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!! ♥

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!!

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!

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!

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!!

 We got our copy in the  mail today.

 And May 2012 is my favorite page!!  ☺

October 2012 is pretty special too!! ♥

Zach has a great new smile now!  I'm glad to have this cool calendar to show it off!!  ☺

Busy Month of Concerts and Performances!

Here is the Admiral Men singing at an Elementary school.  Sorry the video is sideways.  Good thing the singing is not!  ☺  Enjoy!

What a Boy Wants...

I have found, being a mother of sons, that new clothes or a day at the beauty salon is not what makes my boys happy.  What makes them happy is good food.  So I was happy to come across this Weight Watchers Recipe!  Drew loves a good shish~ka~bob, so I couldn't wait to make these!

We got take~out fried rice and steamed our own veggies.  This meal was a hit!  All three boys went away happy and I was filled with not only a full tummy, but smiles and compliments on a great meal. ☺

Honey Ginger Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

	2 Tbsp ginger root, freshly grated, or less to taste
	2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
	1/2 cup(s) hoisin sauce
	1/4 cup(s) orange juice
	2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
	1/4 tsp black pepper
	1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken thigh(s), cut into 36 chunks
	2 tsp honey
	1 Tbsp uncooked scallion(s), fresh, minced (for garnish)

Instructions

• In a medium glass bowl, combine ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, orange juice, soy sauce and pepper; add chicken and turn to coat with marinade. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
  
• When ready to cook, soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes (or use metal skewers).
  
• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil to catch drippings; place a wire rack over prepared pan.
  
• Remove chicken from marinade; reserve marinade. Thread 3 pieces of chicken onto each skewer and place on wire rack; cook for 10 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, spoon reserved marinade into a small saucepan; stir in honey. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat; boil for at least 1 minute to kill any bacteria.
  
• After chicken has cooked for 10 minutes, remove from oven and generously brush with boiled marinade. Flip skewers and bake until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Place on a serving platter and garnish with scallions. Yields 2 skewers per serving.

Maybe you will enjoy this recipe too and make the boys in your life smile!  ♥

SnOw DaY!!!!!!

We had "threats" of snow before we went to bed on Dec 4th, and what fun to wake up to find the ground covered in snow!  I was suppose to sub this day, and the teacher text me at 4:30am that school had been cancelled!  So even I was excited!  (I guess, no work, no pay for subs!)

 I let the boys sleep in, and Zach was the first one up!  He was thrilled to have a day to get some game playing time in!!!

 I started pulling the boys rooms Christmas trees out and started decorating them.  I had seen a cute "boyish" way to decorate it and I got right to it....however, I needed a new strand of lights and I wasn't going to let any snow stop my decorating!  Also, Drew informed me that he needs a Colonel Sanders costume for school by the next day!  WHAT?  There went my relaxing snow day!  Drew got out with me to look for costume materials and he spotted this CupCake Barn!  We stopped and got us some "fuel" to finish our errands!  Yum!  Good eye Drew!

 We didn't get out and build any snowmen, but someone did!  I had to snap a pic of these cute snowmen at the University!!

 It was also a great time to pull out our snowman dishes!!!

 And after what seemed like all day, I finished the boys Christmas trees!!

 Helmets and footballs are easy to find in our house!!  I overheard Drew saying how much he loved his tree one night!  I was thrilled!  When I asked him about it, he said he just loved the multi~colored lights!

Thanking God for unexpected snow days, last minute projects, cupcakes, warm house and multi~colored lights!!

Cookies!! Part 1

I recently saw a stained glass cookie recipe in one of my magazines.  Oh, they were soooooo pretty!  I mentioned them to Drew and he wanted me to make them.  Years ago I had made some, so I was ready to do it again, this time making Christmas designs.  *I made the sugar cookie recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook I have in my cabinet...(mistake #1)....

Drew diligently went to work breaking the candy and filling in the holes....

I rolled more and more dough to make our Christmas designs....

And .....

Our cookies did NOT turn out beautiful, as we hoped!  I realized that I did not make the sugar cookie recipe that comes with the design.  The delicious Betty Crocker recipe was not made for the 'stain glass' design....oh well.  We will TRY again soon!!!

So Thankful!

We have so much to be thankful for in the Rankin Household!  

The boys had a week off from school and we enjoyed every minute of it!  

This year we made the turkey!  Dan found a good recipe and took care of preparing it and cooking it!  He also made the giblet  gravy!  He is such a helpmate and I am thankful for him!!! ♥

 This is Mylee, our new great niece!  She was born on Sept. 1st and she slept so sweetly through our dinner!   Her momma was thankful for those quiet moments to eat in peace!  ♥

 Tia hosted this years Thanksgiving dinner at her beautiful home!  Thank you Tia! ♥

 I got a lot of "loving on Mylee" time!

 Dan's Aunt Ellen and Uncle Forrest came to visit.  Ellen just had a HEART TRANSPLANT (4 months ago) so she wears a mask to keep germs away since she is on a lot of immune suppressing medicine right now.  We are sooooo thankful the Lord has taken care of Ellen by providing her a heart VERY quickly and for a fast recovery.

 Dan helped Ryon pick up a pile of cards! ♥

 We are thankful for a BIG chair that we could all relax on and watch the Cowboys play!

 We are thankful for relaxing days with family playing Mexican Train!  (which Zach won!)  Yay Zach!

 Dan even got some Mylee time!  ♥

 We also had time to build forts in the living room, have sleep overs,

 put up and decorate our Christmas tree

 and keep warm by the fire on a very cold, windy, dusty day.

 As you can tell, we do have a LOT to be thankful for around the Rankin House!

~♥♥♥♥~

Lower Cave ~ Carlsbad Caverns

October 10, 2011 was Columbus Day and a holiday for the boys.  NO SCHOOL!!  Granddad has been wanting to take the boys on the Lower Cave tour in Carlsbad Caverns since they were born. ☺ BUT, you had to be at least 12 years old to go on this tour.  So, now that Drew is 12 - They found the first holiday (that wasn't booked) to go!

You have to go d o w n ....

 to see beautiful cave creations!

 Walk on narrow walkways....

 through tight spaces.....

 and even crawl!!

 But you noticed the smiles never left their faces!

Once the tour was over, you had to come back U P....

This holiday was the first days off since school had started and they were looking forward it.  I was a little nervous they would be upset having to get up early and head out....but from the moment they woke up, to the walk back into the house that evening, they had a smiles on their faces.  They both had a GREAT time touring Lower cave.  Thank you Granddad for wanting to take the boys on this wonderful adventure!!  ♥♥♥