A Visit to Santa

Logan went to see Santa twice this weekend! He was more interested in the people walking by him then he was in Santa, but we were able to get his attention for a couple shots. This photo is taken of Logan and Santa in Westmoreland. We had a Christmas "extravaganza" in Westmoreland Saturday morning with craft booths, a silent auction, a cake walk, and games for the kids, and Santa, of course. We thought it was neat and enjoyed attending the festivities. Some of my kids were there and enjoyed meeting Logan. (We like his arm placement in this picture. When I went to pick him up, he had ahold of Santa's beard!)

On another note, Logan rolled over from his back to his stomach tonight. He has been trying really hard for the past couple weeks, but tonight he did it! He had rolled on his side and was hanging out there for a while, and they all of sudden he kicked himself over. I was so excited I rolled him back over to see if he would do it again, and he did! Then we had to show dad, of course, and do it a couple more times just for the fun of it. He has rolled from his stomach to his back twice, but isn't as good at that quite yet. Logan is growing so quickly we can't hardly believe it! He will turn 4 months this week and Brian and I are both kind of sad about it... He definitely isn't a little baby anymore! We take him to the doctor next week to see just how big he is, but you can tell by the pictures that he is probably in the higher percentile...!


Here's a picture to start your Christmas week off right!

Happy Snow Day!

I will be spending today playing this new game....

(This is the first video I have ever uploaded and so I don't know how to turn it...)

3 Months!

Logan turned 3 months last Thursday, and my blog stalkers didn't barely see any of the 2nd month! So, I am going to try and catch you all up... We didn't take Logan to the doctor this month, but we tried to measure him here at home. Our measurements showed 25 in. long and approx. 14 lbs. He is a big guy! He doesn't have a lot of rolls, he is just big! He has changed so much this month, and is becoming quite the entertainer! Here are a few new things...

Logan still loves bath time and has one every night, but what's new are his conversations with the shampoo bottles. The second we put him in his bathtub he turns right to the bottles and starts smiling and talking to them. It is the funniest thing! Last night he kicked so hard in the water he pushed himself into the bigger part of his tub. He didn't go under but it startled both of is to say the least.

He is enjoying tummy time more and becoming much better at it. He is also much less wobbly when we hold him upright. He has also started trying to sit up. He doesn't really enjoy leaning back so he is constantly trying to sit up. This doesn't work out so well after he as eaten... Hence the bib. Not only do we need the bib for this reason, but he is also discovering that he can spit (which is quite interesting).

Logan has also discovered his tongue and hands. He enjoys sticking his tongue in and out and rolling it around in his mouth (another reason for the bib). Also, when he doesn't have his pacifier available, he chews on his hands which are now red and chapped looking. He has also discovered his voice, but that is for another post....

Logan still loves his swing (Thank Goodness!) and Brian still enjoys watching him swing and talking to him while he is in it.

As for me, I enjoy some good 'ole cuddling. I know he won't want to do it for much longer, so I take every chance I get.

And to my blog stalkers, I promise to post more than once in December...hopefully...

Our Little Pumpkin

Logan was a pumpkin for Halloween this year. It wasn't really a costume, but a pumpkin jumper. We went back to Clay Center and enjoyed handing out candy to kids who trick-or-treated at my parent's house on Fifth street. It was crazy! You looked down the street and it looked like it was a scene out of a movie!

Here is a picture of the cutest pumpkin we have ever seen!
I think this picture is halarious because his chunky face is all smooshed! He is also doing his new favorite thing--riding the horsie!

Nap Time

Logie's first nap in his crib...

A Pleasant Surprise

Not too long ago, Brian and I were craving ice cream, so he ran to the littletinygrocerystore we have here in town. Most of the ice cream at this store has been in the freezer for years and has so much freezer burn on it you can't even get one scoop out... When he came home he said, "I got this. It was only $1.99 and I didn't want to spend $5 on crappy ice cream." But when we tried it, it was like the best ice cream we had ever had! Probably not the best, but we liked it so much, we haven't purchased anything else. So, the next time you are in the store, give the $1.99 ice cream a try. You might be pleasantly surprised!

My Music Man

I have 3 men in my household. Brian, Logan, and Michael Buble. Luckily, Logan appreciates Michael as much as I do! The other day, after an extended period of crying, I turned on THIS guy...

which resulted in THIS guy...

(He also did this when he heard Jason Mraz. Thank goodness we have the same tastes in music!)

First "Real" Outing--Day 2

Day 2 (A couple weeks later...)--After Friday's evening in Salina, we headed to Clay Center for Saturday's Piotique festivities. Brian and I always enjoy attending Piotique and this year Brian's dad and step-mom were in town. His dad had just returned to the states from working in Asia for the summer, so this was the first chance for them to see Logan. Brian's dad also had a collection of Native American artifacts being dedicated to the Clay County Courthouse Saturday morning. When Brian's dad, Riley, said he had "some arrowheads and a few other pieces" K-State was cataloging, I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is a really neat collection and the dedication ceremony was nice.

We took advantage of all Piotique has to offer...we ate brats from the wrestling booth and a funnel cake from the "red funnel cake trailor" (which were like 2 inches thick by the way!), strolled around to all of the booths, visited with friends, and of course, watched the parade. Surprisingly, Logan slept through the whole parade!

Here are a few pictures from Day 2 of Logan's first "real" outing....

Logan with Grandpa and Grandma Rankin...

(Logan looks like he has red hair in the picture above, but he doesn't...dangit...)

Grandpa Rankin's Artifact Dedication...

(Brian's God-Mother Mary, Stephanie, Riley, Loagie, Brian, and I)

~Thank you Pam for the great pictures!~

Empanadas

Have more taco meat leftover?
Here is another quick and easy recipe using your leftever taco meat!

1. Make your favorite double pie crust or buy the pre-made crusts in the refigeration section.
(I used the crust recipe on the back of the Crisco can. It isn't my favorite, but it is quick and easy. For those of you out there who have never tried to make a pie crust, or say you "can't", it really isn't too hard to do. Stick to an easy recipe and just keep trying. You don't have to have any "pie making tools" either. When I started making them I rolled them out on my (clean) countertop using waxed paper on top, cutting the Crisco or butter in with a fork, and rolling them out with a plain vase (which actually worked really well). I did eventually buy a pie mat, pastry utensil, and rolling pin (which I wish I would have bought one without the handles...the one that looks like a tapered stick) but you don't need to go out and buy all of these things to just try it out. But enough about that...)

2. Put about 1/3 cup of meat mixture and however much cheese you want in one of the corners/edges. (Next time I think I will put some Lipton Taco Rice in there, and maybe a few jalapenos for Brian.)

3. Put the second crust on top of the first. Separate the empanadas and "fork" the edges closed.

5. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the crust is done (I keep touching them and when they are firm I take them out.)

6. Add your favorite sides and enjoy! (I would have normally made a cheese dip, but I had already started supper late and didn't want to dirty any more dishes...)

(I did have extra dough leftover that I sprinkled sugar and cinnamon on, baked, and ate for dessert, but that was gone before I remembered to take a picture!)

First "Real" Outing--Day 1

We have taken Logan to the pediatrician, Target, and to my parents' house, but we considered this past weekend his first "real" outing.

Day 1--The weekend started on Friday night when we headed to Salina. Every year about this time my Great-Grandma Touslee heads to Texas for the winter months. Because this is really the only time my family ever sees her, we all gather for a visit. This was obviously the first time she has ever seen Logan, but this is the first time Logan has met anyone on this side of the family. We were only there Friday evening, but it was a nice visit. I don't get to see my Grandma Karen (my Grandpa couldn't make it) or my Uncle Tyler's family very often, so I really enjoyed it.

Here are a few pictures from Friday evening...

Logan's Great-Great Grandma Touslee
5 Generations...My Mom, Me, My Grandma, My Great-Grandma, and Logan

My Brother and I

My Uncle Tyler's Daughter, Tristyn

I'm a Big Boy Now!

Look at this guy holding his own bottle!

You would think it was a fluke, but he has done it several times now. He is also quite the "chugger" and so I frequently take the bottle out of his mouth so he will swallow and take a breath! He has kind of figured this out and will either hold my hand (fingers) or grab onto the end of the bottle, and when I go to pull the bottle out, he will pull toward his mouth so I won't pull it out! It is halarious! So much so that I give him credit and let him drink a couple more seconds!

He is quite the growing boy and eating 4 oz. every 3 hours! We haven't had him on a scale in 2 weeks...we take him on Thursday...it will be interesting to see what the scale reads!

Mr. K-State

Logan currently has more K-State gear in his closet than Brian and I combined. Most of it is too big for him, but Brian couldn't resist and broke out one of jerseys for Logan to wear while they watched Saturday's game. We took a family picture since we were all in K-State gear that day...Of course we all know how late the game started Saturday night and Mr. K-State didn't quite make it...

Splish Splash...

...Logan's takin' a bath!

Logan LOVES bath time. I think we spend more time pouring water over him than we do actually washing him. Before he would lay there looking at us and cooing, but last night he layed in his tub with his eyes closed and sucked on his pacifier. He wasn't sleeping, just relaxing. It was so funny I had to share it with you. So fresh and so clean...

Peaches

I LOVE peaches. I love peach anything. Peach pie. Peach Jolly Ranchers. Peach candles. Peach jam. Peach yogurt. Peach ice cream. You get the idea... Well, every week I get an email from Betty Crocker herself, and a couple weeks ago they had a super simple (Did I just sound like Sandra Lee...?) recipe for a Peach Crisp. I am telling you--Simple! Three ingredients. Three Steps. I hadn't made anything for two weeks and I finally had a good 20 minutes today, so, I decided to try it out! I am telling you...TRY IT!

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 cup cold butter
5 cups frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained, or 1 can (29 oz) sliced peaches, drained


1.Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, place cookie mix. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

2.In ungreased 8-inch square baking dish or 2-quart round casserole, place peaches. Sprinkle cookie mixture over peaches.

3.Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm or cool.

(http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/peach-crisp)

Random Pop Quiz Answer: Five People You Meet In Heaven -- "Today is Eddie's Birthday"

Happy Birthday!

Today is Logan's birthday! His two-week birthday that is. It is amazing to me that he has only been in this world for two weeks. It feels like two months! The past two weeks have been filled with lots of cuddling, lots of sleeping, and LOTS of dirty diapers. I swear...we will change the little man and not two minutes later he will dirty his diaper again. And the best part...you can hear it from a room away! Brian and I have had several laugh sessions over this already. Yes. We laugh at our two week old son.

Logan is really filling out. He has lost a signifigant amount of weight which is requiring us to supplement with formula. Today he had a weight check (we think it is funny he is weighing in already) and he is 8 ounces from his birth weight. We still have a little way to go, but at least we are going up on the scale instead of down.

On another note, Logan has pretty large hands and feet. We are hoping this will benefit him in the pool. Brian and Logan have been practicing the strokes. Logan prefers the flutter kick...

Here is Logan on his two-week birthday...

Random Pop Quiz... This blog entry starts with "Today is Logan's birthday!" In what book is every other chapter titled with the same line (different name)?

Baby Gazing

Today marks one week at home with Logan. Brian and I know there are many, many more weeks to go, but we are pretty proud of ourselves for making it through the first week successfully! There have been highs and lows, but overall it has been a wonderful week.

We have spent most of the week doing this...
Even Katy likes to sit and watch him...I have spent most of my time most of my time cuddling and nearly making out with him! I just can't help myself! How could you resist this face?

Prince Logan

Hear ye, Hear ye!
I would like to introduce Logan Allen Rankin!

Logan was born on Thursday, August 27th at 4:51 p.m. He weighed 8.1 pounds, measures 21 inches long, and has a full head of brown hair.

Brian and I arrived at the hospital at 7 a.m. on Thursday morning for an induction. When we got there I was already at a 3 and having contractions. The doctor broke my water at 9:30 and I received an epidural at 12:00. When the doctor broke my water he predicted 5:27 p.m. for the time of delivery, but Logan arrived at 4:51 p.m. It is amazing how close he really was! I had an awesome delivery nurse who was a big help to Brian and I. Both my labor and delivery were great, and we have a healthy miracle to prove it.

Brian and I have survived the first two nights and enjoying every minute with Logan!

Stuffed Mexican Pasta Shells

Do you have leftover taco meat, or just looking for a new Mexican recipe? If so, I have the perfect recipe for you to try! I honestly cannot remember where I got this recipe, but if it was from one blog friends I apologize for not giving you credit. This recipe is so simple, delicious, and easy to follow!

1. Start boiling your Jumbo Shells (however many you think you'll need).

2. Add cream cheese (however much you want) to your taco meat in a skillet. (My taco meat contains beef, taco seasoning, Mexican beans, onions, and petite diced tomatoes.)

3. Spread 1/2 c. of taco sauce in the bottom of a greased dish.

4. Stuff your cooked pasta shells with the taco meat and cream cheese mixture, and place in dish.

5. Cover stuffed shells with desired amount of taco sauce.

6. Cook covered for 15 min. at 350.

7. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and crushed tortilla chips, cook for 10 more min. at 350.

I love this recipe because each time I make it I do something a little different. Let me know how you spice your dish up! (You'll notice there is fried okra on the plate because we eat fried okra with anything!)

(Not a great picture, but the good camera is packed away in the hospital bag.)

MIA

Yes, I have been MIA for the past week. The beginning of school is kicking my butt! I am usually exhausted after the first few days, but this is a whole different type of exhaustion. Now with the baby coming any day now I will be MIA again...hopefully starting tonight! But, I am back for now and I know you have all been on the edges of your seats!

My Husband Rocks!

Every Friday, Katie over at Bring on the Lloyds writes an entry titled "My Husband Rocks!" Every week when I read her entries, I think about what I would write that week if I had a blog. I promised myself if I ever started a blog I would be a copy cat and have these entries as well. So, here it goes...

It is very hard for me to choose one thing to write about. My husband, Brian, is a wonderful guy who I appreciate more everyday, but this week he did something for me that he really didn't want to. He went with me to my breastfeeding class! There were 8 other women there and 5 of us brought our "birth partners". I am sure the other five guys in that room didn't want to be there either! Reasons I wanted him to go with me: 1) Brian's job doesn't allow us to spend a great deal of time together, and last night he had the night off. If breastfeeding class is where we get to spend time together then so be it! 2) The class ended at 9 pm and was in Manhattan. Not only did I not want to drive into Manhattan by myself 2 weeks from my due date, but I really didn't want to drive home alone in the dark. I know...I am a weinie. 3) I truly wanted Brian to hear and learn what I heard and learned. He totally understood all 3 of these reasons and agreed to go with me. You know what? He asked more questions then I did! When we left the class he actually said, "I am glad I went. I learned a lot!" And you know what else? He meant it. For all of this, MY HUSBAND ROCKS! (He also agreed to stop at Tad's for shaved ice on the way home...so he double rocked last night!)

__________________________________

Thanks to Katy Lin over at The Great Adventure for starting My Husband Rocks and for Katie over at Bring on the Lloyds for "letting" me copy your idea!

Summertime!

My Grandpa Allen is the Master of Gardening. His fall, winter, and spring months are spent thinking (talking) about and planning for his summer garden. He doesn't have as big of a garden as he used to, but it is still full of more vegetables then I would know what to do with! To his disappointment I am not much of a vegetable eater. Well, I take that back. I will eat almost anything that comes out of his garden but tomatoes, and the tomatoes are his pride and joy. Last summer I went with him nearly every Saturday morning to sell tomatoes at Clay's Farmer's Market.

When summertime rolls around I always think of three things: Grandpa's garden, Grandma's cooking, and Flav-or-ices (but those are beside the point...)! Creamed peas and potatoes...green beans with bacon...fried okra...Mmmm! Last week Brian and I went over and got some okra. (We planted some but it didn't come up for some reason.) Today, we fried it for lunch! A little flour, Panko bread crumbs, and seasoned Fish Fry...Mmmm! We ate every last bite, but I thought I would at least share a picture...

Can't you almost taste it?!

Siamese...Carrots?

This is what happens when carrots are planted too close together...

Lovely, right? Needless to say, we didn't eat this one. I refused. I don't care if it is okay to eat.

Megan's Spicy Chicken Spaghetti Bake

My friend Megan recently gave me a new recipe that I have made twice. Brian and I both agree it is one of the best "casseroles" EVER and have decided to make it a staple on the Rankin Supper Idea List. So, without further ado...

The Ingredients:
2 big cans of chicken

2 cans of Rotel

2 cans Cream of Chicken soup

1 lb. of Velveeta

1 med-large green pepper

1 med-large onion

1/4 c. butter

1 pkg. spaghetti noodles

As you can see, I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I halved it for Brian and I, used "fun" noodles (but a few more than half the package), added corn because we had it, and crushed saltines on top before baking.



Step 1: Begin boiling you noodles. (Can add chicken bouillon is desired.)
Step 2: Dice and saute the green pepper and onion in the butter.


Step 3: Add the chicken (drain), Rotel (drain), Cream of Chicken soup, and Velveeta to the veggies. Cook until the Velveeta is melted. I added the corn at this time.





Step 4: Drain the noodles.
Step 5: Combine the noodles and other ingredients.
Step 6: Serve and eat OR bake at 350 degrees for 15-30 minutes (I baked mine for 20 min. in a 9x13 Pyrex).

Final DELICIOUS Product:

Is this a healthy meal? No, but I am telling you, TRY IT! You will love it-Promise! I have decided next time (which may be next week) that I will substitute cream cheese for some of the Velveeta. I just think it sounds good!

Big thanks to my mom who provided the chicken and Cream of Chicken soup...She didn't know it, until now, but I "shopped" in her pantry last weekend. These are the only 2 things I took-Promise!

Bathroom Makeover

I know you are probably getting tired of all the house makeover entries, but prepare yourself because there are more to come! When we tiled our dining room we went ahead and did the spare bathroom too. Brian chose the tile and I was really nervous about it being too dark, but I was pleased with how it turned out. Brian liked the tile, but thought the grout was too light so he stained it with a toothbrush! Nuts! Of course, Brian thought I was nuts when I decided to paint the walls one shade darker than I had originally painted them. We're both nuts! So, here are the before and after shots of the spare bathroom:

Before:

After:

A big thanks goes to Kyle for running to Home Depot and buying us another box!

28 Days and Counting....

This is the first of many posts starring Baby Boy Rankin. It feels like I have been pregnant forever! I have had a fairly easy pregnancy... no morning sickness, but I have had my fair share of uncomfortable days, fatigue, backaches, and swelling. (Speaking of swelling...for those of you who saw my unfortunate cankles at Kara's wedding, I just have to say that it took until Thursday for those bad boys to go down! But, I would do it again for Kara and Matt and will be blogging about their wedding soon!) Through it all Brian and I have become closer, and really excited about being parents. Brian has been very supportive of me through this and will be a fantastic dad. I am super excited about seeing him with this little guy...

28 Weeks (His eyes are open...creepy!):

35.5 Weeks:

Garage Makeover

This past week there was an unusually cool morning so Brian and I decided to take advantage of it and give the garage a makeover. When we moved in we pretty much lined the garage walls with anything we didn't feel like unpacking or putting away. When you only have a one car garage this doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room. We can't believe how clean it is, and keep opening up the door just to look at it! I kicked myself afterwards for not taking a before picture, but I think you can probably imagine. So, you only get to see the "After" photos. Sorry!

Wouldn't our dads be proud?!?!

When we started going through everything we ran across a tote of "gear" we took on our honeymoon! There was a bag of sunscreen, bug sprays, flip-flops, aloe vera, snorkeling gear, etc. Most of this we decided to toss or price for our garage sale, but it was still fun to go through. So, because I didn't have this blog a year ago, I am posting a few photos from our honeymoon in Jamaica.

Brian and I ready for supper:

Every morning when we went to the beach, there was a hut reserved and ready for us. It was ready with a stocked cooler, towels, and decorated with flowers. If we ran out of beverages or wanted a snack we called up our butler on the cell phone the resort provided for us. Sick, huh?!? Here is a picture of Brian lounging in our hut. If you look closely you can see our cooler and our snorkel gear inbetween the chairs. Brian and I decided this is what Heaven will be like!

I questioned my decision to add the last photo (because of the lack of clothing...), but I had to because heck, this is what we looked like 95% of the time we were in Jamaica! Plus, it makes me smile! We couldn't have asked for a better start to married life!