PSSST... CHANCHO, I need to borrow some Sweats!

We TRIED! We really TRIED!

We got all of our work done early saturday morning and decided to go on a picnic. Everyone loaded up in the truck and we headed towards Show Low. By the time we got there everyone in the truck was grouchy and it was raining! We took off on Porter Mountain Road and tried to find a good place to lunch. We found a good place, but the rain wasn't stopping so after about 45 min. of driving we decided to turn around and come back home. We tried. We really did! We ended up having a picnic on the back porch at home.... I just loved this picture! We were all in a good mood after we ate lunch. Maybe we were just hungry?

Carter never takes a regular picture. He always does funny things with his eyes and his hands!

Our little picnic. It was even a little chilly at our house. Even though we didn't get to picnic in the forest we were glad for the rain. I LOVE the rain!

This is classic! Mike decided that since we didn't get to have the day we wanted we should at least have a little fun getting the truck muddy. So, he found the biggest mud holes there were and made a big mess. Katlyn, always the worry wart thought we were going to get stuck, but Gage was loving it.

AHHHH...... A schedule!

I don't know about anyone else out there, but I am soooo glad to have a little bit of a SCHEDULE back! I feel like my life has a little rythmn now. Summer is so up and down and all around that I feel somewhat relieved when school starts. Don't get me wrong, I love summer but there's just something about knowing what SOME of my days will bring.....
4:15- Tell Mike I love him with 1 eye open. Yes, 1 eye. That is WAY too early for me.
5:45- Gavin is yellin' at me telling me it's time to wake-up! He gets an early breakfast.
6:30- It's up up up for Katlyn. She hates it, but it's good for her. Gage joins her for breakfast.
7:00- Carter usually comes rolling in with his eyes half open. I dont' know how he'll do next year
Then it's lunch and hair and teeth and beds and rooms, and getting Katlyn to school by 8. Which we have done every day. So far!
8:15- We go for our daily walk. I love this part of the day. Love being outside. Then it's home and cleaning. I'm not in love with cleaning, but I'm kinda grouchy when my house is a mess so it gets done.
11:30- Carter goes to school. Gage lays down, and Gavin goes for a nap. That's why I'm blogging right now. It's quiet!
3:00- The kidos get home from school. Katlyn always gets her homework done at school. (smarty pants) So, we just hang out for a while and get dinner ready.
5:30- Dad is home!!!!!!!! Thank heavens dad is home! (Unless it's Tues. and then he has class so we don't see him until 9:30! Poor guy!) Then it's dinner and clean up.
6:30- Baths baths baths! Lots of bathing and jammies, but it's getting closer to bedtime!
8:00- Bedtime! books, scriptures and prayers and they are out! All but Katlyn! She finishes a book almost every night! I might have to ground her from reading! It's bedtime for Mike and I too. I'm getting too old to stay awake late. I last about 5 min. into my book and it's lights out.

We squeeze in meetings and appts. and scouts and school, but for the most part this is our boring life. I'm boring. I know. I have never been one to always want something to do and somewhere to go. I love the days when I just get to stay at home. If you drop by my house on most days I will be in my workout clothes all day long unless I have somewhere to go that I need to look decent for. I wish sometimes that I would be more go go go because I do feel very unacomplished at times. I wish I had the ambition! I would LOVE to finish school but that will have to wait until Gavin is a little older. I should have finished a long time ago! Again, ambition! I hope that my children will be smarter than I am and finish school while they are young. Anyway, I'm rambling!

FiRsT dAy Of ScHoOl....

The first day of school went off without a hitch! Mostly! Katlyn was SUPER duper nervous because she was going to a new school. She's a nervous nelly like her mom! Mike gave both of them (& Gage because he felt left out) blessings Sunday night so that made her feel a lot better and her first day was pretty dang good! She even shared her lunch with a girl that didn't have one, and she loves her new teacher MRS. FROST.

This guy played it cool until he had to go into his class and then he got a little teary eyed. He wiped them away lightning fast though and when I picked him up he was smiling. Sometimes it's hard to tell what this man is thinking, but he's always thinking! He says he thinks his new teacher MRS. ROMNEY is nice too! So, we scored in the teachter dept. and it looks like it will be a great year!

Typical Papa Saturday......

This isn't typical but I had to post it. Gavers burned his hand on the metal strip on the front door! Poor little guy couldn't get any relief unless his hand was under the running water so he fell asleep sittin' in the sink.

Dancing..... There's a lot of dancing on Saturday mornings.

Followed by wrestling. Most parties do not consent to the wrestling matches, but with Mike you have no choice...

Tons of "Rockin' Out" This is Gage's favorite thing to do when his dad's music comes on.
So, we rock & roll, wrestle, fight. Basically, anything goes on Saturday mornings in the Papa household!

Salt Lake City.....

Katlyn, Gavin and I went to Salt Lake on Thursday to go to my cousin Sheena's wedding. It was a LONG drive but so worth it and a lot of fun. We drove with Brandy and Cole and followed my parents all the way up. They probably wanted to leave us behind a lot because we made several stops for babies! After 13 hours we finally got there. We were able to stay with Brittany and her family who made us feel right at home. The kids gave up their rooms for us and Brittany and Haven were super nice! It was great to see where they live now and how much fun they are having. I am really jealous of your life Britt! Hope to get to come again soon! The Joseph Smith statue. Katlyn thought this was "very cool." "Huge! I have never seen a statue that big!" She also thought the building was "perfect!"

Here she is in front of the temple doors. She thought all the beehives were neat.

Here's my mom and her brothers and sister and their spouses. They haven't been together for a lot of years and so it was fun for them to have a reason to get together!

She was a fun little chick to be with!

This little man was so stinkin' good the whole time. His smile says everything! It's infectious too!

Gavin had a little accident due to his mother's air headedness! I dumped my melted ice cream all over him getting out of the car, but he slept on like a good boy!

Papa was such a good tour guide for Katlyn. I had Gavers and so it was hard to get her around to all of the things I wanted her to see, but he just scooped her up and took her all around. He made sure that her trip was fun and exciting. Thanks Dad! You are the best! This picture is at the top of the administration building.

Here's the beautiful bride and the handsome groom! Sheena looked picture perfect! By far the most beautiful bride that day! I can't believe she is married! It seems like she should still be 10!

This is Brandy, Shelby and I. We look sad and pathetic next to Shelb and her beautiful self! It was so much fun to get to spend time with her!

took th Katlyn is picture off the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Pretty good little photographer. Amazing how beautiful it is.So, we are home now after a much faster drive home and I am so glad that Brandy and mom and dad let us tag along with them. I always forget how amazing everything there is. I was able to go into the wedding. It was beautiful! I love the feelings of being there! Why would you not want that in your life? Such a spiritual uplift. It was so fun to see everyone and get to catch up a little. It stinks that we don't get to get together more often.
Mike was such a trooper and stayed home for work. He just started his apprenticeship and so can't take off. He made the boys' weekend fun with a night out on the trampoline, shooting and mud bogging. The boys also got to go to Emma & Jacob's house on Carters Birthday while Mike was at work. Thanks Melinda! She made his day a fun one even though we weren't there! Now it's back to life and I'm loving it. There's nothing like being at home with my family!

He's 6 years old.......

Carter turned 6 on July 30th. We celebrated a day early because Katlyn, Gavin and I were going to be gone the next day. He was very excited for his little party!

Cinnamon Rolls as usual which we all love. He waited patiently all day for that cinnamon goodness!

Oh the presents! This was the best part! Carter says the best present was getting new legos. If you know Carter you have seen his lego creations. They are pretty dang good. He can build pretty much anything with them. He has a whole bunch of the bigger ones and we decided it was time to get him the smaller ones. After all he is 6 now. He loves them! He also got bendaroos, a clip-board to put his drawing paper Katlyn gave him on, stickers, a nerf gun set from Grandma and Grandpa Papa, 2 swords, a $.99 kite that we played with all night, $6 from Grandma & Grandpa Robinson & $20 from Nana & Papa! He made out like a bandit!

A close-up of one of the party guests....

Transformers was the theme once again, and Katlyn did a great job decorating the table. Pizza and Cinnamon Rolls.... Can't get any better than that! Happy Birthday Carterbug! We LOVE LOVE LOVE you! You are so kind and sweet. Always willing to share. You give great hugs and are a great cleaner. You tell Dad and I you love us every day. You have a tender heart and I adore that quality in you. I can't believe we've already been together for 6 years! Can't wait for the rest to come!

Just a few pictures of cuteness!

This big brother is so good at helping his mom when it's dinner time. Gavin LOVES him!

This is the new thrill of lawn mowing day. Dad takes a few minutes and gives everyone a ride before he starts mowing. They think it's the greatest thing ever.

Katlyn got her new glasses for 4th Grade. I think she looks so dang beautiful! She would like to have contacts but Dr. Blair says maybe next year.

Just one more shot of the wagon ride. Gavin even gets to be in on this one. Thanks for the wagon Grandma & Grandpa Papa! We have made good use of it!