I want to build my menu structure based upon my K2 content builder categories -- I just want a list of articles and subcategories for the principle categories. It works, but before the content these huge file icons display for the parent category and each of the children. How can I get it to list just the articles with out the file icons etc. at the top. I am attaching a file with the page.

Hi
The attachment did not come through. Can you provide a link to your site and if not can you provide a link to the demo site for the template (if there is a link). I ask because it is likely that this is a feature of the template and some code might need to be edited to eliminate the icons.
Assuming that you have not loaded images for the category/subcategory sections.
Regards

fihf.cloudaccess.net/about-our-institute.html

This is the page link, though I don't know if you can get to because we're still in development. The template is a Rocket template with a Gantry framework. (I have not idea what that means. I hope to get to the online template class in the next week or two.) The zip file from Cloudaccess is "Faith Template 2.5 - Bundle" -- attached.

Another thing that might be causing an issue: I sort of went hog wild with downloading extensions when I first started. I have Splitmenu, Suckerfish, and Fusion (all menu extensions installed. I cannot figure out how to unload them. Could that be a problem?

If you go to k2 categories then the parameters (top of page) then images then find Placeholder image for category if none exists and set to hide.

There are also image controls for categories under category view options.
If you go to Extension Manager then Manage you can unistall extensions that you do not require.
Regards
Edit - I was thinking along the lines - you have created all the categories/subcategories but you have not got any content in them - hence you were getting "placeholder" images.

It's a combination of your template, K2 and your joomla settings.

First, go to Content > Category Manager > Options icon and check the global options for your category display.

Then go to the individual categories, and check those to see if they agree with the global options.

Then go to the menu item that points to it and check to see which basic options, layout options and page display options.

Do the same for K2 categories since you have k2 categories installed.

All of these have to be set correctly.

Check those out and if they are still showing, let us know and we'll walk you through eliminating them altogether.

Get back to us.
Cheers,
Ed