All five Heffernan kids and spouses are here with all seven grandkids and almost all the Cahill's next door. It's been so much fun just hanging out and relaxing with everybody around the house and around the barn. We all stay at Oma and Opa's house (16 people plus Kat and Donald!) and the Cahill cousins stay right next door at Nana and Pop's house. It is a full house but we are so lucky to get to spend so much time with our family. There were nine kids under six years old and they spent the days playing, eating, riding pony's, running around, chasing chickens, doing art projects, reading books, and tearing up the playroom I compulsively organized twelve times :) We were all there this week unexpectedly when we heard Grandma Wichmann had passed away through the funeral Thursday (we'll all be back again next weekend for the wedding festivities) but we celebrated her life through the fun that comes bringing everyone under the same roof!

Kat and Donald busy putting together all the last minute wedding details!

Kids in the Coop

Ellie and Francie with the chicks

Francie with her favorite accessory

"Here chickie-chickie" (as they run for their lives! The little guy on the left has never grown out of the chick stage, it's a "failure to thrive" little peeper!)

Andrea in the kitchen making homemade onion rings....

for a round of burgers with Donald's beef!

Daddy and Francie on the grill

Uncle Mark holdind the closest baby (Maisie here, his baby Clara was on her way up :)

Uncle Cake (Craig) and Izza-bizza in her safety first helmet she rarely took off

Oma and Baby Patrick (aka "Pack-et")

Daddy and the Doo at Dinner

Chalk and Chocolate face

an after-dinner jaunt back down to the barn

Heff supervising with Maisie

Silly dad

Francie restraining full-of-love Isabel from being aggressively affectionate on her "witta sista" Francie and Isabel screamed when they first saw each other they were so excited... they love each other but sometimes Francie has to say "too much hugging Iz-zo-bel please" ;)

Francie feeding the goats too much grain and hanging out in her favorite place

Kat and Andrea painting signs for the wedding weekend... Craig working hard watching

Maggie and Ellie being big helpers and helping Kat put together favor boxes

and changing Patrick's clothes and diaper too!

Kate and Francie lend a helping hand too.. washing the windows

A Gaggle of Kids in the sunporch with cousin Margaret

Little Stinker

Old Pink Crocs get a makeover... be-dazzled!

Lunchtime pizza party

Kate was too tired to finish lunch

and Francie couldn't make it upstairs for her nap. It's tiring running around in Red Bluff all day

Maisie needed a bath... in the sink! With all her big girl cousins to help

and Ellie taught Francie how to change a diaper. She is a pro.

The girls and their dolls

Maisie is opposed to having her picture taken without her dress on too apparently

Oma's famous waffle fixings for breakfast, perfect for this crowd who wake up in the 5am to 10am range. Always a hot waffle waiting!

Bedheads Ellie and Patrick

More kiddie chaos in the sunporch. We'll be one shy of "cheaper by the dozen"!

Isabel already gunning for a nap. She has to fall asleep holding on to your ear. Makes it hard for her 6 foot 7 dad to lean in

and pretty Clara Marie checking out her crazy cousins

Uncle Bill and Mark making faces at Clara

Lots of dirty kids called for lots of baths (snapped this picture right before Isabel poured water on Kate's unsuspecting head. Kate was not happy.)

Ellie making crafts, Francie teaching Violet how to hang in Red Bluff

Kids in the playhouse

Daddy and his littlest girl

Silly Izza-bizza says "fab-u-lous!" in Aunt Kat's high heels

and adds to the outfit with her Dad's tie and Aunt Francy's sunglasses... she is hysterical!

A serious game of Agricola they played until 2:30 in the morning one night

and not so serious videos on the laptop as the kids crowd around Nana

Maisie ready and "Falling to Sheep"

Heff, per usual, fell asleep before Francie while she has her milk-sauce

Maggie waiting for her Dad to finish the game so she could go to bed! (Maggie is a second cousin, her Dad and Brian are first cousins... their grandmas/moms are the twins Claire and Cathleen so Maggie sleeps next door at the Cahills Casa)