Today is my parents 29th wedding anniversary! So I just wanted to wish them a great one and many more to come!

My parents relationship is real. They laugh, they fight, they’re really silly sometimes, they go through their ups and downs and I’m so thankful that they taught me what marriage is all about.  It’s not about being perfect, but accepting and loving each other daily.

I wish I could do something spectacular for them like send them off on a trip somewhere fabulous or give them a million dollars because they deserve it, but I can’t so instead when we see the fireworks on Sunday I’ll tell them it’s not because it’s July 4th, but it’s because everyone is celebrating their anniversary =P

So I’ll leave you guys with this photo of them. It’s not a beautifully photoshopped image with amazing light, but rather a photo taken on my BlackBerry that shows how funny my parents are. I swear, this is their default pose!!!! How cheesy can they be!

As I travel back in time to 2 years ago (I know…these photos are OLD!)  I had the opportunity to go take photos inside the Grand Canyon West.

Long story short my parents friends hooked me up with a photographer from Korea who was coming to photograph the canyon for a book.  So here I was off to the Grand Canyon in freezing cold February weather!

Well as you can guys know I’m not a landscape photographer.  I photograph people and my dogs!  I can say it was a very different experience and I now have a much higher appreciation for landscape photographers.  I’m always in awe when I see those breathtaking photographs, but I just didn’t think about what went into getting that shot.

First of all I had to wake up at the crack of dawn.  Wait let me rephrase that…BEFORE the crack of dawn because we had to off road to some remote location so he could get that shot he wanted.  Second you have to be in good shape because lord knows I ended up on all sorts of ledges and high perches….and last you have to have a lot of patience!  Sometimes things just don’t go as planned, mother nature doesn’t quite care about your plans =P  Also I wasn’t used to having to carry and use a tripod the entire day!!!

I took these photos with my Nikon D70 and whatever kit lens it came with!  This trip was before I got all my fancy equipment and lenses!  Actually after this trip I was wondering why there were so many specks on my photos and realized I needed to get my sensor cleaned (oops!)  Which is another reason it took so long for me to get to these photos, I just didn’t want to deal with removing all those specks!!!!  I wish I could have a “do over” with these photos!  I think if I went now, I would be able photograph it with a much more knowledgeable eye!

What struck me was that the Grand Canyon West was so remote and quiet!!!  Our guide told us they have to use satellite phones because there’s no cell reception on the reservation.  Also it’s hard to see in these photos, but the canyon is so immense!  It’s hard to believe this is only a small part of the entire canyon!  I felt like such a tiny ant.  Seriously without the guide we would’ve had to bust out some survivorman moves!

A DAY IN GRAND CANYON WEST

The Empty Highway

Diamond Peak and contrary to what you see this was taken BEFORE sunrise!

The sun rising

They looked so cute

Another angle of Diamond Peak

Colorado River

We had to do some climbing for this one….

It doesn’t look like it, so I’m really glad I got this shot to show perspective of how high we climbed!

Mr. Photographer from Korea

Sunset

The End.

It’s already been 6 months since my niece was born!  Time really does fly by.  She’s so big now!  When I first held her I was scared I would hold her the wrong way or drop her, but now that tiny fragile newborn turned into a baby.  No more am I worried about am I supporting her neck, am I holding her right, but now it’s trying to keep her curious little hands off of everything!  She has quite a personality and knows how to express herself.  She reaches and grabs (don’t forget scratches!!!)  She cries when something doesn’t go her way or if we take away a toy.  She ‘s been crawling….backwards for several months!  She laughs and plays with you.  She even started eating solids (avocado was her first).

I’m amazed as I see in 6 months how my niece has grown and I can’t believe in such a short period of time how much babies develop and learn!

She smiles just like her mom does!  With rainbow eyes!

Loves playing in her Baby Einstein

Toby is always close by

After bath time her hair is usually pretty wild!

Mommy + Baby at the 6 month check up where the doctor told us she’s advanced in motor skills, but we already knew that!  Karly’s been lifting up her head since she was a few hours old and everything else according to the baby books happened 2-4 weeks earlier!

And my absolute FAV!
Low Rise Diapers

I literally have several thousands of photos I took during my 2 months in Korea.  There’s so many I want to share, but I don’t want to overwhelm everyone so I’ll just be splitting them up and adding them to my blog when I have a chance.  These photos were taken in early to mid December before all the crazy snow!  So get ready for some awesome snow pics in my next entry!

I have a thing with going to high places to take in the view.  I love it!  I was actually afraid of heights for a period of my life, but now there’s something so awesome about going up high and getting an unobstructed view!

In my search for awesome views of Seoul I asked my cousin if he knew any places really high up and we snuck up to the top of a building!  Totally worth it!

Namsan Tower

One day after eating sushi with my cousin we ended up at a playground in Hongdae.  We thought it would be fun to go on the merry go round to take some pics, but seriously in order to get this photo I thought I was going to throw up!!!!  The things we do to get a fun photo!

I went to this cool place north of Seoul called Heyri.  They have really awesome art there and an English Village.

The view from this mountain near my cousins place.  Next 2 photos taken with my point and shoot.

In Seoul there’s Seoul Tower also known as Namsan Tower.  It’s huge so you can’t miss it no matter where you are in Seoul.  As I was up there I couldn’t believe so many people lived in such a small amount of space!  It’s pretty apparent when all you see are tall buildings everywhere and you’re bumping into every other person on the street!

All these couples come to Namsan Tower and attach a lock.  There are so many locks up there now it’s insane!

Covered in locks!!!!!

View from the top!  I’m so happy I went on a clear day!

Home!

Hyatt Hotel in Itaewon.  That’s one huge hotel!

I can remember from a very young age always begging my parents for a dog.  At the time we lived in an apartment so we had to do with goldfish and hamsters, but they promised when we moved to a house we could get a dog.  Finally when I was 9 we moved and to my joy literally a week after, my parents had some friends who needed to sell a puppy they had bought as a gift.  That’s how we got Shawn…at 3 months and a huge ball of fur.

Of course my sister and I wanted to name him Fluffy or Snowball or something like that, but my dad firmly put his foot down and said “No…his name is going to be Shawn” (my sister and I think that’s what he wanted to name his son, but too bad he only ended up with daughters =P )

He lived a few weeks short of his 17 birthday.  I have so many wonderful memories of my dog.  I’m not saying I love my other two dogs less, but there’s something different and special about growing up with a dog for so long.  They really become a part of your family.  He’s been with me for half my life…since elementary school through thick and thin and through all the changes in my life.  My family took him on all our camping trips, even to Yellowstone!

While I was in Korea my family told me Shawn’s health was getting worse.  I was the one who couldn’t bear to say goodbye so I always refused when they brought up the subject of putting him to sleep, but finally I realized I was being selfish and letting him live in pain wasn’t how I could thank him for all the years of happiness he gave me.

His last day with us was perfect.  He sunbathed in the kitchen, ate a delicious meal of all his favorites (he looooved cheese), and played on the grass which looked like it was covered in diamonds while taking in the amazing weather.  He was surrounded by our entire family as we all held him and said our goodbyes.

I miss hearing nails tapping against our hardwood floors as he slowly walked around our house, I miss seeing him in some corner sleeping the day away, I miss watching him drink water in this really bizarre and funny way I’ve only seen him drink and when I see photos and videos of him my heart still aches.  But I am happy that he lived such a long, happy and full life with us.  For the opportunity to have grown up with such an amazing dog and to have so many memories with him.  I couldn’t have asked for more.