Rankin Family Fun

Monday, September 17, 2012

Lone Star Conference Football Festival Sept. 15th, 2012

We had a great weekend in Dallas at Cowboy Stadium!
Dan's Lone Star Conference was having a festival and his crew got a game! We made it a family affair! We invited Dad and Hogla to watch with us! We had a great time! ♥

It is very exciting to be in Cowboy Stadium! I had to beg the boys to get a picture! Please don't tell them you saw this picture! Because then, I may never get another one! sigh...

Dan on the big screen for the coin toss! It was VERY exciting to see Dan on the big screen! ♥

The crew! They all looked great!

This is my favorite picture of Dan! He did such an awesome job! I couldn't stop smiling!! ♥

Congratulations Dan on a job well done and a very fun weekend!! ♥

Monday, August 27, 2012

Back to School 2012

Today is the first day back to school. Zach is in 9th grade at Nimitz Jr. high! I made a little collage of today in 9th grade and the first day of 7th grade two years ago! He sure has grown up! He is 5'7 and his voice is very low! Dan and I hardly recognize him on the phone! "Who is that man?" We sure love this man-child and are praying that 9th grade will be his best year yet!!
Today was Drew's first day of Jr. High!! 7th Grade!! At first he liked the idea of a uniform, thinking it would be easier to "pick what to wear" each day, ha! but he wasn't too sure when he put it on today. Oh-well! It will be easier once he sees all the other kids dressed the same! I think he looks especially handsome! We sure do love that kid!

Jr high starts at 8:54 am, so we all enjoyed sleeping a little later and enjoying the morning a bit before school. Zach always watched a little TV before heading out!

ha ha, I think this is how Drew really felt! ;)

A new neighbor moved in next door about two weeks ago. He is a 12 year old and is starting 7th grade today too. The boys hit it off as instant friends and walked together today. There is always strength in numbers, so as they walked off, they seemed pretty confident.

I didn't get a picture of them together with the neighbor, Noah, or walking off. I will have to do that tomorrow.

I can't wait until 4:15 when they get home to tell me all about it!!

Monday, August 20, 2012

Catching Up!

It has been a long time since I've posted! Life has been pretty busy with my new job at Weight Watchers! I am really enjoying working there! I am learning alot and meeting lots of great people! I've been leading meetings for 5 months and have finally gotten over the "I can't do this" thinking. I'm much less nervous before my meetings, so that is nice! I look at all the people in the meeting room as my friends, and that helps alot!

This has been the first summer that I have worked in 13 years! I hated leaving the boys alone, but their granddad took them geocaching and to lunch quite a bit! So that helped keep them busy! ☺ They were also a huge help to me by cleaning the kitchen, folding towels...etc... I love those boys!

Thanks for dropping by! I'm having to relearn how to blog again! ha!

Crock Pot Cooking!

Thanks mom for the new cookbook! I happily pulled out my crock pot and started with a yummy looking recipe! It did not disappoint! I've already got several recipes I want to make this week! This cookbook will come in handy with our busy schedule!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

New Job

Well, back in September, I decided to join Weight Watchers after watching my weight creep up, up, up these past years. It was the best decision I have made and I wished I had joined sooner. Not really knowing much about it, I was certain it would not work for me. I hadn't been able to lose any weight on my own, so I thought I was STUCK! But I was WRONG! I stuck to the plan and the weight fell off. Yippee! I am now back to my "pre" arthritis size and it feels great. I LOVE WEIGHT WATCHERS!

With weight watchers, you get "awards" for losing 5 pounds, 5%, 10%, etc...so each time I lost enough weight to earn an award, I got to say what was working for me; and usually in my "speech" I'd say "I LOVE WEIGHT WATCHERS!" (because I do!! It works!) Anyway, as I was nearing my final goal weight, the leader asked me at one weigh in, if I would like to work there....(she probably liked my enthusiasm about the company!) I laughed and said "yes actually, I would. It looks like a fun place to work..." I admit, I kind of said "yes" lightly, meaning, sure I think it's a nice place to work, but do I really want to WORK there?? After many weeks of waiting, praying, interviewing, I did decide to take the job with Weight Watchers! I am excited about this new journey in my life. I'm excited about the people I will meet (a LOT of people do weight watchers in this town!!), I'm excited about the new skills I will learn working for them, the places I will go and even the money I will make!! (Lord allowing!)

My family helped me make the decision, so I'm thankful for their input on why I should take the job. Zach and I had many talks about me taking this job. Those talks are priceless to me. He really wanted me to do it! Dan listened and encouraged me and helped me make my final decision. I'm thankful for his listening ear to help me make the right decision about it. I'm thankful to God for opening the door for this opportunity to work with adults. While I love subbing and will probably continue to do so, I longed for a steady job with adults. Now I have it. And this won't be a typical job - it's about two to three hours a day maybe twice a week. I'm thankful and excited about this opportunity. AND you have to sign an agreement that you will not gain over your healthy weight range while employed with them. More incentive to keep my weight down. ☺

It really is encouraging seeing people in the meetings and all the weight that has been lost! This plan works and I LOVE WEIGHT WATCHERS!

Friday, December 23, 2011

2012 Calendar!!

November 5, 2011 Zach got his braces off! After two 1/2 years! While we were in the orthodontist office they said they were making a calendar and asked if they could take Zach's picture to be in it! Sure!!