As one year ends.... 2013 Flynns in Review
2013 a year in review
Once again I am having to become the blogger in my
family. So here it goes;
In January, I received an interesting email, that back in
the beginning of last December, I entered a contest where the WAC had posted
pictures around the University of Idaho campus. I answered all five correctly
and was one of the first 25 to do so. So I won a gift from the WAC and have
been entered to go to Vegas for the WAC championship. I didn’t win the trip, but that was ok
because I was going to be way too busy soon enough.
I learned that my sons do not understand how great snow days
from school are. I saw it as getting to watch the Price is Right and other
things, no school work, not having to ride the bus, and could go play in the snow
later. Jackson is mad because they had a
field trip and it was canceled. Wyatt wanted whatever was on the menu in the
lunchroom and was looking forward to learning things that day. They told me that if they are going to cancel
school, why not cancel before they had to wake up. I guess I will need to check
the TV before I wake them up when it snows.
February was uneventful until February 13th which
was Kassidy’s 17th birthday; I am amazed on how beautiful, smart, independent,
and sure of herself that she is. I am
blessed that her stepdad loves her as much or almost as much as me. He gets more credit for the lady she has
become than I do. Had a wonderful
Valentine's Day, it started with the birth of my youngest son, Henry Robert
Flynn, 8 lbs 15 3/4 ozs, 21 inches long. He is named for 3 of the best men I
have ever known, Henry is the middle name of the of the most honest butcher I
ever worked for, Jim Boland, who taught me you could cut meat all day long and
still have time to take your kids skiing. Robert is after my dad, and although
we do not always see eye to eye, he sometimes can surprise me. Robert is also
my step-dad's middle name, so now John was two grandsons named after him. In the
afternoon I took Kassidy her birthday present and cheesecake I made for her
from scratch. And for dinner that I enjoyed the Prime Rib from the Westside
Drive In, that they had on special for couples, but I posted that we were
having a baby on that day on their Facebook page and they gave it to me for
half of the special price. There was no way I was turning that down! Unfortunately
for Emily her stomach was not ready for it. But my Mom enjoyed it and she was
watching the older boys. Emily did get
to eat the cream puffs later.
March came and we drove to Utah for Rachel’s baby blessing
less than 2 weeks after Henry was born.
Had a wonderful time but Henry was extremely gassy and cranky for most
of the night, but the little trooper did really well in the car for the most
part.
I gained a new
respect for Mom's now that I have become Mr. Mom. I remember the first night
that Henry has let me sleep in. I was
able to clean up the Tornado that had come through my home. I had enough energy
(Yea). So the dishes were clean, kitchen is clean, and even had time to mop the
floor, before Henry woke up.
The funniest thing I read this year was from the crime
report from the Lewiston Morning Tribune on March 28th. A 28-year-old man was arrested for open
container for allegedly drinking an alcoholic beverage at the unemployment
office in Lewiston. Lt. Michael Pedersen of the Lewiston Police Department said
when officers tried to speak with the man, he told them he had diplomatic immunity
and he was from Russia. And that a man living on the 2100 block of Second
Avenue North in Lewiston called police because he believed his ex-wife had come
into his home while he was away and ate half a bag of his chips.
I always wondered if they were the same person.
April was a boring month except for Henry was going like a
weed. Emily drove by a yard sale and found the cutest curio cabinet that needed
a little new glass in the doors, so I replaced them, cleaned it up and spent a
lot less than I could have found at a thrift store or new. I think I spent a
total of $15 for the cabinet, $30 to replace the glass in the doors and some
glass stops to hold the glass in. So for
my $45 investment I received a $400 cabinet.
She loves it, puts her tea cups in it until Christmas time and then she
puts all of her Nativity scenes in it.
In May, I became 43, wow where did all the time go, it seems
like yesterday I was in my twenties. During
this month, Henry and I watched a lot of Extreme Couponing because I found it
funny because I understand the usage of coupons and how much money I can save
on things I need or will use soon. I just watched an extreme coupon person buy
456 single serving packages of Oreo’s and hundreds of bottles of flavored water
and use over 1000 coupons to do it. Good for her figuring out a way to empty a
store of their entire inventory so she can receive $2600 worth of stuff for
less than $10. She waited until there was a young checker in the line, because
the older ones feel as I do, buy one or two and leave some for someone else,
you don't need 20 years supply of dish soap. Watching these TV shows make me
sick, it is worse than Hoarders, when their entire home is wall to wall stuff
they bought and got for free with their coupons. I am not saying that coupons
are bad because I do from time to time use them. And to hear these ladies say
that they have addictive personalities is not even close. One of them had to
make their college student move his desk to the basement closet so she could
move shelving into their office space to store 20 cases of cereal. Damn that is
just sick.
June comes, the boys are out of school, I need some time to
myself while Henry is taking a nap, so I send the boys to their room to pick it
up, while I am loading dishwasher and cleaning my kitchen. I hear Wyatt coming
down the stairs gloating that it was a good thing Grandpa bought me needle nose
pliers. So my curiosity gets the better of me. "So Wyatt why are the
needle nose pliers so important?" "Because I used them to get out the penny
that Jackson stuck in his nose” Well glad to know that my 7 year old is
becoming a "Red Neck Physician".
On Father’s day weekend we spent time in Ririe and blessed Henry.
July I decided it was time to give up my manhood of at least
the Jetta and buy a 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan.
This thing has all the bells and whistles, heated leather seats,
sunroof, I can push a button and open all the doors. And it is fun to drive. Was going to give the Jetta to my return
missionary brother-in-law but it was decided he needed to buy it. So I sold my $3000 Jetta to Ethan for $1000,
a bargain until he needs to do any repairs.
I learned that VW costs $500 every time it needs fixed. I went to visit my mom drop off my boys for a
visit, celebrate my Grandma’s birthday who also happens to be Jackson’s and I
went home with a minivan. End of July,
we drove to Utah for Aaron’s blessing and to deliver the Jetta for Ethan, when
he got home in August.
August, Emily and I celebrated our 10th anniversary
together, Holy @#$, I can’t believe that anyone could put up with me that
long. That same week was a memorable one
at our condo complex. We had a neighbor
have his car reprocessed, the neighbor across have her son need to take a trip
in an ambulance. The boys came home
from the summer in Lewiston to start school.
Jackson is in 5th grade now; it seems like yesterday when we
started him in developmental preschool. We
also decided that it was time to get him on meds to combat the ADHD. That was the hardest decision I think Emily
and I have ever had to do. I know that
he needed something to help focus him, but did not want to see him become a
zombie. I cannot believe the difference
that one little pill can do. Not only is
he getting A’s and B’s but he is enjoying himself and wants to go to school
this year. Wyatt has decided that the terrible
2’s didn’t start until second grade. He
is just a little angrier this year than I would like. He is doing well in school, but it is like
pulling teeth to get him to do his homework every night.
September was the yearly Family reunion camping trip, this
year the cabin was in Island Park, I liked it.
The only thing, I don’t enjoy about these trips is the driving. It just seems like you spend most of a day in
a car and see people for a day or two and then drive again. And it wouldn’t be a family function without
me getting moody at someone. The end of
September, Jackson, Emily, Henry and I attended University of Idaho Homecoming
and for the second year in a row, we won BECAUSE I WAS THERE!!! The athletic department needs to just give me
season tickets. The only games we win, I
am at. Jackson, like Wyatt last year, I
think had a fun time, he got to go down on the field and Henry was wonderful,
he slept in his car seat during the game and the band wasn’t too loud either.
In October I celebrated my 4th year of surviving
brain surgery by purging a bunch of non-friends from my Facebook account. I went back to my part-time fall job of
cutting game. I realized every year why
it is that I only work 6 hours a day/ 4 days a week for about 2 ½ months. By the end of the season, I am exhausted and
never want to see another slimy elk again.
I enjoy doing it, but it is something I can’t do every day anymore.
November is the month of Emily; it always starts with
Remember, remember the 5th of November, for it is Miss Em’s day. For Thanksgiving this year I cooked a 10#
turkey injected with Tony Chachere Creole Butter. I made Jalapeno Brat Sausage Stuffing, Mashed
Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans w Bacon, Cranberries, rolls and for dessert was
Emily's apple pie. I will admit that I
was one of those people who went shopping Thursday night to save money on blu rays. I bought 14 and spent less than $40. I did not wait in line; I went after the
crowds had left. It was peaceful.
December started with Henry getting his first, second,
third, and not too sure that number fourth teeth isn’t going to be here before
New Year’s. Christmas eve, we started a
new tradition, for the first time in my life, we did not open any gifts on
Christmas Eve, except for one, it had PJ’s, a movie, popcorn, and movie
candy. We sat downstairs and watched a
movie as a family, I liked this so much that we will do this again next year,
unless Mom’s idea of going somewhere warm next year goes somewhere. But on Christmas day the boys decided to open
ALL their gifts before Emily could see their reactions. So she was a little bummed this year. Mom and John came down and we had Stew for
Christmas dinner, I know it sounds lame, but I enjoyed not having to spend the
whole day in the kitchen. On the 26th,
Kassidy came for a visit; she opened her Vandal gifts for the year. (A vandal
stocking, vandal coffee cup, vandal chocolates, etc.) Mom, Emily and I became the owners of smart
phones, Since my ruggedized flip phone has become expensive to buy a new one,
Em and I got I Phones. It is nice, now
we just need to find a cover for them.
I hope that next year will be as fun as this one has been…………………….
Emily's Note at the bottom - Well for me this has been a busy year with school, work, and internships. I cannot believe the amount of insane I can handle. Without all my family and especially Pete, none of this would be possible. I have two semesters left and will walk in May, although I will not be officially done until August. We are looking forward to life after Grad School.
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