The Jones Family
The adorable couple who started it all:Mel & Elise Jones
Meet my Mom and Dad, or as we often call them, Mamma and Melvin. My parents have been married for almost 34 years, have raised six kids and currently have nine grandkids. Together they are a very hilarious duo, who still find ways to entertain each other and make each other laugh. They are incredibly selfless, and though they are both super busy, find time to serve others, including their kids. They love to give presents, especially at Christmas, and should pride themselves in always finding the perfect gifts for each of us. They are both very super ultra active in the Church, and have set fantastic examples and taught us the value of hard work..
So now here is a bit about each of them individually.
My mom is the happiest person I know. She also has about the biggest smile I've ever seen, so it's easy for others to see how happy she is. She is also the best present opener. No awkwardness, no over exaggerating, no wondering if she really liked what you got her. She gets super excited, and makes you feel like she has been wanting what you got her for the past 800 years. And then she'll wear the sunglasses she got that are way cooler than mine.
See what I mean? This is one of my favorite pictures of all times. It was a Home Depot gift card people, not gold bars, and yet she is THIS excited. She validates our every thought or attempt and makes all of us feel like we are her favorites.
She is absolutely the most talented person I know. See all of the dresses in this picture? She made all of them, including mine. She also helped with my two sisters' dresses, a couple of bridesmaids' dresses, and Philip's mom's dress. Within the 5 months that I was engaged, she made and/or helped with and/or altered 18 dresses. Not exaggerating. She is amazing. She has the Elise touch, which turns everything to absolute perfection.
She also will help you with any thing you ever need help with. For example, I never could pin on a boutonniere, so she did it every single time for me. Also, if there is ever a sewing or painting or crafting project of any type, or lesson or talk that we need help on, we take it to her and say, "Loo do it Mamma." and she will help with it/transform it into something incredible, and then praise you for the good job you did.Is anyone else tearing up right now or is it just me?
She is the ultimate good sport about anything. This past year for her birthday we threw her a surprise bowling party, because she had never bowled in her life. Crazy huh? She went and though she doesn't LOVE bowling, she had a good time and thanked us all like a million times. And wouldn't you love for your grandma to be this cute? All of the grandkids ADORE her, because she is totally laid back and will play with them and is just so sweet.
I think my mom is the prettiest lady in the world. I love this picture because she looks just so friendly and nice. This is how she greets everyone, which is why she is a social magnet, because she is so nice to everyone she meets, and would give them her arm if they asked. She is constantly smiling and laughing and making the people she talks to feel like they are the most important person in the universe. She really is the most saintly person in the world.
Both of my parents are so supportive of all us kids and all of the things that we decided to pursue. My dad is always full of the best advice about life situations, but never pushes it on you, he'll simply give when you ask. Whenever we have questions about church topics, cars, how to fix something, how does something work, or what is the history behind something, he'll have a ready answer for you. Basically he is the smartest person in the whole world. Not joking, he really is.
Melvin is incredibly giving as well. On my wedding day, it was an awesome 109 degrees when we came out of the temple, and Amy had about had it, as you can tell by the look on her face, so my dad carried her, and didn't complain at all about taking pictures for 45 minutes in the hottest part of the day. He also never makes you feel like you are not worth what he is doing for you, and has worked so hard in life to provide us all with what we needed, and wanted lots of times.
Hands down, he is the hardest person in the world to shop for. He really likes expensive things that we can't buy for him, and if it is less expensive, he'll buy it himself. However, after we all stress out about getting him something, he'll open it and, like my mom, have the perfect reaction to make you feel great about it. Then, he'll let you use it whenever you want. I can't even count how many of his tools or books that he never hesitated to let us borrow, even if some of us are not so good at returning them.
He recently went to Utah for a week to help Chris build a new front porch. Who goes on vacation to help people? Melvie does. He knows how to do just about everything, and he'll teach you how if you want. He also wears bandanas when he works, which make us all smile. He seriously is such a hard worker though, which has taught us all the value of working hard and being productive. He is also kind of anti-social, which has nothing to do with this section, but I think it's funny that he doesn't enjoy small talk.
He likes to do fun things. Here he is teaching my mom to bowl, which I think is cute. He also LOVES his motorcycle, he likes to go on vacations, he likes to read, which is where we all got it from, he likes to drive, he likes to hang out with us kids, he likes to tell lame-ish jokes and laugh really hard at himself, he likes to buy things, and he loves Costco. He also likes pretty things, which I think is why he likes my mom so much, and he is very much a perfectionist, which is why he's a fabulous dentist.
Another thing I love about my dad, and mom in this case too, is that when they give perfect presents, they are always very very clever about it. If it can't go under the tree, they never just say, "Oh, your present is _____." They will find something to wrap that represents it and make you figure it out. For example, last year they gave me and Philip a new mattress set. Obviously that doesn't fit in the living room, so they made a word search with lots of sleepy words in it, as well as the words "Look in Garage", and wrapped the word search up for us. And for Kevin, they were going to fix his car, so they wrapped up a small car, and wrote a poem about fixing it before Kev had to move. Cute huh? They are just so clever, and are very much about the presentation of gifts, not just the gift itself.
She is the ultimate good sport about anything. This past year for her birthday we threw her a surprise bowling party, because she had never bowled in her life. Crazy huh? She went and though she doesn't LOVE bowling, she had a good time and thanked us all like a million times. And wouldn't you love for your grandma to be this cute? All of the grandkids ADORE her, because she is totally laid back and will play with them and is just so sweet.
I think my mom is the prettiest lady in the world. I love this picture because she looks just so friendly and nice. This is how she greets everyone, which is why she is a social magnet, because she is so nice to everyone she meets, and would give them her arm if they asked. She is constantly smiling and laughing and making the people she talks to feel like they are the most important person in the universe. She really is the most saintly person in the world.
Both of my parents are so supportive of all us kids and all of the things that we decided to pursue. My dad is always full of the best advice about life situations, but never pushes it on you, he'll simply give when you ask. Whenever we have questions about church topics, cars, how to fix something, how does something work, or what is the history behind something, he'll have a ready answer for you. Basically he is the smartest person in the whole world. Not joking, he really is.
Melvin is incredibly giving as well. On my wedding day, it was an awesome 109 degrees when we came out of the temple, and Amy had about had it, as you can tell by the look on her face, so my dad carried her, and didn't complain at all about taking pictures for 45 minutes in the hottest part of the day. He also never makes you feel like you are not worth what he is doing for you, and has worked so hard in life to provide us all with what we needed, and wanted lots of times.
Hands down, he is the hardest person in the world to shop for. He really likes expensive things that we can't buy for him, and if it is less expensive, he'll buy it himself. However, after we all stress out about getting him something, he'll open it and, like my mom, have the perfect reaction to make you feel great about it. Then, he'll let you use it whenever you want. I can't even count how many of his tools or books that he never hesitated to let us borrow, even if some of us are not so good at returning them.
He recently went to Utah for a week to help Chris build a new front porch. Who goes on vacation to help people? Melvie does. He knows how to do just about everything, and he'll teach you how if you want. He also wears bandanas when he works, which make us all smile. He seriously is such a hard worker though, which has taught us all the value of working hard and being productive. He is also kind of anti-social, which has nothing to do with this section, but I think it's funny that he doesn't enjoy small talk.
He likes to do fun things. Here he is teaching my mom to bowl, which I think is cute. He also LOVES his motorcycle, he likes to go on vacations, he likes to read, which is where we all got it from, he likes to drive, he likes to hang out with us kids, he likes to tell lame-ish jokes and laugh really hard at himself, he likes to buy things, and he loves Costco. He also likes pretty things, which I think is why he likes my mom so much, and he is very much a perfectionist, which is why he's a fabulous dentist.
Another thing I love about my dad, and mom in this case too, is that when they give perfect presents, they are always very very clever about it. If it can't go under the tree, they never just say, "Oh, your present is _____." They will find something to wrap that represents it and make you figure it out. For example, last year they gave me and Philip a new mattress set. Obviously that doesn't fit in the living room, so they made a word search with lots of sleepy words in it, as well as the words "Look in Garage", and wrapped the word search up for us. And for Kevin, they were going to fix his car, so they wrapped up a small car, and wrote a poem about fixing it before Kev had to move. Cute huh? They are just so clever, and are very much about the presentation of gifts, not just the gift itself.
So that, my friends, is my parents in a 2500 word nutshell. They really are just so great and my siblings and I have been so very blessed to have them raise us. I love you Mamma and Dad! You guys are seriously the best two people in the entire world! 
12 comments:
Um I worship your parents. And I wish that I had the Elise touch for sewing. Amanda had to alter something for me on Wednesday, and we prayed for the Elise-ness to help her sew it right. And it worked.
So right at the part where you were saying that we should be tearing up, was very true until you blow up the picture right after that statement and see Melvin in the background being his regular awesome self. And I laughed real hard on a couple posts ago when he said, "may the force be with you" when you sent in your application. I heart Melvin!! And Mom!! They both are amazing.
Sorry that Nicole and I look too much alike in the picture at Christmas. I was trying to get away from the fact of us being sorta related.
Kev and Nicole
I love them too! Seriously Miss, perfect post. I love how accurately you described them and the amazing pictures you have. So fun. It made me glad (I was tempted to put GLAAD just for Melv. He'd be one of few to get it.) to have such Melvin tendencies and jealous of Alyson for having such Momma tendencies. I love all the pictures of them have several children hanging all over them. That is such a true depiction.
Thanks Miss for doing such a great post and telling all of our feelings exactly! Mom is so great to always fix my projects I start and then like you said, praise me for what a great job I did. Dad is so supportive with everything we do and has come to just about every talk I've ever given. Aren't we so lucky to have great parents?! Love ya Momma and Dad!
What a fun idea. I realize I hardly know your parents at all (well, I didn't before this post), but the couple of times I have seen/talked to your mom, I pretty much loved her. She is awesome, as is your dad! Good job on picking such sweet parents.
Did we get in a car accident or something and I have just gone to the funeral? Thank you for making me feel so uncomfortable, in the spotlight, with my huge teeth and gums showing every time. I love Nicole's perfect small teeth and smile. Why can't we all be more like her? I love the pictures of Dad, and your discriptions of him. He is my all time favorite. You all are my favorites as well, you know.
2500 words of pure truth, i reckon.
your parents are fabulous. hence the reason why the first word i think of when i think of your mom is SAINT. and when i think of your dad i think of words like: spiritual rock, BMW, and costco.
and hello, cutest family pic! and i love each & every one of you girls' hair & dresses. the end.
I wish I knew your parents...they sound amazing! And Yes, we too will be doing the Walgreens things if all goes as planned...We have a friend who is in Phillips class...his name is Ken and he is a Mo with 6 of his 8 kids out of the house-I forgot his last name.
i loved reading your post! your mom should offer a class on how to be just like her.
How funny you have me on here as Lola Wong, no one has called me that in like 3 years.
Oh Mel and Elise... how we (mel and alisse) feel so fortunate to share your names. Your Momma always remembers me when I see her, and I like that. She has a contagious smile, and is also HILARIOUS. I love an adult that's not afraid to be funny/politically incorrect on purpose sometimes. Cheers to another 34 years kids!
I love your parents!! Your dad was a great bishop back in the Kachina ward days, and your mom is super super nice and talented! Such a fun post to read!
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