Soap Lake

After the fair we played on the Samis ranch for a few days enjoying the beautiful scenes, swimming in the pond, eating al fresco and making smores. Zoe and Sylvie also took crayons and decorated the inside of the car windows - phew!

Grant County Fair

The first thing that we were drawn to upon entering the Grant County fair was "Jest in Time" where we sat and watched the super corny clowns doing tricks which took way to long to develop because 90% of their time was spent trying to encourage applause and excitement from the crowd. Anyway, Sylvie volunteered to be on stage! Everyone clapped for her and she LOVED it. She helped the clown with the boxes and - a star was born. This was one of those stories that I will remind her of when she is 25 not knowing what do to with her life "When you were 3, you got up on the stage with no fear..."




















Then The girls went on rides and had a great time.








Then I took Sylvie on the Ferris Wheel and we could see the entire fairgrounds and a beautiful sunset!



















Leo and Van - too Little for the rides - try again next year!

Sterling Gardens

The kids and I went to Whidby Island for the day to visit Steve and Sara's new farm. I love Whidby, everywhere you drive you see beautiful scenery, the population seems like just the right mix of small town friendly mixed with bourgois gourmet, and there are some great experiences for children. It was a physically tough day for me because Leo is crawling and standing and can't just be plopped on a blanket anymore. We were all tired on the way home but that didn't stop us from getting out of the car to visit the windy deck on the 15 minute ferry ride home.

Sterling Gardens (my favorite name in the running for their farm) is a gorgeous piece of property with two homes, a huge garden brimming with produce and the beginnings of an animal shelter which will house goats and a donkey. We can't wait to see Sterling Gardens sparkle!

Steve and Sylvie at Maxwelton Beach

Mommy and Leo
Oceanus on the Sound

Sylvie's 3rd Birthday Party

We said that it was a dress up party because having a princess party seemed a little common but in actuality - it was a princess party. Sylvie must have gotten 6 tiaras for her birthday but the kicker was the Cinderella ball gown complete with a hoop skirt and "glass" slippers. She even wore the earrings which freaked me out. She started humming "So this is love, hm hm hm hm"

For me it was all about the cake which was one of those germs of an idea that turned into the discovery of a whole new creative outlet for me. Cake decorating is a blast, dare I say. I was jumping up and down upon the application of the three on the skirt. Sylvie's eyes lit up and it was SO worth the 4 cakes that it took to create this. I started humming "I can paint with all the colors of the wind"

A few of my favorite moments:

Zoe and Sylvie dancing after everyone left to "I know you I walked with you once upon a dream"

Ethan (Sylvie's cousin) announcing "look, I opened this present for Sylvie!"

The candles blowing out in the wind three times before Sylvie was able to blow them out.
Kris and Gracie's fairy princess outfits.

All the princesses putting their fingers in the cake.

Evan (another cousin) asking "Where is the bag of trinkets?" (there wasn't one)

Everyone loves sausages, hot dogs and tim's cascade chips

Sylvie's huge grin as she went to bed knowing that she is a princess and now she is three.

She is humming "A whole new world"

3 going on 13

I think she is actually screaming "ITS MY BIRTHDAY!"

Haney the cute

Noni, Grandma and Papou (Grandpa was in Bulgaria but he was consulted on the Zum Zum menu

4 cakes and 4 kinds of frosting!

A messy up-do for the pre-funk

Pirch Visit

We love our friends who live on the Gold Coast in Connecticut the Nutmeg State. They graced us with their presence for a few hours one glorious day in July.

Oy Vey enough with the photo taking...

Dahling photo of Father and daughter

Fast Friends

Just like many photos of Molly and Linda!

Sammy in the Hzzouse

37 year olds

I am gonna call it older and wiser but this might be the last year that I admit to my age. I used to love birthdays - now, not so much.

Hayden Lake Idaho

Once again we went to the gorgeous Hayden lake for a few days with our friends. It is the ideal summer cabin and we took advantage of every aspect - the water, the sand, the boat, and, of course, the grandparents of our friends. Last year we flew but this year we had three moms and five kids. The drive over was 8 hours too long and 11 PM by the time we arrived at the windy road in the total darkness. We probably won't do that again. It was kinda worth it though...the girls had a great time in their life jackets kicking out to the dock and everyday at 5 we were served frozen margheritas! At about nine after everyone was asleep, we would spend at least an hour on the beach in the darkness yawning and recapping the day. It was exhausting but totally worth it....

Leon 8 Months

Such a big boy! Leon is laughing most of the time however, he is starting to complain about his teeth that haven't come in yet but it does not stop him from eating an entire jar of meat sticks - yuck! He is crawling and today pulled himself up at the coffee table and in the crib. All of this means big changes at our house - the crib adjusted, the pollypockets tiny shoes put away, gates put up and a new level of floor cleanliness. Thank goodness for Bicki!


Sylvie stringing Sadie's Tail

Last Hurrah

Slippy Slide Fun at Steve and Sara's

Ramona and Oceanus

It takes a grown man to show 'em how it's done!

Sylvie needs some assistance - but she is brave - with her eyes closed and her tongue out!

The Blue Stripes - Aka The Leos

Francis, Oceanus and Steve

Chris and Heidi - Gorgeous

Ramona comforting Sylvie during a scary part

Ode to Thistle Street

Steve and Sara are giving up their maverick status in South Park to become hippie farmers in a tres chic area of Whidbey Island. On Sunday we had a going away party that started at four - an extreme contrast to the majority of parties that happened in South park which usually started around 10 and ended up dancing to "don't stop 'til you get enough' around 1 AM.

Each of those parties had some special occasion: Sara's finished her math class party, leisure suit party, Let's continue this party in South Park party, Fred and Becca's engagement party, Halloween Party, Bacci ball/croquet party, Cathy is making something like pizza party, Steve caught a Salmon in the Duwamish party, monochrome party, So-and-So is in town party, come see the new... (anything that they may have found including a boat, leather couches or 8 foot organ pipes) party, and meet the new dog party. Some random Saturday night parties we all ended up raiding Steve's closet and would dress up in his best thrift shop finds - green felt vests, Budweiser jackets and plaid patchwork pants - also known as what Steve wears to weddings.

At each and every party,we all ate amazing food, lost our wine glass and picked up another, sat on the front porch keeping Sara company, caught up with friends, laughed at, and with, each other. There are people, that I would call my friend, that I have met at that house, and that I only see at those parties.

Today was not much different- there was still more grilled pork and that crazy Frieda begging to fetch - but there was a tinge of sadness as they leave, mixed with excitement for their future, mixed with a little bitterness from JB who will miss his neighbor, mixed with concern that we may not see them as often as we are used to.

Thistle Street, I will miss your pizza with canned mushrooms, your beer runs to the mexi mart and your cherry trees in full bloom. I will miss the wainstcoated ceiling and the clouds on the wall. I will miss Maggie and the Clematis on the porch. I will miss the grape light fixture and the spices inside the wall. I will miss the friends at the table and the well worn plates. I will miss the skunk smell of the new red couch and the little leather fanny pack. I will miss the living room is the dining room is the living room again. I will miss the fire pit in back and the old stove that didn't quite heat the whole house. I will miss the sound of barking upon opening in the door and I will miss the sound of "C'mon In!"

Private Beach

Sylvie is loving the beach right now. In fact, after a four day trip to Gig Harbor 3 days ago, Sylvie and Joey decided to go back this weekend. She loves to explore the water and the rocks and we are really lukcy that Noni and Papou have a house on the water with all kinds of sealife just down the steps. We had a great 4th of July with Cambria, Murph, Hayden, and Kathleen joining in the eating and lounging. Murph and Joey took the kids out on the boat to explore some of the little nearby islands Carr Inlet.

Leo's College Sweetheart Sweater

I guess I went overboard with the cables on this one and it is kinda grown-up for a little guy. Perhaps a glimpse into his future as someone's college sweatheart.

Dress Up Party

The only way to make a collage is to use the HP album page setting so I wanted to see if this is even cute and visible. Sylvie is having a dress-up party for her third birthday so this is the photo shoot for the invitation.

After testing this I found that it is quite small BUT if you click on the photo you can quickly get a better view.