SOAP LAKE 2007

We decided to make our annual pilgrimage to Soap Lake with the Mitchells on the weekend that coincides with the Grant County Fair. This year we all stayed on the Samis Ranch and had a glorious day of wandering in the orchards, swimming in the pond, floating down the Canal and eating with the bees. The kids barely slept because they were all excited to be in the tiny house together. The weather, which is usually deathvalley hot in August was mild and in fact, it rained our last day.
We went down to the soapy lake and finally figured out that you have to go way out to get the good mud that smells SO strong of sulphur and rub it all over yourself like the Russians do. Me and Tim did some of that - no pictures please:)
The fair is such a treat for the kids because there are cows to moo at (the total city slicker kids standing there yelling MOOOO at the cows!) , smoked turkey legs to gnaw on, ice cream and shave ice galore. The rides are rickety but rowdy and we are the only city folk in a crowd of cowboys and field workers. We caugth the tail end of a juggling show by Brothers with different Mothers which was laugh-out-loud funny.
The Samis ranch screams photo op so here are some of the favorites from the weekend.

Take me ridin' in the car car...

Leo at the Fair

Girls in the canal

Soap lake Vista

Sylvia Newton John

Vanistan

Tug-o-war

AWWWWWWWW

Zo Zo on the Yo Yo

Mermaid Party

This year's birthday was celebrated in mermaid style with handmade personalized mermaid tails presented to each girl along with a bag of mermaid goodies including handmade chocolate sea creature lollipos that my sister in law made. I had bought the molds and chocolate but had do idea how to make them.

I also made another crazy cake which sounded better than it looked. I wish the rock hadn't been so big but I had a great time thinking it up and shopping at the cake decorating store (I even found chocolate rocks!) The cake looked strange but tasted great.

The tails were fun to make, though originally I thought they would be towels, the fleece was much easier to work with and once Kris convinced me that the glue gun could be put to use, I was in for all the trimmings.

We had a water wonderland in the back with a slippy slide, the pool and a crazy sprinkler. It wasn't even very hot but the girls got into it. I loved seeing some girls dive into the slippy slide and a few tip-toed down it not sure what to make of it.

I also decorated the sandbox with a blue tarp, sea shells and a net and baloons so that we could have an under the sea photo shoot. Over the top.

We also had sand art where you could pour craft sand through a funnel to make a stripey bracelet or fish key chain. They loved this part and ended up pourign their creations out so that they could do it again.

My favorite comment was from my friend Laurie when the cake came out : "Molly, is all this really necessary?!"

That's it is for me for a while...Creative energy spent.

Sylvie's piece of cake: seafloor, ocean and rock. The frosting licked off, she didn't even eat the cake. Phew

Under the Sea entrace to the back yard

Slip n Slide lineup

Sylvie in her tail making sand art

Gracie and Sylvie under the sea

Group shot under the sea

Sylvie is four

Sylvie is four today! Cotton Candy ice cream and our famous flank steak.

Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach with the Hasson Family was lovely and picturesque but a bit of a shlep with two small kids in the car! Leo likes to eat sand still and Sylvie had a GREAT time with her cousins

The Hasson, Beatty and Habib Families

Rachel and Sylvie

Molly's Bday

I turned 37 this year...again. Wow!

Koren BBQ my current fave.