Levi is 1 today!

Happy Birthday Levi Allyn Slade! You bring so much joy to all of our lives. We love you!!!!
It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since Levi came in to our lives. He is wonderful in every way!!!

Levi loves:
strawberries, watermelon & blueberries
ice cream
climbing stairs
laughing & squeeling when we are not paying attention
tearing up paper
being the center of attention at all times
water...tub, pool etc.
making a squinchie face
clapping and tossing 'em in the air
blowing kisses and waving bye bye
books (mostly tearing apart books)
anything that moves or goes
big people food ( he lasted on baby food for about a month)
his cozy crib and comfy blanket
crawling crazy fast like a mad man
His mom and dad and big sisters and brother...he is one loved little boy!

He is the cutest one year old XOXOXO We love you to pieces Levi!

Jennie planned the greatest Circus party for Levi! It was amazing...and tons of fun under the Slade Bigtop!

Sewing Lessons

For Taylor's birthday we gave her a beginner sewing machine and lessons from Grama. She called first thing this morning wondering when her first lesson would be. I went right over (I know, I am a pushover) and picked her up and off to the fabric store we went. Her first project was some pajama pants...she is already a pro. She was a great student and we had a fun day sewing. I think Amy was a little bit jealous and wants to know when her turn is... I am very embarrased to say that I never took the time to just sit down and teach my girls how to sew. That is downright shameful! I was always in too big of a hurry to just get it done. (what a lousy excuse) Well, thank goodness it is never to late and so I will be teaching any of them who want to learn any time they want to do it.
Just call Taylor and she will schedule the appointments...ha ha!

Now those are some cute P.J.'s

Taylor is 9!!!!

How can our Taylor be 9 years old? It is hard to believe!! Well, Happy Birthday Miss Tay Tay...We love you to the moon and back XOXO. Now stop growing up will you?!
Taylor is:
Cute (cutest 9 year old on the planet)
Fun loving
Happy (this girl loves to laugh!)
Friendly
Teacher's Pet (she's a smarty pants)
Talented
Great Singer and Dancer
Awesome babysitter (Levi adores her)
Creative (just like her mama)
Wonderful Big Sister
Obedient
Kind
Always Good
...and will always be Grama Linda's #1 Grandaughter

WE ALL LOVE YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR!!!!

Since Taylor is the smallest girl in her class, she had "Taylor's Teeny Tiny Party". They had teeny party hats, played teeny tiny ring toss, had teeny cupcakes, made tiny treasure chests and had a huge amount of fun. Then for dinner the whole family went to BJ's for pizza, Taylor's favorite! Like Taylor said, "It was a super great day!"

Meet Kalvin Tyler Dixon

Our nephew Tyler and his wife Kelly had a beautiful baby boy yesterday. Kalvin weighed 8lbs. and was 21 inches long...perfect in every way. I can hardly believe that Lisa and James are grandparents!!!
We are so thrilled for all of them...Congratulations Dixon gang! We love you XO! It was very cool for Ally to get to be there and be the first cousin to hold him...The newest Dixon boy is a wonderful, beautiful, perfect baby. I can't wait to hold him!

When I was a young mom I used to think grandmas were a little crazy as they went on and on about their grandchildren. Oh man am I ever one of the crazy ones now! And it is absolutely the best part about getting older...getting to be Grama Linda. Welcome to the crazy, fun, wonderful Grandma world Lisa. It's the best!!!!!

Happy Birthday Allyn

Happy Birthday to my other half...Allyn David.
I fell in love with him dragging Fremont Street 36 years ago...and every day I love him more.
He is...

thoughtful He brought me flowers last Saturday for no reason at all.
kind & genuine He genuinely loves people and wants everyone to be happy, healthy and doing well.
loving He loves without limits. (& he tells me he loves me at least 5 times + a day)
good (he is almost too good!) He was once accused of swearing at a church softball game about 30 years ago (the ref was ready to kick him out of the game) and I charged out onto the field and said, "this man has never said a swear word in his life!" The guilty kid finally came out from the dugout and said, " I was the one who said it, sorry."
spiritual He lives what he believes. Everything he does reflects his love for God.
funny He is witty and quick...and definitely a "pun master"! He makes us laugh everyday.
handsome Amy had a friend over a few days ago and he saw a picture of Allyson and her Dad and asked, "Is that her boyfriend?" Really.are.you.kidding.me? All of the girls have been asked at one time or another if their dad was their boyfriend! He just laughs and says, "Oh, they just need glasses."
Wonderful Dad & Grampa & Husband Simply the best.

Allyn David, you took my breath away 36 years ago and you still do everyday...
I am so lucky you are mine. I.Love.You. Happy Birthday Sweetheart XO

We had a great BBQ and Swim party in honor of the birthday boy...

The Slade Six did the "Grampa Al Rap". It was hilarious!

It's Grampa Al's birthday, the big 5-5
We think he was around when they did the hand jive.
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
Grampa Al's a tease
Yeah a super huge one
He teases and he jokes and thinks it's really fun.
Grampa Al is so strange...
He forgets our name!
He calls us Tom, Bob, Bear Woman, and Fred
Nicknames for all of us and even our friends.
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
Grampa Al can be a great Kermit the Frog
His favorite kind of weather is rain and fog!
He's got great hair, which Grama calls a "BUSH"
He enjoys using a towel
And wacking us in the tush.
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
Big Al and "the Fox" are little love birds,
We're glad Grama picked him even though he's a nerd!
He eats lots of greens and doesn't care for sugar,
He sings Christmas songs, even in the summer.
Yep Grampa's super, he really is the best,
Even when he gives the dreaded pinky test!
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
Grampa gives zerberts and huge monster kisses,
He tickles us like crazy, til' Grama says "quit it!"
Sometimes Grampa likes to bite,
He took a nibble of Kate and gave her quite a fright.
He can swim forever under the water and we can all agree
He's a pretty awesome father.
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
That's Grampa Al (sh sh shsh)
Well that's the story and that's our rhyme
Time to say goodbye and leave you with a line.
Grampa's ssssssuuuuuuppppeeeerrrrr ssssssuuuuuuppppppeeeeerrrrrmmmmaaaaaannnn!
Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Birthday!

It's Hot!

It is about 110 degrees outside and so the pool is about the best place to be!! We had a great day with the kiddos yesterday. First we took them to the free movie at Village Square...Inkheart... It was great even though we had to sit on the second row! (Levi even managed to make it all the way through the movie.)
Then it was lunch and swimming at Grama's. I even had to bring them hot chocolate chip cookies
out by the pool just like my mom used to do for my girls.
I missed my mom a lot today. She loved to watch the kids swim.

Taylor's BFF Alexis spent the day with us too!

Caleb loved the jacuzzi and Levi took a great nap...

Lazy Days of Summer...Gotta love it!

Photo Shoot

Jennie named Amy "Roonie" when she was little and it has stuck all these years. Jen can't remember exactly why she named her Roonie, she swears she wrote it down somewhere but has yet to find the missing paper. For the last couple of years as Taylor has become more and more like Amy in her personality (perfectionist, determined, talented, driven, funny, friendly etc.) we have called Taylor, Roonie Jr. Lately we have even shortened it to RS and RJ...Roonie Sr. and Roonie Jr. I know, we're weird! Jennie took RS and RJ for a photo shoot... She is such an amazingly talented photographer (I am so glad she is teaching the rest of us)....Aren't they great?!

Papa Jack is proud and so am I. I remember my dad teaching me all about photography and even going into his "Dark Room" in the shed and watching his very cool pictures develop in the funny smelling solution. I remember brides coming over for their bridal portraits and fun family pictures with a timer on the camera and Dad running to get into the picture. I remember Dad trying to teach me about shutter speed, lighting, f-stop etc. I can also remember having to be very careful with the film and to try to not waste any precious film on silly pictures or ones not taken with precision. I think digital is so much better! (never did I think I would say that.) I love being able to take as many pictures as I want and then just erase what I don't want...very cool. (even though I have to admit I was about the last person on earth to convert to digital. I just thought my 35mm film camera took better pics. I think was just stubborn!) I really do love pictures and I love the memories I can almost feel when I look back at the photographs that have captured some of my favorite memories. So, I am very happy that my girls are continuing the tradition of picture taking and passing me and Papa Jack by with their talent and skill...keep it up girls.

While I have always taken lots of pictures, I have never been very good at putting them into albums. So, I just finished putting a years worth of my blog into a book on Blurb... It should be delivered soon. I am so excited...I"ll let you know how it turns out. (Pictures and a little bit of journaling in a bound book is much better than pictures in a box in the basement and journaling twice a year!)

Kidshine KATE!

Miss Kate has been waiting "forever" to get to join Kidshine... She has had to be the spectator watching Taylor sing with Kidshine for 4 years (and even Jackson for a year) while she has waited and waited and waited for her turn! Finally today was the day for her first performance. Jennie asked her this morning if she was excited and Kate said, "yes...I can't wait to get my flowers!" Every time Taylor had a big performance the family always brought her flowers...well Kate doesn't forget much in fact she forgets nothing,
so Chad had to make a quick stop at the store for Kate's roses.
She was the cutest little chick in their musical about the Little Red Hen.
She sang her little heart out and started her big singing career in style! Oh, She is CUTE!

We had to go to lunch to celebrate...(Levi was done with all this celebrating stuff!)


Kate you were awesome in your singing debut! We're looking forward to many, many more performances.

Fun in Utah

We spent the last few days in Utah with my sister Lisa and her family. We had a blast going up to the canyon and roasting marshmallows and making smores, visiting the animals at Thanksgiving Point, fun family BBQ's, going to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House, helping Ally get settled into her new apartment, parades and celebrating the 4th of July at the Stadium of Fire! We really had a great time...
There is not much that could be better than being with family in Utah on the 4th of July!!!