Robbie getting the old maids out of the bowl.Malia loves Hannah Montana and therefore Miley Cyrus. She is a natural isn't she. She sounds a lot like Robbie. Voices of Angels.
Breckin is now 12 and 6 months and he got to go to Scout camp at Camp Bartlett by Bear Lake by himself for the first time. He went last year but Britton and Robbie were there so that doesn't really count. As much information as I got out of him(he is a talker in another life I am sure) he had a great time. He has to shoot 2 more clay pigeons and catch and gut a fish to finish off some merit badges and his friend gassed( that is my nice word for the term he used. We call it tooting at our house) them out of the tent the last night. I guess that was the pertinent information. Seriously that was all the info I got from him about his week long stay away from home. At least he came home safe and had only a few minor grease burns on his arm.
I was watching Skyler the other day and we were on my bed eating Oreo. I know gross eating Oreo's in my bed but the bed was made and Robbie only had a small piece stuck to his leg the next morning. Anyway he was looking at all of the photo on the wall and just started jumping and getting so excited and yelling, "Skyler hold wobbie fuball". He was so excited to see Robbie actually in a football uniform. He sat holding that photo for about an hour.
Robbie in his helmet at the starting line with Cam his brother.
He looks like a real Viking.
This was the Gunter suburban-Jamie (sis-in-law), Cam(Robbie's brother), Robbie, Matt(Jamie's brother) Heather(Jamies friend) and Melanie(Heather's sis-in-law).
Robbie started the 1st leg and got to run through Logan. Vickie (Rob's mom) was there cheering on her awesome kids.
I watched Robbie finish his second leg. This run had a mile straight up to Snowbasin and then 7.5 miles all the way down to Mountain Green. He was really running strong especially for his 2nd leg.
He handed off to Jamie and she took off like a crazy woman with a mission. It seriously was one of the funnest things I have ever seen. People decorated their suburban and wore costumes. It was truly an experience.
Britton and I were lucky and got to volunteer at leg 23. We had to be there at 9:30pm and we did not see one runner until 12:30 and then it was almost an hour before more started trickling in. Our shift was over at 2am and just when we left quite a few runner were on there way into the hand off area. Britton crashed as soon as he stopped talking(Ever since Brit was little when he got tired he would talk continuously and then just stop and he would be sound asleep. He is still like that).
Robbie's team crossed the finish line at about 3:30pm the next day. This is him about a minute before he konked out.
I have three amazing fathers in my life. The first is my own father. He is an spectacular man. I learned from him that I can do anything. I got my love for creating things and making what I have better. I love the smell of fresh cut wood because it reminds me of when my dad made my families oak table. I loved going out there and "helping". He taught me to work hard at everything that I did and everything would work out. I am not the brightest when it comes to math and in the 7th grade I got a D at midterms.( by the way it was the only grade lower than a B I ever got Britton) I was sure my dad was going to kill me for it. I knew that it was expected that I got good grades. Obviously my father didn't kill me but what he did do is sit down with me every night for the rest of the semester and help me with my math. I know how frustrating this is for me with my own sons and so I know he probably wanted to bonk my head and yell. OH OK so that is what I want to do with my sons but I'm sure it was the same with him. I learned responsibility to church calling by watching him and my mom go to meeting and fulfill calling that were not convenient. I learned that just because your body might not feel great that this isn't a "get out of jail free card". You have to work around the discomfort and just do it. I truly am blessed by having the father that I do. Happy Father's Day Dad!!!
The second great father I have is my father-in-law Jeff. He can fix and build anything. He has taught me that you can enjoy doing anything that you do. You don't need to complain and whine about it but to just do it. Your attitude makes all the difference. He is really laid back and takes in situations and thinks about them for a while and then acts on them. This is one of the traits he passed onto Robbie that I absolutely admire. I just go full steam into thing and situations and a lot of times I just get into trouble with it. Sometimes the laid back approach works and I need to work on that. He is a quiet man that is full of strength and he loves for his family. He groomed Robbie into the man and father he is today. I can't thank him enough for that. Happy Father's Day Jeff!!!
The third great father that I know is my sweet husband Robbie. He is so good to our children. They know he loves them because he tells that to them daily and also by his actions. He hugs them and ruff houses with them and they have a weekly wrestling match to see if they can finally whip their dad. He always has them on his mind. He is forever being the calm sane parent when I get myself all worked up (imagine that, please). He is so supportive in their athletics, in their school work, in their friends, and anything that is important to them. He is a father who misses his kids when he doesn't see them everyday. He is a man that was meant to have 10 children. He got three and puts all of his energy into making sure that they learn how to work, respect others, and put total effort into everything they do. This past week Brittons baseball team has been in tournament play. They were not very good up to this point. Rob gives Britton the pep talk about he can be the instrumental player on this team by rallying them and making them all do their best. Tomorrow they play one more game to get into the championship game. Robbie is an incredible motivator and he worked his stuff on Brit. I love Robbie and am so thankful that the Lord loved me enough to know that this was the kind of man I needed. He is amazing with me and especially fantastic with his children!!!! Happy Father's Day Robbie!!! I love you!!
and talk into my sleeve. We all are going to start wearing big silver sunglasses and suits. Ok maybe we are more like Get Smart agents but still .I know, I know!! Gas is 4 dollars a gallon but because of that we were able to get this cheaper than a van. And really vans get just as bad gas mileage as anything else. Actually this gets almost the same gas mileage as the park avenue. We haven't gone looking for an automobile since 1998 when we bought our Intrepid. I did not know that they stopped making big grandma cars and only make cars now that barely hold 4 people. Friday I was able to justify our purchase because I fit all of my kids and all of JulieAnn's in the FBI and we went swimming. On the subject of swimming, I was so worried about not frying all the kids with me that I forgot to put sunscreen on me and my thighs are Cyndi Lauper hot pink. Thankfully they have stopped hurting but now they just itch. So back to the suburban. It is the smoothest ride ever. I love it. It is totally plush. Thankfully we will have it paid off in a year and a half (thanks Dave Ramsey) and then we can buy a boat!!!!!YAHOOOOOOOO!!! I was a professional waterskiier in my other lifetime. In this lifetime I double ski and sit in the potty chair position most of the time but I love it so much!!!
So Tuesday was the culmination of this activity. We asked all of the girls fathers to dress up as Book of Mormon prophets and as the writers of the gold plates. I had J.L sing For Our Day. She was amazing. The fathers were given a script to memorize and most of them did. they said their part and then they passed the gold plates down so the girls visually were able to see Lehi getting the brass plates and handing them down to Nephi, Jacob, Enos, Jarom, Omni, Amaron, Chemish, Abinadom, Amaleki, King Benjamin, Mormon, Moroni, and Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith (who was our bishop and did his hair just like Joseph Smith did) then gave the Book of Mormon to one of the girls and said, "You have been saved for these days, before he comes again. I Pass this book onto you. What will you do with this sacred record?" J.L. then sang The Olive Tree
When Breckin started school I really didn't want him to go. I wanted him to stay home with me forever. I still feel like that about him. He has had some struggles with school mainly with reading. This year his teacher was Mrs Wright. I can not express my love for this woman. Some people think that Breck is not smart because he is really quite and doesn't read well. Mrs. Wright calls Breckin her quiet genius. She said at the first of the year he surprised her more than anyone because he was so knowledgeable in so many things and would answer anything with the right answers. He is so soft spoken and such a great friend. Breck has a fabulous sense of humor and he cracks me up. They showed a video of all of the kids as babies and not joking I started crying, no bawling, no sobbing and making horrible grunty noises through the whole thing. I love this boy so much. I truly am lucky to be his mother.
Becca, Mia, Bailey, Malia, Calen. Girls from our ward.
Mrs Flannery is the best kindergarten teacher ever. We have loved her. These are all the cute neighbor girls-Mia, Calen, Malia, Bailey, Becca, Samantha
Malia with friends Bailey, Molly and Sam
