It was a Green Pond kind of spring...

This spring, we all had a few free hours one evening 

so we headed to Green Pond.

Rascal joined us for his first time.

This was only Zac's second time to the pond 

as we heard about it and hiked it lots with Hunter 

when Zac was on his mission in the Carolinas.

Zac says he loves this beautiful little hike too!

Vickie and her family were wanting to go hiking 

so a few weeks later we got to visit 

Green Pond with them.

It was exciting to see the difference 

a few weeks made in the plants.

The trees had all leafed out. 

We saw critters in all shapes and sizes...

(Robin eggs)

(little snake)

(someone's dog)

and picked up pebbles along the hike 

to try and skip across the pond. 

We also found lots of mud!     

;)

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength 

that will endure as long as life lasts. 

There is something infinitely healing 

in the repeated refrains of nature -- 

the assurance that dawn comes after night, 

and spring after winter.” 

-Rachel Carson

So many! So many!

Have you heard of Studio C? 

It's a quirky little TV show that the twigs think is pretty funny. 

The title of this blog post comes from the "Google Translate" episode 

because there is "so many" to share today
from the past few months. 

Things like chalk art, 

a concert 

and 

picture scavenger hunts around Temple Square,

sweet treats from an even sweeter friend,

braces were removed,

and braces were reapplied 

(the bottoms first and the tops this week to make room

 for an implant to replace a congenitally missing tooth),

Mia laid an egg,

Zac, Ashley, Joey, and Lexi 

hiked Little Wildhorse Canyon 

and Goblin Valley,

lots of fun family and friends have visited 

(love you all - sorry we didn't get pictures of everyone!),

got to attend the Annual Utah Dental Convention,

this awesome girl got her mission call 

(and a sweet note from her mail carrier, Suzette  =),

and last but not least

we got to feel the excitement of the saints in Cedar City 

for their new temple. 

So many, so many!!!!!

xoxo

Yellow squash and yellow jackets...

For years, right around Mother's Day,

the whole family 

(minus our missionary) 

plants our little garden together.

It makes quick work of the job when we do it all together and 

is so very kind of everyone to help. <3

Usually in the spring we have baby birds in the birdhouse

but not this year.

We decided to explore...

and found that yellow jackets...

had taken over the birdhouse. 

The guys cleaned it all out and we're 

crossing our fingers that birds will come back.

Non-lottery Slot (ery)...

Slot canyons float my boat 

and pictures of a spectacular one have been lighting up my radar for years.

It's called Kanarra Falls and it's in Kanarraville, Utah. 

Below are examples of images I've been swooning over...

(photographer unknown)

It's fun to notice the different ladders 

on the right of the falls through the years.

Sign me up - let's go!!!

With the twigs' work and school schedules this summer, 

(Zac's working a full & a part-time job

& our girlie is getting her CNA)

we knew a week-long vacation wasn't in the cards 

so when we all had Memorial Day off 

we jumped at the chance for a little vacation

to hike Kanarra Falls.

The trail heads uphill on a dirt service road

till you get to your first stream crossing.

You carefully balance across the logs, 

not having any idea that on your way back down in a couple of hours 

you won't even glance at the logs. 

You'll just plow through the stream 

because you're so use to it by then. 

Hahaha!

Eventually the service road disappears 

and a beautiful little trail along Kanarra Creek continues.

The canyon narrows 

and the trail gets interesting 

as you cross back and forth through the creek 

many many times. 

Eventually...the slot canyon appears.

Oh boy! Oh boy!

=D

We've done a pretty good job hiding it in the pictures till now

but we did this beautiful little hike with about

200 new friends!

Hahaha!

There have been concerns raised 

about the number of visitors in this canyon
(the water source for the town of Kanarraville).

We read that the town council is 

"pursuing a leasing deal with the Utah School 

and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) 

that would give them the ability 

to control the amount of people hiking the canyon daily."

They may consider doing an "extreme lottery system"

like The Wave currently has. 

Boy are we glad we made it to Kanarra Falls before 

having to go through that type of lottery again. 

We were so lucky years ago when we got Wave permits
on our second day of trying in person
after striking out for the online permits!

Anyway, back to business. 

At the end of the slot canyon

there is a beautiful waterfall

and a really nice ladder to climb to the top

and continue on up the canyon 

though it widens out just after the choke stone waterfall.

Thanks for the sweet ladder Kanarraville!

It was a gorgeous place!

Alma said it best...

"all things denote there is a God; 

yea, even the earth, 

and all things that are upon the face of it,"

<3