Cousins Weekend

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This weekend Maureen, Doug, Ellie, Kate and Patrick came to visit for the weekend on their way home from a conference in Monterey. They are finally back in CA for easy visits like this and we love it! Francie loves nothing more than doting around after her big cousins. They had a sleepover in the playroom Saturday night and were so cute with their dolls asleep around them. Mark, Sarah and Clara came over for a Burgers BBQ and lots of playing in the creek (which dried up last week then miraculously started running again and ends right past our property line- no rain to speak of but we'll take it) I think Ellie summed up the weekend best "this is even better than a sleepover with your friends because it's with your COUSINS!"

Getting muddy and sandy in the creek (I was too busy chasing Maisie to get any good pics!)

bathtime after creektime complete with graffiti crayons

after dinner yogurt treats at Miyo! We had 9 huge cups piled on the scale

Cruzin' DTLA- my new Cruz!

The three big girls in the wagon

this was usually the scene- three one year olds piled in the wagon and the older girls taking turns double teaming the plasma car

We took a long walk downtown Sunday morning for breakfast at Rick's Cafe

then playtime at Shoup Park and the girls and I navigated our way up the creek to see if we could get from the park to our house. It was easy and a fun little adventure with some blackberry picking along the way. Kate climbed on this tree and ASKED me to take a picture of the three of them (I only hope my child will do that one day:) but it left her with a splintery bum! sorry kate!

we met the wagon pullers at the Nature Preserve and the kids found a fuzzy caterpillar to torture

Shoulder rides- Maisie's outfit is a rainbow of fruit flavors :)

and home for popsicles (6 minute version "Shirley Temple popsicles" on the zoku thingy) and squeezing in a little more playing before the cousins had to leave!

Dinner at The Beach

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The last night down at the beach house, the Machado family was nice enough to invite our whole crowd over to their cool beach house in Santa Cruz for dinner. The sailboats come right by their house on Wednesdays and they had tons of appetizers for us all to gorge on and take roadies down to the beach for sunset and sailboats. It was such a fun night and they couldn't get rid of us after dinner!

Erin, Jimmy and Mick watching the sunset with cocktails

Uncle Bill, Jannie and Aunt Tere

Heff, Gary, Allison and Jer

Dad and Mr Machado

Maisie with a good grip on her crackers and cream cheese

Patty was so sweet to Francie and helped her build a sand castle in the giant hole we found

Francie HAD to have her CamelBak pack on the whole time (her nature camp backpack with built in drinking water!)

Hanging out on the beach watching the sailboats head into the harbor




and then the JUMPING recklessly into the giant hole...

and Gary jumped in to entertain the little Doo


a fun night on the beach and YUMMY dinner. Thanks Patty!

and everyone was very patient to sit through one of Francie's "shows" with Maisie as her sidekick

Giant's Game

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Tuesday night Heff bravely took both girls to the SF Giants game to meet two other Red Bluff dads and their kids for a night game at the Park. Not only was he crazy enough to insist both girls should go- he took them on the train there and back without a stroller or anything! They left at 5 and he dressed them and packed them up himself since they were still napping when I ran out for some errands... good work on the matching outfits and warm enough clothes Heff! He said the girls were troopers, especially since they missed the train to come home by 4 minutes and didn't make it home until after midnight- both girls still awake!

I love that he is so good about taking the girls on adventures :)

they had bleacher seats and it was a pretty rowdy crowd so Heff and the girls walked around the kids fun zone, hit some balls in the little diamond and played around. They got hot dogs and lots of treats

Heff had to carry BOTH girls around everywhere besides the play zone since it was a crowded game- his poor arms were so sore the next day!

and Francie had way too much fun hanging out with her new BFF- she was so sweet with Francie

waiting for the train at the station for almost an HOUR (they changed the schedule from on the hour to 20 'til trains at night!) and the end of game train that leaves 15 min after the last out ended up being the same time as the 10:40 train anyway. To make it worse they got on the non-express train that stopped at every single station and took twice as long! But while they were waiting at the station they ran into Uncle James there to meet emily coming up on the train from her Dailey Method class!

The Beach House

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We had a great week at the beach with the Simonson Clan! Jannie rented a really cool house with tons of room for everybody. We have lots of good memories from a week at the beach like...

Sitting with Dad in the morning in PJ's - deciding if our busy day should start with a walk for coffee or board games after Grampa or Uncle Bill's big breakfasts (we went through 5 pounds of butter in 5 days)

matching outfits with Jannie for a shopping trip to Santa Cruz

corn hole on the beach (the super fancy one Jerry and Allison MADE and painted in CalPoly style)

more doubling dipping in the ocean


cousin bonding with Mick

a big mexican dinner out at Miguel's

Loving spending time with ABA

and more time with Dad who continues to be way more patient than I am on the daily chores with the girls

a trip to the Aquarium with Emmy




and lots more!

Beach Shower for Ann & Pat

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Sunday afternoon Aunt Mimi, Claire and Emmy hosted a shower for Ann and Pat at the beach house. It was a cute red, white and blue beachy theme and a lot of fun. It was so easy to be at the beach all day, help clean up a bit and have all the guests arrive for the shower! ABA threw one of her dresses at me a few minutes before the shower (no trust?! or maybe I forgot to bring anything shower worthy :) We had great food and a good time celebrating the newly engaged with family and friends.







Aunt Mimi serving cheese puffs on the beach, full service hostess!

Impossible picture of the girls smiling on my lap :)


and mid-party Dad took the girls for a "swim"!

I thought...
"at least their dresses are getting short- they won't get their clothes wet."

WRONG

Having too much fun with their Dad

Maisie kept running back into the ocean every time he let go of her hand- little daredevil!




Back to the shower :)



equally as awkward as Heff and I trying to pose for a photo- :)

toasts and roasts (ok we were nice- mostly just toasts)



awww even made ABA tear up (she'll kill me for posting prob)

Saved room for dessert I hope- I know Francie did!

Emma's Hope Musical

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This morning we went to Emma's Hope Musical summer camp "day of the show." This year they performed The Sound of Music and Emma played Brigitta- one of the VonTrapp kids! We sat in the back but Francie sat enthralled on the edge of her seat holding the flowers she had picked almost the whole time. Maisie lasted an hour on my lap (watching only when they sang!), climbing in chairs and trying to escape down the isle. We went to LuLu's for lunch after the show and got to catch up with our very much missed neighbors!

Arriving at the theater - Francie was sooo excited to see a "real" show

The performance (from the second to last row :)

LuLu's lunch crew

Francie thinks she is such a big kid around this crowd

after a long lunch in the sun (and Maisie taking a short siesta on my shoulder) we headed home for real naps. Francie BETTER not be transitioning out of naptime- it's my saving grace! But a couple days in Black Butte she went the whole day without a nap- one day coming out of the room WITH Maisie (who she somehow managed to get over and out of the pack and play) saying "Hey guys- look who I found!" and when I asked her if she napped she said "No. I was just too busy."

So it's a struggle but she usually still gives in pretty easily if we catch the 3-6pm window and I (with my "mole arm" of course) lay down with her for a while. Here was the view from nap time today when she took over my iPhone

Silly Little Stinker

Wow Wow Wedding

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Last Saturday Heff and I left the girls at the beach with everyone and drove back over the hill for the wedding of one of my best friends from high school and college- Renee Robinson. Renee was a star basketball player at Sacred Heart and we became good friends freshman year in science class trying to keep her in line and from offending our hippie teacher too much. We both took the same van from the train station to school sophomore year and then once I got my license I drove her to school everyday. She played bball for UVA and I went to W&M in Virginia about 2 hours away so I saw a lot of her in college. We couldn't be more different (a teacher once asked us "you guys are REALLY friends?") but we've stayed good friends for a long time!

Renee married her girlfriend of 6+ years, Skelly. They were pronounced "hersband and wife"!

It was a GORGEOUS setting for a wedding at the home of a family Renee trains and coaches basketball for their kids (that is a private 3 hole gold course in the background!)

The theme for the wedding was "black and white" and all guests were asked to wear black and white (not black tie) on their black and white basketball ticket stub invitation. Here is Renee coming down for the ceremony with her nephew LJ. I wanted to whisper "tie your tie thing Renee!" but apparently this was the look ;)

NaNa and the preacher (an athletic dept tutor she became friends with in college who said "like most people when I first met Renee- I didn't like her. She's hard, abrasive and rude." WOW! It's kind of true but we all love Renee!

Bridesmaids and.... I'm not sure what you call groomswomen (there was one brave guy!)

and the bride's two daughters who stole the show- they were so pretty and a lot of fun. And both so supportive and happy for their mom and Renee (even though they told me she is "strict!")

The bride Skelly in black and white escorted by her son

The wedding party

They did a really nice heartfelt exchange of vows

and that's it! 'Hersband' and wife :)

Let the party begin!






Cutting the cake!

The Guestbook

bathrooms were here by the INDOOR pool!


Renee and Skelly are both basketball refs. They had 12 professional WAC and PAC-10 refs at the wedding!

and there is a really, really, really good story behind stage left. I can't blog it.

The host giving a really nice touch about Renee, saying she was a great role model for his children to learn hard work

Maid of Honor giving a toast

Renee introducing their family

CONGRATULATIONS NANA and SKELLY! :) Thanks for letting us be a part of your big day.

At The Beach

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After our Oregon vacation and a nine hour drive we stopped at home for three hours, did a load of laundry, packed up some sand toys and hit the road again! My parents rented a great beach house in Aptos for a week with all of my siblings, fiances/girlfriends, and my Dad's brother Bill, his wife Tere and their family. Jimmy, their oldest, and his wife Erin have an adorable new baby Mick who is six months old. We've been relaxing, playing games, lots of poker tournaments, reading, playing beach volleyball and running in the waves. Foggy in the mornings but it's been burning off by early afternoon everyday! (and as usual thanks for the pics Emmy :)

This is the cool outdoor sleeping porch upstairs on the deck with five bunk beds! Heff and Francie had a sleepover out there one night.

My Aunts threw a wedding shower for Baby Ann and Pat on Sunday afternoon at the beach house

more pics coming up...

BBR Reunion Recap

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Our favorite parts about a week of family vacationing in Black Butte Ranch...

not leaving the ranch and running around carseatless between cabins

or going to the sea of bikes and kid trailers to pick a ride

spending alll day and night with our Daddy (he didn't even leave to go on a solo fishing trip this year :)

Unsuccessful (albeit hilarious) attempts for Oma and Opa's grandkids in one picture.

Dinner at Pat and Tricia's cabin on the golf course Sunday night








and a great video Dan made remembering 10 years at BBR

Bargaining for turns on the swing at our cabin (we shared with Kat and Donald- a few houses from Oma and the rest of the crowd, across the back patio from Bob and Francy's)

Lounging on the hammock

Jannie brought needlepoint projects

Dan brought (and blew up with his own breath) 6 huge 3 foot balloons. They were a huge hit for a whole 6 minutes until they took them outside and popped on impact with the pine trees

playing in the sandbox

Grampa being very patient and pushing on the swings

Spending time with Opa and eating all kinds of delicious food

Taking pictures of cute kids- most of them much more willing participants than my own


Jessica- Roman and Trillium (aka Tilly B)

A surprise baby shower for Kat, Donald and Baby Doverspike!


Doing lots of art projects and coloring at LaLa's game table


Dinner outside in between playing/eating dirt

more swinging and hoping the whole crowd doesn't flip over

meeting for lunch at Uncle John and Barbara's house

Movie afternoon after lunch

Just playing around in Opa and Lala's backyard

"LOVE this look on you Clara"

"Why are you crying Thomas?! Just come play in the dirt."

A more successful shot (I bribed them with ice cream sandwhiches- they came out for dessert and we intercepted the passer-outter- "WAIT! Make them sit still for a picture to earn their ice cream." so mean :)


and no family gathering is complete without a talent show! (they only needed a little prompting to get started but then they were great- but in 5 years the talent shows are going to be off the chain :)


and no week is complete without a few injuries... Maisie fell hard on the edge of a paver and scraped her forehead to leave a not-so-pretty scabby scar

Wednesday morning tour of the firestation was a big hit





and Oma treated ALL the kids who wanted to go for a horseback ride. She led them around and around for as long as they wanted to go!



Donald brought some of his family beef (just SOME;) and Kat made her famous Guacamole

Burger Bar for dinner Wednesday night

Mr and Mrs Doverspike came down from their ranch for a night too- it was an in-law/out-law event!

Packet and Tilly after the dirt party

and celebrating Isabel's THIRD birthday!

The Heffernan Brothers. Thanks for bringing us all together for another week of family and fun!

Emerald Ranch Family Day

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Saturday is usually "Bob's Big Sports Day" at the reunion- the day we get most of the family there and Uncle Bob treats us all to some fun and food. This year he changed it up (after increasing injuries from the softball games every year!) and he rented a horse ranch for the afternoon for horseback rides, swimming and boating on the lake, a great BBQ dinner and square dancing lessons. It was a blast and the kids had soo much fun.

Maisie doesn't even know where to start

Francie: "Izza I LOVE your boots and your outfit."
Isabel: "Silly Fraaaan-cie, it's a romper!"

cousins

Uncle Kevin volunteered to take Francie out for some rafting- gotta have your lifejackets on!

Bumpin' boats with Uncle Donald

Opa Bob tried to up the little ones ages so they could ride the horses too

Ashley on her lounge chair

shade spectators

Aunt Tricia, Aunt Francie and Claire

Maisie wanted to get in too of course so Jannie jumped in Donald's boat to hold her

Lucky Maise

Sarah, Mark and Clara Marie

Jannie and Grampa walking over for horseback riding with cocktails in hand

The ranch had a stash of boots in the tack room for the kids to take their pick of

Kate and Doug

Thomas coordinating his binky to his leisure suit nicely

Happy foursome

These boots are made for walkin!

Francie's turn on a horse named acorn

Ashley and Francie were riding buddies

Maggie and Kate playing in the dirt

Sisters Maureen and Kat

Oma giving Maisie some love

the middle generationers sitting around

and the lovely ladies of the only-slightly-older-generation

the four brothers- responsible for this whole crew

and it didn't take long for the kids to find the mud swamp and get dirty!

pretty happy kids

My little shark and her big personality coming out

and then we let Francie go out with her big cousins Kate and Ellie "all by them selves"... she wasn't ridiculously excited or anything

just relaxing with happy Maise and her snaggletooth

kids nowhere to be found so a picture of just us

lots of family fun


squaredancin lessons! some participated- some hid in the horse stalls :)

misty horse alone in a big arena- they told us after we let the kids pet it that it had hepatitis. Hummm.... maybe should have left this one in solitary confinement

Thanks Opa Bob- We love you!

PJ'ed up for sure to fall asleep in the car on the way home

had to stop and pet the horsies

what a fun day for all 18 kids and counting!

Pool Time

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The first few mornings up at BBR we hit up the pool for some sun, swimming and snack bar. They have at least four pools on the ranch but our favorite is Glaze Meadow with a great kiddie pool, big pool, indoor pool with a slide and water features. We staked out chairs early enough, swam with cousins and then stuck around to read and relax.

Grampa walking Maisie Shark around the splash zone

baby pool time

naptime at the pool- that's Francie under the hoodie. Finally Jannie and I got to sit and read for a while!

Francie woke up and climbed in Grampa's lap

then got to play some Monkey Preschool Lunchbox on my phone while her sister snoozed

coverups and crocs to head back to the cabins

18 Kids and Counting...

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...at the Heffernan Family Reunion this year! We've been up at Black Butte Ranch in Oregon having a blast at the great big annual gathering of Heffs. They have all been coming every year for 10 years now (my sixth trip- I came with Brian right after we met) and there were only a handful of kids when I came for the first time but this year we have 18 under 8 years- It's crazy but soooo much fun. The pic above was from the first night when we broke out the reunion and 13 out of 18 might be as close as we get to photographic evidence of all children awake and at the same place at the same time. 13 of them are under five years old and there are 2 more on the way.

This is the almost nightly dinner and hanging out scene at Opa Bob and LaLa (Aunt Francy's) house. They host us all and dinner duty rotates. This kids have fun in the dirt, on the swings, in the sandbox, on the trikes and then settling in for a movie in the new rec room while the adults sit around to eat and drink

Waiting turns at the swings

Francie pants in her element with all the big girls to follow around (she told them she was five)

and Maisie is just happy toddling around and finding someone to pick her up (aka Mom, Dad or Jannie)

my little godson Thomas- the youngest baby

couldn't resist taking pictures of him

Izza-Bizza who turns THREE on Friday! (no resemblance to her brother in the picture above is there??)

Cousin Ellie and Kate (who just moved back to CA for GOOD!) They are so good with the little kids and we are so happy they are back for ALL the family functions :)

just a few pics from the first night... I have so much to post!!

Hippie Style

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The other night Christian came over to make cookies for her Dad's birthday and we made a batch for our trip. Maisie was being SO clingy and just wanted me to hold her the whole time. Heff was working downstairs so finally I gave in and grabbed my Ergo and threw Maisie on my back while we baked- Heff and Christian were laughing at my hippie mothering but it worked!

After Chocolate Chip we made Trail Mix Cookies (yup- those are Rolos and pretzels- sooo good)

Francie still in Nature Camp clothes and cooking with us at 9:30pm (damn clock in the backgroud gave me away!)

Me and My Maisie :)