Friday Fotos

Wow it's Friday again! Here are some more pictures :)

Last Friday was so nice outside! The girls and Daddy ventured outside with their kites and bikes. Holly and I followed after she had eaten for the afternoon.

Holly in the stroller, this is the best smile I have been able to capture on camera! She's getting so big.

Faith Flying her kite.

Megan trying to get her kite up.

One in the air.

So, we are starting a bit of a garden, we have decided that using the big pots may be a better way to go... that way they move (we have a threat of freezing temps again... what happened to spring?) and we can get them into the porch if needed.

In here we have Raspberry, Blackberry, Blueberry and grapes... I am hoping that we can get some to grow.

Riding bikes

This one was taken as Steve was trying to let Faith and Megan see something on the computer... Holly was just mesmerized HAHA

That's been about it for this week. :)

Picture for Aunt Becky

Look what I fit into Aunt Becky! We thought of you today, we love and miss you. :)

Friday Fotos

So I’ve decided that I need to get pictures on here more often now that I have a baby growing by leaps and bounds every day. So I thought what’s a cute title I could have to remember one day to put up pictures… well no days of the week start with p (for pictures), but the word photo starts with an F sound and Friday starts with F. This could be fun! So here you are, my inaugural Friday Fotos...

Faith had a birthday last week! Where have the last six years gone? And I realized last week that Right after we moved here (to PA) Faith turned three, she has now lived half her life here...

All her loot

Tinkerbell shirt

Crayola Color Blast paper and markers

A new Littlest Pet Shop animal

More clothing :)

A sleeping bag, with Tinkerbell of course!

Megan and Holly got some gifts too

A Littlest Pet Shop animal for Meg

Holly got washcloths and teethers


This one makes me laugh. This is what Holly is doing with her hands lately. Steve says that she's scheming something evil (ha ha a bit too much Phineas and Ferb, I think)


And Grandpa got in on the action too :) Nice bow
We went bowling for her birthday again, there was a tournament going on so we were asked not to take any flash pictures, which is why these are so bad… but our game is improving :)

Score from our first game
Score from the second game of the day
Holly turned three months... WOW that was quick; she is so big now! Last month at the doctor’s, she was 12lbs, I can’t imagine what she weighs now!

These are just some random Holly pics
Not sure why this one's sideways...Can you tell I like taking her pic when she's sleeping? :)

Happy Friday all!

An Update and A LOT of pictures

So again I've been told that it is time to update my blog.... boy, I am really bad at updating!

So what have the Rankin's been up to... besides feeding, diapering and general baby care?

Well, it snowed quite a bit here last month... closed school for a couple of days. The girls and I felt pretty cooped up for a while. Here's some pictures!

Vehicles turned marshmallow

Steve shoveling... it's up to his thighs!

de-marshmallowing the cars... can you tell which way the wind was blowing?

So it's been a bit cold around here and I caught this picture of Faith the other dayWhat you can't see is that is where one of our heater vents is. haha It's a great place to sit when one is cold :)

I have been inspired by a knit hat that Holly received, to knit ones for Faith and Meg. Here are the finished products :)


And how is Holly, you ask? Well since Faith and Megan went back to school after Christmas, Mom, Dad, Faith, and Meg have all been battling with sniffles... and well now Holly is too. BUT I have some pictures...

One Month...

Stats from Jan 8th (one month + 1 day) 10lbs 1.5oz and 22 1/4" long

Two Months....

Her official two month stats: weight - 12lbs 0.5oz (70%-ile), length - 23" (60%-ile), and head circ. - 39.5cm (63%-ile). No one can say that she isn't healthy!

A smile... this is the best that we can capture on 'film'

Big sister Megan holding Holly

This is from today... Faith feeding Holly a bottle of mommy milk

That's it from cold, somewhat sunny PA!

I don't usually comment on a TV show...

I should be getting to bed, I have a sleeping baby after all, but I feel compelled to write this now. And while I know that I only have a handful of people who might read this, and I don’t like to blog about TV shows (I mean I could be doing other things instead... right) , I still feel like this should be said.

Like most Americans I watched the superbowl this evening and decided to continue to watch the channel once the game was over. What was on was a reality type show about bosses who go into their workplaces (in the trenches, so to speak) and take a look at what goes on there. I am sure you can watch “Undercover Boss” on the CBS web-sight if ya have the desire/time - ha

So there were a few things that struck me as I was watching. And I am sure that Steve and I would have had quite the conversation afterwards about it... maybe that’s why I feel compelled to write, because he is at work and I can’t really talk to him about it now... LOL

First thing that I thought was how commendable for these bosses... owners/COO’s/ and the like... to go out and get in the business and do what their employees do! Coming from the jobs I have had, I have always thought that it is in the best interest of the ‘boss’ to be with workers and to do what they do from time to time. It keeps the boss in check with the employees and it helps the employees to know that their boss isn’t just sitting in an office administrating. So kudos to the bosses!

The man on tonight was the owner and COO of Waste Management, one of the most prominent waste collectors in the country. This guy went out and did the jobs that WM is known for and he worked hard. He actually struggled with a couple of the tasks. As he was talking to the employees that were ‘training’ him he was hearing their personal stories and he was touched. He was touched by how hard they work, the struggles with family and life outside work, and the struggles that their particular jobs presented them. So this guy didn’t just go in there say ‘hi and bye’ and be done, he did something about the problems he saw. How cool!!

As someone who has been in a manager position, it struck me that the COO that was on tonight hadn’t ‘gone up thorough the ranks’ so to speak, he hadn’t ever done any of this and it was all new to him. [Insert jaw drop here.] I know that a lot of owner/operators of CFA’s (where I did play manager a bit) don’t get to that position by coming up through the ranks, but I do know that CFA does like to appoint most of these people from ones that have been there and know the ins and outs of CFA.

I appreciate, again that he got out there and saw what many of the jobs at WM were and did them. I appreciate that the employees that were working with him were made to feel comfortable enough to open up and share with a stranger their personal lives and their struggles in the job. But I think what struck me the most was that the COO did something about his time in the trenches. I think it will not only make the lives of the employees better and easier to do their jobs, but he has a new perspective of the decisions he makes as owner and COO, he will think about what he asks and how he will implement policies. I only hope that this is a starting point for a lot of ‘bosses’ and they do get out and see what it’s like for the people who work for them.