andrew Tyndale Rankin |
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| From Andrew Tyndale Rankin |
Could this be Saint George's armor?
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| From Andrew Tyndale Rankin |
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