so right on.

The Rock Shop

Josh and I wondered into a little rock shop in the town of Zion. I don't know but I just really liked it. All of the rocks were beautiful and so many of the quartz and geodes were native to the area. I ended up buying a ton of gems (which is awesome to travel with I'm sure). We met Marian who worked at the shop. She talked to us about the history of Zion and growing up in the area. She also told us about how she had a form of M.S. as a child and believes that she was cured as a result of soaking in the Pah Tempe hot springs on a weekly basis for about 7 months. She talked to us about her late husband and hugged us when we told her it was our anniversary. She even gave us a beautiful stone to take home with us- then she explained that it's actually petrified dinosaur poop. Her and her rock shop was a definite highlight of the trip for me. Too bad I didn't snap a picture with Marian!

Zion National Park (Utah)

We spent our morning in Las Vegas at the Monte Carlo eating a brunch buffet and swimming in their pool so we got a later start than we had initially hoped. Our drive from Nevada, through Arizona and into Utah was spectacular. Did I mention we ended up with a jeep again?

We arrived just as the sun was going down. The view from our campsite was amazing. Good thing we wear headlamps and Josh is a pro at cooking dinner in the dark!

Here is a Go Pro video of our campsite:

The next day we were ready to hike. We hiked the lower, middle and upper emerald pools as well as the grotto and into the narrows. Zion is all sandstone next to the Virgin River. You'd better believe there is fresh spring water leaking out all over. The waterfalls and pools of water are crystal clear and for real emerald green. The river and springs have carved out the rock into really cool tunnels and windy paths. We thought it felt sort of like nature's playground. It was bar far the most beautiful place I've ever been. Pictures cannot begin to do this place justice.

Staying hydrated while hiking in the desert is key. Luckily you can fill up your water bottles all over the park at their filling stations. The drinking water is fresh spring water directly from the park and it's delicious. Josh was smart to bring his camel pack. We escaped feeling hydrated and also not sun burned. Lucky us!

Here are some pretty flowers we saw along the way:

We especially loved hiking up to the emerald pools. On the way up you have to walk under little waterfalls. It feels so good to get hit with that cold spring water in the midst of a hike. Can you see the water dripping down on Josh?

Here's a Go Pro video of us hiking through a little waterfall:

We also hiked into The Narrows. This begins as a relatively short hike that ends at the Virgin River. Actually it doesn't end there but rather it begins. The Narrows is a place where the river flows into (out of?) the canyon. The water is about knee deep and you can hike through the river for miles and miles into tunnels that the water has formed into the canyon. The water is ice cold and very fast. We weren't able to get as far as the folks who were equipped with walking sticks and neoprene shoes but we went in for a ways. Here I am looking up up up at how high the canyon goes.

We hiked up to the Weeping Rock on day two. Zion is the only place in the world where water flows out of the sandstone canyons and carves into them. The shape and the water flow allow gardens to grow up the walls.

3 year anniversary vacation

Josh and I went on an epic anniversary vacation to celebrate 3 years. We flew into Las Vegas for a night and then drove to Zion National Park in Utah. After Zion we went back to Las Vegas for a couple more days. It was everything we hoped it would be. We don't have the best camera but we managed to get some nice photos with our Canon Power Shoot. Josh also borrowed a Go Pro camera from his bestie Joe. Here is a Go Pro of us waiting to go to the airport.

Before I share our vacation with you all I just wanted to reflect on how much I love my husband. The last 3 years have flown by. I'm understanding why people say that marriage takes work. In so many ways our personalities clash. In the moment we really have to work through those clashes and remember that because we love each other it's worth it to work it out. We have to be patient and kind and accepting of the things that drive us nuts about it each. When we are able to reflect on our marriage we know it's those differences that make us a really nice match. We balance each other out perfectly and I couldn't imagine my life without Josh. He is the kindest, most patient, generous, honest and loving partner... dare I even say human being? in the world. This vacation reminded us how much we love each other and look forward to everything that's to come.

Resurrecting the blog...

I haven't posted on this blog in, like, forever. Tumblr, pinterest and instagram got in the way for awhile but I've decided to return to my roots. I think it's better to keep (most) of my life in one place. I've decided to keep most of my old photography on here because, well, it's awesome. I've also made a commitment to return to photography. I think grad school and job search really zapped my creative energy but it's been a year since graduation and I'm feeling back to the person I was before I started school. Isn't crazy that it took that long? Josh and I have a lot of exciting adventures in store... most notably the purchase of our house in 2 WEEKS! Yowza! I hope to use this as a space to post updates, rehabs, progress and our journey. We look forward to sharing our lives with you through this blog. On a sad note my Diana lomo camera has officially died a sad death of light leaks. Due to other (*couch house and vacation*) financial obligations I've been unable to get on purchasing a new camera. I do think that a new camera is integral to the vision I have for this blog so I will be working on that very soon. My hope is to purchase a super nice digital camera in addition to a lomography LC-A+ (which is pretty much the best lomo camera around). I'm excited to share more photography with you- especially since our new home has the perfect dark room space but all in good time my friends, all in good time. In the meantime it's good to be home here.