the cool kids

The Lakes have been intertwined with my life for as long as I can remember. Jessica was my babysitter and would make up dances to Cyndi Lauper songs in our living room. She also comforted me as I lay in her lap as a 5th grader crying because I was sure no one liked me. Margaret took me to an Ani Difranco concert when I was 12 with her much older friends and thought it was awesome that I wore tights covered in fruit. John built an ice rink in their back yard and loved to fart on me while I slept. But to his credit, he also hugged me in the halls of East High as a Freshman when he was the much cooler Senior. Meredith and I bonded in the "No-Boyfriend Club" and ooogled over the very delicious Polys at school like Jason Kafusi (secret's out, sorry). She giggled infectiously and loved to call me Kops. Stuart and I were the closest of little buddies until boys got cooties and girls got crazy. We bought matching Airwalks and spent a summer sitting in trees singing Eternal Flame by the Bangles. And another summer amazed that we barely escaped our attic clubhouse before the crazy neighbor set it on fire.

With the Lakes I attended my first Guinea Pig wedding, complete with real wedding invitations and formal attire. Susan's perfect pink frosted cookies and fragile little hors d'oeuvres were served on silver platters. Their dad Randall taught me about the beauty of art and acceptance. I spent time outside of his studio examining Stauzie (sp?) the dogs' teeth and fighting hard against the urge to eat the sugar cubes from his still life set up.

Their mom Susan introduced me to German pancakes and wheat toast with tomatoes and minced onion. She was my beloved English teacher in High School and allowed our class to have a treat bucket my senior year, and we dined on things like pizza and candy necklaces every Friday.

Now, we are all grown. Some of us with kids of our own. Some of us still in Utah, some in Chicago, some in the Lake's second home of Balboa. But one thing stays the same. No matter how far we go, or how much time passes, with the Lakes I always feel at home. I always feel 100% loved and I always feel way cooler than I really am. Because the Lakes are the kind of people you want to be around. They are beautiful and natural and hilarious and eternally young. Like the cool group you wish you could hate but secretly kill to be a part of. And through all the ups and downs that life has thrown at them they still love (and fight :) and laugh fiercely and you get the sense that there's no one they would rather be with than each other. It's inspiring.

I am one lucky girl to know them.

I wanted to include some pictures of Randall's studio where we did the session. The entire place is like a piece of art. It really shows what an amazing artist he is.

I could stay there all day.

for some more Lake fun go here.