Welcome, Ethan Clark!

Ethan Clark has joined the family...and we are so thrilled! Mae and Owen could not love him more. Not too much to say other than we are loving his cooing, his soft skin, the funny faces he makes in his sleep, his out of control limbs, his teeny finger nails, and his deep blue eyes. We love our Ethan!

Bahamas

Wow, can't believe it's February! We enjoyed a wonderful week in the sun and loved watching Mae and Owen play in the water and sand! Mae is still enjoying Busy Bees and talks often of being a big sister to another sibling soon. Owen wishes he could be outside all day riding bikes, playing with sticks, and exploring the world around him. Buena Vista has mild winters compared to many mountain towns in Colorado but it sure is windy. We often escape inside due to the winds but we swim in Salida often, go to play dates during the week, and play in our fantastic new rental home. Baby Blazer is growing and kicking lots...I'm on a 10 week count down! We have found a great church here, Dave is growing in his job, I'm getting to help Wilderness Ranch as well as Noah's do hiring for guide staff, and we are settling into a good rhythm for now. CANNOT wait for warmer days, though! Missing all our friends and family!

Play Time

Taylor is one of Mae's favorite friends! She lives down the street and we often go see them at their home. They are so sweet together!

Owen's idea of fun is anything cars, trucks, bikes, airplanes or tractors. :)

Pumpkin Patch

We've always heard how great the Buena Vista Pumpkin Patch was and we completely agree. It's held at a community farm that feels like a family farm where you take a wagon ride to a field with the pumpkins are waiting for you to pick them out. Goats, calves, and chickens to visit along with face painting, pony rides and old fashioned games. Mae and Owen had a blast for three hours! Hooray for Fall Festivals!

Mae + soccer = ?

Mae has started soccer in Buena Vista. A bit more of a princess than a rough and tough girl, Mae's favorite part is running around and making sure we are watching her. :) When balls come her way she runs out of it's path. She runs around just enough that it almost looks like she knows what she is doing but if you watch her longer than a minute or two you will realize she doesn't quite get the concept yet. But she is so fun to watch!! Usually picking at her fingers, watching the other players, looking for mom and dad, or eagerly anticipating her end of game treat is what she is more likely up to.
Go Mae!

Owen's 2nd Birthday!

Our day was spent driving down to the Hooper Pool by the Sand Dunes! We swam in the 98 degree water, went down the slide, jumped off the diving board, and ate that beautiful jeep birthday cake that Betty made for Owen! Grandma and Grandpa Blazer joined in on the fun and we were all worn out by that afternoon. Owen came home to open gifts of trains, tools, and a new Strider bike! We are ready for more boy fun. :) I am so grateful for this sweet boy in my life.

Exploring

One day we all loaded up in Dave's jeep and headed to 11,500 feet on Mount Princeton! We discovered a beautiful chalet that Young Life build many decades ago where we had a great picnic and enjoyed a Saturday morning together. Mae and Owen both have been able to experience their first raft trips this summer! They were in awe the first trip...and loved being so close to the water. We've checked out a local farm, goat dairy, and often go on bear hikes. A light dusting of snow is now on the mountains and the kids cannot wait for the 'real' snow to set in...they are fired up about winter. :)

Slide Fun

Enjoying the outdoors at Mountain Meadows is a family favorite past time! Mae and Owen spend LOTS of time on the fort at the cabin. We play hide and seek in the grass, visit the cows and horses nearby, go on golfcart and jeep rides, jump on the tramp, bathe Noah, and play in the creeks. Mae is about to start Busy Bee's in a few weeks...Owen and I get to walk Mae to school as it is just around the corner from our house. Mae and Owen are enjoying the river and have been out twice for raft trips! On our most recent hike we got to see a bear! Owen can't stop saying 'see bear' to everyone we talk to. Noah's Ark is just about to close down for the winter...we are sad to not have staff dinners with our new friends and will miss playing with the other staff kids in the evenings. Julie, Kimberly, my dad, Melissa, George and Gracie made it up for a visit! We toured Noah's, went climbing, ate treats and K's, and enjoyed one another's company. So thankful to have family come from far away to visit.
Fall is around the corner and we can't wait for more family time together and for fun outings with friends. Always thinking of our friends and family! Love to all of you reading this!

Mae is 4!

Mae had an exciting fourth birthday celebrating with her mom and dad, brother Owen, and Grandpa and Grandma at her new home in Buena Vista. Swimming at the Salida pool is one of her favorite things to do and we all headed down to swim with the birthday girl. Mae mentioned a few days after she turned four that she doesn't feel any different than before. :) Owen loved watching Mae opened her gifts and singing happy birthday to his big sister! His big day is next in our family!

St Elmo Play Day!

Feeding chipmunks who will come sit on your lap, eating yummy snacks on the bank of a mountain stream, and strolling through a neat old mining town made for a memorable day! Mae and Owen are getting used to the freezing water they get to play in. We are really enjoying our trips around Buena Vista during the week while Dave is hard at work!

Independence Day

4th of July in Buena Vista...we knew we were in for a treat when we showed up for the big parade downtown and all the kids were holding empty grocery bags. After a few minutes into the parade, Mae and Owen were delighted to see flying candy landing at their feet coming from all the cars, horse riders, fire trucks, and tractors who were parading through the streets! Kids were frantically gathering all the candy they could when it was thrown their way, stashing it in their bags. Needless to say, 4th of July was a hit for us. Later that night we celebrated with the Noah's staff by playing basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, eating ice cream, and played with sparklers. Can't wait for next year!

A New Start

We are official residents of Buena Vista, Colorado! So far Mae and Owen love their new home...they have a neat basement to keep their toys in and we are all close and cozy. :) Owen's favorite part of his day is when we visit our neighbors across the street who are two darling girls ages 7 and 9. He hollers, 'Hi McKenna' from our window when he sees them outside. Mae is enjoying the park, has been swimming in the hot springs around town, and takes care of her little girls (dolls) every day. The photo is of our big hike on the Midland Trail just outside Buena Vista. The kids were so excited to put on their hiking shoes, find hiking sticks, and have Noah along on the journey. We made it a whole 45 minutes of hiking and everyone had a great time!
Missing friends and family in Tulsa...Mae often talks about those in our lives from home. Start planning your visits with us soon!

Saying Goodbye

The time has arrived for the Blazers to move...again! Headed back to the mountains, our little family will be packing up in four months to embrace a new adventure. It will be hard to leave family and friends here as relationships were becoming so sweet. Remembering that love is not held within the walls of a house, a coffee shop frequented, or familiar neighborhood street but that love is cultivated within relationships is what will get me through this goodbye.
A beautiful 3 years have been lived out here, with so many memories to look back on. We have so much to look forward to come July but I'm remaining here in this bittersweet phase in order to end our time well. Hoping for lots of good conversations, times with family and friends, enjoying all that this town has to offer, and remembering my childhood...and praying for underlying trust that God is behind this move and will be the one to hold these relationships together.

Day After Day...

So much of motherhood (and parenting in general) can feel so repetitive. It's a struggle for me to find joy in the daily tasks, to not let exhaustion cloud the beauty of the moment. On this day I spent time with just my two kids and Dave. It was an hour where no one else in the world mattered and we were fully present in our surroundings..soaking up these precious moments with Mae and Owen. They both continue to teach me how to let go and embrace them as they are, embrace what life brings you. Being content with less, running around less, and realizing what you thought you wanted to do really doesn't bring fulfillment are a few other things I am being taught. Thank goodness we have these little ones in our lives to bring perspective to our complicated adult worlds!

Happy Birthday, Owen!

Owen is finally one year old! This year has flown by...yet with many long days and nights. Owen was thrilled with his first cupcake..red velvet with cream cheese frosting (and sprinkles compliments of Mae). Owen keeps us smiling as we watch him half crawl/half walk to the sandbox, as he digs in the garden, as he obsessively picks up leaves by the stem, and as he eats like a horse. (He tries to whinney like a horse, too!) Owen still loves animals with horses, dogs, and cows being his favorite. He has many loves in his life: dad, Mae's favorite stuffed toy Ted, his blankey, his new wolf, any and all food, his squeaky lamb, finding the moon in the sky, his dad's soccer ball, the red wagon we pull him in daily, food, crawling into Mae's room to wake her up from her nap, and his favorite part of the day is when his dad coming home in the evenings.
Thank you, Owen, for being our little boy...and thank you, God, for letting Dave and I be his mom and dad while on earth. Love you, boy!

Goodbye, Hoppy!

Sweet Hoppy. We had over a year of life with you. Mae and Owen LOVED bringing you carrots, visiting you in your hutch, and watching you hop around the house. A favorite memory was watching you jump into our fireplace while a fire was going! Luckily you survived! A crazy day for you was when you had 10 kids chasing you around the back yard during our spring party! Owen misses watching you through the cage but Noah will miss his little friend the most.
Thank you for being part of our family!

Mae Turns 3

Really? It is time for Mae to be three years old? Mae is really a 10 year old trapped in a 3 year old body. Not really since she loves princess dresses, baby dolls, and dancing...even though most of us gals still enjoy all those things throughout life. :) Mae is so full of life. These days all she wants is to be given devoted attention as she twirls in her dresses, plays with her stuffed animals, and pretends in her room. To capture her heart, one only has to be present, focused, and be authentic. She knows when you are bluffing. She is so aware that she now will make me walk over and look at what she is showing me, even though I say that I see it. Owen challenges her a bit. She now has to share her time and toys with him. Some days she wakes up and he does everything wrong, other days she is eager to share almost anything with him.
Mae and I still have lots of fun together, even though much of my energy is now being diverted to Owen. When I do focus and get down with her and involved in her play, I am transported back to my 3 year old self and find pleasure in diapering cabbage baby and saddling up plastic horses.
Thank you Mae for making me laugh, for preventing me from taking life too seriously most days, and for being my constant companion.
Happy Birthday!

Checking for Rain

This was the week earlier in the month that it rained almost everyday...oh, to have those days back again! Last night we shared a meal with our long time friends, the Young family. Troy and Stephanie, along with their four fabulous boys (Tristan, Coleman, Blake, and Timmy), are moving from Mississippi where they've been for at least 12 years. In August, the six of them are packing up and moving to Littleton, Colorado where they will begin their new life in the West...pursuing their dreams of opening a retreat of healing and rest for believers. The first step is seminary for Troy and then on to the mountains to set up this retreat. To witness this transition in their lives is really amazing. It reminds me that God is active in our lives and will lead us on great adventures, life changing journeys, if we learn to listen to His voice, act in obedience, and trust Him completely. Hooray for the Young Family!!
As Mae keeps tabs on the rainfall in Tulsa, I will be practicing being quiet and listening to God's voice in my life.

A New Relationship

As Dave and I were driving home from a fun dinner, I heard babbling coming from both sides of the back seat. Mae and Owen were 'talking' to each other...Mae reverting back to baby talk for Owen's sake. They both were smiling and fully enjoying their interaction! I could see Owen's arms wildly waving toward Mae and saw him straining forwards to get a better look at her. Mae was staring at him while she made funny faces as she talked to him. It really was adorable! Hopefully this was the first of many good and fun moments that occur only between the two of them.

Newly Wed

Our first photo together, besides the thousands of wedding photos we took! We were on our honeymoon in Belize. Today is our 6 year anniversary and tonight we watched our wedding video for only the second time since we've been married. Hoping it would be a delightful experience as we laughed and remembered that sweet day, I decided to bring us both down by getting extremely emotional over it all. On my wedding day there was a lot going on besides Dave and I, yet that is what I focused on. When I watch it again, I don't focus on Dave and I and instead I find myself feeling all the emotions that go with the 'other stuff' that was going on. My parents had recently separated and were divorcing, I was leaving an incredible family in Mississippi (the Youngs) and saying goodbye to that chapter of my life, and my mom's health was steadily declining. On top of that, to see both my mom and grandmother (who are now both deceased) brings so much longing from my heart. To be with them, to hear their voices, to be under their authority and guidance...I miss those times. I also found myself grieving over what could have been. My life with Dave is far better than that wedding day, by far. We have had many adventures and still do to this day! Yet I find myself wondering if I made wrong decisions on where to live, what jobs to take, etc. I'm at a point in my life that I'm realizing how quickly time passes. I may not have very long, I might have 60 more years, but either way I know I need to be living out of who God made me to be, or I'm wasting time. I fear that I am not and I'm not sure where to go from here...