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.

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!

Bye-Bye Beatrix

The Monday after we bought Elio I took Beatrix down to Jake's Brookside Conoco to spruce her up. I did the full vacuum (a whole 75 cents worth, hey, she's small) and the $7 deluxe carwash! I came home and double-vacuumed the mats with my upright vacuum (on the front walk), parked her at the curb (Poor Beatrix, kicked to the curb!) and waited for Gordon to list her on KSL.com classifieds. With one thing and another (plus girls camp) we didn't get the ad placed until Thursday afternoon.

By then Beatrix was dusty and rain spotted so I went to Jake's for another carwash and then we took a little trip up to Kelly's Grove for her very last photo shoot.

The ad wasn't even up for 5 minutes before Gordon was getting texts asking about her. All told 386 views on the ad...

AND less then 48 hours later Beatrix has a new home! She's now going to live with Jake, Kelley and Ashton! (Have you noticed all of the coincidences here?) Kelley commutes from Farmington to West Valley each day for work so Beatrix is the perfect new companion for her! Don't they look happy?

Bye-bye Beatrix, old friend... we've had so many good times together.

Elio's New Family

Several years ago on one of my trips to Palmdale I made a potty stop at some random gas station along I-15 and saw the cutest little stick people window stickers. I bought one to represent Gordon, Harley and I. Sadly, I don't think I have a photo of those little people... and now they are cleaned off of Beatrix!

Change is frequently stressful for me (DON'T ask me to change wallets!) so I wanted to replace that cute family sticker on Elio. I looked online and at the Towne Center Mall and didn't find anything I liked. Since I was in Orem today I thought I'd check at the University Mall. There's a new kiosk- Emblem Art with a very NICE and TALENTED owner/operator.

We Travis designed this one!



What do you think? My favorite part is *my* spiky hair and Gordon's mustache! I put in my 2 cents worth but Travis worked all the magic! And, yes, we are on a first name basis after I spent over and hour with him working on this rockin' sticker!



Here it is- all *trimmed* out and waiting for the mounting paper. See that large ball? It is made of vinyl scraps from all of his stickers since he opened the kiosk.



Did you know there is an added benefit to having a new car. Elio likes to live way, WAY OUT! Now I get more walking in!



** True Story (sad, but true)

When Auntie P and Uncle Steve got a new car they parked it way, way out in the Von's parking lot... like this, at the outer perimeter. Ah, but in Palmdale the wind ALWAYS blows and it picked up a shopping cart and crashed it into their new car!!!

(BTW I removed two suspicious looking shopping carts before leaving Elio all alone!)

Meet Elio!

Beatrix has a new friend.

Gordon says, "Thank you for letting me buy you a new car!" (Seriously!)

And I say...

THANK YOU TO MY FAVORITE MONKEY!!!!

Elio is a 2012 Hyundai Elantra GT.