Insta-lately

Just a few random updates from my iPhone the past week!... 

JJ ready for bed in a hand-me-down nightgown and crocs :)

Francie helped one of the girls at Bumble by participating in a research study for her, she worked for almost 2 hours at the back table at Bumble during our Bumble work day (we closed for some painting and kitchen upgrades) Kahana asked her a few hard words and when she asked 'curiosity' Francie said "Ohhhh. My mom hasn't told me that one yet!"

Love her official signature :)

All the hard working Bumble crew taking a break for pizza lunch while the kitchen was torn apart - come check out Bumble, it's sparkling!

Mother's Day brunch at Bumble with the family - Grampa and the little ladies relaxing on the new benches out front

Running home for a creek play-date with Clara Marie

and Saturday night we went to the East Bay for Brian's college friends combined 40th Birthday bash at Pyramid Alehouse Brewery - a Caddy Shack theme! It was so fun for him to see his old buddies... the East Bay is only an hour across the bridge but we never seem them - it was a fun night even if I was the DD ;)

France going to school Tuesday with her new lunch bag she got from Kahana as a thank you - she LOVES it

and Maisie Moo on the fence at Bumble making sure everyone is following the rules. She's the sandbox deputy (from outside the sandbox for a few days until her toes gets better, poor thing!)

Janie rough and tumble ready to dive in

Maisie back home - caught Ziggy for a fleeting minute, cat looks super happy :)

and it's Troopy time! Trying to decide if we take the top off this summer - Heff got new restraints for the back so now we have 2 booster and 1 carseat that don't move an INCH on the benches back there. Summer here we come!

Needlepoint Party

Monday night Jannie's group of needlepoint friends (who meet every Monday to knit/needlepoint/etc) got together to celebrate that four of them have daughters or daughters in law expecting a baby! So they've all been busy making baby blankets and baby things to spoil the babies-to-be. We had pizza in the backyard at Jannie and Grampa's and the girls all got to come - they thought that was pretty cool but didn't understand why boys weren't invited (Grampa was watching Seinfeld in the family room)


Fun night and I LOVE the new blanket Jannie knit for baby #4 - COLORS! (we decided we need a new knit for each baby in the hospital - otherwise it's hard ot tell which baby it is in photos!) Isn't it pretty?

Big girl JJ on the "Hooose"

Taking turns on the trike wagon (Janie screaming "No! No!" to her sisters if they get a turn - gotta work on sharing :)

Round and round

Monkey on the bars

What a big baby!

Francie on clearing the dishes duty - found a way to make it easier :)

Jannie and her trikes - and girls!

The Big Toe Incident

Friday afternoon we were hanging out by the pool at Rosewood (Jannie and Grampa were staying there for Mother's Day) and Brian took Maisie and Janie home to nap while Francie stayed to swim.  Makings of a great afternoon until after naps he promised Maisie a lillipop on their way back to Rosewood and stopped at the liquor store - where the huge (dirty) metal door opened over Maisie's big toe in her new pink saltwater sandal and just mangled her big toe and nail!! I got a text from Brian that said CALL ME!" - not a good sign! I met them at urgent care and Brian was doing a great job juggling a screaming Maisie and a "What the heck is going on?" Janie.  It wasn't broken so we just cleaned and bandaged - Maisie is a TROOPER!

DO NOT LOOK if you are squimish (i made it small - borderline inapprop to even post this gruesome picture but it has to show how bad it was!)

Trying to be brave on Dad's lap with the infamous lollipop (he grabbed and told the guy at the store he'd pay next time for!)

Janie just being a rascal as usual in Urgent Care

Back to Rosewood to pick up Francie (hiding because she doesn't want to go home or something) - resting up Maisie's little foot.

and since the incident - she has him wrapped around her little finger, he feels so bad!

 Monday morning special lunch date with Mom and Dad by herself after a check in with the pediatrician - milkshake for Maisie :) 

Dad is on wound care - he's an expert

and very patient to read her books while it soaks - I told you wrapped around his finger!!  Maisie you are a brave girl... it should heal without much problem will just take awhile!

Cats. Outta The Bag

As my sister said when I called her to tell her we have cats in our house - "Well, Hell just froze over." I am not a cat person but when Ollie died the house did seem pretty empty with no pets and these kitties were looking for a good home (from a friend who was moving).  Francie has been BEGGING for cats forever - when we had the excuse Ollie didn't like cats, she would move furniture to make a cave in her room and say "look - I made a safe place the cats can live - pleeeease?!" So we gave in. We now have TWO cats.  As you can see from the baby Bjron above - Francie is OBSESSED.

Maisie is like her mom :) no she likes them but the one she "picked" is the Orange one Francie won't put down- who came with the name Dexter - but she calls HIM Penny and got him a purple rhinestone collar with a princess crown name tag. The other tiny one is Ziggy but is too fast to be cuaght most of the time :)

Love.

Francie finally caught a picture of Ziggy on camera in the pantry sink

furball- Maisie's face cracks me up.

They add to the craziness around here - but no complaints, they make the girls pretty happy and are easy so far.

Family Photo

We were all dressed up (sorta :) to go to my godson James' First Communion party in Brentwood on Sunday on our way home from Red Bluff - so Kat and Donald snapped a couple family pictures of us. Then I realized we had a 3 hour car ride which included a stop for lunch and changed the girls into "car clothes" and back into the dresses when we got there :)

Waiting for Dad to join in on the fun

Might be my favorite - all of their faces are how they currently say "CHEEESE!" - not the best looks l)

Is this where I am supposed to say "I have my hands full"? ;)

convinced Heff to join us for a chicken coop shot

thankful for these crazy girls!

Red Bluff to Meet Baby Lauren

We were back up to Red Bluff last weekend to meet 4 day old Baby Lauren (and see 4 week old Baby Molly again!) The cousins ran roughshot all over the place as usual and loved it. At one point I went out to see the kids and Patrick had locked all the girls in the horse trailer... Ellie had Janie on her hip inside with all the little girls yelling "Patrick! GET AN ADULT!" all the while Oliver was dipping his whole body in the green slimy slop bucket that catches water from the irrigation thing and grinning. Love it! :)

crazy kids

No beach? Just sun bathe on the rocks!

Janie on her throne

Mr Doverspike and his grandbaby Lauren

She is a darker version of Oliver - but very girly and beautiful of course!

and sweet little Molly

Ellie pulling the horsestall cart up the hill full of kids - then at the top she would jump IN and steer it back downhill. We were just waiting for that to end badly but luckily it didn't have much momentum so full of pounds

Barn babes (and still best buds) Oliver and Maisie

He's about bigger than she is!

The Baby Mommas!

It was Cinco de Mayo so Kat and Oma got a pinata!

Kids going for it

Not so happy to give away a STICK her is actually told to hit things with!

Back inside to eat their catch - Maisie and Patrick love

Kate (already into watching Ice Age) and France

Maisie "holding" Oliver

Oma and the latest additions!

:)

Box Painting

We were preparing for some new guests at our house (more on this next - if you know me at all you will never guess "who" these guests are) so the girls got to work making cardboard box houses and painted them with Emmy one morning... love the color :)

getting boxes ready in PJs

Patio picasas

Janie made sure to stop and snack on Trix, a bagel and her milk - this is her latest "NO." face we see all day