We had adventures in Red Bluff as usual... It's so much fun to go up and hang out even for a short weekend. The girls run around like wild banshees and LOVE having the Matthews cousins living so close now! Aunt Kat is due any day now and has her nursery set up so cute for the "little buckaroo" we can't wait to go back up and meet a newborn- number 9 of the grandkids!

Ellie taking Maisie out to the barn to "see" the big horses (not pet- she gets this funny terrified look on her face if they nudge her)

But not one bit scared of the pony or miniature donkey

Cowgirl with Nugget

Patrick and Maisie on the John Deere

and off exploring on their own (chasing a wayward chicken)

"There it is Packet! COme on let's go!"

"No Maisie it's too far over the fence. Forget the chicken."

"We'll just build a fort instead and not let those big sisters in."

Oma's newest addition to the barn- Sherman the VAULTING horse!

patiently waiting their turns

always so good to little Maisie Moo

thanks for the fun ride Oma! Next time- purple unitards and handstands like Mom :)

I told Maisie not to run off in the ivy... "I'll get her mom- I can do the job."

What would we do without Ellie

Kate's turn!

Then Heff brought out the big guns.. no more waiting turns just pile them all in for rides around Oma and Opas!

"My Dad would so not approve of this."

4-wheel fun in the sun

cute kids

and THEN... I wandered down to the barn where all six kids were hanging out by themselves and Kate said "Look guys come quick! A REAL snake! A LIVE one!" I went over to look in the tack room and right there in the corner was a snake all coiled up to pounce- it wasn't all that big but it was for sure a RATTLESNAKE.

I rounded up the kids and we all ran inside for reinforcements... Donald loooves rattlers.

three-man job

Heff forked it and Donald sawed off it's head with a tree trimmer.

Headless rattlesnake

the kids were in awe. and Francie is for some reason in undies.

Good work Heff and Uncle Donald

Back to playing and too much fun

until dinner time! the kids table

and bedtime stories by Aunt Maureen

and entertainment by the big girls... puppet show off the balcony. We were all cracking up laughing because Kate and Ellie were animated as they sang with their puppets and Francie's was on upside down (the white sheep) and kind of looked like it was dying a painful death (the puppets are HAND knit by Vickie Wells- 8 of them we can't believe she worked so hard on and didn't keep for herself!)