simple smile

i remember when my girls were this age, and i was so proud they knew all of their colors, shapes and could even count. they say you learn all the important stuff by the time you are 5. i think they nailed it, as you know it is important to know the difference between yellow and blue and that you have ten, count them, ten fingers. i enjoyed exposing them to different experiences and loved teaching them all about the world around them. im sure they tired of my lectures. i remember pointing out beautiful cloud laden skies and rolling hills bright green in the spring. we would talk about the color of things, and seemed to always be counting mundane things around us. i always let them touch things to experience the feel of a different texture or maybe a breakable item a typical 2 year old might not hold. quite possibly they werent deprived of that certain curiosity. and they learned, and they experienced.

but one of the most poignant memories i have when my children were young, is us all piling in the landcruiser on a warm spring evening and chasing the millions of butterflies which had just hatched. we drove through the billowing clouds of fluttering white, as we meandered through a bumpy vacant field behind our property. i remember i let the kids stand on the running boards, just hanging onto the rear view mirrors on the side of the car. big smiles on their faces, the dog running beside, his long tongue wagging in the wind. sometimes on these jaunts, they would hang their feet off the end of the tailgate...arms entwined, squealing in delight and hanging on for dear life. i can still feel that spring, so many years ago...and the freedom we all experienced if not just for a moment. a beautiful moment i will never forget.

so jayden, little girl...enjoy these fleeting experiences of youth. run free in the grass, touch a hairy caterpillar, even a slimy frog and count the stars in the summer sky. because one day these unassuming simplicities will be seared in your memory. and they will be the ones which make you smile...

wild child

so i knew this darling girl when she was a gangly pre teen. a fun loving, silly trouble maker. she was always the life of the party...the one who would always say, "who me?" with an innocent look and a smile. her big brown eyes were always bright and twinkling...and they still sparkle to this day. maybe even a little brighter now that she has a little cherub to call her own. this sweet bundle of love, fortunate enough to call this glowing bedroom suite her own...shared with charlie, the little white fluff who is cautiously observing this new human who has joined the pack. lucky girl indeed.

so i was thrilled to find my molly very happy in her new role...the most important duty any woman can perform. and she said she has never been happier...but she was still the same quirky little girl i loved way back when...just with a priceless sidekick now.

love the one youre with

i wonder if we got to pick our siblings? or i wonder if our names were all tossed in a giant bag and then picked out randomly, or maybe we were assigned to certain families so we could be a good "team" or maybe even help each other out. or i wonder if we picked each other, and maybe knew of our faults and insecurities and globbed onto someone with common ailments. i wonder, because sisters seem to always understand for some odd reason. a certain kinship is shared with a sister. maybe thats why these two seemed to click when i photographed them together. yeah, we will call it sister love. a rare kind of connection shared with no one else but a sister.

but it didnt hurt that they are both drop dead gorgeous...

so heres to sister love. the best kind there is.

sister love

“Sister. She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.” 
― Barbara Alpert

friends forever

i have this one friend whom i love. she and i have known each other for over 20 years, and we can go for days without speaking or seeing each other (she even lives in another state)...and things will always be the same. she loves me unconditionally. as i do her. we forgive and forget. we accept and tolerate. we think the best. we think good thoughts and are sure of the kinship we share. i think thats the key. we have a solid knowledge of the bond we have. there is no doubt...maybe you call that trust. maybe you call that security. its something magical, really. something i cherish. because it is rare.

so these two darlings danced sweetly in front of my camera yesterday. good tender friends. i wanted to share with them how nice it was that they came together, to catch their bond on film. something about a loyal friend that is special...and i think these images speak for that unique click...that trust we all crave.

there comes a point in your life when you realize who really matters, who never did, and who always will.