November 20, 2013

Red Bluff for Mark's 40th

November 20, 2013/ Mary Heffernan

We had an awesome weekend up in Red Bluff to celebrate Uncle Mark (aka Uncle Clarky or Hot Dog) turning 40! We planned a pig roast at our house in the Bay Area but it was a hard weekend for Opa/Tom to travel so everyone rallied up north for a weekend of family food and fun. What else is there!?

Friday drive up to Red Bluff -

Sprinter arrival - takes a beating on road trips!

new IKEA kids ware for Oma. and Beer Camp brews for the adults.

crazy kids - dress up upon arrival everytime

wow JJ. Not sure what to say about this outfit. Just don't hail a cab to the Palamino Room.

Smily Tess (who was up sick all night coughing and feverish!)

cozy cousins fireside

5 sister-in-laws and 5 baby girls on hip. #howweroll

showtime. (or kid jail?)

Morning buddies JJ and OD. With a cattle stick thing.

orange slices for snack. not just for soccer teams.

heff brought good red wine from his friend and told his siblings not to chug it. Oma joked she only got a thimble. haha.

why so mad J? (backwards inside out pants)

and then... the pig roast!

cracklin'

and pheasant phun. Good huntin' Heff.

Homemade bagels by Uncle Mark Sunday morning. YUM.

and kid chaos.

my big girl in the barn

and Tiny snoozing in the crib finally. Gheto fixed by Heff. Hand me down cribs just don't last! :)

Maisie - Today IS Awesome.

Brothers. (Heff looks short next to these giants! but he was on a slope :)

love the different reactions to de-feathering the bird.

HAPPY 40th HOT DOG!

April 23, 2013

Red Bluff Round Up

April 23, 2013/ Mary Heffernan

One of my favorite weekends in Red Bluff! We brought a whole house full of guests up to invade Oma's house - she was a very good sport about it and feed us all weekend :) It was like a revolving door - we had friends come up with us, a whole bunch come up the next day (some we didn't even know were en route!) and our Bumble server Tracy Hinson who is this years Miss California Rodeo Queen! She and her mom and her horse stayed with us too. SO MUCH FUN!!!

We drove up in the RV with the Edwards - it always sounds so much more glamorous than it actually is :)

and on the way there we couldn't get the back AC working (just needed to turn on the generator :)

Heff at the wheel - he can handle any size rig ;)

The guys were nice and cool up front in those captains chairs while Susan and I had kids crawling all over us!

cowboys and girls arrival in RB

and then off to RODEO Friday night at the fairgrounds!

opening ceremonies -

gotta love the USA

Let's do this

Initiating the Edwards - they were naturals

got the most important stuff

my cowgirl (hair is not straw francie - trying to break this habit!)

much better

Maisie fits right in

Dads and babes

the plaid gang family shot

cowboy up!

our chaperones Oma and Lala!

Tessa's first Rodeo

Maisie kept hiding her eyes when the Buckin Broncs came out. I told her "it's ok Maisie - see the cowboys stand up and are fine when they get bucked off." and she goes "Mommmm - I'm not worried about the HUMANS I'm worried about the HORSES!"

it didn't stop all night..

Kat and Lauren

sun set selfies - couldn't resist

Look at those happy campers :)

there goes the sun - time for the Crown Royal girls to come out!

someone stop torturing this child

and someone pelase get this kid a wet wipe

big THANKS to Oma for putting up with us all weekend!!!! More pictures from Saturday Ranch Day to come

April 22, 2013

More Red Bluff

April 22, 2013/ Mary Heffernan

More photos from our fun trip to Red Bluff with lots of friends! It was way such a blast - 9 kids and 6 adults and lots of miles, dirt, cocktails and fun!

Green Hills

Susan and kiddies

going fishing in the pond

big girls

new fishing spot!

canoe ride

the best part - model rocket testing for Red Racer. Check out this awesome picture Susan took - rocket in air

"horsey" rides - with the giant RV in the background ;)

kids on the hillside

and Saturday morning Heff and Susan put us to shame by getting up and going for a 10K on the river!

sidecars in the afternoon (might not have been 5pm yet)

quad fisting with the ergo baby

heading home! The RV trip - even with no AC on the way there, crazy kids, having to drive 55 so it took 6 hours was AWESOME.

sleepy D

we took turns in the captain's chair

lady pose JJ after a day on the ranch

until next time Red Bluff!

March 31, 2013

Red Bluff Weekend

March 31, 2013/ Mary Heffernan

We were in Red Bluff last weekend to hang out with family, eats lots of food, drink lots of beer and watch lots of children. My favorite activities! :)

The Matthews arrived with their 1 week old lambs who required round the clock bottle feeding. lots of helpers here.

Oma had some more landscaping put in so the beloved horsey swing is over a beautiful new grass area. makes the backyard picturesque for farm kids life for the grandchildren!

the kids are all so close (15 in 10 years but 13 of them in 5 years!) it's interesting to see who pairs of with who - it's different each time we all get together. This time, Kate and Francie were BFF's

and JJ was buddy-buddy with "Claraline"

the kids spent lots of time out in the barn watching over the baby lambs

Ellie put the time in to teach them how to drink from a bottle

Patrick, Clara and Maisie tearing things up (in the dress up favorites of course)

Kate stopped long enough to let me take her picture

two more trouble makers

and a hard-working, deserving a break dad (he might kill me for posting - but looks so cute when he's snoozing :)

dinner time chaos

and sunset super heros

"give me your mean face" (love)

Tiny Tess taking her photo-of-the-week on her 6 month birthday, and her signature JanKnit

morning swinging in PJs

how many kids can we fit on the airplane

Maureen and two baby girls (Molly and Lauren)

barn kids

Mary(Jane) had a little lamb...

ok all the Mary's have little lambs (thanks for lending Ellie and Kate)

and after a quick overnight, we stopped at the Long's ranch to say hi and grab some almond wood on the way home. Sutter and Chandler gave us a tour of their new barn and 4H animals

JJ is securely over her fear of horses!

and Tess loved the barn

not afraid!

lucky she has such nice sisters

Sutter showing off her prize lamb - ready for the show almost

she was so sweet with the girls!

lots of fun in Red Bluff, as usual. Be back to the dirt and fun soon!

January 12, 2013

Christmas in Red Bluff 2012

January 12, 2013/ Mary Heffernan

As per usual - Christmas in Red Bluff was craziness! 15 cousins, 12 girls/3 boys, 13 of them 5 years old and under! We all stay under the same roof at Oma's house and it's just all kids all the time. And lots of really good food, lots of cocktails and beers and lots of fun. We also had a big birthday bash for Oma and Nana's 65th bday at Kat & Donald's new house on the 28th. We are so lucky to have such a big, crazy family - especially to celebrate holidays like these!

4 babies in 4 months

off on a river walk

Maureen's latest sidekick - baby Molly

Heff and JJ ready to explore

cousins looking for flat rocks

Izza and Francie on the island

big girls

JJ throwing rocks then wiping her dirty hands on Dad

Brian and a bunch of babies

overkill on my 1960's polaroid filter?! :)

Kat, Me and Maureen with our baby girls - more filter overkill.

not much love for the group photo request

big girls smile for me

heading back to the caravan of cars

carrying big rocks - Francie and I had a little life lesson work on the walk back. She claimed the rock was too heavy and kept cermoniuosly and dramatically dropping it. I told her "we do hard things" (thanks LIFE blog) and we talked about this each of the 23 times she dropped it. It was a long walk.

Tehama county is pretty even in it's dry, barren state

Family photo (thanks Andrea)

pick up tailgate cheese sticks

and another dinner feeding 30+

new additions get plates this year

crazy kids

love that stare down OD!

15 cousins

cute babies! all look like their dads

big sisters and little sisters

dinner at Kat & Donald's cute house for the twin's 65th birthday bash

We left the other 11 kids at Oma and Opa's with 3 babysitters and 4 extra large pizzas :) the babies were along for the ride

count um. 9 months oldest to 4 months youngest

Sidecars and a whole lotta binkies

great toasts to the birthday girls

a few pies

and after cake and Happy Birthday - Heff and I were off on a running start to grab the kids, pack up, drive 4 hours home, un-pack, re-pack and get on a 7am flight for our next adventure!!

October 12, 2012

Red Bluff Baptism

October 12, 2012/ Mary Heffernan

We were in Red Bluff last weekend for a double baptism/double birthday for the cousins! Lauren and Molly were baptized and it was Oliver's 2nd and Patrick's 4th birthday. Kat and Donald just moved into a beautiful new house in Red Bluff and we had the party there Saturday after mass (we missed mass after the the truck breakdown!) Then we all convened at Oma and Opa's house for the rest of the weekend for lots of hanging out with the whole gang. Always fun and crazy to get everyone together!

Big guy Oliver - happy 2 years! He got dirty to celebrate ;)