How about

Some catching up! It's too bad that I neglect my family blog so much and as Julie would say "I can see whats more important" I'm always on my photography blog.

School starts on Monday and yea!!! for school. You know when it's time when the kids are each others throats. The non stop fighting that can occur from no structure. So, since school is starting I have just discovered that I am so many plans, many things I can get done. It feels like a new year a fresh start.
These are the following plans: Exercise in the morning (before you do anything else), study scriptures, finish painting the house, organize, get rid of all that junk, and last but not least have some structure.

I want to leave you with some photos from the St. George trip we just took. We did a little Rock Climbing, and spelunking. Good Times!













a little picture of the narrows.

Little "ike"

He is such a sweet thing. I can't get enough of these kids lately.

What we did on the 4th

We did a camp out at Grandma's & Grandpa's on the 3rd. It all started with a bounce and then a swim and then to end the night with a movie outside (the Bee Movie). The next day started with a yummy breakfast and then some more swimming...and more swimming. I really didn't do much but watch the kids and I was EXHAUSTED. It was a big hit we hope to do it again next year.







this is Isaac getting mad at me for taking is picture "No, mommy" with tears



and then Dad teaching me a lesson and Isaac enjoying it.

Fishing

Uncle Nate invited us fishing...umm okay let's give this a try. We don't have any gear so Greg came up with something on his own all you need is to borrow some fishing line a hook and some bread. Here are the results.

Can you see it? I gave you a hint.

Happy Birhtday Elyse

3 days late for the actual Birthday. It was the same for Elyse we could have family come over luckily fo us we have a big family. We had yet another BBQ but this time we had some bounce houses up and they played their guts out and that started around 3 until about 8 (long time but they slept good).

What we love about Elyse
-so carefree
-willing to share everything she has (even her new scooter)
-loves to spend time with people, mostly older ones, her best friend is Ashley next door who is in her twenties
-has the cutest laugh
-loves to play games with her siblings
-is always willing to make the cookie dough
-life is always good with her

the day started out with some fishing for the first time and they loved it!!!!!



then the bounce house



and of course the cake



and then the present of which they have all enjoyed



and I love that she is picking her nose she new that I was taking her picture.

Happy Birthday Gabe

almost a month late...but hey at least I got the photos to remeber the date. So, this year is family party year. I asked Gabe what he wanted to do and he said lets invite everyone over for a BBQ and so we did and it was fun.

What we love about Gabe
-his very big heart
-always willing to do the right thing
-takes good care of his siblings...even if they bother him
-he is VERY handsome
-loves to earn money
-very determined
-good at negotiating of which I don't enjoy and Dad thinks it's funny
-gets his chores done and then I don't see him the rest of day because he's with his buddies
-very smart...and that he takes after his Dad
-I think he is going to be an engineer when he grows up



Gabe with his new motor scooter.

Grumpy Old Men

...or secondhand Lions. I just love the feeling of this photo.

Reunions

We went to Indianola for a Griggs Family Reunion and I think it was the first day of summer...HOT!

The kids had a great time. Elyse says to me "Can we come here everyday except Sundays (because those are the days we go to church)"

I didn't take many photos. I think sometime the creativity is gone when it comes to family stuff as Greg would say "experience life instead of remembering it."






On of Isaac's friends he made while we were there.

Tying the Knot

My little girl had her wedding ceremony the other day...had I known Carol I would have invited you guys. She prepared everything from the dress to the bouquet and Elyse was dressed in style too as her bridesmaid. I should mention who the lucky guy is Dillan "W"...he is very sweet and I think he would take great care of her.

I know that there are some of you woman out there saying I remember doing that when I was young but I don't. I was out catching grasshoppers in the field next to our house in Orem. So, all this girlie stuff is new to me.

Dillan looks a little scaried here...I think he just realized the tremendous responsibility he is taking on here.


The bouquet

I think it's in the blood

Butterflies & Bryn

To be a successful butterfly catcher you will need these supplies:

A net
Bottle to put your catch in
Good shoes for the adventure
Patience

...and 2 butterflies later Bryn, Elyse and Dillan had a great day. Now hopefully I can find those pictures I took.

Competition Soccer

Gabe had tryouts on Monday unfortunately (for them) he didn't make it but had another set of tryouts and made a team called the warriors. He is so excited we (Dad and Mom) are excited too...but we will see how painful it will be when it comes to game time. I am hoping they are close to our area.



Gabe's Team


Top: Daniel, Davis, Wilson, Mackay
Bottom: Bentley, Ben, Isaac, Gabe

Little Graduate

Another year gone by and I have older children. I can't stand the thought of my little ones entering kindergarten because then it's one less buddy to go with me to the store. But...Elyse is so excited to turn 5 and I guess I will let it happen.
So, the program was cute Elyse had a speaking part her own solo and she read us a book about Best Friends.



I think it was tough for the teacher to have 3 Bishops in the class. I wonder how it will be next year?



The other 3 kids (besides the bishop heard) in the class are Cozette, Carson, & Milton.



My teacher Miss S (Southworth) "I miss her already," says Elyse.



...And one of the things Elyse wants to be is a Rockstar when she grows up "Just like Hanna Montanna"



Look it's a picture of me!!!!!!

My body is my masterpiece

I constantly catch this little one coloring on everything except paper but this time wasn't a surprise it was planned. He loved painting he did the frame all by himself and then moved on to his belly.

Wind....when will it stop?

But in the meantime lets have some fun with it.

Family times

We love to visit Grandpa Dariel (Like Ariel is how Elyse says) It's cute while it lasts. This is Issac having a mean face competition with Grandpa.

Catch Up

It's like 1 in the morning and I am catching up on all of my lack of blogging for my family.


.....More to come!

GQ

Gabe is another one of my super models. He really does a good job for and it's quick. So, these are the photos for this years updates.











I have to add this one because as easy as he may be he still has to find a way out. Here he is telling me he needs to go to the bathroom.

Guitar Heros Anyone?

Anything can be a guitar to this little one he will use a stick or a bat just whatever he can find. He loves to cheer and jump around...umm...I think he could become a rockstar or the next American Idol. Elyse tells me everday that she is going to be a rockstar like Hanna Montanna.

Gabe too loves this game maybe someday I will get around to recording him playing.

Blue Collar Boy

It's totally in his blood born and bread to work the construction life. He loves everything about it from his most prized hammer all the way to the tractors.

Soccer

So, here it is Gabe and I went to the Salt Lake Real soccer the a couple weeks ago for our date...and we loved it. We as a family went a couple days before that and their wasn't very many people supporting but when Becham came it was crazy. It was wierd in a way so many people wanting to see Becham but 100% wanting Real to win which was a very close game tying 2-2. We even waited afterwards for some autographs but Becham didn't come out to sign and Gabe was a little devastated but all in all we had a great time. Oh, and Gabe did tell me he is going to be better than Becham. You go for it!

Gabe has soccer tryouts for the comp team tomorrow. We hope it goes well.

{ Mother's Day }

Mother's Day start out for me on Friday. I got the very special gifts from the kids when they came home from school. It started out with a few tears with Gabe, Brandon a little neighbor of ours told him his gift was stupid and I could beg to differ. I loved it! Elyse made hers special for me and it says I Love You on it. Bryn's was a special note pad that also says I love you. I have to tell that is my most favorite part of mother's day the had made gift from those precious children.

Special Day

Bryn asked me if she could go running with me the next time that I went. So, has I was getting ready on thursday she reminded me that she still wanted to go. Now keep in mind this is our little girl that needs to be carried everywhere and has adopted the line "I'm tired" I told her that it will be a long time and she insisted taht she will not whine and run the whole time...and she did. We went 2 miles I am quite proud of her she is growing up. I think she thought it was cool to be able to run with her ipod.

Bryn also had a her special date with dad. She decided to go to the movie and see Nim's Island (loved it) and came home with a sucker bouquet.

Gabe's Short Story

The Three

Kids

and the

Big

Bad

Baby

-by Gabe Bishop

Once upon a time there were three kids making houses. The first kid wasn't that smart so he built his house out of straw. The second kid was a little smarter but still built his house out of sticks. The third kid was the smartest out of his brothers and built his house out of bricks because he new there was a big bad baby living by them. One day the baby set off down the road. Once he got to the 1st kids house and knocked on the door and he said let me in and the kids said not by the words of my mother and father. So, the baby said then I'll huff and I'll puff and blew his house down so the kid ran to his brothers house that was made out of sticks. When the baby got there he said let me in and they said not by the sticks of our very strong house. So the baby said then I'll huff and I'll puff and blew their house down. So the kids ran to their smartest brothers house. When the baby got there he said let me in but the kids said not by the bricks of our very own house. So the baby huffed and he puffed but couldn't blow the house down. So the baby said I'm tired of all this huffing and puffing would you like to be my friend and they said "Yes" and they lived happily ever after.

The End