Emmy's Baptism Day

We celebrated a big day for Emmy on January 18, 2014 - she was baptized a Mormon! It was a special day for Emmy and she had all her biggest supporters there to be a part of it. They'd never seen so many catholics in a Mormon church - whooping and cheering when she got dunked in the font! (I guess that is not the norm ;) Emmy has always been very spiritual and as we all know - a very special soul! She met a friend who is LDS and attended church with her and said "I've never met so many people like me in one place!" We are so happy for her and loved being a part of a really special day.

Getting to the church - the girls rushed out of the car to see their Em

Peas in a pod!

all of our relatives were there - on time even! Aunt Kim gives Francie a squeeze

One happy Em! And dressed beautifully modest of course ;)

Tiny and Gladys - who Maisie said looked "beautiful and not recognizing" all dressed up for Emmy's day. We didn't take any photos during the ceremony but it was a beautiful and very special service. New friends and the missionaries she met with spoke about her and then we went to a different room for the actual baptism in the font of water. The kids were all right in the front and watched her get a full body dunk backwards (followed by the cheering!) but Tiny was SO confused and for the rest of the 45 minutes back in the ceremony room she was yelling "Mem!? Wah-wah!?" (like WHAT just happened?! Emmy went in the water at church?!?!"

Kelly and Lauren after the ceremony pushing the girls in the basketball court - of course Mormon's have basketball courts in their churches?! (funny side note: Francie had been one of Emmy's biggest critiques about converting. The conversation one morning before school went like this:

Francie: "Emmy, why do you want to be a Mormon?"

Emmy: "Well Francie it's important to me and I feel like I belong in the church."

Francie: "Are you sure it's not just because you like hanging out with Stacy?"

Emmy: "Yes Francie I like Stacy but it's more about the church and community."

Francie: "But Emmy, You are a CATHOLIC." (deadpan straight staredown to Emmy.)

Mary - had to jump in: "Francie, it's ok we are welcoming to all religions and it's most important we all believe in God. Emmy can still come to our church too even if she is Mormon."

Francie: "Well. Ok. But... we have donuts at Catholic church." (haha good one France)

(and Emmy under her breath to me "Can I tell her we have a pretty Temple that looks like Disneyland!?"

and after chatting for awhile after the service we invited everyone back to our house to celebrate of course! I was pretty flattered when two of the Mormon boys came up to me as they were leaving and said "THIS was the best after party we've ever been to!" Family specialty.. mormon conversion "after parties" :)

Drew and Jerry

Tiny, probably looking for Em to ask her again about the "wah-wah"

Em and her buds - JP and Will Frimel (who she nanny's for in the afternoons!)

Awesome BFF Maddie who flew down from Gonzaga to surprise Emmy!

Andy and Mimi talking to Jefferson, who baptized Emmy

Em and Scar

I-don't-go-anywhere-without-my-red-boots-JJ

the sweet Missionary sisters who helped Emmy prepare for her baptism

James, Uncle Rich (Emmy's Dad - who's Mom was a Mormon and was happy to see her happy in part of her family's roots!) and Heff. (and YES our after party included alcohol since everyone is asking - Catholics are fully supportive as long as they have their celebration drinks too :)

SO proud and happy for you Em.

Lots of supporters - the best :)

and a quilt we made for Emmy with a collection of vintage and new laces and fabrics - everyone there that day choose a muslin heart and pinned it on the quilt to show their love.

These 8 kids are SO LUCKY to get to have Emmy in their lives everyday helping to take good care and be an example for them.

and the Baker girls too!

The big kids all gave a toast to Emmy - it was SO sweet and they each did an awesome job speaking in front of everyone! Francie had asked the night before to give a toast but said she might get too shy. She practiced though and said "Emmy- I am really happy for you that you are being a Mormon now. I know you made a good decision. Even though you are leaving our family church - the church that our WHOLE family goes to - I am still happy for you and I love you." (#catholicguilt?!) Francie was too shy to give that very direct little toast :) but the big guys said "a toast - to Emmy? I got this!"

What a handsome, polite, well-spoken guy!

Francie was in heaven with all the big girls

they all were!

Lots of Love for Emmy

Em and Jefferson

and a lot of ladies who love Emmy

We know Kaky (Emmy's Mom) was looking down from Heaven with a big smile and a kiss with her sisters

thoughtful gifts from the Baker girls!

these two :)

Yes we do

Mundy's Visit

Sunday the Mundy's came by for a lunch visit after their son's rugby practice in Palo Alto - and stayed through dinner! It was so fun to just catch up and relax while the kids played. We stayed at home and ordered pizza and then wandered downtown to play at 151, Red Racer and have dinner at Bumble. Their kids were SO sweet and they all got along really well - a treat for the parents!

Tiny looks thrilled to be at the bottom of that pile :)

The Ranch!

Finally after 5 years of looking at ranches and dreaming of someday having our own property - we bought a ranch and couldn't be more excited. We have high hopes to raise our own all-natural pasture raised cattle. And if I can talk Heff into it - maybe chickens and hogs :) It's going to be a lot of work and a slow process to get an operation going but it's a great starting point for us. The ranch has pasture lands for cattle and lots of wide open space and wilderness to raise some free range kids!

hi here cows

the pasture

the Barn

the view of Marble Mountain Wilderness from the base of the hills

Someday we might build a house on the hills, but for now we will camp out in an 1868 old Victorian on the property- it was built without a kitchen, bathrooms or central heat! But a little kitchen and bathroom have been added to the back and there is a stove for heat. It's simple old 8 bedroom and ONE bath house and could sure use some love. It will be an adventure!

and this is the foreman's house - it used to be a creamery and has 1 foot thick cement walls. Stays cool in summer I bet. guessing there is a 50/50 chance the realtors photo shopped this rainbow in :)

The ranch is in a town called Fort Jones, CA and 5 miles up the road is a supermarket, coffee shop & deli, bike shop and community center. 20 miles north is the city of Yreka (that has a WalMart :) and 6 miles to the south is the town of Etna - good restaurants and Etna Brewing Company. So it's not terribly remote but still off the grid. (but TG for high speed internet in Fort Jones due to a federal grant - and 4 bars cell reception! WooHoo!)

Maisie went with Heff for 3 nights a couple weeks ago and was a trooper going to all the district farm and county offices with Dad. Stayed in the fancy Etna Motel too :)

first time on the ranch that we could call it ours. Oversized jackets for xmas, hoping they grow into them :)

JJ might never want to leave

Bundled up - snow still on the hills

that's a happy husband opening the gate for the first time - my Rancher husband!

dry pasture - needs some rain

we met with the former owners and lots of local neighbors who couldn't be nicer people - learned lots of ranch history! The family who sold it to us were only the second owners since 1850 - or as they say the fourth owners - The Indians, The government, the Sharps and themselves!

JJ riding in the back seat of the family size four wheeler

high fives by the river. First time I'd been down all the way to the river to see it - I see lots of summer picnics here!

pretty happy, can you tell ? :)

throwing rocks in the water - never gets old

the family showed us the old cabin site up in the gulch. There are old tin cans and mining equipment from the gold rush days.

Tiny in the snow - it was chilly!

sunset on the ranch - can't wait for this adventure!

It's Moose!

We bit the bullet and got a DOG. Brian loves labs and we had a yellow lab and a jack russell when we got married - both who died when the girls were little. So it was time for a dog in the family as much as we tried to avoid it! Brian's Uncle John has had three great labs from a breeder in Chino, CA so we waited for one to be available and got an 8-week old little bundle of a chocolate lab named MOOSE. He's pretty mellow so far, but like a newborn baby - he might wake up soon!

Nashville Trip to Meet Baby Brennan!

I got to sneak away to Nashville for 3 days to visit my sister, Pat and meet sweet Baby Brennan Virginia! She was born December 2, 2013 and was two weeks old when I arrived. I got there Sunday night and my mom was there (had been for three weeks!) and we had a big job to move them into their brand new house the next morning! Poor Ann was sick in bed so we rallied to Target, got bins and boxes and tape and started packing up the house.

FULL POST HERE

Nashville Trip to Meet Baby Brennan!

I got to sneak away to Nashville for 3 days to visit my sister, Pat and meet sweet Baby Brennan Virginia! She was born December 2, 2013 and was two weeks old when I arrived. I got there Sunday night and my mom was there (had been for three weeks!) and we had a big job to move them into their brand new house the next morning! Poor Ann was sick in bed so we rallied to Target, got bins and boxes and tape and started packing up the house. I always like to have a project to do when I visit anyway - we kept busy and her new house looks amazing! Fun to be there and be a part of it all :)

Arrival - so excited to meet this bundle!

The new Makery signature swaddle blanket Jannie invented :)

we swung by their new house first to see if construction was done and ready to move in - just under the wire!

then time to PACK UP!

and maybe a few seconds to snuggle

I got Ann a Moby and was lucky to wrap Brennan up on my chest when the movers came the next morning - it's the BEST

Let's do this

Ann was a trooper moving, sick with a newborn!

Gorgeous new house!!

We unpacked ALLL day and had the kitchen and living room done and ready for cocktails and dinner by 6:00!

looking good

her sweet friends brought dinner over - yum

ahhhh - I texted Heff this picture at night and he said "you look happy. ps... don't get any ideas" :)

the next day we walked down to Burger Up for lunch out with the ladies

Congrats Ann - can't believe my baby sister is all grown up with a beautiful house and baby!

Welcome to The Family MOOSE!

We bit the bullet and got a DOG. Brian loves labs and we had a yellow lab and a jack russell when we got married - both who died when the girls were little. So it was time for a dog in the family as much as we tried to avoid it! Brian's Uncle John has had three great labs from a breeder in Chino, CA so we waited for one to be available and got an 8-week old little bundle of a chocolate lab named MOOSE. He's pretty mellow so far, but like a newborn baby - he might wake up soon!

as if it weren't already - this circus just got even crazier!

Merry Christmas - From The Heffs!

Christmas Eve with John Simo

Maisie's Guitar Lesson

Maisie really wanted to sing and play the guitar for the Christmas Eve Family Talent Show - so she had a little lesson a few days before Christmas. It was so cute :) The teacher (A friend of Martin's at Red Racer) asked what song she wanted to sing and she said "Hallelujah" - he's like "oh, an easy one!" (not :) But she got enough confidence to play a few chords.. or something resembling chords :)

Winter Lodge Skating

Friday night we all went to a really fun family holiday party at The Winter Lodge. The girls were pretty proud to show off their ice skating skills to their friends! Francie and Maisie were skating circles around the ice and JJ put skates on for the first time (yes my back is killing me from holding her up to go around and around) and Tess sat in a stroller we borrowed on the ice!

ummmm... has anyone else noticed this new feature on Picasa? I just uploaded my iphone pics and they put SNOW on this photo? How did they do that?! (and no it wasn't really snowing here!)

Dad stayed on dry land and held down the fort with the non skaters (usually JJ)

Pushing baby sis

Tess was like hte bell of the ball, everyone wanted a turn to push her! (and sorry to the people who we borrowed the stroller from, I think we overstayed our borrowing welcome :)

Tailgating

We ventured out with all four to Marty's Conway family tailgate for the Big Game this year - lots of fun! We gave away our tickets and stayed out where the girls were running around and eating hot dogs and Mom and Dad could have a couple beers without the crowds. Fun day Thanks Conways!

yes this cooler was electric. we need one.

Ergo nap

and then crazy dinner at Bumble that night with the Edwards clan!

Thanksgiving in Red Bluff

We had a mellow-by-Heffernan-standards Thanksgiving in Red Bluff this week with Oma, Opa, Nana, Pops, Maureen, Doug and their 4 kids and Brian and I and our 4. It was the smallest kids table we've ever had :) We went up early Tuesday and spent all day Wednesday driving up even farther North to check out some ranches and wide open country.

Gramparey came by Monday night to say goodbye (they are in Nashville waiting for ABA's baby- due tomorrow!) and brought the girls snow globes that plug into a USB port from Walgreens. Gotta love that Grampa!

heading up Tuesday - stop at Granzella's for sandwiches and ice cream

dogpile on Dad while he's trying to work

Tiny Tess in Oma Specs

and a 5:40AM wakeup call Wednesday to drive up North!! Kids were troopers. I was grumpy for a few minutes but I got over it :)

Star PJs in Sprinty before Sunrise

Got our map! (and who are we kidding... a GPS too :)

this kid was cracking me up the whole drive - showing off her "funny faces"

Arrival! using their legs to get some energy out

barn jumpers checking out the hay stacks

and piled 9 of us in a pickup to check out the trails - sardines!

cold water trough with a thin sheet of ice on top - girls were fascinated

and I was cold!

girlies in a field

they declared this their new favorite spot to run. I agree

Tess was mad because the girls put a piece of ice in her hood- stinkers!

stop at Dolly's Diner for burgers and beers. Etna Brewery Co beers!

back to Oma's for NAPS

and waiting for cousins to arrive!

salt dough ornaments with the kids (Aunt Kat usually brings a fun craft so I had to try and step it up - she's way better!)

Tess has become a Daddy's girl overnight. She wants to no one else!

hanging out with cousin Molly

and this JJ never stops entertaining us, even when she doesn't mean to! Crazy hair and static is an awesome combo

waiting around watching the bird on the BBQ

Kids table

and sweet Ellie bathed all of the kids after dinner!!! what a treat

heading home on Friday - quick stop at the Nut Tree but avoided the throngs of traffic heading into the outlets, Black Friday sounds awful.

and home to unpack the car and find four cute neighbor girls sneaking through the fence - that's a lot of girls between 2 houses!! Happy to be home again!

pretty much sums up Thanksgiving week - and every week!

Land of Nod Trunk Show

We had so much fun hosting a Land of Nod trunk show at The Makery last Thursday night! We met new friends, gave away Nod toys and crafted elfies and paper flowers. AND got everyone excited for the Land of Nod Toy Shop coming next week to downtown Los Altos!! Use discount code "makery" online for 15% off through Thursday!

Red Bluff for Mark's 40th

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!

ABA... soon to be MOM-BA

My baby sister Ann is about to have her own baby!!! We are so excited - she isn't finding out what it is but since she has NINE nieces... anybody want to guess?! I think girl :) She was out to visit in October for her baby shower - always so much fun to see her all the way from Nashville. can't wait for the Baby Williams countdown!!! Love you ABA.

Bbay shower helpers - girls are sooo excited.

and of course we snuck off for some shopping when she was here (and lunch) which means Jannie and Ann harrassed me to have 2 seconds of patience to try stuff on and convinced me to slightly update my jeans and flip flops wardrobe. Doesn't really work though but nice try mom and sis.

Dad Love

Never enough love for this guy. A few more pics of life lately with Dad... we are the luckiest five girls to get to be taken care of, fed well, read to, driven safely around, doted on and loved by "this guy right here" as JJ calles him. Heff is one of a kind... you and me kid!

back from Alaska- our mountain man! (in JJ's favorite shirt she tells everyone when he wears it)

even the big girl gets snuggles.

JJ looking back for her Dad - after she insists every morning he doesn't leave the house without her. 

and even this momma's girl has come around - another Dad-lover coming right up!

lucky little ladies - all of us!

Crazy town + Scarlett = the best kinda crazy!

We love our crazy life with these four girlies! Our house is usually loud, messy chaotic and... crazy. Just the way I love it! And we get to add to the craziness by having adorable smily SCARLETT here everyday while Auntie Emand Uncle James are hard at work! Scarlett likes to socialize and so she comes to our house with her nanny to hang out with her cousins... it's a circus but we are so blessed to have cousin time everyday with this sweet girl. 

Uncle James hung out in DTLA with us one day - babies in PLAY (when ABA was here too!) 

and we joke Martin who runs Red Racer (and used to be the Bumble barista) looks just like James - only edgy :) here are the twins meeting in person for the first time after we told them both 100 times they look like each other.

Spanish music class at PLAY - Tiny and Scar.

and we all went up to Kinder assembly one Friday - I had Scarlett in the Ergo and Heff was holding Tiny for a minute, parents were very confused :) Scar loves her Emmy!

Sweet girl! thanks for hanging out with us - and thanks Em and James for braving traffic to get the girls together everyday!! #cousinlove

Girls Lately - October 2013

These crazy girls! Just catching up on some of the latest of the craziness. Dad took the picture above (it's his new screensaver) after a chalk paint Sunday when Mom was at the flea market. 

and tiny in her ADORABLE sweater JP from The Makery made for her - it's amazing!!

JJ gets to hang out with Tess all day while big sisters are at school - she likes to play protetive big sis

but Maisie is the most maternal and protective of Tiny Tess, she looooves her little buddy baby

Maisie and I went to say hi to Francie at her lunch table after she started full days in October - she gets pretty excited about hot lunch!

and I helped out in Francie's classroom one day for the STEM lab (science, technology, engineering and math) and the Kinders were way better than I was at programming the BeeBots

Maisie and JJ sleeping in the same bed lately - sometimes all three do

talks with my big girl before bed time

and Tiny looking pretty proud of herself when she saw herself on Sf Magazine for the first time!!

Francie and Maisie are doing ice skating with Jannie once a week at Winter Lodge - they are only slightly obsessed

checking out Jannie and Grampa's kitchen remodel - in progress!

I remember this look when we restored this old house growing up :) good to see those bare timbers again! can't wait for the new kitchen....

silly kids ready to swim 

and one day Dad was hunting, Mom whimped out on our walking to school and drove - it was cold.

they are crazy - and that's why we love them!