Such a treat, a "Springtime" treat!

The twigs have a cousin named Spring.

Yes, she's as bright and happy as her name.

Zac told me tonight that next to us,

Spring wrote him the most letters on his mission.

She's thoughtful beyond her years and is such a blessing in our lives.

Yesterday I got the mail and found an envelope from Spring

for Emily!

It was hard to wait for our girlie to get home from work 

so she could open it!

This is what she found inside...

A "congratulations graduate" card

and a portrait of our Emma!

Spring so nailed it! 

How does she do that?!

Spring wears many hats and one of them is

creator of the cutest stick figure doodles.

She even sells them on Etsy. 

Springtimedoodles

We love to read her blog too!

Springtimetreats

Thank you dear Spring 

for sharing your adorable creations with us 

through the years.

They are treasures and we love them so much!

Though as much as we love them, 

we love you more!

xoxo

Maui #5 Watchman on The Needle...

Iao Needle is a State Monument 

and they've done a great job telling the history of the place.

Placards all about the war on the islands 

and what a strategic asset Iao Valley was

line the path up to the viewpoint.

From this landmark, The Needle, 

you can see anyone coming from the ocean.

They did see them coming 

and they saved the day. 

Pretty neat place. 

=D

Maui #4 Sooo fishy!

Snorkeling was the main activity planned for the trip to Maui
and it was even better than I'd dreamed.


(photo credit unknown) 

We headed out to Molokini Crater on this boat early one morning.





I didn't have an underwater camera 

but did try to use Scott's camera once. 

(photo credit unknown)

It was way more difficult than it looked

to catch great underwater pictures 

(photo credit unknown)

cause all those fish are on the move 

AND the current has 

YOU on the move. 

There's a LOT of moving going on!

(photo credit unknown)

That all means that none of the fish pictures 

in this post are mine.

(photo credit unknown)

Hats off to great underwater photographers 

and thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures.

(photo credit unknown)

We snorkeled every chance we got, 

well, not here

but lots of other places!

(photo credit unknown)

We floated along the reefs for hours 

(photo credit unknown)

looking at the incredible 

shapes and colors of fish.

The yellow striped goatfish

were always swimming in schools.

(photo credit unknown)

I was too busy looking down

so I didn't notice these for a long time. 

Then I caught a flash of light out the corner of my mask

and noticed needle fish on the surface 

swimming beside us.

(photo credit unknown)

We saw some turtles in the water too.

(photo credit unknown)

It was so much fun to swim along and watch all the critters,

that is all except for the guy I saw that looked like this. 

(photo credit unknown)

He swam up and out of some coral 

right in front of me 

and opened his mouth wide!

(photo credit unknown)

I could see past his sharp pointy teeth 

and clear down his throat!

(photo credit unknown)

Didn't know it was possible to scream underwater

but it is! 

I screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed, 

arms, hands and fingers spread wide

until he retreated back into his coral!

Poor Scott was wanting to get a picture 

but that bright yellow moray eel 

wasn't coming out again!

I learned later 

that they don't open their mouth 

because they're looking to take a big bite out of you. 

They don't have gill covers 

so they open and close their mouth 

to BREATHE. 

Sorry, pal.
;)

Such a beautiful

underwater world!!

(photo credit unknown)

Maui #3 - Jason & Natalie's Family

Our nephew and niece and their family live in Hawaii. 

They were so very kind to find time 

to fly over to Maui and spend a few days with us. 

They are gift givers 

and always thoughtful. 

What a surprise when they walked off the plane 

with beautiful flower leis for us - so nice of them.

We drove up Haleakala Volcano 

to the Hosmer Grove trail and picnic area. 

I was surprised how chilly it was up there. 

Paul was surprised how low his O2 level went up there,
so we didn't do most of the little hike but the rest of them did. 

The history was cool. 

A history of Hosmer Grove with beautiful pics

=D

(photo credit unknown)

The next morning, we hit the beaches 

and the years that Jason & Natalie's family has spent in Hawaii 

became very obvious 

when they got in the water. 

They've got game! 

The beach pictured above, Makena Beach, was beautiful! 

The waves, however, were weird.

I'd never been in waves like that 

and don't know enough about waves to even describe 

how they were different but they were tricky. 

Jason was super helpful 

and told me what depth was best to stand at 

and when to jump up into the waves before they broke on my head. 

After being there less than an hour 

we heard someone yelling 

and looked up to see a lifeguard

 helping 2 people carry an older woman out of the waves. 

She was okay but it wasn't long before 

the lifeguard was on the loud speaker. 

He repeated twice that this was the most dangerous beach on Maui, 

that people were taken away every day from this beach

 with broken necks, backs, and limbs, 

that if we weren't very confident with what we were doing 

in these kinds of waves and undertows, rip tides, 

to GET OUT of the water! 

Ah, yah, I got out of the water. haha

How we love this family!!

Thanks guys for being so great! 

<3

Maui #2 - the food

Thanks friends for sharing your favorite Maui food recommendations with us!

The Nash Family said they loved Coconuts Fish Cafe Fish Tacos - we agree!

(photo credit Coconuts Fish Cafe)

Jason and Natalie's family (who live in Hawaii) said after the kids games, 

a treat teammates parents often bring for the kids are Spam Musubi's. 

 They got some for all of us.

Yummy - seaweed, spam and all! 

They also took us to Leodas for AmAZing mini pies!

The key lime were just as fantastic as the chocolate macadamia nut!

(photo credit - Leoda's)

(photo credit unknown)

We never tried any poi

(photo credit unknown)

but we did see some taro plants growing. 

On that same hike we came across this little plant

and all agreed it must be a pineapple - 

so interesting!

Scott and April found a place for us to try one night 

called Down The Hatch

and we all shared tastes of 

Lava Lava Shrimp
which was super spicy but the best shrimp 
I've ever had

(photo credit unknown)

and Lobster & Shrimp Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. 

Mmmmm!

(photo credit unknown) 

This plant took the prize for giving it's all

with the hugest blossom.

How do you like them bananas!

Maui #1 - Bamboo forest...

After the great time we had together in Alaska last year, 

Scott and April said let's go to Hawaii 

(Maui to be specific)! 

They'd been to the islands years ago 

and were wanting to go again 

but Paul and I didn't think it would really ever happen.

Just in case, haha, I started looking at some Maui instagram posts 

and this otherworldly looking bamboo forest 

showed up over and over again. 

(photographer unknown)

The fam bought me two bamboo plants years ago for our backyard

just in case a panda

should randomly wander through our neighborhood. 

One can always hope!

So this picture of a REAL bamboo forest called to us.

The impossible happened, and in March

Scott, April, Paul and I 

flew to Maui. 

I still can't believe it!

The hike to the bamboo forest was rocky, root-covered and beautiful

with waterfall vista's along the way

and then we were there!

There was bamboo everywhere! 

It felt almost sacred. 

What an beautiful world!