Christmas 2014: 4 women, 3 men, 2 babies, 1 bathroom

We had a great, busy, fun, wonderful, cramped Christmas this year! All of my siblings (minus missionary Tim) were able to go to my parents house this year for Christmas! My parents just moved to a small rental home (very temporary) in Watsonville, CA (home of the best berries in the world! Seriously, the Driscoll plants are there, and my dad works for their grower). Unfortunately berries are not in season in the winter, but Mason and I partook of the yumminess when we went to CA in October.

Disclaimer: Feel free to skip to the pictures and captions if you don't want to read my journal entry on the trip lol. 

Anyway, Sean and I left Provo the Saturday before Christmas at 6:30am. Mason decided not to fall asleep right away, so he munched away on cereal while Sean and I talked and listened to music in the front seat. I tried to sleep but it didn't work. After a couple hours (I think in Wendover), we took a potty stop, let Mason run around in the Burger King for a few minutes, and then I took a turn driving. What a drive! It started snowing like crazy while I was driving! Luckily we have a new car (Toyota Highlander) with amazing tires and 4 wheel drive, so I was like, "what snow?" Best. Feeling. Ever! Sean and Mason both slept through this, so I happily drove through the beautiful white, listening to Nat King Cole's Christmas album, followed by Bing Crosby's Christmas album.

 

Snow, snow, snow, snow, snooooow! (Movie, anyone? Hint, it is sung)

We stopped for lunch and gas in Battle Mountain (our new car unfortunately gets worse gas mileage, our gas light had been on for 20 minutes when we stopped), and we ordered a pizza from the little pizza place inside the gas station. It was surprisingly good! Mason decided he wanted to eat his pizza like a big kid, how cute is he! Nom nom nom...

Back on the road, and we didn't stop until Reno maybe? I can't remember. We let Mason run around a Jack in the Box, and he had a great time getting his groove on to whatever song was playing over the loudspeaker. We got back in the car and headed to Uncle Wally and Aunt Vicki's to stay the night! They fed us a yummy dinner, and Sean and I passed out and slept wonderfully!

 

This little window Sean is sticking his head out of overlooks Wally and Vicki's livingroom/dining room/kitchen. Many a memory up there of being beaten at Phase 10 by Sam and Christianne...

We woke up Sunday morning to a very delicious breakfast, and got on the road to make it to my parents' ward 2 hours away. Whichever way Siri took us to Watsonville was absolutely beautiful. Mason slept most of the drive, and it was slightly foggy and there were huge trees lining the road. Beautiful!

We made it through sacrament meeting (barely, Mason was so exhausted and tired of being confined), so after that we went home, had lunch, and both babies went down for naps. Sort of. They didn't sleep very long. But they had a great time getting to know each other and playing and stealing toys from each other and knocking each other down (mostly Mason. He's not used to being the bigger kid!). Dinner and bedtime, yay sleep!

Carly, did you learn your lesson not to squirt water on Mason's head? Lol

Monday morning I woke up at 5:45 to start working at 6. My mom was up so she could leave for work in King City, so we got to see each other for a few minutes. As she was leaving she said, lovingly, "Goodby Blaze! Goodbye Sandi!" to the dogs, and then, "bye Hayley..." and left. She loves the dogs more apparently... Blaze slept by my feet while I worked. He still loves me :) I worked 6 hours Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and then had afternoons and evenings free to spend time with everyone.

  

 

Monday night, Carly, Dad and I went to Salinas to do some shopping for Mom. We found some great stuff! On the way back, my dad got a call from his sister Sylvia saying his brother Carl had passed away. My dad and Carl are only 2 years apart, and my dad was in shock. None of us could really believe it. He was a great man and we miss him a lot, but I know we will see him again one day, and he will have his same sweet smile on his face.

I woke up Tuesday morning (remember, 5:45am), and Carly was up with Oakley! I couldn't believe it. Carly said Oats wouldn't go back to sleep. So I took her, grabbed a couple toys, and sent Carly back to bed. No fun being awake at 6am, even when your baby is sooooooo cute! Oakley hung out with me while I made phone calls. She tried eating sprinkles, and then laid down next to Blaze. Silly girl!

On Tuesday afternoon, we took the kids to the park! The boys (my dad, Sean, and Bryce) threw a football around, while Carly and I chased after Mason and Oakley. Utah parks are lame, I'm just throwing that out there... this place was cool!

After the park, we went home, had dinner and Carly and I played with each other's hair. I miss that!!! Please bless me with at least one girl who will play with my hair when I am older!

 

Mason discovered the shower while we were there. He would often make his way in and we would hear the drain thing being dropped . The bathroom door stayed closed the rest of the time.

(I think I'm mixing up my days. Tuesday, mom and Carly picked Jenny up from the airport, and Carly and I played with each other's hair Monday? Maybe. Probably. Oh well.)

 Anyway, Wednesday was more work, where I got yelled at for calling on Christmas Eve. Um, lady, it was only 10am!! I could have ripped into the girl for yelling at me after the week I had had so far but I kept my cool (yay me!). That afternoon, we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium! It is so cool, and is on the list of top 10 aquariums in the world I'm pretty sure. Amazing. Mason was very wary (which is funny because he was not at all wary at Sea World in August), until Jenny showed him how cool the jellyfish were. Then he had a great time! We got home and watched Scrooge while the babies slept.

      

 

 

Pretty sunset driving home!

Thursday, Christmas Day! I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn! I slept in, and woke up when Mason woke up. We opened stockings while waiting for everyone else to wait up (cough cough, Sean!). My dad was so excited, especially with Mason and Oakley around. Christmas is more fun with little kids! We ate breakfast (which Bryce and Carly made and it was DELICIOUS) and then opened presents! We do presents one at a time. Carly cried when she opened Oakley's gift (see my last post). And she made Mason this AWESOME felt toolbox and he looooves hammering everything. At least it's soft! Sean loves his pocket knife and stethoscope from my parents (stethescope made PA school seem SO close). Mason got spoiled from everyone, and I got exactly what I asked for haha. Yay for growing up!

 

Sean and Bryce spent a lot of time playing two-player games on the tablets we got for Christmas (my parents both got iPads so we got their old tablets).

After presents, the babies napped and we all just lounged around waiting for THE MOMENT...

Tim skyped us around 3:30! We got to spend an hour with him on the phone, and it was great! He got to see Mason and Oakley for the first time outside of the pictures we send every week! They had no idea what was going on but it was fun. We had an amazing family testimony meeting at the end of the call that left us in tears. He comes home in just 2 and a half months!! I can't believe it.

We ate a yummy dinner and watched a Marx brothers movie, and went to bed. Yay for doggie footstools...

On Friday morning we woke up early so we could do our other Jones family tradition, day-after-Christmas shopping! We went to the Gilroy outlets and mom spoiled the babies rotten. She also bought stuff for the rest of us too. I didn't need much but found a few things, and Sean got some new dress shirts as well. Carly left early so they could drive part way back to Washington, and we left shortly thereafter.

 

Mason trying to get to Grandma...

More movies and hanging out Friday night, and I worked a couple hours after we got home.

On Saturday, we woke up and got ready to go to Morro Bay! We had a delicious lunch at Giovanni's (THE best and totally worth the wait), walked around a bit, then got ice cream and went home! We stopped in Atascadero so I could say hi to a friend from college and her sweet little boy! Mason and Nathan had a great time running around for a few minutes!

 

Guys, Mason will tell you, Aunt Jenny is SO cool!

 

We ran into Jenny's second grade teacher while we were there! They lived two houses down from us in Bakersfield. What a random coincidence! I remember one time trick or treating at their house, and her husband answered the door and said "Trick!" after we said trick or treat, and we were so confused! He gave us candy after explaining...

 

 

We got back in time to have dinner, and the missionaries joined us! Always a treat to eat with the Lord's servants :) After Mason went to bed, Sean, Dad and I played games for a while, then went to bed as well.

Sunday brought church again, and then packing and organizing so we could leave the next day. Originally we were going to leave Saturday and go to Bakersfield and stay with my friend Katie, and then drive back to Provo Sunday, but with the funeral, Sean got the time off approved and we stayed a couple extra days in Watsonville with my parents. On Monday afternoon we went to Bakersfield and stayed with Katie and then left Tuesday afternoon to drive to Riverside.

 

Mason and Claire. They were so cute together!

  
 

Mason had so much fun with Claire that he slept the entire drive down to Riverside. Until we got stuck in traffic. Cursed 210 eastbound...

There was snow in the Grapevine! That rarely happens. It was a little weird to see.

We had dinner at Sandi's house with tons of my family on my dad's side, and then the funeral was Wednesday morning. It was a wonderful tribute to Carl, and it was great to see so many family members and spend time with them. After the funeral was the dedication of the grave, and then back to the church for the luncheon. Of course this is the point on the trip that Mason didn't want to be glued to me haha. He ran around chasing my cousin Sam's twins, who are almost exactly 1 year older than he is. After the luncheon, we got in the car and drove back to Provo. It was 3:30am when we got back, but we made it.

 

The flowers on top of Carl's casket.

 

Cousins! 

 

What a trip! A couple days after we got back we did Christmas with Sean's family and opened more presents. Mason is one spoiled dude! As it should be :)

[Sorry for the novel, but the wordiness is more for my sake and my posterity's, than for anyone else :)]