Carrie & Patrick

TEXAS.

2012-01-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

we had a lot of fun visiting my home state! pat had his first chicken fried steak, and despite what he thought, it was delicious. im sure one day ill post pictures but i thought i would share this video for now. the little girl in the video is only eight years old and rides like a rodeo star. for those of you who have ridden a horse you may have an idea how difficult galloping is with two arms, and she wins championships with ONE. austyn is such an inspiration, i feel blessed to have met her.

my day with phoebe.

2011-12-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

new orleans.

2011-11-30T13:03:00.000-08:00

after five years living in the middle of the ocean, we decided to take a road trip... across the country. you photographers out there will probably be unhappy with me because i snapped very few pics, but i wanted this trip to be about enjoying my little family and less about documenting it. a decision im sure ill regret later, but for now i love the few ive got!

in no particular order im sharing our little adventure in pieces, starting in the big easy. i loved taking pat to new orleans because its one of my favorite childhood memories, the food, the people, the gulf in general. although it looks a little different since katrina it still felt the same, warm and fun.

on the way to new orleans theres a little town called grosse tete (seriously) and there is a caged tiger in their gas station, yes a gas station.

aside from the gumbo, this place has the best beignets in the world.

love him.

2011-07-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

i can just tell your gonna be a good frank.

happy sunday.

2011-07-03T21:27:00.001-07:00

nobody takes resting on the sabbath more seriously than ham and pat. between the two of them they are awake for 4 hours out of the day. but i dont care, the man works harder than anyone i know and deserves some sleep! ham however has really no excuse.

bucket & bella

2011-06-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

bella and bucket had their first show! and although we were a little late im glad we didnt miss the stylings of this dynamic duo.

did i mention bella and bucket also had matching pink extensions?

the future of rodeo. adorable.

hammy is very curious about bucket, im pretty sure ham thinks he could take him. and one day i will put ham in that saddle.

i love mexico... again.

2011-05-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

one thing i REALLY miss about the mainland is mexican-ness. i miss california burritos, baby girl jewelry, day of the dead, blankets, all my girls at cherry, surf, senior hennings, hermana hennings and her ward of amazing cooks, dancers, and pinata makers. so in honor of my roots (the gulf of mexico and southern california) i partied. and there to support my efforts were the people that could truly appreciate the culture... FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO MIS AMIGOS!!!!!

you know its good if he's savin some for later.

even the children joined the fiesta.

dont be jealous amigas.

like his name sake... ham knows how to party.

ham wishes frank luck.

2011-05-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

eliza is already practicing being a big sister. she confidently takes ham's toy out of his mouth and tells him its her toy. when ham gets in her space she yells SHEWWWW HAMMY!! and then gently hits him on the head. when hes not looking she gets on his back to which his immediate response his knocking her off. she practices commands like SIT! & LAY DOWN! with her stuffed animals so she prepared when she comes over to train ham. However, Eliza is quick to say, sorry in her cute little voice and give ham hugs when he seems down (which is 100% of the time). i just love both of them to pieces. good luck frank.

this is how the texans eat.

2011-04-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

my family had a little reunion in beaumont texas a couple weeks ago, and the pictures are endless. however its amazing how much we ate while we were there!

lets start with my complimentary breakfast...

oh, already hungary for lunch? how about this place?

no, no. lets keep it classy and go with good 'ol guidos. it HAS to be good if theres a 3 ton crab on it.

some of my earliest memories are of my family sitting in this restaurant. my cousins would come all the way from switzerland to wine and dine at galveston's finest! although my granny, and aunt bobby are no longer with us i sure felt their presence with all of the laughing and off color comments its like they were there! especially since granny still insisted on paying the bill!

i'm so full i couldn't eat another bite! but willy rays is on the way home...

now this my friends is a crawdad. think if it as an extremely large shrimp, southeast texans LOVE this delicacy that you can literally dig up in your own back yard! YUM.

this is the back yard of my babyhood, and what i am pointing out would be the home of a giant crawdad.

so eat up y'all or as my cousins would say... bon appetit!

i love spring.

2011-04-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

i love spring. all of the sudden the days are longer and instead of pat coming straight home and to bed, we have hours of sunshine to play in. pats been working on the northshore (and will be for at least another year) so when he gets off i usually meet him and go to the beach. monday however we had FHE at the skatepark with chase and ham. who obviously loved it.

helping of ham.

2011-04-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

the duration of your flight.

2011-04-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

after flying home to beth's wedding for three weeks, then coming back to hawaii, then flying to LA for a day, then coming home to hawaii, then flying to texas for a funeral, then coming home again... i am happy to say that i am home for a while. and hopefully will be catching up on some blogging now that my camera is all fixed up. there will be pictures to come. but heres a little memento from playing at the hotel cafe in LA. enjoy.

catpower.

2011-02-10T21:13:00.001-08:00

while pat was having the time of his life, i was slaving away taking care of 5 kids and a dog (which the kids werent the issue as much as them being scared of ham was the issue)

but dont cry for me. i was able to sneak out for the night and go on a date with katie to go see my favorite singer of all time.

even though the concert was extremely mellow (she slowed down her songs...which are already pretty slow) her voice is amazing. end of story.

i know. im that dog person.

2011-01-31T22:58:00.000-08:00

my adorable little nieces.

ham. you will never see him swimming.

i know. i know. but i just love him so.

you married a monster.

2011-01-23T22:34:00.000-08:00

an ode to my husband, happy anniversary.

i love your guts.

didnt get enough ham?

2011-01-12T11:48:00.001-08:00

ham on the beach.

ham hangin out.

ham dosing off.

ham passed out.

a little girl who thinks shes ham.

in case you missed it.

2011-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

this past semester did not go like i thought. but im done with school and here is a little of what i have to show for it. (dont mind the poor quality, i took this video with the iphone... wheres michael p shoney when you need him!)

meet ham.

2010-12-29T12:05:00.001-08:00

ham is the best dog in the world. he loves to sleep, he especially loves to sleep on you (which may not be as adorable when hes 70 lbs). he loves to fetch except he doesnt like to bring the ball back, i think thats part of the bulldog genetic makeup.

we did it.

2010-12-22T01:01:00.001-08:00

and chase had the honor to lei us both before receiving our diploma, oh the perks of being best friends with the VP.

isnt pat's stache awesome, lets just say he went in there with a beard, and they told him he could not walk with that on his face. so he shaved something real dirty to stick it to the man.

thanks for all the support family, couldnt and wouldnt have done it without you.

and thanks jenni for the lovely pictures.

goodbye photo.

2010-12-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

this is my last homework assignment forever. thank you katie for being a fantastic model.

ps glitter is probably one of the worst things to clean up!

betsy i love you too much.

2010-12-07T15:34:00.001-08:00

my photography teacher doesnt understand my subject. im sure you do.

23... the best year of my life.

2010-11-30T19:09:00.001-08:00

all i wanted to do was surf and eat lobster, and thats exactly what happened. we got to castles at about 4, it was cold, and very windy. just the way i like. with the people i like. (thanks for going out my friends i know castles during a hurricane isnt everyone's cup of tea).

(this pic is from two bdays ago but you get the idea)

who knew costco was HAWAII'S best place for lobster.

we slayed that seafood.

chase wrote me a wonderful song.

and finally i blew out my matches. best birthday ever.

eye envy.

2010-11-23T19:26:00.000-08:00

last night i realized i had a photo assignment due today. for the assignment i was supposed to make something that isnt, is. i took a picture of pat and he took one of me. can you see what beautiful trait i stole from my man?

all i want for christmas.

2010-11-19T00:02:00.000-08:00

after 18 horrible years of school i think i deserve something awesome for graduating/christmas/my birthday forever.

does anyone know how to get me one of these? in hawaii? i will do anything.

good ol' john hathaway.

2010-11-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

john hathaway has been kickin' it real tough lately. and through this whole crazy horrible experience the only thing he has complained about is how uncomfortable his hospital bed is. "i know i could get better if i was in my own bed". we told him about the comfy chairs in the waiting room and he escaped. we love john and were so grateful he'll be home soon. thanks for all the help and prayers.

muahahahaha

2010-11-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

the evan's threw an angels and demons party, clearly pat looks like an angel with a devilish twinkle in his eye.

his outfit was so good that it somehow appeared early sunday morning in poster form on the barn. handsome lil devil isnt he?

dont worry eliza and i had the same costume, yes i copied her.

meet the newest addition to our family. we dont have a name yet but its really a lot more fun than i gave it credit for.

like a fine wine.

2010-10-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

its true some things just get better with age, and pats no exception. happy birthday babe you dashing young man you.

lets blog not paint.

2010-10-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

im working on my final art show, and realizing im tapped out of everything creative. at this point the only thing motivating me is graduation...i must finish this so i can get that 1 stinkin credit! maybe then all of the meltdowns, our house reeking of paint, me getting paint on EVERYTHING, and having no social life will be worth it. (somehow i doubt it).

BARF.

we're in a band.

2010-10-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

apparently my dad isnt giving up on the family band, and even though i live all the way in hawaii he rounded up johnny b, and alex to come shoot a live video. i've got to admit, the end product turned out pretty amazing despite all the craziness. i only wish they had better vocals STEPHANIE where are you???!!!!

still skating.

2010-10-07T15:54:00.005-07:00

we've been real busy. pats working full time and im working and finishing my LAST semester ever!!! however were still skating and fortunately johnny b. was there to capture the moment. thanks johnny!!

leysin... christmas 2011

2010-09-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

i think im ready for my first white christmas... whos with me!?

be married.

2010-09-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

as i was sitting in my best friends sealing, the advise that echoed in my head was "be married". there are times that i find myself cleaning up dirt and saw dust and maybe having a little bitter attitude. but at the end of the day i love being married and all the little hang ups just melt away. even when i find a band-aide on the shower floor.

little sisters.

2010-09-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

when theres 7 kids in your family you may sometimes be referred to as the "little sisters", even at 22 and 19 we are still the "little sisters". bethany and i have a very UNIQUE relationship that can best be described as our other term of endearment "salt and pepper", meaning we are very OPPOSITE in a lot of ways. beth is dark, organized, and likes control in her life. I am well... VERY fair, VERY messy, and usually EXTREMELY out of control. But one thing we can agree on for sure is that mike is the one for her, and im soooo excited to have him in the family!!!! congrats you two!!

and thats when i knew...

2010-08-21T23:16:00.001-07:00

this man is crazy. and i love him.

happy in july gloom.

2010-07-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

yes i got to go home for two weeks! and frankly i enjoyed the cold weather it was a nice change to wear jeans and sweaters. during our time at home we did a ton of things like weddings, dance parties, museums (i love you toulouse), surfing, bachelorette party (thank you fun poles), lots of family, and lots friends. however i chose to only photograph only the most important of events.

like ghirardelli (best sundae ever)

and our mother daughter date. thank you susan and jaclyn!

pause.

2010-06-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

its been a while since pat has hit up the skatepark what with his knee and all. heck even i miss skating. good thing michael schoneman is in our lives. he did this little project during winter semester, and it makes me real happy. enjoy.

child's play.

2010-06-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

i love being with my family. especially my little nieces and nephews.

our niece ellie got to come out with beck and mike, she may have been a little shy at first but once you get that girl on a quad she goes wild.

last week i got to play with some other cuties in santa barbara. after a long day at the beach bella jason and i decided we needed a little down time in the hammock.

isnt jonah the stinkin cutest ball of love youve ever seen!!

i didnt get to spend much time with queen pheobe but she did share her crooked smile and toothbrushing skills with me.

wax sunday.

2010-05-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

having some mantime on sunday is not so out of the norm at our house. however. tidying up unwanted nose hairs is not normal around our house. good thing ol' john hathaway was there to show us the in's and out's of fine grooming.

will you be my first mate?

2010-05-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

I love lexy and jay! if you dont know lexy is like a sister to me (maybe because she lives at my house more than i do), and lexy loves anything pirate. so of course when the blackpearl graced the island with its (gigantic) presence jay knew this was the perfect time to pop the question. i called her and asked if she would take pat and i to go see it, (she had already been the day before). she said she wanted to see iron man, so i quickly threw in that we should dress like pirates and take pictures. that did it. we were on our way! we told her and jay to walk ahead and before you knew it jay was on his knee and lexy was screaming shut up! pat got some awesome pictures out of it, because obviously pat views himself as some sort of pirate too!

the security guards wouldnt let us near the blackpearl, but even from a distance it was awesome.

afterwards we partied at brent and katie's

and jackie made the best pirate cake of all time.

itunes.

2010-04-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

its official. were on itunes.

Click on the following link to purchase "Chelsea Runs" on iTunes. All proceeds will be used to promote and pass Chelsea's Law. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chelsea-runs-single/id363636305

ITS A GOOD CAUSE!

have a nice day.

art for art's sake.

2010-03-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

its been a long time coming. its my last semester of painting to please my teacher. its an exhausting evolution but im slowing doing art for my sake.

one assignment we had was to copy another artist. thanks turner i learned a lot.

i really like the idea of a circus. but ive never been to one. but i have been to cirque du soleil. which has nothing to do with this painting.

alisa didnt really like this one. so obviously its the one i enjoyed doing the most. or wish i was doing the most. castles.

and now it seems i've come full circle. i started off spray painting stencils on shirts. now im doing it on canvas.

thanks for the love.

2010-03-23T01:13:00.001-07:00

thank you so much for all the positive feedback from chelsea runs. i love you. but the musical talent from this owsley family doesnt end there.

pat was feeling a little low about having nothing to do for the next 6 months of recovery.

so i got him a harmonica holder so he can be a one man band. hes really getting quite good.

chelsea runs.

2010-03-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

its amazing what you can do in a 30 hr visit to the mainland. well worth it. i love my family and would be devastated if something like this happened to them. john gardner should have never been let out of prison, and chelsea should still be with her family today. hopefully we can raise some awareness.

help end stories like these.

www.defendchildren.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gyJnfsQBXA.

how to prepare for a tsunami.

2010-03-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

beach day? not if mother nature has anything to do with it. have no fear though because you are prepared.

first things first. get ready for the tsunami. yes put your best face on for it may be your last.

always frost your cupcakes before heading out the door. food storage is a must.

your going to need to head to higher ground.

observe your surroundings.

clear a space for you and yours (yes remove the cow paddies before putting down the blanket)

drink TONS of water. you cannot brave the waters of a tsunami dehydrated.

last but not least grab a seat and enjoy the show. (which wasnt the case for tsunami '010)

i survived my first tsunami and you will too using these helpful tips!

A.C.helL.

2010-02-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

Pat went on a much needed snowboarding trip tahoe, im not sure if the mantrip part of it was needed but all the same i was left in hawaii (which is not as bad as im sure it sounds).

evans construction '10.... and brent.

the uppers

the downers

a lapse of judgement

maybe regretting leaving his voice of reason in hawaii

and now another vacation.

year one.

2010-01-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

we made it. one year wooohhooo! marriage is a is a piece of cake or maybe a piece of heart shaped bread (thanks katie).

of course we invited eliza.

pat made me the best easel, really made up for being a fews days late.

one year later were still in love because marriage is awesome.

this is the way i live.

2010-01-25T10:26:00.000-08:00

after a long stint of being homeless (or crashing at the evans) it all became worth it when the evans construction crew, well mostly dave and pat, finished the best house in the whole world!

come on up!

did you want to see a close up of the coffee table?

the craft corner

2010-01-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

According to scholars most daughters marry a person who shares similar characteristics of their father, i didnt. one of mike speeds favorite quotes is "there is no job to small to be contracted out", my husband would fall under the "i can do it myself" category ,and 100% of the time he can (the owsley know-how). and just when you may think carrie has really broadened the speed family horizon with the car fixing, house building, wood widdling, and medal welding son-in-law, patrick proves the scholars right.

(for those of you who dont know, for most of my life our dining table consists of an office table and office chairs. because my dad likes to be comfy. and because he is awesome)

first post of the new year... new years.

2010-01-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

your invited to our '010 new years party!!

cant slow these sexy ladies down

the men on the other hand...

im going to go on a head and say the girls won the newly wed game.

Capo Beach knows how to party.

happy birthday to my big baby.

2009-10-27T12:43:00.001-07:00

this shirt is all he wanted for his birthday. baby gets what baby wants. even if its embarrassing for the rest of us.

happy golden birthday, and no matter how old you get youll always be my big baby.

Forgive Me Family... Im Homeless

2009-09-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have tons to blog about. but for now this will have to do.

Independence Day...Together.

2009-07-08T00:55:00.001-07:00

baby gets what baby wants.

2009-06-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

So i came across a mustache key holder on etsy, and instantly knew i wanted it in my life. Of course pat said he could make it and a few days later it was mine. Gotta love that Owsley know-how.

work. work. work.

2009-06-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well the Evans went to Cali for two weeks which means I have a little more time to blog. Of course I miss those kids so... i'll blog about work.

Sometimes I'll come home with a hints of throw-up, blood, or worse on my clothes; but really don't I get to spend my days with the cutest kids ever?

And maybe there are days were Pat feels like he is framing on the surface of the sun, but how can he complain about a job site with that view!

what happend in vegas.

2009-06-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks ladies for the best times of my life. But really I love you guys. Come back! Ashley dont leave!

"THESE YAMS ARE GOOOD!"

On The Fence.

2009-06-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

i knew pre-marriage i was going to have to embrace the art of skating, and Patrick's weekly "lighting up the skatepark ritual"

It all starts with the girls on the fence... watching the boys show off.

(photo cred chris gardner)

And just when I think ive seen him do it all Patrick pulls this hat-trick.

and when the girls are at their wits end sitting on the fence, we get out there and try to impress the boys.

... Obviously its effective

(thanks for capturing the moment jenni)

The Big Island

2009-06-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

The temple in kona was by far the best part of the trip, look how happy we are.

This guy may have been the next best thing.

Yes that is snow behind us, SNOW IN HAWAII!

i wanted to see lava so close up my eyelashes would burn off, but they didnt even let me near the dumb volcano... i had to gander at old lava.

Playing Parents.

2009-05-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

Pat and I love playing family... (and with all of our cute nieces and nephews who could blame us?)

And the best part about playing family is when the little ones are hungry or a little mischievous their real parents come and save the day.

After a long day of "parenting" its always nice to come home to the blue.

true love will find you in the end.

2009-05-11T18:17:00.001-07:00

An Ode to the Animals

2009-04-15T18:31:00.001-07:00

I was in kindergarten the last time i experienced the zoo, and believe it or not i loved it more at 21.

I love the random hairs on the elephants head

And how the chimps refuse to get out of bed

Its fun to see the jungle's charger

and the fact that blue could grow a bit larger

Don't worry I didn't forget about the blogworld.

2009-04-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

Pat and I made it. We are on the cover of the Ke Alaka'i (Byuh newspaper). Thanks Marc Lee for the memorable photoshoot... here is a little teaser...

Hello Bloggers!

2009-03-16T21:33:00.000-07:00