Ruby in the kitchen on a snowy Saturday after her father has hairsprayed her bangs Very Vertically (and placed a random rubber band at the top just in case the wind blows the 80's bangs). You know, just a normal day...
And. The Sara Bareilles concert (I'm too lazy to remove the red eye). She was amazing of course and called me out in the middle of the crowd as her "friend from high school" right before she sang, "City" about her moving to L.A. and missing people from back home. She hung out with us in the crowd during Paolo Nutini's performance. It was so great to talk to her. She is happier than ever with all of her success! My childhood friend Laurel is on the far left and she came down from Idaho for a few days and stayed with me. She's got two blonde kids who are in this picture with mine:
Now Grace and Alex are "best friends forever" (and that is a direct quote from them). Johnny and my Ruby on the other hand... sort of an abrasive situation.
Nothing like a good glare from a girl wearing a CTR ring, which ring is worn DIRECTLY on the knuckle. I tried to make it more comfortable, perhaps above or below the knuckle bone, but she insisted, as usual. She is really good at insisting. She was actually born insisting and hasn't stopped since. 
Oh ya know, just a GAP ad.
Sometimes I wish I could spend a day as a two year old boy.
My brother Jared, sister Bethany, and brother Isaac with Dad.
Among other things, Gracie prayed this week that "Jesus could please stop dying" and that we could "help Jesus not die anymore" and several other deep and pressing issues. We often play a game called "thumbs up" that Jake made up. We say something and then the girls have to give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. 
The "daddy always likes it when I smile like this" smile.
Just two suburban chicks in a big mountain valley.
Ya wanna mess with this? I don't think so.
We went on the hunt today for some photo locations, and we found one or two. The field was a combination of side stepping gopher holes and carrying a camera bag, with the camera around my neck, holding Grace's hand, and carrying Ruby on my hip because there was "pokie grass" poking near or around her shoe/foot general area. We ran across a busy street, scaled up a small muddy hill, and were farm folk before we knew it. When I finally set Ruby down, her waryness had not worn off, which worked well for me because she didn't move a muscle. 
My lovely parents are in town this week and we are loving it!!! I wish I could be close to them all the time. They have to go back home to California on Saturday. There is a photo of them plus some other sessions I have done this week here: www.smyliephoto.blogspot.com .
My day feels like a hurricane sometimes, with two daughters it feels like, "Bits of emotion, flying through the air. Anger, frustration, denial... " (-Chicken Little). Sometimes there is so much crying in my ear I feel as though my brain will either melt or turn to stone and I better leave the room before it explodes. My girls are wound up tight and so carefree in the same moment.
But when they're asleep. When they're asleep. That's when the magic happens and I feel the way I felt when they were newborn babies and I was staring at them wrapped up in a blanket by the low light of a 2a.m. lamp. They were so beautiful they would float, while the world lay so silent. It amazes me how beings so magical can suck every breath from me sometimes, so that I can barely push through to the part of life that needs me next, yet can absolutely give me the breath that keeps my suspended existence intact. These girls are the greatest blessing I have ever been given.
Like a tub of red licorice, like my brother talks on the phone to his girlfriend, like my daughters make messes, like Utahns love bumper stickers, photography is for me. 
3. Newborn, 1 week old.
This weekend:and
A Conference Call.
Oh, the Joy.
Right. So then I went to a concert with some friends. During which we spotted the !Oh! !My! !Heavens! drummer for Dashboard Confessional whom from far away we thought was the lead singer (by his tattoo of all things). I flagged him down because after all, what's so fun about being 28 if you can't act like you're 17? So. We got a picture with good-smelling-drummer-man hours before his show but not before he must have spent hours parting and gelling his hair. Which I would never know because as everyone can probably tell, I spent NO time on my hair and certainly look pregnant in this picture (which I certainly am NOT).This show consisted of: Piebald, Limbeck, Love You Long Time, The Format, Aquabats, Colbie Callait, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Dashboard. Before D.C. came on (1030pm) I was thinking of my flexible work schedule and how because I had been at the concert most of Saturday night I would have to be up until 4 a.m. working to make up my hours. So. I toyed with the idea of skipping Dashboard because they are oh so... "yell about High School and hair and vindication". But, I stayed. And I screamed and jumped a lot. And then the little mom of two went home and worked her hours and then crawled into bed beside her husband and smiled.
The end.
I wanted to share the fruits of a photo shoot I did this past week. The girls I photographed were gorgeous, and I am playing around lately with a free 30 day trial of Photoshop. Kasey was right, I will be up all night playing around with this program. 
