We were in Red Bluff this weekend for Opa's 64th birthday celebration! Mark and Sarah; Craig, Andrea and Isabel; Katherine and Donald; Aunt Cathleen and Uncle Rick; Grandma Wichmann; Oma and Opa; Heff, Francie and I were all at the Heffernan compound for a weekend of fun. We drove up Friday afternoon and had dinner at the house Friday night, then Saturday morning at 5am Heff went out on Edwards Ranch for the opening weekend of deer season with his buddies. He was planning on a 2-3 night trip out to the luxurious (uh, sarcastic) deer cabin but surprised us Saturday night and came home! Francie and I were so excited and he admitted he missed his girls ;) He was back in time for cake and presents which was nice for Opa too. Andrea and Kat and I started a "simple, done-in-an-afternoon" sewing project making baking aprons from a pattern we found at the little sewing shop in Red Bluff but it took more like two days for us to finish. It was a fun project though and we all learned a few things about sewing patterns. Francie and Isabel were so cute together and had their own little cousin language, it is great when they get to spend time with each other and when the Heffernan siblings get to play together too!

"You guys told me Cousin Isabel was gonna be here... where is she!?" (They arrived LATE Friday night)

Katherine and Cathleen cooking in the kitchen Friday night

Saturday morning Isabel and Francie finally got to see each other finally! Andrea had these CUTE tutus made for the girls 1st birthdays!

"We'll let you guys in, but only if you have a tutu on too."

Isa-bisa preferred to wear her tutu like a lion

Francie and Isabel had to do a chore for Opa and pick up all the fallen acorns on the deck he was diligently sweeping so they wouldn't hurt their little feet... the girls took their job seriously!

"Peek-a-boo!"

"Silly Cousin!"

"Oh, I thought you were busy looking at Isa. I was just going to steal the sink again to help collect my acorns."

Saturday we rounded up the whole crowd to head into town (it took at least an hour to move us all and figure out carseats!) We stopped first at Aunt Kat's new house in town, it looks great. The girls liked tearing it up while their uncles watched football

Craig, Sarah and Andrea

Donald, Kat and Mark

"Look Isabel, these candles don't even burn when you touch them. Weird huh?"

(Francie still can't figure out these candles and nice duck-tail hair Doo :)

Time to sew! These are the fabrics Kat and I picked out for our aprons. Mine are the pastel colors, Kat's are the cowboy prints and Andrea's were black and white prints... Donald was a saint and kept the babies entertained in their car seats while we took our time choosing fabrics in the little sewing house. It wasn't working so well WITH the babies pulling every embroidery string they sold off the wall so when we loaded up in the car saying "aw it would have been fun to make those aprons" he said "get back in there and pick your fabrics" :) The girls were well taken care of, thanks Donald.

Andrea finishing another project, a cool bound photo-card for Opa

Aunt Kat learning to use the sewing machine (which she figured out in 5 seconds flat while Cathleen kept telling us to read the manual... who reads manuals anymore Cathleen :)

My turn

Donald and Francie enjoying the relaxing afternoon at the Heffernan House

After dinner we had Tom's mom's recipe carrot cake Oma made. Happy Birthday Tom!

The girls with their Opa

Giving the birthday Opa his kiss... now let's eat some cake Opa!

Francie and Oma

"OMG! NO WAY FRANCIE!" They have their secrets :)

The busy kitchen

Impatient Francie pants waiting for her cake

Snuggling with Aunt Kat but trying to talk Donald into sliding her some more cake

Playing games with Oma and Opa!

Craig, Andrea and Isabel... what a cute family :)

Isabel keeps us all entertained, she is too funny

Those crazy uncles...

Opa opening his presents, first the impressive photo book Andrea made

Time for tutus

Here comes trouble

The stairs we warned them away from all weekend... "I'll do it if you do it Isa."

Ride-um Cowgirl-Vaulter-Ballerina

Let's put both of the girls on the horsey!

Oops. Bad idea.

Francie LOVES her tutu!

Tom's map of CA from my mom and dad (Tom and John share a love of local geography:)

Daddy straight off the deer hunting trip home to surpise his wife and baby girl! Thanks Heff!

Aunt Sarah and Isabel in her leotard (I brought up a trunk full of dress up leotards we had leftover at Brilliant Babies in too-small sizes... perfect for the girls!)

Aunt Kat found some late night entertainment

"Woah woah woah"

Still sewing Sunday morning...

Francie helping Dad raise Opa's new flag... from the comfort of Grandma Wichmann's infrequently used wheelchair! These photos are so irreverent.

When Heff asks her what you do when you see a flag she flashes a hand on her chest :) Well trained for patriotic Opa and Grampa!

She loves her Opa!

Wow. I don't even know what to say about this picture of my daughter :) I know, I know. I dressed her, but she was going to go out squirrel hunting with Dad and I couldn't resist. I packed the outfit in case dad had better luck hunting for the baby-with-a-dead-deer photo op. (We love her felted "H" hat Sarah Coogan!) We got the "Future Hunter" t-shirt in Montana... PETA better not check this blog.

Grandma playing with Francie and the dollies

We finished our aprons...

While Dad taught Francie how to shoot a pellet gun (I know, this picture is a little over the line, it is just a pellet gun, we promise) She was content to sit in her dad's lap in the dirt for 30 minutes looking for those darn ground squirrels that eat Oma's tomatoes!