Huntington Beach Mishaps...

A series of unfortunate events... If it can go wrong....The Holsonbake curse... get my point? Well first I am grateful we made it home with no accident or harm, I'm supposed to be soaking in a hot bath but I must blog before I forget it all, unlikely though... We were unable to rent a tow dolley so had to get the vehicle transport, a trailer that the car rides on. We went to Walmart and bought an electric wench to help pull the car up because it won't start and just Blaine and I were able to go and knew we couldn't push it up those ramps alone. We got the trailer and off we went, smooth sailing only took less than 2 1/2 hours to get there, so far so good. Quinn was working and left the key under the mat. I got in the car and attempted to put it in neutral. We turned the key on and still no luck, then Blaine tried, no luck, figures, so I called pep boys to ask if there was a secret, (I have the number memorized, sad huh) They said there is a small hole at the base of the gear shift thingy and to put a pin in it to manually release it, we tried and tried, no luck so Blaine just broke the plastic around the hole, yes it now looks ghetto, but it worked. We got it lined up and he tried to hook up the wench, unfortunately you are supposed to hook it to the trailer hitch which the trailer was on so he tried to rig it, meanwhile Quinn's roommate Zander came out and two other guys and asked if we wanted them to just push it up. I got inside to steer and brake at the top and all four guys pushed and up it went. Then a problem, my door would not open because of the trailer wheel well cover, the window would not roll down because it is electric, luckily I steered more to my right and had about a foot opening on the passenger side, I crawled over to the passenger side and barely managed to squeeze out one inch at a time and one leg at a time. Oh no another problem, we forgot to pull the wheel straps out of the way and the car was now resting on top of them, we had about 2 feet of ramp behind the car before it would roll down, but the guys had all left, I had to get back into the car, a site to see but I made it and straddling the parking break in the middle and reaching another leg over to the brake , because I am too fat to get all the way back into the driver's seat, he tried to push, but couldn't do it himself, he thought about jacking it up but that would be dangerous, so I cracked the door as a car pulled in and a nice young man hopped out, I asked him to help push and he agreed and they pushed it back a foot, yeah! Now he could get the straps up, another problem Blaine didn't know they were supposed to work, Quinn and I had figured it out on the tow dolly, so I tried to yell to him what to do, he couldn't hear me and was getting frustrated, he said I was just going to have to get back out and show him, ugh, so here I am squeezing my way out again. I showed him how and we loosened them into position, back in the car I climbed this time I had my rhythm all figured out. Blaine told me to straighten the wheel to pull it a little more centered we got into position and he tried but could not push it back up the foot or two, the other guy had left by now. So he hooked up his electric wench and put his come along in between, I don't know exactly what he did but it pulled the car forward and I stepped on the brake, perfect! Oh no now that the car is more centered my escape route just got smaller by a few inches, I tried but got stuck, now what, I started pushing my self up higher with one leg and finally unwedged my butt and squeezed probably breaking a few ribs (not really) but made it. And finally we were off, only to hit bumper to bumper traffic all the way down the 405, it took two hours on that one stretch, but we figured that we could make it to the 5 things would be better, no so, a horrific accident involving a runaway big rig and 11 car pile up closed I 5 for 3 hours, we inched along all the way by the time we got down the grapevine going about 10 miles per hours, pep boys was going to close at 6:00 pm. We started to wonder who we could get that was skinny to get through the car when we took it off the ramp if pep boys was closed and no one there to help us, we called all around, finally got a hold of Rick Mayberry, they were on 178 heading west so they stopped by, we got to pep boys with 3 minutes to spare and Rick got out and I opened the passenger door to the 7 to 8 inch crack and his jaw dropped, "you want me to get through there, how on earth did you get out" I smiled as I limped and said you wouldn't believe it. Then the pep boys guy came out and said oh all you have to do it pull back the wheel well on the drivers side, like this, he unlatched it and pulled it down, allowing the drivers side door to open. UGH!!!! Why didn't they tell us that when we rented it!!!!! I was so stressed out and sore that Rick hopped up in and as all the pep boys guys and dad pushed it off the ramp and into the bay where they could lock it up for the night. We took the trailer back and came home by 7:30 pm. I can barely turn by body, after being a contortionist not once but a total of 6 times, now I will go soak in the tub.

More Holsonbake Boys

Micah Catie and Dylan and Uncle Lance also came over Christmas Evening, he is so sweet!

Some more pics

I have way to many to post but wanted to get some of everyone...

Christmas and Cabin

It sure was a fun Christmas! Quinn and Emilee and Gary came down and stayed at our house Christmas Eve. I didn't get to bed until 1:00 am, but it was so nice to talk and Quinn helped me fill up the stockings. Garrett called me at 6:00 am to wish us Merry Christmas and we later called him back and passsed the phone around. Christmas morning Devonn, Carla, James and Andrew joined us and we all opened presents, around 5:00 Amanda, Daniel and Kaydance her daughter and Skyler her niece came over and we had dinner and they opened presents then around 7:00 Micah, Catie and Dylan came over and visited and opened gifts. It was a memorable Christmas, with everyone getting along so well. Quinn went home that evening around 9:00 and Friday morning Emilee and gary took Jazmine with them, she gets to stay until Tuesday. Blaine and I ran off to the cabin for my birthday. There was about 3 feet of fresh powder snow and we had to shovel snow to get into the cabin. It was a 18 degrees outside and the water pipes were frozen, We finally got water in the front bathroom and the toilet worked so we were fine. We warmed up the cabin nicely with the fireplace and propane heater, we ate our sub sandwiches and watched a DVD. In the morning we had our egg muffins and Blaine hung up my coat rack for all of my snow suits, we cleaned up and refilled the wood box. It was so beautiful with all of the snow in the trees, of course I forgot my camera, :( We had a great time and when we went home Blaine took me out to La Mina for my Birthday dinner, after dinner Devonn and Carla and the boys came over and then my mom came and gave me my gifts. I had a great day!

Just can't figure him out

Blaine said no more dogs, ever.. Then today he rescues and brings home a full bred cocker spaniel pup who has been neglected. She has the sweetest temperament, doesn't bite or snap. He said she can sleep outside, but then when we got home he said well put those pads down and she can sleep inside if you make her sleep on a blanket on the floor. She layed on her blanket until we got into bed then she jumped up with us. I told her to get down and I took her back to her bed, then she came back but would not jump back up, she just layed her head on the bed and whimpered. Blaine said why isn't she jumping up on the bed, I told him because I put her down and she is smart I guess and knows she can't get up, he said oh she can sleep up her at the end of the bed as long as she sleeps, All it took was me to say OK Sammie and up she came and is quietly sleeping in between us at the end of our bed. So we'll see? She is a sweet dog and hasn't peed once in the house, we'll take her out first thing in the morning.

Only in California....

It was Sunday evening and the kids were over, we ate dinner, baked some cookies and settled down to watch America's Funniest Home videos and my 4 year old grandson James asked me, "Nana is it a no burn day" he wanted me to light a fire in the fireplace. I laughed, and no it wasn't a no burn day so we lit the fireplace.

Mowing the lawn

Andrew just loves to mow the grass with Papa. You would think he would get bored after a little while, but he sticks with it for the whole yard. It takes Papa twice as long with Andrew, lol.

Hysterical Visual Image

I've been sick with a bad head cold and I needed a good laugh, last night Blaine was cooking his homemade Clam Chowder for the Ward party, now picture this... He was in the kitchen cutting up all the onions and wearing a snorkel mask! Although he looked hysterical it actually worked, he could see what he was doing and no eye irritation. LOL

Christmas and talks

I'm excited to have almost everyone here for Christmas dinner. Quinn will be down and Emilee and Gary, Devonn, Carla and the boys and Lance and family and Micah, Catie and Dylan and Amanda called today and said she would probably stop by with Kaydance. We'll have a full house. I love Christmas time and the colder weather.
I'm not however excited that I have to give a talk in Sacrament this Sunday. I jinxed myself, three weeks ago Jazmine was asked to give a youth talk and I told her she should always say yes and that it wouldn't be so bad blah, blah blah. Well she asked when was the last time I had given a talk? I mumbled under my breath oh about 10 years, shh!! Well I guess Father above was listening because Bro. Berry approached me last week and said, I was trying to think of who to ask to speak next Sunday and your name kept popping in my head, if you don't want to it's ok. My mind recalled my words to Jazmine and I said sure. He said are you sure, it's ok if you don't want to, he said this probably due to the shocked look on my face. I thought about backing out but not after my speech to Jaz. lol. I just get so nervous and my knees shake and my voice shakes and I feel like I'm going to faint. Oh well wish me luck.

The boys are sooo funny...

We had James and Andrew spend the night so mom and dad could run away, Emilee and Gary came down for a visit too, they wanted to see Cady. We made some snowmen cookies. James came and asked about 7:30 if they could take a bath. I told them that mommy said they already had a bath before they came over and James informed me, mommy sent you an email and said that she gave us baths but that if James wanted another one it was ok. He was talking in the third person, I laughed and actually he was right, so papa took them upstairs and gave them baths on put on their PJ's. Andrew was climbing all over Gary and I took him and said it was time to go to bed upstairs and he said as I carried him away, I want Gary. Tactical diversion to going to bed, lol. Andrew slept on the couch and James in the sleeping bag on the floor. They went right to sleep. Around 7:00 am James informed me that brothr was finnaly away. James had been awake since 6:30 but was very quiet in his sleeping bag. We went down and had breakfast and after Andrew ate all his raisin bran, he said something about his mouth as he walked away, I didn't hear him and asked him what did he say? He folded his arms and said "you heard me". I never did get him to tell me what he said, lol. They came upstairs to get ready for church and papa asked Andrew if he wanted some shaving lotion on his face that smells good. Andrew told him "no papa I have allergies and it could make me go blind" LOL. I just love those boys! Devonn and Carla you are awsome parents.

This Month's Ensign

There is an excellent article by a doctor on the dangers of caffeine and all of the health conditions that can be a result. I learned things I didn't know before, like all those diet pills that are supposed to help you lose weight. Caffeine actually increases certain hormone levels that lower ones metabolism causing the body to crave carbohydrates and sugar which then causes weight gain. Those energy drinks are the worst. Also I didn't know that long term use can cause a break down in bone tissue resulting in osteoporosis. Anyway it was good and worth reading.

Christmas Tree FHE

We went to get our Christmas tree for Family Night and then we decorated the tree. I think I am going to need a bigger fireplace!