I might need a machete.

I don't get it. Do you need to pass some sort of jerk test to get a utah drivers license? It's like all of the crap drivers of the world migrate to the Salt Lake Valley so they can all be together in some sort of crazy maniac festival. I've heard people talk badly about Utah drivers for years, but I always assumed it wasn't the drivers in Utah that they hated; it was just Utah/Utahans in general.

At first I thought it was fine- but I've changed my mind.  In the past week I've seen a whole lotta craziness:

- high speed police pursuit- check.

- zooming semis almost killing me- check check.

- had some loser cut the crap off me- check check check.

- seen like 3 or 4 cars in a row run a red light (do they not see it, or is there a grace period seven seconds after the light has illuminated red? - check.

Here's the thing: 
A- I can't really be like, "man, all utah drivers are total losers"- because it's only a matter of time before I'm officially one of them. (Actually, I think technically, I am one of them.)


B- about 40% of my best friends live here... and I know they're good drivers (at least most of them).


C- I'm kinda stressed out with classes starting soon and waiting for our apartment to open up, so I could kinda see myself over reacting to someone not using his blinker.


.... Hopefully I'm just a little testy right now. Sorry I was talking about using a machete in the title. Over reactor much?

(ahem) Good things about utah transportation so far:

-the trax seem pretty sweet I guess.


-bikers seem to be pretty respected (except that one guy I saw today who almost got ran over about 3 times in 20 seconds.) I'd say Boise is better for bikers than Utah, but Utah is way better for bikers than Texas.




-.... mmm, I'll think of some more later.





ps- doesn't this traffic jam look like fun?

Part II. (Wedding Photo Overload Warning)

Ok. So lets talk about wedding photography. Its awesome, its beautiful, and its the most important day for two people who are being photographed (and usually their mothers). 

It's lovely. It's also THE most stressful thing ever. Any fellow photographers agree? 

I don't think I've ever woke up on the day of a wedding job, and thought, "I have absolutely nothing to be worried about." Because I am worried. 

Have you heard wedding photography nightmare stories? I have. 

 Witness #1 - my photographer sucked. Bad.

 Witness #2 -my photographer let her niece hold the camera for a second and all of my pictures got deleted accidentally. 

Witness #3- My photographer didn't have an external hard drive, and after her computer crashed, all of my photos were lost.

Witness #4- (my favorite) my photographer just disappeared after the wedding. After I paid. Phone number is disabled; no way to contact her, and no photos from the most important day of my life. 

I've had real people tell me all of these things, and each time I hear a nightmare like these I'm worried its going to jinx me into being one of those photographers (obviously not the last one. ...maybe.). 

So I feel like its a natural reaction that weddings stress me out. I'm always feeling sick before them, during them, and after them. Including my own. And I didn't even have to shoot that one.

"So why do you keep photographing them then, Alyssa?? Why do you put yourself through it?" 

This is why:

Pure gorgeousness, people. The wedding day may stress me out, but the aftermath is so fun. I love editing photos from a good shoot.

 Love me some cute girls eating some lunch.

I was literally teary eyed as I photographed the mother of the bride read a poem she wrote about her daughter's courtship to the groom and the proposal story.

Love groomsman who have personality. (To say the least)

And little girls who were literally either screaming their heads off, or being too cute for words at any given moment during the day.

I had to wipe a few crumbs off my lens after this...

 ...and can you believe this slip? 

Love tender candids.

And funny family faces.

...and sooner than later, it all begins again.

Doesn't this remind you of harry potter? 

If you would have asked me the day of the wedding if I was in a hurry to do another wedding shoot, I might have rolled my eyes....

...but right now I'm thinking they're kind of fun.

...only a wedding this magical could do that to me so quickly.

Dear August,

You stress me out. Now that I think about it though, I think I say that to all of your monthly sisters. But you are especially stressful. You include the beginning of graduate school, editing photos from a magnificent wedding, and a big move into a new (and very tiny) apartment. We're a little homeless right now August- living with family and friends until our apartment finally opens up for us. It's nice. But stressful.

There are different ways to handle stress. Mine- the most unhealthy- has very much to do with shopping. I've bought the most adorable pair of boots, August. I can't wait to wear them when the leaves start to turn. The other day, Gideon and I were driving, and he looked over to see me smiling in a sort of trance. He asked me what I was thinking about, and startled, I responded, "my new boots." I love them. There's something about you, august. Something that makes me want to go school shopping. So I guess I love you after all, even though you stress me out.

ps- I had no idea how friggin hot Salt Lake City is, August! Is there any way you could turn the thermostat down? I'm dyin' here.

my hero.

Last night around 4 in the morning I woke up from a bad dream, and decided to splash some water on my face to cool me off. My eyes barely open, I stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the lights to see two HUGE spiders in our bathtub. We've been in this apartment for almost two years and haven't had any real problems with bugs, so it startled me quite-a-bit. I didn't want to wake gid up by making noise, but I didn't think I would be able to sleep knowing there were two massive eight legged creatures hanging out where I shower.  I grabbed some shampoo and tried to smash the little buggers, but they were too quick! I tried not to, but I had to let out a little squeak. Something about those eight legs gives me the heebie jeebies.

Imagine friends, - me in my pjs, half asleep, and trying to hit these huge fast spiders at 4 in the morning. I hadn't even gone for the second spider when I heard Gideon in an alarmed voice say, "Alyssa? Are you ok?" He opened the bathroom door, alert and ready to save me from any kind of evil. Feeling guilty and a bit embarrassed, I sheepishly apologized for waking him, and explained my reasons for being up at such a strange hour killing spiders in the bathtub. He was relieved, and quickly took care of the situation with toilet paper and bug spray (so much more efficient than an oddly shaped bottle of shampoo). Later today, he said he thought I was being attacked or something in our bathroom. You know when you're just waking up, and you're not quite all there? I think he was maybe in that stage.

Anyway, Gid is my hero. 

Love him, love him, love him. So much.

Have a happy friday, friends!

tired much?

I've been so tired lately. 

You know what the worst thing is when you're tired? Unable to sleep. 

And when I travel, I don't usually sleep very well. And when I'm behind on sleep, I don't take little naps here or there. It just builds and builds and builds until I pass out randomly for like 10 hours in the middle of the day, usually waking up right around bedtime. The other night, while Gideon happily snored next to me, I stared at the ceiling exhausted, wide awake, and wanting nothing in the world as badly as to fall asleep. I think the last time I looked at the clock it was 3:15 a.m. Bummer much?

Out of the past 21 days, 19 of them I've been traveling. Some with gid and some without.

And it gets better: our move is scheduled within the next two weeks. What a friggin; heavenly day that'll be. I know you think I'm kidding, but I'm sorta serious. I'm excited to stay put for a little while. 

...on the topic of sleep, has anyone else been having vivid harry potter dreams?

Hiding with Kanyon.

While we were in Salmon for the 4th of July, we played a lot of outside games (as is major tradition in the tolman family). I've gotten a little passive in some of the games where there is a lot of running (after accidentally breaking Gid's little brother's nose 2 years ago... oops.), but it's still so fun to watch! One morning, Gideon's little nephew Kanyon grabbed my hand and declared that he wanted to play hide and seek with the rest of the cousins and he wanted to hide with me! I felt pretty honored. The only problem, is that when I actually do play these sorts of games, I take them rather seriously, especially hide and seek. I was a hiding master growing up. So I scooped Kanyon up, and found a phenomenal spot for us to hide in (one of many on the Tolman's property; it's more like a park than a yard).

And we waited. 

And we waited. 

And we waited some more. 

(I told you I took hide and seek seriously.)

After several minutes had gone by, Kanyon was starting to get restless. Since Gid was helping in the search for us, I didn't anticipate it taking so long, but there are soo many places to look during a game of hide and seek at the ranch. When about 10 minutes had gone by, Kanyon was just about ready to yell, "Hey YOU GUYS! We're right here!" Not wanting him to give us away, I grabbed my little camera (handy in my back pocket), and showed him how to take pictures of himself, and then look at it. 

...after a little while, he really got into it.

Then little Kanyon managed to take this picture:

Not too shabby, little man!

ps- we did end up having to give the boys a hint to where we were hiding. 

We would've been there forever otherwise.

Have a happy day, friends!

whole lotta bed for a little baby...

While I was in Texas for a quick visit, I was baby sitting my nephew gabe.
When he dozed off, I went ahead and laid him on the bed in our guest room while I put up some new curtains. He snored his little baby snore, and I couldn't help but take a few pictures of him.

(sigh) I just think he's the cutest baby boy I've ever seen...

...and the happiest little girl award goes to:

Meet Emileva, our cousin's little girl. 

She's just too adorable not to share.

love her. love her. love her.