The Carberry Wave

The "Real Santa"

2011-12-16T21:50:00.000-08:00

Santa made a visit to the Dana Point Harbor and we were lucky enough to get him all to ourselves. We are anxiously awaiting the big day and can't wait to see our families and friends in Idaho!

Evan's 3!

2011-12-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

Snowboarder Cake

Halloweenie!!

2011-11-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

Try not to get too scared by this spooky ghost!!!!

Don't worry there's a strong fireman around to help protect you.

Sam's ghost costume only lasted for pictures (turned out that wearing a sheet around is rather uncomfortable). He was over it and put on his knight costume for trick or treating.

Grandma and Grandpa Carberry joined us this year for Halloween and also to celebrate both of their birthdays. The boys were so excited to design their cake. We made "Lego Guy Golfer Cake".

Love and miss you all soooo much!

Hard Cider

2011-10-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Many of us have heard of this saying. I think that most of us just don't know that "the apple" is referring to a tall glass of hard cider. Hard cider or fermented apple juice was the most popular drink during colonial times. It was more common than water because the fermentation process killed all of the bad bacteria often found in well water. Also, apple trees were originally planted for the purpose of making cider not for eating apples. Surprising I know. I learned all of this on our drive with our friends up to Julian, a small town east of San Diego famous for its apple orchards. Vila, our friend from Finland gave me this little history on apples in the US. His plan was to juice 10 gallons of cider.

Cider making production line: apples ground up, then pressed and poured into five gallon glass jars. By the end there were happy bees everywhere. Took two hours to press 10 gallons of cider and will only take 3 wks. minimum to make hard cider.

This is the owner of the apple farm showing us how to run the juicer. The boys thought that he was a pirate. While Vila worked, the boys and I went on mission to find the hidden tepee where this "pirate" sleeps.

We picked apples for eating. The boys loved the simplicity of food growing on trees. Imagine that!

Apple Orchard Ninja Gang....watch out!

Sam I Am

2011-09-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

Sam likes to talk right before he goes to sleep at night. That is when he wants to tell you about all the the rich ideas and feelings that move through his mind. Last night he told me, "I have two brains. My second brain is my heart. It remembers everything. I think that I can hear a little thinker in there."
Sam carries with him a longing for deep understanding of the world and the way things work. A few days ago he said, "What is God made of?"
I said, "Everything."
Then he asked, "Who made God?"

Here Sam is ready to go out and learn in the world at his first day of Kindergarten at Journey School. (Happy here, but the tears came later and for the first week. Now, thank goodness he loves his school.)

Evan is my helper in the kitchen. On this particular day we were making Joe's birthday cake and yes Evan is wearing a batter beard. Yum!

The boys love to celebrate a birthday!

Grandpa Doug

2011-09-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

We love you....thanks for the belly laughs!

p.s. I will post more from our fun summer soon and can't wait for some girlies to get back on the blogwagon. I thought this would be a nice way to start it off.

School's Out!

2011-06-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Sam finished his last day of Serra Preschool this past Monday. He says he is ready to have more time with his Legos this summer and with his mama (ah what a sweetie). For me, I get all weepy picturing the first day that I dropped him off, such a little guy and now he has grown so much just as all of his friends there have. I realize that we will probably see very little of these Serra friends because most will be going to different schools next year. It is during these big transitions that make me stop and appreciate how lucky I am to share most of my days with our beautiful boys. Many experienced parents have told me, "It really is such a short time." For me, a very special time.

Sam and his teacher, the lovely Mrs. Donaldson. She's a lover for sure.

All the kids got a special treat with their certificates and of course Evan needed one too.

Preparing ourselves for summer break, we went camping up to Lake Arrowhead this past weekend. It is located in the San Bernardino Mountains east of here, less than two hours away if it weren't for the millions of people between here and there. Once we were settled at our campsite we had a wonderful time. Sam and Evan loved their freedom to roam.

The boys showing me their battle stance.

Too cold for swimming...but Sam got convinced to take a dip.

Get me out of here!

We're are looking forward to our time in Idaho this August. xoxo

Sam's Birthday

2011-04-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sam began telling me about his birthday party last summer. He told me that he wanted space guys on his cake, a rocket pinata, and to have the party at his house. Luckily he kept to this theme throughout the months of asking, "How much longer until I turn five?" He got to celebrate with his friends at school by being the "star friend" and walking around the sun holding the earth. I made a special snack of Sam's choosing for his class. Pizza, strawberries, carrots, and pineapple. Healthy and colorful choices for my big little man. For his special birthday dinner with the family he wanted a taco cart, but settled for mom making the fish tacos.

Let's get this party started!

The cake with space guys, a homemade rocket, star candles, and ice cream frosting as requested.(Evan got to blow out his own little candle.)

The PRESENTS!

Thanks family for all of the lego loot. Everyday since the party Sam has to go to "work" in his room by himself with his new legos. He tells me this as soon as he's done with his breakfast. So cute and I've been able to get some work done too with Evan as my side kick.

These are special times and we are so blessed. Love to you all!

Spring Breakers!

2011-03-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

And yet another example of what the Califonia sun can do to winter white vacationers....

Ryan is still smiling because the lifeguard rescued him out of the rip at Salt Creek Beach. This was after Emily was also caught in the rip and Ryan gave her the boogie board.

Look familiar Brian?!

Thanks Emily and Ryan for making the trip. We had a wonderful time with both of you.

Next up: Kristie & Ryan, and then Kati
Yea! Can't wait...and bring your sunscreen!!!!

Costa Rica

2011-02-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

Joe and I were able to quench our travel bug with a "work trip" to Zancudo in Southern Costa Rica. Once we arrived in San Jose we took a jumper plane which allowed amazing views of the Pacific Coastline. Our little plane landed on a tiny strip of runway deep in the jungle. As we stepped off of the plane the humid air was like a warm, welcoming hug reminding me that Southern California is definitely a desert. From there we took a taxi to a dock where we got on a boat which would take us to Zancudo Lodge. Compared to much of the traveling Joe and I did in our earlier years this trip was proving to be simple and luxurious. Check out Joe's website for more on our trip:
www.supthemag.com/features/notes-from-the-field-costa-rica
www.supthemag.com/features/notes-from-the-fiel-costa-rica-2/

My afternoon siesta spot, reading by the pool.

We started our days at 5am with the sunrise, ate breakfast, then met up at the boat which would take us to surf, paddle, fish, and explore the many things to do in the area.

The crew: myself-female support, Joe-writer, Sean-professional surfer, and Rob-photographer

Evening Bocce Ball

Joe riding a nice one.

Thanks again G&G Carberry for watching the little guys. I hope you're all finding some reprieve from the winter greys. Love and miss you all!

Christmas Past Due Post

2011-02-09T19:47:00.000-08:00

Although we missed being in Idaho with our families over the holidays, we enjoyed not traveling and having a quite, yet still exciting Christmas in California. On Christmas Eve we took a family bike ride up to our friend's pool for an afternoon swim which proved to be an excellent way to burn off some of the boys' energy. That evening Joe treated us to his delicious Chicken Parmesan and I contributed to the feast with homemade Tiramisu for dessert. We continued the Blackhurst tradition of toasting someone at the table. Sam and Evan loved to do cheers and recognized our "special dinner" with candles, music, and flowers. We let the boys open one present that they had given each other. Then they set out the cookies, milk and carrots outside so they were ready for Santa. Once the kids were in bed, Joe and I had so much fun getting everything ready. It really felt magical! Below the boys are in their Christmas jammies from Grandma Sue.

Let the fun begin!!!! Legos, motorcycles and Scooby Doo.

A look from above at the mess.

Now it's time to play!

We celebrated Christmas Dinner with our friends Jeff, Nysa, Amelia, and their grandparents. It was another warm, sunny day so we barbecued steaks and salmon at their house. It was a special season and Sam is still wondering why it can't be Christmas all the time. We love and miss all of you very much!

Tired!

2011-01-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

Evan 1 & 2

2010-12-30T21:53:00.000-08:00

Where has the past month gone? Where has the past year gone for that matter? Evan turned two on Nov. 29th and I realized that I had forgotten to post his first birthday party. It must be because his birthday falls right before the craziness of the holidays. So here you get both, and it is quite fun to see the difference a year makes.

#1-Pancake Party at the Pier

A little party in the mud with Amelia. Evan knows how to have a good time.

.

#2-Pizza and a Movie Night

Evan loves movie night. Almost daily, he says, "Movie night, popcorn, and the beast." He is referring to his favorite movie, The Sandlot. Here he enjoys a few big bowls of popcorn with Tavi, Sam and Teo.

Motorcycle Guy Cake...his choice and Sam had the idea of the guy crashing into the mud.

Grandma Sue came into town for the celebration. Here they are making birthday hats.

Evan you are my little nugget! We all love you so much!

Mammoth Mountain

2010-11-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

Mammoth is a spectacular mountain. We stayed right at the main lodge which is at 9000 ft. From there the top of the mountain is at 11,000 ft., and that isn't even the whole mountain. We spent most of our time (weather permitting) on the bunny hill teaching Sam how to ski. He took right to it turning, stopping, crashing, and even going off a few jumps. Evan enjoyed the fun from Joe's back, but I think he probably would've liked to ski as well if the wind wasn't blowing 40-60mph. Here we are taking a ride up and down the gondola on our first day. As I mentioned the weather was burly, very cold and the snow was blowing sideways.

Luckily on our last day the storm let up and it was a blue sky powder day. Joe and I took turns skiing on our own and then hanging in the lodge with the kids. Evan napped and Sam loved playing quarter football with dad. Next time a grandma or grandpa might have to come along for the fun.

Trike-a-thon & Camping

2010-11-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

Sam's school has an annual fundraiser that helps get the kids involved in the earning. Family and friends sponsor $ for each lap that the child rides. Sam loved decorating his bike for the fun event. Evan had to get in on the action as well, decorating and riding with the big kids. He doesn't seem to notice that he is any smaller.

Love his confidence.

After the Trike-a-thon, we loaded up the van and headed to SanO for some camping on the beach with our friends and their kiddos. The only time we can make it out camping here is during the off season and typically when someone invites us to join their spot. Almost all coastal camping you have to reserve a year in advance and growing up in Idaho, we are not used to such regulations. Actually this particular spot is owned by the military so our friend's grandpa, a former marine, hooked us up with the reservation.

Sam and Kai

Evan and Kahili

Love this look.

And love this hair. If you click on this photo you might be able to see the serious bonk Evan has on his forehead. The kids were doing a lot of wrestling and just as the mama warned, somebody did get hurt.

You might be wondering...why the furniture? Well we have neccessities when we camp. Who doesn't enjoy a nice snugglefest in a loveseat while you watch the sunset behind the ocean? Actually the grandpa brought it by hoping someone would like to take it home. I think we left it for the next camper.

p.s. This post actually happened before the hair incident, so I will post some new shots of Sam's new look soon.

Scissors!

2010-11-15T13:51:00.001-08:00

On Saturday I gave both of the boys haircuts. Sam looked so cute with his still long, wavy trimmed up locks. On Sunday he found the scissors that I had left out and decided to give himself a haircut (it seems like all kids do this at some point). Today he got to go to school with his bang mullet. It might be time for a buzz cut.

Super "E" & Super "S"

2010-11-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

I actually got a little crafty this Halloween and made the boys super hero capes. You'll have to excuse the photo quality below, I couldn't get them to hold still for even a few seconds.

Trick-or-Treating with Amelia the witch

Evan's Keepin' Up

2010-10-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Evan loves to hang out with the big boys. He thinks he is a big boy. Here he is below eating hot dogs with Sam and Tavi at San Onofre Beach. As you'll see from the video, he has also gotten quite fast on the balance bike.

I also wanted to share a couple of memorable things the boys said recently:

When Joe asked Sam, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Sam replied, "An Aweean."

"An Alien!!"

"Yes, I want to be an Aweean."

Here's a couple on Evan:

When asked how old he is, Evan consistently and confidently answers, "Eight!"

He also loves to exclaim "I did it!" after picking up his toys, getting into the car seat by himself, taking his shoes off, reaching for his water bottle in the van, etc. etc.

October (so far)

2010-10-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

Evan and Teo. Teo is Tavi's little brother who gets to play at our house while the big boys are at school.

Evan with his friend Amelia at the Santa Ana Zoo.

Still at the Zoo driving the Safari Jeep.

We actually made it to Disneyland! Luckily we got in free because the rain was pouring and the boys were scared. FYI: The Buzz Lightyear ride is a little much for four year olds and way too much for two year olds.

Sam flying high on the only ride that didn't make him nervous.

Keep it simple....right! This is at a park across from the hotel we were staying at in Ventura. Joe got to take the family along for a surfing event he was covering there for SUP Magazine. The boys love to stay at hotels. Sam calls our hotel room, "Our little house." And of course the boys are fascinated with the t.v., the pool, and the breakfast buffet (this hotel had Lucky Charms:).

This is a beautiful and gigantic Fig Tree from Australia planted in the 1800's. The boys had fun climbing on the roots. While playing, we had to watch out for falling figs.

As you may have already noticed from the photos we have had a lot of grey, marine layer days here on the coast in So Cal. A lot for here that is. This last shot is one overlooking what we could see of the Ventura coastline.

Ok sisters (Summer not included)....I am ready to see some more posts! Get back on the blogwagon please. Emily you should start one as well so that we can see a little glimpse of life in Seattle. Love and miss you all!

Brooks

2010-09-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

About a month ago Sam exclaimed that he no longer liked his name and he wanted everyone to call him Tavi. Tavi is his school/neighborhood friend who shares a similar liking for make believe. Above you'll find them painting their "guy transporting rocket ship". This name changing business continued even on the first day of school when Sam saw his teacher and told her that he changed his name to Tavi. Here Sam or shall I say Tavi is with Evan heading off to his first day of three days a week preschool. While Sam is away Evan is constantly asking, "Where's Nammy?". Evan may have missed the name changing memo.

More recently Sam has decided that his name is Brooks, another friend who lives around the corner and happens to have a playroom as big as our whole place. Brooks , the real Brooks that is happens to love playing in our play closet. Anyways let me divert a little to somehow pull all of this together.

A couple of days ago Joe helped Sam catch a little lizard which they made a new home for in a jar with holes poked in the lid. After encouragement from myself and Grandpa Jim, the boys agreed to let the lizard free in our back patio. Of course the lizard is nowhere to be seen and Sam is anxious for a pet. He told me he wants a turtle that he can take care of in a little cage. Well this mama is not ready for a turtle just yet. So we agreed we would start with a fish.

It is my pleasure to introduce our very first pet fish named................................................Brooks. Yes I am sure you probably guessed the name and I am hoping that Sam will put the name changing business to rest for now.

Sam giving Brooks a hug. I told him he shouldn't put his hands in the fish bowl if he wants Brooks to live for more than a week. I'll keep you posted!

2010-08-30T15:10:00.001-07:00

Get Ready.....

2010-06-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

These busy boys are excited to see you!!!!!

Our pizza making project turned into snowboard jumping lego guys.

And now meet Sam as his own version of a Star Wars Storm Trooper:

Also as Spiderman, face-painted at his school carnival:

p.s. Evan's favorite word lately is bum-bum, thanks to the preschool vocabulary of Sammy. Coincidentally it is also his favorite word to call his big brother.

Thanks!

2010-05-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

This one goes out to Grandma and Grandpa Carberry for coming to take care of the boys while I went to Missoula to fix my tooth (as well as a little relaxing break from mothering). The kids had a great time and miss having their grandparents watch them ride their bikes over and over again. Don't worry Jim and Sue, we'll be bringing the bikes to Idaho this summer. Thanks again! We love you and look forward to a whole bunch of quality time together just a month away. Thanks to Russ and Julie as well, for a wonderful stay. I felt very spoiled with bike rides, hikes, cornmeal pancakes for breakfast, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and a night out to delicious pizza. The root canal wasn't bad either. Sending love to you all!

Evan's legs are not quite long enough to sit on the seat so he eagerly rides his bike by walking along side it. He'll do this for blocks. Strangers will stop in their cars to tell me how cute he is.

Classic Toy

2010-05-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

We love the stairs!

Son's Day

2010-05-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I was putting Sam to bed he said, "When is Son's Day?" Not fully understanding him I corrected, "You mean Sunday?"
"No, Son's Day. Then you can get me presents and make me hotdogs for breakfast and waffles too."
Sam, he's full of all sorts of great ideas.

The sons and I celebrating Mom's Day with a campfire, picnic, and bike ride at Caspers Wilderness Area.

Like father, like son. Seriously you must see how they have the same pidgeoned toed walk with an equal tendency to trip a bit.

Snuggly boys napping in the chariot.

You might notice Evan's first haircut. His hair remains white with one black spot still growing in the back.

We took a family shot on this same tree last Mother's Day. Thanks my boys it has been a sweet one.

Birthday PARTY!

2010-04-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here are several highlights from the celebratory week:

Sam with the earth in his hands took a walk around the sun four times symbolizing the four full years he's been here. After his big day at school as "star friend" he had a party in the park with his friends.

Prior to the actual day, we went with Grandma Carberry to the Wild Animal Park. Our favorite was seeing the five day old baby elephant. One of the kid's favorites was the playground.

Sam with his teacher Mrs. Donaldson preparing him for his big walk.

His choice: A knights and dragons birthday cake

His other request: a pinata (lucky boy)

We finished off our week with a camping trip at the beach. Once again the van is proving to be so cozy for our little family.

Roadtrip

2010-04-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

Seven hours in a car with a busy toddler trapped in a car seat can be, as many of you know way too much work. So as I was preparing for our trip north to Santa Cruz I was dreading the drive, particularly out of LA, and hoped my basket of tricks would keep the boys entertained. Despite the "toys" I bring which might work for like five minutes, we end up entertaining each other. On this drive we did a little role playing: Evan impersonating Sam's crazy face (the photo doesn't do it justice you must see this in person). Everyone pretending to be the lead singer in a rock band. Head banging to "crazy music". Sam as photographer. Silly hat swap, etc., etc. We made it and had a great time. I appreciate Santa Cruz for its real, easy-going vibe unlike the sparkly OC and the weather was amazing. Joe worked the waves while the boys and I were able to reconnect with my longtime friend Kristin Kosglow and her boys. (She has two-Ronin 20 months, and Reese 2 months.) Sam loved staying in the hotel and continues to talk about the pool which was actually a hot tub. The drive home went well. We did it at night so the kids slept most of the way. We are looking forward to our trip home to Idaho this July. I am sure there will be many memories made on that 15 hour jaunt. Can't wait!

Excited Evan

Superstars!

Evan and Ronin

Kristin with the babe on the boob-of course!

Found this beauty....the picture doesn't show off its magnificent purple
hue.

Sand, tastes delicious!

Biking Boys

2010-03-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Sam is moving on from his balance bike to a pedal bike. Here he is trying it out for the first time. Evan is trying to get in on the action as well pushing his tricycle. Whatever they ride they are having a blast! This is out in front of our new place and we love that we are no longer on a steep hill next to a narrow street with cars that drive by way too fast. As you can see this is a much better bike riding path.

Evan is becoming quite the little character. He likes to recreate Sam's "excited face" by raising his eyebrows, tightening his jaw and making his face really red (I am trying to capture it on film). He also really wants to talk and is saying more and more everyday...boat, bike, howwwse, meeaboo, pane (plane), yam (Sam), poop, mama, dada, nigh-nigh, boob....which he is now off of, however he seems to remember and continues to ask for them. He is also biting and hitting and doesn't care to stop even when I say no and instead will smack me. He is already taking little time outs for this because I am not sure what else to do. Any suggestions? However, I have to admit he is still cute even when he is being a naughty boy.

Moving! (again)

2010-02-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

This time it is just a couple miles down the hill. We're upgrading to a three bedroom that is nicely situated on the bluff overlooking Dana Point Harbor amongst multi-million dollar homes (I'm not sure how we snuck in there). Soon we will have more space so that our lovely visitors can actually have a little room of their own. Of course it will be an office/playroom/guest room. We're hoping it might entice a couple of grandparents to get out here to visit a little more often. Now to tempt a few more of you with cabin fever...It's almost 80 degrees here for crying out loud!

Prior to our present packing project, my two sons and I took a plane to Montana to visit Russ and Julie and get a root canal. The root canal went rather smoothly thanks to Russ and his fine motor skills, but the plane ride with the boys was hectic. Thanks goodness it was a direct flight.

Uncle Russ helped Sam and Evan spin their first bowl. They enjoyed using the tools.

We took Sukha on a walk to the creek and Sam insisted on staying off the trail and running in the woods like Sukha. He would even roll around on his back in the snow just as Sukha did. Pretty cute until it was time to walk back and Sam was all out of energy and wanted me to carry him. Once we got back to their house, Sam went out back to play with the ducks when he was surprised by a couple of deer looking for free food. After I went in to check on Evan, I heard Sam yelling for me and found him hiding in the chicken coop. Not a bad idea considering the deer was a lot bigger than he is.

After returning from Montana, Jim and Sue took an impromptu drive out to see their prized grandsons and help relieve an already tired mama whose husband was about to go into deadline mode @ work. Below the boys still love the blow up bed. Evan thinks he's jumping but his feet haven't quite learned to push off yet. Instead his eyebrows lift as if he really was jumping.

So long Alcazar Street and thanks for the memories....

Here we come Santa Clara!

Silly Boys

2010-01-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

We have spent most of the last couple of weeks indoors due to sick kids and torrential rains (finally some real weather here in sunny California and I know I shouldn't complain). Today the sun has returned and the sky is a much brighter, crisper shade of blue and more importantly both boys are well. Sam was the first to catch the stomach bug which only lasted for a day with him, but Evan held onto it for ten long days. I am relieved and catching up on sleep now that Evan has returned to his happy go lucky self. Sam is excited to have his little sidekick back. Yesterday Sam wanted to copy Evan's attire and run around in only a diaper, so of course I had to take a photo. The matching diaper outfit progressed to striped shirts and jam pants.

This shot is Evan, prior to being sick enjoying an entire Haagen Daz Ice Cream Bar (a lick from mine just wasn't enough). Decadence at it's best.

Our version of sledding.

Christmas in Idaho

2010-01-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

A glimpse of the action at the Blackhurst's Christmas Eve

Grandpa showing off his new skills on the guitar. Evan approved.

A lucky break from the kids with a sunny day of powder skiing at Pilot's Peak with Brian Compton. Oh how I miss the advantages of having family around.

Sam is ready for fun in the snow in his stylin' Euro one piece. He loved playing with his friend Angus up in McCall.

Our mini snowman. The snow was way too light and fluffy for building regular snowmen.

And now check out Evan enjoying his first taste of the white stuff.

Guess Who Got to See Santa?

2009-12-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

.....Well the little guys got to see Santa too. (Thank goodness they kept their pants on.) Evan cried and wouldn't sit for the photo. Sam was amped to tell Santa everything that he wants for Christmas. The list keeps growing. I advice him that he might want to narrow it down a bit.

Sam is sooooooo excited about the gingerbread house we put together! Can you tell?

Celebrating Evan's First Year

2009-11-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

"One day, someone calls her 'Mother'. This is what she remains for the rest of her life."

-Cao Xue Qin

(I turned to this in my daily quote book on the day I went into labor with Evan. Then, I immediately called my Mom and told her to change her flight. Thankfully, she made it that night @9pm and Evan was born early the next morning @ 7am.)

*See post below for a slideshow of Evan's first year.

2009-11-28T14:54:00.001-08:00

Yosemite

2009-11-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

Oh the glory of this beautiful place! You must put this on your checklist of places you want to see in your lifetime. And if you go make sure you're not camping with little ones in November. We naively headed for the mountains from our constantly comfortable existence at sea level expecting maybe a slight chill (we really should have known better). The first morning we awoke to the sound of a bear gulping down orange juice (I'll elaborate more on this in a bit) and to a bitter 16 degrees. The kids were crying because they couldn't feel their hands and we spent the morning huddled around the fire. That first day we realized that due to the location of our camping spot deep in the canyon, we would not get the sun until high noon and after a few hours it would hurry off behind the other side of the towering granite walls. From then on we were up early and out of there, off to find the sun.

Evan's dirty suit. (Thanks for the idea Aims.) He had multiple layers underneath. Evan loved to crawl around and get into whatever he could so we just let him have at it, then stripped off the outermost layer when it was time to get into the van.

Hiking to higher ground. Joe, Evan, and our friend Mike.

I got to snuggle with both of my boys all night long in the comfort of our van's queen size bed. It was seriously really warm and cozy, and we should have slept peacefully if it wasn't for Sam getting sick and the bear that I previously mentioned coming back to our camp night after night. Yosemite has an issue with a surprising number of Black Bears that are no longer like traditional, wild bears. They are addicted to human food and therefore campers must store all food, toiletries, and anything with a scent in the bear locker-locked. Well the second night I was awakened by the sound of a bear munching on potato chips. I called to Joe above to scare the bear away. He looked out to see a large bear who had just hit the jackpot. Our friends had mistakenly left their food storage box unlocked and the bear was eating its way through the weekend's food supply. Joe started honking the horn and flashing our lights to get the bear to bolt. When the bear took off Joe, only slightly scared, hurried out of the van, shoved the food in the box, locked it, then back inside. Yes, the bear came back and thankfully didn't smell anything it wanted inside our van so it moved on to the next camp. The third night we were all extra cautious to make sure that everything was correctly put away and it worked. The bear stopped by, but didn't stick around. However, the following morning we got to see a different bear taking a nap in a tree overlooking the park's market. By this time we're actually getting quite comfortable seeing bears and let me tell you these are not small bears. So our last night, Oct. 31, we (adults) are sitting around the fire telling scary stories when our friend pauses and completely calm says, "Hey there's the bear." And sure enough the bear is just prancing down the road. We could hear screams, banging pots, and other loud noises as the bear made its way through the campground. Pretty scary Halloween-eh?!

A scenic bike ride. This is El Capitan, a famous climbing route. Look how small I am. Crazy climbers.

Lunch break. Sam enjoyed making an avalanche of rocks rolling down the river bank.

Sammy...this is his "I now know how to do a cheesy smile for the camera" pose.

Love this photo of the brothers. This was our last day camping. Sam is feeling better while Evan is beginning to get the crud which by the end of the drive moved to his lungs which meant our trip ended at the ER. (It took us weeks to recover from this trip. Hence my tardiness my fellow bloggers.)

The drive home took us up above the park, then south along the Eastern Sierras. So, so beautiful! Despite the challenges traveling out of LA (and a few others), it was and is so worth it to see all the magnificent and diverse terrain that California has to offer. BTW: this was our first family camping trip with the van....so worth it!

Visitors

2009-10-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Despite the coziness of our place here, we still love to have visitors. Russ and Julie took a break from all of their house projects to enjoy a little beach time and more importantly play with our boys. After spending a year together in Steamboat, we miss seeing them on a regular basis. Thanks to the "powder day" Russ got to experience surfing and Julie's smooth time on the stand up paddle board, we hope they'll make this an annual vacation. Next up....Grandma and Grandpa Carberry. We can't wait!

Aunt Julie hooking the P's up. aka: Helping w/ bedtime routine.

Trails Beach: Sam likes being buried w/ Uncle Russ

Uncle Russ having fun as well.

Now to bury Sam solo.

Maybe this is a nice time to let Evan have a little payback.

Evan likes this!

Pumpkin Heads

2009-10-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

2009-10-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Wanted to change our new "wave shot" to this great photo taken by our friend, Robert Zaleski (he is also the Art Director for C&K). Work forced Joe to take the weekend and explore the less inhabited coast north towards Big Sur. They traveled with their overnight gear strapped on to stand-up paddle boards to a surf spot only accessible from the water. On their ten mile trek they bumped into a dead male whale. Hopefully Joe will share more from his adventure along with photos in another post soon.

Walking.....

2009-10-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

...well almost with his Walker Wagon. (Thanks G & G Carberry for the early birthday gift). This is the first toy that Evan recognizes as his and therefore gets very frustrated when Sam disturbs his playtime with it. Sam does enjoy pushing Evan in this and Evan can actually push Sam as well. It is nice to have something that Evan can walk with because otherwise he wants me to walk everywhere with him. I guess he prefers to be upright now like the rest of us.

Next up....you might recognize these cute little buns of steel from a similar photo about 2 years ago. At three and a half, making their reappearance and looking just as tight as ever. Sam once again initiated this look on his own. The boys were already naked due to our impromptu dip into the pool out back, but the boots were his own idea. He even put "princess shoes" on next which I was unable to document because the camera's battery died.

And our water boy.....he could play out here all day if I would let him. He actually dives in and slips and slides around. (Notice how low the water level is.) Love and miss you all!

Beginning to feel a wee bit like Fall....

2009-10-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't notice it last year, but this year I can tell the subtle change of seasons here in Southern California. The temperature is hot in the daytime and thankfully is beginning to cool at night. Some leaves do change color and fall here, however most just winterize meaning they aren't as green due to less sunlight hours. We are enjoying the Fall harvest as I am sure many of you are from your backyard gardens. Unlike you, our harvest is coming from one of the only actual farms left here on this fertile soil. We recently became part owners of the South Coast Organic Farm where we receive a weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) basket of food. The food is amazing! Sam loves to check out the bountiful basket and I enjoy the variety of vegetables that I normally wouldn't purchase. Why did we ever move away from this way of eating?

Check out this cheesy grin. Evan is all about smiling. He is enthusiastic about everything and is particularly fond of the bathroom. He's already locked himself in there and got the plastic bolt cover on the toliet stuck in his mouth. I can't believe he's ten months already and walking is just around the corner.

Big Week

2009-09-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

Monday we celebrated Joe's 33rd year. Sam loves birthdays! He wants to celebrate any and all. He helped me make the birthday cake, frost and decorate it with of course, his guys. These particular guys happened to be surfing. We made signs, homemade cards, and wrapped up a few items from @ the house. As you can see below, Sam can't get enough of the frosting.

Tuesday was Sam's first day of Serra Preschool. On the way there he kept confirming with me that I would be dropping him off with his teacher and not staying with him. I could tell that he was a little nervous, but at the same time excited. He greeted his teacher with hand picked flowers, put his bucket in his cubby and was off. When I picked him up later he told me, "I had fun mom."

Our family band!
Julie-notice how Sammy plays the guitar.

The Van

2009-09-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

In the Blackhurst Family when one says "the van" it brings up memories of one hiding in a row of seats after being picked up from junior high, or wrestling with several siblings on the back platform, or of course many of us experienced running out of gas because dad thought there was enough gas to take the scenic route home. For some reason our dad always had a special place in his garage for this beast and still does. Well, our little family decided to purchase a van which will hopefully bring new meaning to the word. So here we introduce our latest addition: The Carberry Eurovan. So scroll on down for a glimpse of some of the fun we have already experienced going to the beach with our new van.

At Old Man's Beach. Notice the pop top which allows for standing room and a built in bed. The back bench fold out into another bed. Sam has already taken dibs on the top bunk. Just think, now we have a traveling guest room!

Sam is showing how we use the inside table. There is also a small refridgerator underneath the back seat. I had to get over the whole sand in the van issue. We have a bucket of water for the dirty feet, a towel, and then we sweep the rest out with a broom.

Evan on the move. The van has earned its worth already just for the simple fact that Evan took three naps in there last Saturday at SanO. Because you will probably be seeing a lot more of the van in the camping months ahead, enjoy some cute photos of the boys that our friend Jeff Moag took.

p.s. Feel free to share some of your memories of the van. Love and miss you all!

So Squeezable!

2009-09-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Lately.....

2009-08-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Evan is on the move. He wants up and then down. Sam's Lego's are put up high. The books and magazines are flying off of the shelves. And yes Sue, my baskets under the bench are dumped out daily as you predicted. The beach now means constantly pulling the sand, seaweed, and other oddities out of his mouth which by the way is now filled with six rather large chompers (4 top, 2 bottom).

I like to blame the teeth for Evan's new resistance to sleep. He has been getting up every two hours at night and taking only two 30 min. naps in the day. He, I thought was my sleeper. As you other mamas with babes can understand this wears you down after several days of this and then you start to be short tempered, impatient, negative, all those lovely things that begin to wear on the rest of the family (sorry Joe). Ahhhhhh.......

Luckily Sam is sleeping soundly and eating.....& eating.....& eating. In the AM it goes something like this: cereal, juice, breakfast bar, toast or pancakes, ham or hard boiled egg, and after all of that he'll often have room for a smoothie. Imagine all of the feeding I'll be doing as the boys get older.
Random shot: This is Sam at his first Angel's baseball game which we got free tickets to a couple of wks. ago. Our seats were of course up in the nosebleed section so we tried to snag some empty seats a little closer. This was just before we got caught.

Evan looking so peaceful as he sleeps. Kristie has the magic touch and helped get him to nap several times while they were here vacationing. He's so precious....my cherub.

While Joe stayed home with our sleepy and not so sleepy wee ones, I got to to out and have a much needed night out with my girlfriend Grace. She had free tickets to a concert with Diana Krall at The Hollywood Bowl. The hour drive up to the city reminded my that my mom did this commute twice a day while she was here for her doula training, definitely an impressive feat and thank goodness for GPS. The concert was well worth the drive. Diana Krall is known for her soothing deep voice and smooth jazz on the piano. Check her out on Pandora.

The Hollywood Bowl. You might remember seeing it from the movie "Beaches".

Blackhurst 09'

2009-07-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

Get Your T-Shirt!

Poor Ford.....attacked by mosquitoes and a big bump on the head.

Our first annual Blackhurst Reunion held at the Carberry Cabin. Everyone made it!

A lot of smooching happening in this one.....except for Brian showing off his muscles.

Our big, beautiful family.

Easton showing off his ride (Sam liked to call it his snowboard), and his hot mom.

Amy just prior to pulling out her double-ski wake riding skills. Tesla knows she has one cool mama. Grandpa Doug was impressed with all of the "old school" skiers showing up the "new school" wakeboarders.

North Beach is great for beaching the boat and just relaxing in the sand.

Uncle Russ-a natural. Doesn't he make everything look easy.

Oldest and second to the youngest of the crew thus far. Do you see the family resemblance here?

Evan loved the cool water and practically wanted to swim away. Look at his cute chubby body swimming with his Aunt Kristie. This is at the U of I private beach that we were able to poach because of all the hard work Adam did there.

Thanks everyone for making it happen! Can't wait to see what kind of fun we have again in 2010. We love and miss you all!

Beach Day (Riggins Style)

2009-07-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

I love the sandy beaches along the Salmon River, and speaking now with actual beach experience, they are some of the best. We were feeling like summer weather so we loaded up kids and kayaks for a day trip down to the Salmon River Canyon. Russ drove up from Boise to join us. I think his motivation was to surf Gold's but he was up for the adventure with our babes.

The big boys started out with a surf session while the little boys threw rocks in the river. From there we found our own private beach where the big boys jumped off the cliffs and the little boys played in the sand. As sun saturation set in, Russ took off in front of us to begin picking wild cherries. We helped and couldn't stop. It is so hard to leave delicious, ripe fruit hanging for the birds.

While the big boys took "one more" surf, I drove the little boys further up the river for nappy time. When everyone seemed satisfied and hungry we left and drove up and over the steep canyon walls (Sam kept thinking it was a motorcycle trail). We continued through Burgdorf Hotsprings where we stopped for a soak then back to McCall for Burgers at My Father's Place. The big boys and little boys were oh so tired which makes for one happy mama.

Cherry Pie from our mini wild cherries which took FOREVER to pit. Thanks to Grandma Sue for making it happen!

Boy will be boys!

Ford and Izabel

2009-07-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

Guess who came up for a visit? The cousins spent most of the day riding bikes, and playing at the cabin until the sun finally broke through and we thought it might be warm enough for the beach. Cindy and I loaded up the kids and drove to North Beach (this is also the only way to get much needed nap time in). Izabel was the first to jump in and brave the chilly water. Sam and Ford were content throwing sticks but eventually got wet.

Each one got to ride with Joe in the kayak.

Our sunshine only lasted a short while so they spent some quatlity time snuggling under the towels, trying to stay warm and shield the mosquitoes. What happy cozy cousins!

McCall

2009-07-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

Once Joe returned, we headed up to McCall for some quality time at the cabin. We celebrated the 4th with Joe's extended family, then spent the next couple of weeks enjoying all that the mountains have to offer.

We rode the bikes up to Ponderosa Point. Sam loved to throw rocks off the cliff.

Our favorite mode of transportation.

Sam's favorite. Riding the motorcycle with Grandpa became a daily ritual.

Finally some warmer weather to enjoy the lake. Really they had fun.....Evan just couldn't stand the life jacket.

Evan appreciating the simple things in life.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Carberry for the wonderful time. We love & miss you so much!

Idaho Summer: Part I

2009-06-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sam, Evan and I flew to Idaho in June while Joe was traveling in Switzerland (he will join our trip later in part two). We arrived just in time for Father's Day so we celebrated with both Grandpas and a few other dads in the family. It is so nice to reunite with loved ones over a delicious Sunday dinner. From there our time centered around Sam's cousins and swimming lessons. Evan practiced sleeping and eating (both are very important things to practice). He fell into a deep trance in the "sleeping room" and started sleeping through the night. If only Sam would've done the same. I wondered what was up with all of his thrashing around in the night to later find out he had strep throat and an ear infection. Poor little guy. Luckily antibiotics work really fast and just in time for Dad to return.

Big bird Jay with his little bird and my little bird. Love those chubby bodies!

Auntie Em getting some sweetness.

Avocados!!!! Best baby food.

A morning dip with Grandpa before lessons begin.

Sam took swim lessons from Grandma June with Elly and Ford. His favorite part-dunking for starbursts. Here he's "jumping" off the board.

Catching a ride with Uncle Jay in the bicycle built for a whole family.

See Sam Ski

2009-06-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

A major advantage of not having a lot of toys is that Sam becomes very creative in making things up. Remember his drum set...well here he is skiing, helmet and all. (Pardon my filming, I turned the camera and don't know how to edit it back upright.)

After crashing in an avalanche, Sam breaks both of his legs and ends up with two casts.

Evan doesn't need any toys because his big brother provides constant entertainment.

Can't wait to see you back in Idaho in less than a week!

Blessed Babes

2009-06-01T08:22:00.001-07:00

Malia, Amelia, Evan, & Simon

This past Sunday, Evan was formally introduced to the world along with a few of his new friends. We gathered at the beach with friends and family to celebrate and bless all of these little ones with love and peace. A Hawaiian, Christian minister performed a traditional Hawaiian baby blessing where he anointed them with oil, and sprinkled salt water on their heads. Evan smiled the whole way through. My favorite part was holding him up and announcing his full name for all to hear. The dad's joined us up front as well as other little ones for the official welcoming ceremony. Sam was delighted and seemed in awe of this man. He got sprinkled with blessings as well.

Amelia and Nysa, Evan and Jenelle, Malia and Grace, Simon and Margaret

Showing our babes to the world and the world to our babes. And asking all family, friends, and community to help us care for these precious spirits.

The Moags, Carberrys, Halvorsens, & Machalas

My boys! Mmmmm...love being their mama!

Hooray for Aunties!

2009-05-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

We love all of the aunties, but particularly the ones who've yet to have babies of their own. Aunt Kristie came for a visit last weekend and spoiled both of the boys with presents from Disneyland. She also spoiled mom and dad by playing with Sam and holding Evan. Seriously, us aunties with kids just don't seem to have enough energy left for the nieces and nephews. So here's to all the aunties out there who still get to sleep in - and therefore have energy left to toss our little ones around a bit. If you're considering diving in (it's the best )......but remember, we don't mind if you wait.

After Aunt Kristie left, we took a family hike on the San Juan Trail. Yes we are still a mobile unit thanks to the new child carrier Grandma June bought for us. The Ergo is perfect for babies on the front or the hip and great for toddlers on the back. And it puts their weight on your hips instead of pulling on your shoulders.

However, we wouldn't recommend using this on really hot days. After our midday hike, Sam was so sweaty he had to strip down to his...well, his crocs. This one is for the uncles out there.

A Voice

2009-05-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

I just recently watched a documentary called, The Devil Came on Horseback on the genocide happening right now in Darfur, Sudan. I was blown away by the violent mass killings of innocent people and now the photos will not leave my mind. After viewing such sadness, I am left wanting to help and wondering how it is possible that the rest of the world can go on allowing this injustice to humanity once again (I am remembering The Holocaust and Rwanda) while we fuss over the stock market, declining home prices, etc. We, as Americans living with so many luxuries are entitled to help do whatever we can to help those that are suffering.

Here are some ways you can educate yourself about this conflict and do something very simple to help make a difference. If millions of little people make their voices heard, maybe this conflict can be resolved and women and children's lives can be saved. Please visit http://www.savedarfur.org/ or check out http://miafarrow.org/what_you_can_do.html for more ideas.

I know it isn't always pleasant to watch or be reminded of the big picture, but it is necessary. We feel so blessed and hope that someday the voices of love and equality will be louder than those of war and injustice. Peace to you and your family.

Mama Day picnic to Casper Wilderness

Joy!

Evan and Friends

2009-04-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

Usually our play dates are centered around Sam and making sure that he gets some physical activity, however last week Evan took center stage and had a few friends over to play. Here he is hanging out with Amelia. She is the daughter of our friends Jeff and Nysa. In the next photo you'll see she initiates the first move........seriously she reached for his hand all on her own.

This is my dear friend Grace and her new little one, Malia. Evan didn't seem to mind being surrounded by all of the ladies.

Sam seemed to keep all of the babes entertained, with the constant reminder to be gentle. Sam remains Evan's best buddy and you can see why from the video below. Who else comes up with the coolest ways to use the most ordinary things?!

1..2....3!!!!

2009-04-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that another year has passed. Three feels so big! Sometimes I want to just squeeze as much joy out of every moment with him (i.e. "Mom, I need a hug."), and other times I am grateful time doesn't stand still (i.e. "You're not nice....I put you in timeout."). So much has happened for Sam during the past year. Beginning with a major move from the mountains to the sea. (He hardly even remembers the snow now.) Then settling into his new home with a new big boy bed to get ready for his new brother. Wow, no wonder why we had so many restless nights. Hopefully his new year will offer more stability for all of us.

We had a wonderful birthday celebration: waffles in the morning, baking with mom, swimming, bbq, finally....presents and cake. This morning he asked if it was his birthday again. I told him he only has to wait 364 more days. Hmmm.......that's what makes birthdays so special.

Evan trying on the birthday hat. Sam wasn't so into it this year. However, Sam insisted on wearing it when we sang "Happy Birthday".

Sam wanted a motorcycle cake. He was treated to a few new motorcycle guys to go with his cake.

HAPPY Easter!

2009-04-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Trip to the Sun

2009-04-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

I know many of you are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Spring, warmer temps and more sunshine. This is exactly what motivated my Dad, Brian, Riley, Mary and Elly to pile into a 5-seater (with a car seat that's really crowded) and drive @850 miles to see us. They planned to take two days to travel, spending a night in Vegas. Well with it being spring break, they couldn't find a room even in the dirty, fringe casinos (it's probably better that they didn't). Continuing on.....dad driving like 55mph on Interstate 5, acting drunk due to his lack of sleep finally hands the wheel over to Riley who brings the fam to our place @ 3AM. Phew, they survived with only a minor irritating Strawberry Shortcake song stuck in their heads. From looking at the pics below, I think it was all worth it.

Campfire on San Onofre Beach

The Family (a small portion of us)

Notice Brian's white chest, I don't think that it has seen the sun for like two yrs. Hmmmm...lucky for his wetsuit it didn't end up looking like his legs.

Joe sharing a few surfing tips with Riley. I think he did catch a few. I know that he did feel right at home with all of the VW Buses at Old Man's Beach.

Mary and Elly traveling without the Daddy:) Probably the last time.

We love Uncle Brian!

Before our hike. Happy having a juice box treat.

My beautiful sister and a new little one brewin' in the belly.

After the hike. Need I say more.

Slumber Party! Nice one Sam.

I had to post this last picture so that there was a least one shot of Evan. He really loves his big brother!

Daddy the Waterman

2009-03-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Joe loves to play. If you have ever skied powder with him, you have heard his hootin' & hollerin' that reminds you of the true joy you are experiencing. Even riding bikes, hiking, or skate skiing, Joe takes the opportunity to express his enthusiasm for being out there, connecting with the Earth's energy. Growing up in Idaho, his major influence as a waterman was the river, hungry for the thrill of whitewater. Now in California, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Joe's appetite for play is bigger than ever. He finds it vital to connect with the ocean daily, whether he is surfing, paddling, snorkeling, swimming or fishing, the ocean seems to call his name. As his skin continues to get red and dry, he refuses to find fault in the salt water. He can't imagine being away from this massive expanse that covers more than half of the globe. It is looking like California will be home for awhile. These photos are from a recent trip we took to Santa Cruz.

Steamers. What a treat for this big boy.

Paddling a stand up board is a new favorite.

Blogworthy

2009-03-25T22:35:00.001-07:00

WARNING: This could happen to you too when white winter skin meets Southern California sunshine. Lookin' good Brian!

Celebrating with G & G Carberry

2009-03-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

We just wrapped up another wonderful time with grandparents. Joe's parents left today (we miss you already...as soon as we got home from the airport Sam asked where Grandma and Grandpa were). I am amazed at how fast these moments are passing. Sam loves it when we pull out the blow up bed. He has figured out that it means "slumber party" including jump and wrestle in the living room. Evan loves the extra bodies to snuggle and is perfectly content being held constantly. Thanks for the extra hands. I am currently feeling a little under staffed. I have posted some of the highlights of the past week.

Evan seemed to enjoy his first bike ride down to watch the "Festival of Whales" parade. This was taken before Sam got in with him.

Another brilliant invention by Sam the Man. Here he is kayaking.

Grandpa Carberry is looking mighty fine is his wetsuit. He's suiting up for his kayak tour of Boat Cove.

Paddling out just prior to the capsize. Not to worry a little cold salt water is actually quite refreshing. I was impressed with grandpa's willingness to get back in the boat.

Just a cute one of Grandma and her cherub.

Evan is showing grandpa how well he can stand on two feet.

Although you can't tell from the candles on the cake, I just celebrated my 33rd year. Sam was so excited to have a party for mama and helped grandma pick out the cake and party supplies (homemade party hats and all). Thanks for all of the birthday wishes. The thirties are much better than they're made out to be. As far as I can tell life continues to follow the natural highs and lows, yet in the present you see the constant beauty and perfection.

When Grandma's away, Grandpa will play!

2009-02-24T13:30:00.001-08:00

This past weekend my parents came to visit. Grandpa Doug took full advantage of the the nice weather and a chance to reconnect with the ocean, while Grandma June commuted to the big city for a postpartum doula training. We began the weekend with a day trip to Boat Cove Beach where Grandpa even paddled out.

Sam made the trip out to sea as well with dad steering the kayak and grandpa following in his own boat. They made it over to look at the Sea Lions, which Sam didn't even notice because he was already fast asleep.

The following day we made the trip to San Onofre Beach for relaxing and barbecuing.

Remember this beach is referred to as "Old Man's" so we thought Sam and Grandpa should dress the part. Grandma really dislikes it when Grandpa wears his pants this high...Sam thinks it is hilarious.

Evan loving his daddy time. I think the feeling is mutual.

My purpose for posting this photo below was not for Sam's full moon (which is cute) but for the silhouette of Grandpa (classic stance, eh?) and the cool texture and color of the sky that evening.

We're still trying to get a nice family photo for the holiday card....I guess we'll keep trying.

Thanks for making the trip. We hope you make it out again for spring break. Will it be paddle-boarding in the harbor Grandpa? Hopefully Grandma will get to play too next time! We love you and miss you already. xoxo

p.s. Let me know how the car rental turned out.

inspiration:

2009-02-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a passage that my yoga teacher shared in class yesterday and of course, more photos of Evan.

It is the third planet from the sun. A tiny, blue sphere spinning for a moment in time. A remarkable place that was kind enought to yield just the right elements to sustain a phenomenon called life. And each creature is as unique as this world we call home. And a day begins in much the same way for all. Maybe that is when it crosses your mind-in the warmth from a ray of sun or the kindness of a stranger-it occurs how one life touches so many others and you begin to see how how all things are connected, like the blood that unites one family. And you come to realize that mankind did not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it, and whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves, on the third planet from the sun.

Sending love to you all.......The Carberry's

Brotherly Love

2009-02-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

Just a glimpse into the everyday at our house....and this is probably just the beginning of things to come.

Evan enjoying some alone time:

San-O Saturday

2009-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

San Onofre Beach is one of our favorite places to relax and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. It's just 10 min. south of us and if you come for a visit we'll probably take you here. Locals appropriately call this beach "Old Man's". Surfers of all ages enjoy the slow, gentle, and ample waves that are perfect for long boards. This is where I'll probably try to catch one when either the water warms or I find a wetsuit to use (I'm hoping for the latter either way). Well Sam beat me to it yesterday. Yes mark your calendars: On January 31st, 2009, he caught his first wave riding with Dad. I would have loved to get it on video, but I was a little shocked and simply watched in awe. Joe convinced Sam to come out on a standup board where Joe could use a paddle like a kayak. But instead of standing, Joe sat with Sam standing between his legs for stability . I thought they would just paddle, float, and rock a little bit. Within a few strokes they caught their first wave together and I should pass the pen to Dad now as he can better explain that experience.

You all know Sam's famous excited face, where he raises his hands above his head and makes his beautiful enthusiastic music? To hear that music, we needed the help of our friend Robert Zaleski, the art director at our magazine, who was on a surfboard. He gave us a push to get into the wave and I just took a couple of strokes and ruddered a perfect little right hander. Sam stood there and screamed with excitement as he felt the speed of the wave and the board sliding down its face. Unfortunately, no one could hear him because I was hooting too loud. I was just pumped to have Sam out there with me again. I've heard this excited scream before when we were skiing with him in my backpack; or when he's sitting in the front of my kayak as we paddle Dana Point Harbor. At these times, you can literally feel the touch of God in your lap-or strapped on your back. I guess the family that plays together, stays together.

Before long Joe will have two boys along for the ride. Currently Evan is soothed by the continual sound of the crashing waves. He slept most of the afternoon in the Bjiourn, but I did manage to get a picture of him smiling on the towel. The salt air seemed to help his congestion and hopefully we'll be through with colds soon. Sam is better and recently tried to call Ford and Izabel pretending to talk and hoping they would come over and sit at his little table. Before he went to bed last night he said, "I'm a surfer boy". Yes you are.

Me and the boys pretend surfing (above) while Dad shows us how it's really done (below).

Sometimes you get sand in some not-so-comfortable places. Cheers!

Biker Boy

2009-01-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

Lately we've been calling our eldest "Sammy Pajammy" because he would prefer to wear his jammies all day and stay home. However if Sam doesn't get any exercise, he's a little ornery (just like someone else I know). If you have a young child that seems to have endless amounts of energy, you should really consider purchasing one of these balance bikes. I now have to run to keep up with Sam when he rides. We like having a tired Sammy.

Fun in the Tub

2009-01-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

Evan is enjoying the big bathtub. He floats, kicks, and dodges the oncoming "loves" from his big brother. Not so relaxing, but hopefully he knew he was coming in as brother #2. Maybe he also knew that as the younger brother, he would also get many of the nasty bugs that Sam brings home. We are just recovering from Pink Eye. Sam has been waking in the middle of the night shouting, "I can't see, I can't see!" I remember that sensation when I was little feeling my eyes glued shut. Luckily I have managed to dodge the boogs this time.... Joe, however, went down with the rest of the boys. Despite the sickness, we are out enjoying the amazing 70-80 degree weather. The photo below is from a recent hike we took at Crystal Cove State Park.

Evan is seven weeks tomorrow. He is smiling now and beginning to coo. He loves to kick and smile at the playmobile overhead. What a cutie-batootie!

Home for the Holidays

2009-01-08T14:58:00.001-08:00

Cousins! We miss you.

Christmas in California first. Sam's new bike.

Tackle daddy! Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Carberry's.

Skiing in Idaho.

Somehow I forgot to take many pictures of Evan on his first Christmas, so had to share this one with his Aunt Emily....so sweet.Ready for church.

Love the Grandmas

2008-12-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

One of the advantages to living away from family is that when you have a baby, you get grandma help 24/7. This is exactly what I was treated to for the past few weeks. I am certain that this is why I am recovering as fast as I am. Grandma Sue just left today, so "the vacation is over" as Joe so honestly put it. I have lucked out so far as both of my boys have been sleeping for the past couple of hours. Thanks little men for being easy on the new mama of two.

So this post is to honor these beautiful women that cooked, cleaned, shopped, rocked, changed, played, walked, bathed, soothed, read, and pretty much anything else that you can think of, they did. We feel so blessed to have such helpful, loving grandmas. We miss you already and are counting down the days until we fly home to see everyone. Until then I'll leave you with a couple more photos of the boys.......Peace and Joy to all of you this holiday season.

Sam looking like a deer in headlights as he sits on Santa's lap. I couldn't get him to crack a smile. He had been rehearsing the entire time he waited on what he was going to tell Santa and then when it was finally his turn, he couldn't say a word. Well, I guess it is getting better. Last year he just cried.

Sleepy Sammy

2008-12-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

Guess who didn't get a nap yesterday.....

Your Weekly Dose

2008-12-09T20:27:00.001-08:00

Meet Our New Little Man

2008-12-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

Evan Russell Carberry

November 29, 2008 at 7:38am

7lbs. 51/2 oz.

21" long

Big brother Sam. Can you tell what he'd like to do to those full cheeks?

Mom is feeling great...thanks to all of the help and support from Grandma June.

Dad and his boys.

Thanks for all of your love and support. We look forward to sharing him with most of you during the holidays. Until then we'll keep the updates coming......

gratitude:

2008-11-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.- Ralph H. Blum

All our moments are last moments. We abide in the forever leaving of our own coming? We can put our hands together, palm to palm, settling here on the last leaf of our brief flight, and bow to the wonder of it.- Jen Jensen, Bowing to Receive the Mountain, 1997

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.- Melody Beattie

Happy Thanksgiving family and friends! We have been thinking of all of you. We spent the beautiful late morning at Crystal Cove Beach intending to have a nice walk, but due to the incredible temperature ended up playing and napping on the sand. Later, we shared a marvelous feast with our friends Jeff and Nysa. (Nysa's mom did all of the cooking, so I was able to simply relax and enjoy.) Sam loved the feast, particularly the pumpkin pie with whip cream. As my boys are already fast asleep, I just wanted to take a moment to marvel at some of the blessings in my life:

family-what a gift to create a family with someone you love. I also find it fascinating how the immediate family unit shifts throughout the generations.
little ones-from the first breath to the present is so rich with life. This fullness is sometimes more challenging than anything I have experienced, yet it is this struggle that brings so much joy.
health-this body, this mind, this spirit, this breath, this earth, this sky, this sun, this moon, this ocean, this mountain, this bird, this flower....we are all connected. I am in awe of the female body through pregnancy and labor doing exactly what it is designed to do, and so thankful for the tools and trust that have been passed down to me from my mother.

Blessings to you on this beautiful Thanksgiving Weekend.........

Introducing....."Sam on the drums!"

2008-11-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

Camping in November

2008-11-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the more appropriate title would be "Camping Nine Months Pregnant". Yes, we made it and had a great time.....well, great for the most part. This past weekend we braved the wall of traffic heading north to LA and then east to Joshua Tree National Park. It is a new experience dealing with bumper to bumper vehicles for miles just to get out of town. This turns a two and a half hour drive into four and as many of you know this is not ideal when you're traveling with kids. We arrived at our campsite well past light. Luckily Sam's friend Kendra was anxiously waiting to see her camping buddy. They immediately took off running around and climbing the surrounding boulders by the light of the moon. What a beautiful night and an incredible setting. I was excited to see what everything would look like in daylight.

Not too worry, we wouldn't miss a single moment of the following day. Sam woke at the crack of dawn, actually I think that it was still slightly dark. It is a difficult combination to have adults up late talking around the campfire followed by little ones up before the sunshine. (This would catch up with me later.) In the late morning the troupes gathered for a hike out in the desert. Joshua Tree is a well known spot to climbers and provides ample opportunity to free climb the rounded, grippy, granite rocks. I headed out with the group planning to stay on the dirt and enjoy a relaxing stroll. For some reason the rocks pull you in. I knew my limits and would turn around when I needed to, but absorbed in the moment I ended up higher than I had anticipated. Joe decided to head back with me considering he was carrying Sam in the backpack. Why is it that going down is often harder than going up? I definitely felt and looked awkward on the descent. Imagine a very pregnant lady crawling on her bum. We made it back to camp safely, ate and took advantage of any shade we could find to rest.

The desert in November is hot, at least on this particular day it was probably in the 80's. That evening the wind began to blow and continued through the night making our new family size tent an ideal sail. Sam slept next to me on a blow up air mattress and didn't seem to mind the shaking and snapping. Joe next to us in sleeping bag also didn't seem too bothered by the sounds. For me, it was a constant disturbance to an already restless sleep (too many bathroom breaks to count). Sam was up again at 5AM. This time it was my turn to get up with him. Due to the wind and cold we spent most of the morning playing in the car. When 7:30am rolled around I was losing it, totally exhausted and ready to go home. I realize now what camping involves for parents....a lot of work: packing, cleaning, unpacking, cooking, loading, unloading, etc., etc. Was it worth it? Of course. I loved watching Sam totally engaged in the freedom of playing in the wild: dirty, wearing his pj's most of the day, eating at all times, running barefoot, seeing shooting stars, singing around the campfire, climbing and jumping on rocks, harassing the ant hills and trying to do most things "all by myself". We'll get better at this and the lack of sleep hopefully won't be as disturbing when I am no longer prego.

We're staying home now and nesting until the baby arrives. Thanks mom and dad for all of our camping memories as kids. We love and miss all of you...xoxoxox

"Scary"

2008-11-02T16:57:00.001-08:00

The Belly

2008-10-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

The belly feels bigger than I remember it being with Sam. However according to measurements it is pretty much the same. Currently I am almost 35 wks. and nearing the final countdown. We still don't know what sex the baby is. I am back to guessing girl. Joe keeps trying to get Sam to pin down what he thinks it is. It varies for Sam too. It won't be long now and we'll be celebrating either way.

My dear friend Kate (we did our yoga teacher training together) was just in town and took these photos. She thinks the belly holds another boy, at least she keeps calling it "he".

Ahhhhhh.......beautiful sunsets on the beach, perfect opportunity for yoga. Sam and I in Trikonasana (triangle pose). I am savoring these final moments of time with Sam alone. We are sending love to all of you and especially Grandpa Jim (it's his birthday today). Happy Birthday!

Future Kayaker?

2008-10-20T13:46:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend, Joe took Sam kayaking in the harbor. Sam insisted on wearing a helmet like Dad's even though it is several sizes too big. He also helped man the paddle. (You can imagine how much help that actually was.) About 30 minutes into the adventure, Sam was passed out between Dad's legs. There must be something about the rocking motion. While the boys took the afternoon to play, I enjoyed a yoga date with the little one in my belly, a hot bath and then sat down with a good book. We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. FYI: Sam is no longer using the s-word. Phew!

Potty Mouth

2008-10-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

Yes our sweet little Sammy has discovered how to use one lovely swear word: sh....t. I noticed it a couple of weeks ago and ignored it hoping it would simply go away. Joe finally was witness to Sam's naughty word last week at dinner when Sam 's guy fell off the table. We both could hardly contain the laughter. Of course that didn't help. So last weekend we are at a new 3 yr. old friend's birthday party when Sam accidentally drops the crayon he was coloring with. I bet you can guess what came out of his mouth next. Yes and he didn't just quietly say it. He yelled so that all around could hear. Those near were laughing and amazed at his ability to use it in perfect context. As responsible parents, ignoring this behavior is no longer an option. We've given him some new words to use like "oops", "uh-oh", or even "shoot" (despite that it is so similar to the real deal). This is working part of the time, but Sam still prefers the effect of the big S word. Yesterday when he used it once again I told him that it is not a nice word to use and that if he says it, he'll need to take a time out. Sam shaking his head from side to side says, "No, no, no-sh...t." I guess the next step involves washing the mouth out with soap-uuuhh-. Two can be so entertaining.

Sam enjoying the party.

"Happy Birthday Kati"

2008-10-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

We love you Kati and are thinking of you on your special day. Sam would love to give you one of his spectacular hugs.

Also sending big bear hugs to Grandma and Grandpa Carberry. Thanks for coming to visit. We miss you already. Enjoy some of our photos from the beach:

Sam loved all of the extra attention. Due to this, Sam decided he should start waking up at an earlier hour (6:30 am regardless of when he goes bed). Every morning he would go knock on the grandparent's door and say, "Sammy wake up." Luckily they would play with him and let us go back to bed. Kids need grandparents around and so do parents. Sending love to all of our family and friends.....

The Really Big Birthday Boy!

2008-09-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

We celebrated at our favorite beach, San Onofre (known to surfers as Old Man's). This beach is where we typically do our campfires in the evening. For this occasion we went early in the morning and then made brunch: pancakes, eggs, sausage & bacon (perfect for the birthday boy).

While dad was surfing, Sam found some new friends to play with. Sam is always looking for the kids.

That evening we went over to our friends place which is conveniently located right on the beach. In Sam's eyes a birthday party wouldn't be complete without cake and candles.

Sam rallied into the evening and took only a short nap in the car. You think he would've crashed that night....if we were only so lucky!?

Spinning!

If you have forgotten Sam's contagious laugh, this will help you remember.

Glimpses of Cali

2008-09-10T08:05:00.001-07:00

Our backyard patio is getting more and more complete. We now have a table and BBQ (thanks to our neighbor).

The oranges here are amazing. Sam finished two and still wanted more. The juice was running down his face and hands.

This trail is close to our place. We call it the snail and lizard trail due to all of the little creatures we find along the way. It also provides a great view of the ocean. As does the photo below which is our street directly out from our driveway.

This is our new home. The middle garage is ours and our front door is along the right side of the house.

So we'll leave you with a clip of Sam runnnnninnng. He loves watching this over and over again. A lot of the parks around here have grassy hills so he has been taking advantage playing on them. Another favorite is to roll him up in a blanket and then push him down the hill. Believe it or not he can't get enough of this and therefore I have to redirect his attention so that he doesn't get sick from all of the spinning. Notice in the video that Sam always finishes with a crash. Enjoy!

Our Backyard (hooray!)

2008-08-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying the added features of our new place, namely a garage and a backyard. I don't think that we'll ever be able to do without these again. Sam now has a small pool to play in, concrete to ride his trike on, and simply a place outside to run. We are refinishing some chairs that were left back there and looking for a nice deal on patio furniture. This is taking precidence over the inside because of the optimal temperatures most of the year here. Now ladies, you can see that I do indeed have a belly. Joe seems to think that I am a lot bigger than I was with Sam. I'm not completely sure about that, but I do know that I feel different (mainly more tired, nauseated still sometimes, and the occasional headache). Hmmmm....maybe a girl... however I continue to go back and forth.

All of these photos were taken by my dear friend Jenna Biggs who came and stayed with Sam and I while Joe was away for work. As you can see, she's a professional. She called this one "Meeting of the Minds". I think that Sam was actually trying to attack me here (a.k.a. pinch my face and grit his teeth).
Sam loves the water. He is perfectly at ease relaxing on his back. He often hangs out like this in the bathtub.
My little baby! He enjoys it when I wrap him up and hold him like he was still my little baby.
What a handsome boy. He often asks to go to grandma's house, or to visit his friends in Steamboat. I tell him that we would have to go far away on a plane. He's always up for it. His usual response: "Let's go!"

I wish we could. Thinking of you all.....Jenelle

We're Back!

2008-08-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

It has been an eventful summer so far, and we are happy to be settling into our new home in Dana Point, California. Of course the hightlight of living here is being so close to the ocean. Sam loves the sand and the crashing waves. Joe takes the opportunity to surf nearly everyday. And I simply love that the beach provides something for the whole family. One of our favorite things to do is take a picnic and have a fire on the beach in the evening. We have made a point of doing this at least once a week. Sam has fallen in love with hotdogs from these outings. In the picture below Sam actually went over the handlebars when an unexpected wave crashed and dumped him into the water. Dad quickly caught him and luckily Sam didn't get too upset. He simply said, "All done." (I will get more pictures posted from Cali now that the camera and computer are back in action.)
The following photos are from our trip to Idaho:

Sam enjoyed riding in the boat with Grandpa Carberry on Payette Lake. He especially liked watching Dad waterski and crash into the water.

Sam continues to be obsessed with helmets. This one is Grandpa's motorcycle helmet. He insisted on wearing it despite the sweat rolling down his face.

We spent the first couple of weeks up at the cabin in McCall with extended family, and Sam loved all of the attention. Here he is teasing Uncle Ed.

California is proving to be a nice place to live. However there have been a few growing pains... dealing with all of the people and traffic, but mainly just missing our friends and family. We are thinking about all of you and looking forward to your visit.

Sending our love, Jenelle, Joe, and Sam

Yipeeeeee!

2008-06-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's summertime. We are all so excited. Of course Sam loves the longer daylight, which means more time to play. Here, he's obviously stoked staying up late with his buddy Killean.
The big boys are happy that Fish Creek is finally high enough to run. Don't they look cute in their skirts?

Sam is in awe of this whole process. Look at the little kayaker in his hand. Daddy is definately the favorite when he puts on his kayaking gear.

I still get a little nervous when the guys put on the river. Can you see the continuous whitewater in the background? If you look closely, you also might notice my belly.

Sam is such a big boy now. Here he's collecting sticks to throw in the river.

During our last couple of weeks here in Steamboat, we are soaking up the much needed sunshine and realizing how perfectly our lives have grown here. This big change is bitter/sweet, as most changes are. California will present new opportunities as well as challenges, and Steamboat will always hold a special place in our hearts. Thanks for making the trips out here to visit and we are quite certain that we will be seeing a lot of you in Cali. Until then, we can't for our stay in Idaho. See you soon!

Sam's New Pal

2008-05-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Sukha got to sleepover. I was a little nervous about Sukha with Sam due to their past relationship (often included growls). However as you can see from the photo, they worked it out and became the best of friends. Sam thought Sukha might need to share his blankie for "night-night". Sukha looks kind of interested-right?

The river is something that you can't keep Sukha out of. After watching Joe compete in the kayaking rodeo (me with Sam in my arms and Sukha on a leash), Joe took a swim through the hole. Sukha insisted on following him and practically pulled my arm out in order to swim out there. These next photos are a sequence from that excitement. Luckily, Sukha is a really strong swimmer.

And this final photo.....Sam, just how we like him at the end of the day.

May Day Flowers?

2008-05-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is what we woke up to on May first......six inches of more snow. (Just what we need.) Sam acted like it was his first time in snow all over again. He seemed to forget that we have already been through six months of white. California is looking more and more appealing everyday.

Sam gets to play with his new tricycle inside. Notice the helmet too, he wanted to take his nap with it on. Today it is finally sunny and warm and Sam got to take his trike outside. I hope the sun is smiling on you today as well.

Guess who's 2?

2008-04-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, we celebrated Sam's birthday last night with Russ, Julie, and our neighbors. Doesn't he look like quite the big boy now? He insists on wearing a hat everyday, so I thought that it was time to get him a new summer cap. I think that he approved.
Before the party started, Sam was running up and down the balcony singing "birthday, birthday". I think that he gets the idea a little more this year. He even wore his birthday hat throughout the entire evening, until he opened up his new baseball cap.

The first blow of the candles was more of a spit. After a few tries he figured it out. We saved the slobber piece for him.

Julie said it best, "Do you know of any kid who can get more excited than this?". Sam has always had a unique way of expressing his enthusiasm. He continues to get better with age. Despite the continual testing of his limits and my patience (this is normal I'm told), the "terrible twos" aren't looking that terrible at all. We enjoy the new words everyday, watching him play at the park, big boy undies all day, noticing the little signs of spring together, and all of the opportunities to learn and grow together. He will be an amazing big brother!

We are anxious to see everyone in July. If you haven't heard already, we are moving to California. This means that we will be closer and I think that this will be even more appealing for all of you to come and visit us at the beach. Love...Jenelle

Happy Spring!

2008-03-26T09:39:00.001-07:00

Busy Boys

2008-03-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are busy. If you haven't heard already, Joe took a job in Vermont. This is exciting and sad at the same time. We will deeply miss our friends here and the sense of community that we have felt. Feel free to let us know what you think. We'll keep everyone up to date as our plans evolve.

Happy Easter! (I'll post pictures from our fun day with Julie and Russ this week.)

The Big Boy

2008-03-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

Sam was lucky enough to spend the last week with his Grandma and Grandpa Carberry, while Joe and I were soaking up the sun in Mexico. He handled the separation easily considering he had two constant caregivers giving him their total attention. I on the other hand, missed my boy terribly. Children live in the moment and therefore more easily accept their current circumstance, while as adults we tend to busy our minds with the past and future.

As Joe and I arrived in Mexico, I realized that I had a passport that still read my maiden name. Somehow I had made it past security, and now I would spend too much of my vacation worrying about whether or not I would make it back into the country. Don't get me wrong, Joe and I had an amazing trip.

The weather in Sayulita was a perfect average of 82 degrees, with moderate humidity, and blue skies. The swell was plenty big satisfying Joe's desire to surf. I simply enjoyed the empty spaces, often making friends with other moms on the beach who had brought their kiddos. Sam would have loved the sand and water.

Sam was busy with the grandparents, walking, shopping, playing, swimming, eating, and pooping in the big toilet. Yes, Sam is starting to get potty trained. He is doing a wonderful job telling us when he needs to go, but he tends to get stage fright when he sits on the pottie. So we often go back and forth all day, until finally he can't hold it any longer. After the past week, he has definitely gotten better at releasing.

We are home, our family complete, and Sam is my little cling-on. After so much anxiety about my passport, I realized while home that there is a stamp in the back of my passport that reads, "Jenelle Blackhurst has changed her name to Jenelle Carberry". Whew....If only I could also learn to live more in each moment and not worry about the past or future.

Valentine's Treat

2008-02-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

I know that this blog is really intended to show off our little man. However when the mama and papa get to go on a date there is reason for celebrating, particularly when we get to spend the whole day cat skiing. Now for those of you who think that we went skiing with our neighbor's cat, let me share of few moments of our day with you. We rode in a CAT (machine used for grooming snow) up to the top of Buffalo Pass. From there, our guides helped us find the fresh, light, fluffy powder. Joe and I weaved through the Aspens together. Joe hootin' and hollerin' while I couldn't stop the little girl gigglin'. By the end of the day we managed to ski 12 runs of total fresh, only stopping midway for a three-course lunch. Thanks to Steamboat Magazine for helping Joe make this Valentines Day one of the most memorable. Special thanks to Annie and Catherine for watching our little valentine. We are feeling blessed and hope all of you are feeling the same.

On a side note, Sam got to experience his first Winter Carnival last weekend. You can imagine the "excited face" as Sam watched the Lighted Man ski down Howelson Hill, the Nordic Jumpers leap through a ring of fire, and one of the best fireworks show that I have ever seen. He kept doing his sign for more, more.

Memories...

2008-01-28T21:43:00.001-08:00

Sick or SICK!

2008-01-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

Without jinxing either one of us, Russ and I were the only two members of the Steamboat Springs family to avoid a hacking cough and flu symptoms the past two weeks. Julie went down first, then Sam Carberry followed closely by momma Jenelle Carberry.

Since we weren't sick, we decided to get some SICK powder turns this weekend as we discoverd a new spot tagged "The Fingers," in North Routt County.

I'd finished a big deadline on Thursday and took Friday morning off to go hike with Russ (pictured) and two other friends who live here in town. We skinned 3,000 feet before noon (three runs down) and I felt only marginally guilty for leaving Jenelle home with Sam.

Saturday, I hung out with my two ill loved ones, pampering them as best I could. Late Saturday evening, I called Russ and we both had the same thing on our minds: another Fingers session Sunday morning. This time we brought along the camera.

It had snowed a few more inches and covered our tracks from Friday and we were lucky enough to surf the overhead "Champagne Powder," a famous cliche' here in Steamboat. It was light and dry and I was bummed Jenelle couldn't be there with us to enjoy it (we somtimes trade with friends, leaving Sam with them so we can ride together).

We'll have to wait until early February to get out together again. I have to attend Outdoor Retailer in SLC next week (where I'll get to see Emily B.) and Jenelle is heading to a yoga workshop in Boulder when I get back.

Live, love and be happy,

Joe

Snow, snow, and more snow!

2008-01-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, it has been dumping all week. We can no longer see out of our loft windows. Today the sun finally broke through the clouds. Yesterday, Joe, Russ, and I went backcountry skiing at Buffalo Pass. We were excited to see that we were the first to ski, until we started to break trail through what was by far the most snow I have ever tried to plow through. There was over 3 feet of the fresh stuff. We took turns leading the way up the mountain and as we worked, we anticipated our descent. At the top, we deskinned, locked down and got ready to float in the powder. However there was no floating or any sliding for that matter. We basically had to break trail back down the mountain. It's hard to say it, but there was actually too much snow. Somewhat defeated yet not entirely dissatisfied, we returned back to the car. There is much joy in just being out in the depth of winter, the stillness, the inner warmth despite the bitter cold, and yes even the struggle.

Sam loves the snow. We took him out later that day to sled and roll around in the fluff. He thinks that dad is really neat when he does a front flip off of the snow pile. Afterwards, Sam immediately does his sign for "more". Sometimes I think that he is obsessed with certain things. For example, he insists on wearing goggles and my ski helmet around the house and even must eat with these things on. I hid the helmet and goggles when he went for his nap today. You must admit that he looks pretty cool. I hope that the snow is finding you as well. Much Love, Jenelle

Intro

2008-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our blog. Mary gave me the idea (hopefully she gets hers up and running soon). I thought that this would be an ideal way to share a glimpse of our lives here in Steamboat with everyone. Of course most of what you will see are pictures of Sam, but as we get the hang of this, I am sure that our blog will evolve. I just wanted to send out a big thanks to Jay and Amy for their time spent here for Christmas. They got to see Sam at his best on Christmas morning. And of course thanks to the rest of the fam that arrived the following day. Now you understand the journey with a toddler. But as Andy said, it was worth it. Despite the below zero temperatures we managed to build a skate ski track, ski, soak in the hot tub (the boys took a few dives into the snow), cook, eat, laugh, and talk. It was such a treat to watch Elly and Sam play. Their kisses are the best. Today I took the holiday decorations down and am always a little melancholy when I do this. Luckily, Summer made the family dvd that we can all watch to remember how fleeting life is. (Nice work Summer!) I love and miss all of you. Jenelle

Excitement

2008-01-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning

2008-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

2008-01-05T15:50:00.000-08:00