Spring fever

These are awesome flowers in our yard.  Anyone know the name of them?  We don't, but we would like to know.  

The garden is all planted.  It has been a very friendly spring, and everything is thriving.  We finally planted our seedlings that we had inside for so long.

Yesterday I took a nap, and Nate fed the kids cookie dough.  Yes, that's the size of their dough balls.  Good grief!

Saturday we hosted a BBQ at our house and made homemade rootbeer for the first time.  It was really cool!  It tasted great too.

Saturday morning we went on a short, but steep hike with the Woods.  It was really pretty and it was fun to look down our our little town.  

Ben has taken up photography with our old digital camera.  Luckily I bought rechargable batteries last time I was at Costco.  He has filled up his memory card many times already.  I have loved looking at things from his point of view when we have imported the pictures.  He's quite good!

Pretty Flowers

These flowers are for all the women who have had a miscarriage.  I had one yesterday and I was 6 1/2 weeks pregnant.

I know as a mom I will never forget that horrible day of miscarrying.  I also know I will never forget the love I already felt for a life growing within me, even one so short.  I can't believe so many women go through this.  I feel peace, and will be fine, but still so sad.  Nate is just as sad.  I am lucky to have a family that needs me to keep on going and finding joy.  I am also lucky to have such kind, thoughtful friends nearby that encircle me in their love.  I would wish every woman who has experienced such trauma was so blessed.  

What we've been up to

On our motor home trip last weekend we stopped at Soda Springs, Idaho.  The springs gave sparkling water for free.  A sign said springs were for drinking, not swimming.  The water tasted like rusty pipes to me.  I wonder if this is where we came up with Soda Pop.

Back in March I planted garden seeds indoors since the growing season is so short here.  Who knew we would be harvesting green beans in April!  The plants have gone bananas indoors, but it's still too early to plant these ones outside.  Well, for all you apartment dwellers, here you have it.  You can have fresh produce by growing things inside.  

It may still be cool, but bring on Spring!  Yeah!  Here's the beautiful/handsome fam, minus me.

In April Nate and I celebrated 9 years of marriage by going on a really fun trip down to Mexico.  My parents held down the fort for us at home with the kids.  On the way back from Chitzen Itza our tour guide took us to this amazing "cenote" or well (cave) with amazing swimming hole.  I wish the picture was better.  It was breath taking.  The water was clear and refreshing.  

Nate and I outside our room at the Barcelo Palace.  We HIGHLY recommend this place, but only if you want to be spoiled.  The beach was the best beach we have ever been to.  The water was warm, clear, and full of fun fish filled reefs.  

Now, how do you say that?  So CUTE!

Blaine happenings

Nate and Ben skiing by the cabin we rented for Nate's birthday. It was the best trail!!!


Deven enjoying grapefruit for breakfast.

Happy 32nd Nate! We love you! (yes, we packed the cake into the cabin)

Here we are on our way into the cabin. It was a 1/2 mile ski trip up little cottonwood canyon in Salt Lake. Not too far at all, and the kids did fabulous!

Ben crashed pretty good here, but by his smile you see his attitude about cross country skiing. He is a trooper! He even skied up to the lake and back with Nate and I. He also didn't mind skiing back up the best hills, so we could zoom down them again.

Ben and I by silver lake. It was fun to stand here and watch the downhill skiers go down those mountains behind us. I think Nate would have rather been up there on the black diamonds. Ben and I were content to glide along the friendlier terrain.

Nate tried so hard to make a sledding hill for them to go down. By the next day it was pretty good. Looked like too much hard work to me!

Joe and Cindy and their kids came up for Emily's baptism. Joe and Nate took off on the snow machines Saturday. They were gone for a long time and we supposed they were having fun. They ended up spending most of their time digging them out of the snow. They took the "road less traveled" and it ended up burying their machines. They got a work out digging.

Our beautiful Emily was baptized on February 22nd. It was a great day because my mom, Cindy and Joe, Jill and Thain, and Stacey and Jeremy, and Holly and her kids came to celebrate with us. That made it extra special.

Now this is the cutest thing I have ever seen. On Saturday Deven let us take off his training wheels (they weren't really working anyway), and off he went. He's only 3! He works so hard to keep up with us, and biking is one of his talents. He loves his "two wheeler", and it's a hoot to watch him ride the little thing.

Happy V Day and a new addition to our family

We have a new addition to our fam and I didn't even have to be pregnant! Soap was given to us by a friend of a friend. He's name was Sophia until they found out he wasn't a girl, and shortened his name to Soap. He's so affectionate! I've never had a bird nuzzle up to me, but Soap does it to all of us. He loves the kids and doesn't mind all the attention they are giving him. So, we talked Nate into a pet, and it's so fun!


The snow keeps falling! Today it fell a bunch more, and this snow fort is now buried under another foot of snow. I have to go out and find Nate and beg him to come do something else because the kids all came in before him and are whining at me. He loves being outside in the snow working on the snowfort (almost mansion now) or the sledding hill (almost mountain now).



These two pictures say it all. Happy Valentine's Day! Love, the Blaines

The old and the new

After the last 10 or so years of long hair, I am ready for a change. I am excited about my new do. Ben took this picture of me. He loves taking pictures just like his Dad.


Emily, Ben and Deven collecting icicles with Daddy at the church.

Nate on our fun cross country ski date behind our house.

Nate put lots of snow in the middle of our driveway circle and made a really fun sled run. We all are having a great time on it with Ben's new sled from Grandma.

I just didn't get around to a Christmas letter this year. I guess this will have to be a poor substitute. We are well and staying plenty busy with life.

I was getting back to organizing pictures and I found these quotes from the kids from the last year.

Emily: After chatting with Aunt Jill for just a minute, "Can I hand the phone over to my mom yet?"

Ben while in car with Jill while she was making a u-turn commented in GPS language about her driving. "Did you type in all around the town Jill?"

Emily: I served canned beets on a salad to which she said "I don't like beets." I said, "yes you do, we grow them in the garden and you love to eat them." She replied "Yes, but not these cooped up ones from the store."

Ben: I told him not to get too full on dinner or he wouldn't have any room for dessert (what a healthy Mom I am), and he happily commented "I hungry up pretty fast."

Everything Deven says at 3 is adorable to me, so I can't quote everything he says and do it justice without his cute voice. He loves telling me that he's a big boy. He calls white, "wipe" and the other kids think that's hilarious.

That sums up what's new and old this year.

September and October... The joys of fall time.

Say cheese, it's time to take more pictures for our blog. Grandma is requesting more pictures!
Deven happily complies.


Happy 30th Jill! We love you! We are watching her dog Spunky while she and Thain are traveling all over Europe. Lucky!


Last weekend we went to Vernal, Utah and to the National Dinosaur Monument. Look very closely. They are pointing at a leg bone literally sticking out of the rock. Very cool! The kids LOVED it. Nate said as a kindergartner he was fascinated with dinosaurs and would have been in heaven in a place like this.

Emily and Ben hiking up a little cliff with Nate. Deven and I opted for safer ground.


Emily sliding down a natural rock slide we found on our rainy hike.


This canyon was a lady's pig pen. Literally. She lived out here all by herself and was self sufficent for 40 years without modern conviences. Amazing. This canyon echoed like crazy. Ben and Nate grew hoarse from all the yelling and echoing. Spunky, the dog, was going crazy with all the noise.



Can you find Ben and Emily?


Riding in the new motorhome was really rough.



The family at Flaming Gorge Dam.

Ben, Deven and Nate looking at Mommy trying to take a nap. I didn't get much sleep.




Ben the rock mountain climber.





Our new motorhome. Nate has been wanting one forever. We found this one for a really good price. It's older, but it works. I am the least excited about our new addition, but the others are really excited. The fall colors up in Flaming Gorge were breath taking!

Here is Heidi, my partner in crime most days here in Mantua. I received boxes of apples, pears, and peaches for free this summer. She patiently helped me can and preserve the abundance of fruit. Thanks Heidi!!! Her son Tyler and my Deven are the same age. We have a lot of fun together. A couple of days ago we ventured up in the moutains behind Mantua with the boys for a picnic.

Here I am with the boys.


The kids are holding beets. Yes, beets, that have been neglected in our garden. It's supposed to snow this weekend (boo hoo), so it's time to hurry and get everything out of our garden.

This picture is for my mom. She asked for pictures of the canning I have been doing. Here is the result of my pear canning yesterday. The jars look so pretty when they are done. Canning is not my favorite activity, but I can't pass up delicious free fruit!

Sorry for such a long blog, but I just don't get the chance to do this very often! Happy Fall!