Those Flynn Boys

As I sat down and started looking at photos to write this post I was overwhelmed with a wave of emotion! I accept that my children are all grown into responsible, competent adults but now my grandchildren are going and doing the same darned thing (which is exactly what they are supposed to do... but... but)

GRAMMIE'S BOYS

CADEN - TADHG - BROCK

JUNE 6, 2017

It sent my mind back to these little boys that made me a Grammie. Prior to Tadhg's birth I'd planned on being Nana, but when I held that darling little red-head I said *Your Grammie loves you!* And I knew that is who I REALLY was!

And it seems like just yesterday that these little monkey-boys were these darling, mischievous little people!

BROCK -  CADEN - TADHG

FALL 2003

Now when I call for the Flynn boys after church for our obligatory photo op these are the big men that tower over their little Grammie!

BEKAH - TADHG - GRAMMIE - CADEN - BROCK - CURTIS

And here is the happiest part of this photo... when I called for the *Flynn boys* to step outside for a photo Curtis stepped right in. I'm so grateful that he knows he is also one of my boys!! (And Bekah and I didn't even coordinate our wardrobe choices!)

We had a wonderful, eventful, yet very busy, 6 days together. Wednesday was Caden's graduation from high school. The weather was delightfully cool for a change.

Thursday we went down to Fresno to the temple and to shop. Tadhg is the selfie-king!!

Friday we were busy. Saturday they got the house ready for Tadhg's open house and we shopped. Sunday, after Tadhg's missionary report in Sacrament meeting, they had friends over for a tasty lunch. I loved when I took a break in the kitchen and found this puppy pile of boys on the couch!

Now I'm trying to come to grips with the fact that likely the next time I visit there will only be one Flynn boy left at home.

Grammie's Boys

I realize that I have another blog post with this same exact title... but that is what these wonderful boys are! There is no other description.

These are the boys that taught me that I am no longer the Mommie-Enforcer... I am the Grammie-Spoiler-Lover. That is such a liberating concept.

I have more photos, at home in Springville, of this wonderful threesome but sitting here tonight in YLP this is the earliest photo I have access to (I think I will come back and add the others when I get home. If for no on else but me!)

This was the second cruise Grammie-duties trip. Look how small they are! Odd how fast children change in 6 years.

MARCH 27, 2009

Fast-forward 4 years and now 2 of the 3 are taller than their little Grammie. That was when I knew that I needed to start needing these pictures WITH my boys instead of just OF my boys.

APRIL 21, 2013

Not even a year later and look how they have all shot up! This photo has been the wallpaper on my phone for the last 15 months...

FEBRUARY 2, 2014

Until this one took over. OMSH!! Man-sized people who are their Grammie's boys! I am so pleased with the young men they are. Good, good people!

MAY 1, 2015

My next Grammie and boys photo will only be with two boys! Tadhg will serve the Lord for 2 years. He leaves on June 24th to serve in the Scotland/Ireland Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am so grateful that he has made this righteous choice. I pray that he will be guided and protected as he shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love that he is returning the land of his forefathers to share his love of the Savior. I'm sure he will find cousins (whether they know it or not). I am so grateful that this love of Jesus goes back many generations... because that is what is all about.

Grammie & her Boys

Tadhg graduated from Minarets high school on June 5th so Grammie needed to make a trip down to CA for the occasion. I just can't believe that it's been 17 years and 8 months since that boy was born. Where has the time gone?

I was so pleased when it came to picture time and Tadhg just wrapped his arms around his little Grammie! I am so glad that my boys know how much I love them!

I needed another picture with them after church on Sunday. They are such good sports.

And even though I'd just gotten a pix in February I was surprised to see how much they've grown in that short amount of time. I purposely didn't zoom in on us so that I can remember the wonderful landscape around the Oakhurst Chapel. In the February pix we are in front of a ginormous rockadon; in June an equally ginormous oak.

Bek commented that she didn't have any recent pix of her boys or family so I decided that it was time for a Grammie remedy! This ones good enough for framing.

Seeing Rebekah with her *men* just made me want this classic bride and her brothers photo. When Bek married almost 22 years ago her brothers were all too small (Spencer was 8 and Stuart 5) to pull this off. I love the looks on the faces and the positioning of Curt's tie!

Next morning it was time for me to start making tracks back home. I came out to my car and it was covered with pine needles. It had only been parked there for a few days.

Funny story, Beatrix still had pine needles in her bonnet when I sold her... I suppose Elio will too.

My *Little* Boys

It seems like just lasterday these wonderful boys were all tiny boys! Now look at them! All so much taller than their little Grammie!

Oh, I do love these boys! I am so blessed to have them in my life! The fact that they are killer handsome is just a bonus! 

I love you Caden, Tadhg and Brock!

52 card pickup!

Coming and Going

I just got home from my wanderings in the West! This is the first road-trip Elio and I have made! It all started on April 11 when I headed south  down the I-15 to visit family in California.

Shortly after this gas stop, where I reset my trip/mpg averages, I realized that there's something seriously wrong with this particular reading!!! I just WISH I was getting 72mpg!

Since I've *worn out the I-15* over the years I have some favorite sights... Virgin River Gorge is one of them.  Just outside the gorge I saw the happiest thing, but it wasn't a safe photo-op.  I passed a livestock truck hauling pigs.  Out of one of the holes was a little pink piggy ear- flapping in the wind!

And, favorite stops! Vegas used to be the first available In 'n Out Burger! So glad we have it in Utah Valley now.

The kids always loved Monkey Mountain at the top of the Baker grade. (This is what gave me the idea of the coming and going title...)

My first visit was at Spencer's house! I was able to accompany him and Deborah to the LA Temple for their Stake Temple Night.

And the next day I got to see my good friends- Batman and Robin (aka Auntie P and Sonny). Apparently I didn't get the memo that Auntie P's grandson's 1st birthday party was themed. But that's ok... I'm always Wonder Woman!

Sunday was Stake Conference with Spencer and family... happy day.

Monday found me on the road again. I'd noticed that the Joshua trees were blooming when I was headed through Barstow but didn't stop to get a photo until I was headed west out Hwy 138. They say this doesn't happen very often.

Next stop was at Rebekah's. I told her that her job was to make sure I got a photo with my Flynn boys! I can't believe how grown up they all are. Where did my tiny babies go?

But somehow I didn't get photos of Rebekah and I. We had a delightful visit. We went to the Fresno Temple on Wednesday evening. Truly the words from 3 John 1:4 apply to me, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

Bek and I found this beautiful fountain at some random shopping center in Fresno.

In the original planning stages I hadn't planned to go to the Bay Area but as the time drew close for my trip I knew I just *needed* to include it. I stopped first thing at Roselawn to leave early birthday flowers for Tony. I felt great peace and love for my wonderful first-born and not too many tears.

I had a lovely visit with Sue and family. We all got together for dinner the first night and I was able to meet my newest little grand-niece, Audrey Ella. I was able to have a wonderful visit with all. I'm so grateful for family. Plus Sue and I made a productive shop at Blue Door Antiques where we found some wonderful orphaned quilt blocks. Sue already has hers in various stages of completion! I told her she was the Queen!

Saturday I took I-5 south back to Palmdale. It's been years since I've taken that route. I normally go via Hwy 99. I was interested to see that they've moved Harris Ranch's stock yards away from the freeway. We've driven past there when you can literally see the methane gas hanging in the cow-manure scented air.

This time around I stayed at Auntie P's house but we had Spencer and family over for dinner and delicious strawberry dream cake.

This may very well replace Pig-Pickin' Cake as our family favorite.

Monday we went to the garment district in LA with Deborah and Andrea.  Pauline was the winning shopper this day... all I got was some zippers.

And no trip to So Cal is complete without a trip to Cielito Lindo. It has pretty much replaced Disneyland.  Well, maybe not, but it's a lot cheaper!

And our trip back home from LA- I've always love this series of tunnels that transition to the I-5.

Tuesday was the day of reckoning and time to come home. And here is Monkey Mountain headed north.

So what of this trip? Here are my stats-

• 12 days
• 2287.3 miles that Elio drove (this doesn't count when other people drove us somewhere)
• A combined total of 40 hours driving time
• 27 family and family-by-choice members visited
• Elio- 9 months old
• Joanie- 60.5 years old
• Countless potty stops (oh, for crying out loud!)
• And quite possibly the easiest solo road-trip I've made in the last decade... I think that must be a result of Elio's comfortable ride and awesome family visits.
• One happy Pup and Pap when I returned home!

My Darling Boys

One of the greatest pleasures of a Grammie's life is... well, being a Grammie! I got to see the Flynn Boys while I was in California. And you would think with handsome grandsons like this I would have gotten more photos, or photos of Grammie and boys to show how they've grown or JUST ABOUT ANYTHING! I guess I just have to be satisfied that I remembered to get out my camera the morning I was leaving (and I'm not in the photos because I'm rockin' my Minnie Mouse pj's and have Super-Hero-Villian-Hair... that's what Brock tells me!)

Here's Tadhg... aka King Ginger! He breaks hearts were ever he goes! Tadhg's as tall as his mom.

Caden, still just a sweet and sensitive as ever.

Yeah... but as tall as me now!

And what's up with this? How did baby-Brock get to be 10 1/2? He is such a precious boy. He looks like he belongs on the front of that cereal box!

We gave the boys haircuts the night before I left; I did Tadhg and Caden and Mama did Brock's. This is Brock-Fauxhawk! Sans the fauxhawk he is up to my nose.



We had such a lovely visit... but I miss them already.

Leonardo...

When I was planning my trip to California I wanted to make sure that I was here for the Wax Museum Night at Rivergold School. I've been here two other years: first for Sir Isaac [Fig] Newton, then for Alexander the Great Grape! But, great sadness, who is it this year? Just boring old Leonardo DiVinci! What fun can I have with that name? I thought maybe Ninja turtle... definitely not going for DiCaprio.

Here is a little know fact that I learned last night... Leo was in the percussion section in the band. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE HAD A BAND! Wow!

But- seriously! Have you ever seen a cuter Leo? My Leo is cuter than your Leo!

We ran across several characters that we met in years past... there was Demeter- her daughter got mixed up with Hades and had to live for 6 months every year in the underworld. Sad, sad, sad... (but look at her darling freckles!)

Not too far away was Cerberus, Hades' watchdog! Woof! This was not a nice character... he was a bit grumpy... I guess being the baddest dude's dog will do that to you! (He didn't like our question about whether he was Hagrid's 3-headed dog, Fluffy!)

Galileo definitely rocked the best beard...

And, DUDE! Did ya' not think about how cold it would be on March 14th when you picked your character? Adam needed a fur coat!

But this, hands-down is the cutest mad French chefie girl I know!

Alexander the Great Grape

Several years ago when I was at Bek’s house on Grammie duties I just happened to catch Tadhg as Sir Isaac [Fig] Newton at the Rivergold’s History/Wax Museum night. So as I was planning my trip this time and found out that Caden would be participating in the same event I knew I would have to be there to see him as Alexander the Grape!



The students each choose a mythical, fictional or historical character they want to represent. Then study to learn about their character and write themselves a little script. The parents get to help them make a dandy costume. The students memorize their little schpiel and they are all set for the big performance.



Usually the characters are frozen in one of the many outside quads, but this year rain moved them into the classrooms. The idea is that they stand frozen until a spectator comes and taps them; they awaken and give their informational speech and them freeze again. I’m always amazed at how clever they are.

Caden was just slightly nervous when Grammie came, in all her state, to hear him. But he managed to make his way through his speech.


Being an all powerful conqueror he knew that he needed to get his rest before the big battle.



We wandered in the several classrooms to see the rest of the wax museum. Some of my favorites were-

The goddess- whose daughter ate 6 pomegranate seeds and was taken by Hades, God of the Underworld, for 6 months of the year. This little girl was so animated she was a joy to watch.



Moses- who was wearing his father’s jamaka and prayer robes.



A sea goddess- who somehow got on the wrong side of King Tritan.



This little girl, who I don’t remember what she was, with beautiful amber eyes.



I saw Indiana Jones wandering around outside after the wax museum was finished, I ran up to him, gave him a tap and he accommodated me. He even showed me how he could use his whip with a big crack!



I asked Caden if I could carry his shield and spear (to avert another world conquest right there on the Rivergold campus). As Bek snapped this pic Brock informed me I was not Grammie the Great... but I told him he was mistaken... I definitely AM GRAMMIE THE GREAT!