Saturday at the Ranch

We had a fun day working and hanging out in Fort Jones Saturday! Our neighbors the Blacks son had a baseball hand in town at 11am so after our morning chores (moving water lines every 12 hours!) we went to the elementary school field to watch some little league. 

the girls were enamored with Will and Bryce ;)

but early that morning when we were watering Heff gave me the chore to go retrieve this giant wheel sprinkler from the other side of the fields. I tied it on with bailing twine best I could - not having high hopes this would work 

but after a re-giger higher on the four wheeler and a mad dash through the pivot sprinkler I made it!

girls walking the fields having sister talks

tiny was super proud she got her dada glove on ;)

way up in the air

then Saturday night we went over to the blacks to dye eggs with them and another family. They had a serious egg dying set up! JJ was on cloud nine with her crush Bryce ("Brwyce you make really good eggs" "Brwyce wanna show me your bedroom?" !! Oh geez JJ )

tiny getting in on the action 

I brought our Ukrainian egg dyes. Always a hit for dark vibrant eggs. 

and since we failed Friday night with a cake, the big girls and I made fun-fetti and brought it to sing happy birthday to Maisie!

Ranch Weekend

another weekend getaway to the ranch last weekend to work on our fields and get the water lines all working for summer- and celebrate Easter as a family. I love the ranch life ❤️

stopped at the Jelly Belly factory since we had to convince Francie to miss Thursday and Friday at school. 

arrival and immediately a Jelly Belly stand is open for business 

and a late afternoon run to move wheel lines. All girl selfie. 

these two talking about trouble ;)

sister pic

waffles for dinner is ok right? We eat a lot more quick to make food at the ranch when there is so much to do! The kids will survive - and Heff and I live on beef jerky, almonds and bourbon 😉

working wheel lines spreading water. A happy sight. 

after dinner pedicure? I'll take it. 

and Friday was Maisie's fifth birthday!!! We celebrated by going to see if the feed store had baby chicks. No such luck. But Francie did ask for a summer job 

and then the big girls went fishing in our pond with dad, Maisie's birthday request! 

the little girls and hung around the house and found two lizards stuck in the trough. So we made them a habitat. 

complete with a skull playground and teepee

tiny didn't want to nap in her closet crib so Heff drove her to the shop and back like this. Works every time. 

dirt and sunshine. All they need. 

And animals to torture. I mean pets to take care of  

evening wheel line moving. Getting the hang of it! And had to overall up for this right!?

growing new oats

yay for Tiny the farmer!

sunset rider. 

hard working JJ 

Cousins on Sharps Gulch

Awesome photos by my sister-in-law Andrea - wish I was back there with all these kids right now. Carefree kids on the ranch is pretty awesome with family around. Can't wait to do it again!

Cousin Campout - Year 2!

We gathered up the troops to celebrate the spring birthdays again this year - at the ranch! Some of my favorite photos below but full post on the RANCH link! (still trying to figure out the best way to blog on this new one - I better get the hang of it soon :)

Happy kids after some fun in the mud - nothing like a tub bath!

Out on the creek with Uncle Mark - kids were clothes-less in 2 minutes

And lined up for sheep shearing!

After dinner camp fire for s'mores and sparklers

Sister-in-laws with sleeping babies hike

the best days ever.

some sassy girls on Heff's Troopy

and one happy dad!

April 21, 2014/ Mary Heffernan/ Comment

Sharps Gulch Ranch, Ranch Life, Heff Cousins

#ranchlife, Sharps Gulch Ranch, Heff Cousins

Mary Heffernan

February in Review 2014

February in review - a short and sweet month! We kept up with these crazy ladies (proof above wouldn't you say!?) and were super excited to finally settle into our ranch - a lifelong dream that still doesn't seem real! We spent a week and a half up there and didn't want to leave... Ranch life is hard to beat.

but we weren't complaining about the rainy days and spring sun at home either

the girls get creative sometimes when your TV doesn't work ;) pedicures... Do you wont oen?

visit to Jannie's for a dog pile. Sophie is jealous 

big girl Maisie in a cute pic when Francie stole my phone. 

sweet sleepers in my bed 

cozy up on the couch

and on the front porch if the old 1868 ranch bunk house. A work in progress!!

AND a visit from ABA and Baby Brennan for Jannie's 65th

the usual shenanigans 

Dad Turned 42!

on February 14 - it was a pretty low key birthday this year. We snuck up to the ranch the morning of his birthday so we celebrated with the girls Thursday night. They picked a cake and decorated the house for him

and then got to road trip together to the ranch on his bday morning. Pretty happy!

we love you Heff!

more catching up with my phone photos! These girls just get better everyday - and a little crazier too :)

Life Lately

just catching up with my zillions of over filtered iPhone photos I don't know hoe to mange except for instagraming them!! I am printing lots of insta pics to make albums after I realized we have hardly a photo in sight in the house and the girls needed some for a school project. Technology is great but it sure is hard to get it off the screen! So here are a few of life lately for the girls...

tractor shopping last weekend

this tiny face

speaking of which somebody went to kinder sharing - and was pretty proud to be there!!

dinner at Harry's hofbrau with Jannie and grandpa when Heff was gone one night

sweet note Francie left for maisie

such a big girl with those freckles 

sweet sleeping sisters Maisie and JJ

and cute cousins Tess and Scar

Maisie earning her dinner at Bumble serving tables and polishing silverware

and the girls called this #roadkill

France taking care of mom and dad after a long days work 

target run with three (they're favorite mom excursion)

and some days we are so tired we don't even make it to bed ;)

Happy 65th Jannie!

we had a fun party for my mom on Saturday at my parent's house! All her friends gathered to help her ring in 65.

Tessa was ready to party. And eat 12 chocolate chip cookies. 

Heff cooked up a yummy pig on the BBQ

piggy meat!

jerry had the karaoke rocking late night. It was loud and my family is crazy :)

all worn out! Fun party Jannie!

65 years of Memories

yesterday was jannie's 65th birthday! To honor what a special person she is and how many people's lives she has truly touched we asked friends and family from past and present to write her a letter of memories. I didn't expect we'd get all the way to 65... But we got that and more!!

alicia saw this idea on a blog and helped me, collecting vintage Etsy envelopes and stamping each one... And adding her calligraphy hand to pretty it up!

people got so creative!! There were long letters and old photos and songs and stories... Even a full book of the story of their friendship!

it was really fun to actually get MAIL in a mailbox 

Jannie is so blessed with so many wonderful friends who took time out of their busy lives to do this. Thank you friends! We love you Jannie!

Life Lately

Has been crazy as usual! Love these silly girls and my nice husband who makes me sidecars at the end of a long day :) 

girls are gearing up for JJ's birthday. Just practicing 

kindergarten registration had been submitted for bod excited four yr old!

and somehow this tiny baby turned into a hilarious kid

we had dinner at Jammie's to meet sweet baby Brennan!

Coordinating cousins

and lamenting how much Maisie looks like her namesake mary sheehy

more and more!

crazy j 

and this big kid is do grown up. Made me nachos for Super Bowl!

love these bugs!

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!