MM 9

Big trouble is what I am going to be in when the girls see these pictures! Poor girls... I made them wear so many flowers and ruffles I am surprised they have forgiven me. I couldn't have survived back in the day without Hot Sticks to make their hair super curly...and all the scrunchies, bows and ribbons. We had an entire large drawer in the bathroom designated just for ribbons and bows and goop. This picture was taken Eastern Morning 1993...

This picture was Easter 1988 just a few months before Allyson was born...


This picture was taken Eastern morning 1991...


...and Easter 1990

I wish I could find some pictures of the Easter Egg Hunt at the Kim's Ranch that we had on the Saturday before Easter every year. The Kim's would hide hundreds of eggs all over their beautiful ranch...and all the kids in the neighborhood and in our ward would enjoy the finest, most wonderful Easter Egg Hunt around. Great memories...

Yea Hoooo!

Yep, she opened her mission call... and Ally Kay is going to...
Well, I have been trying to download the video for about an hour and it won't work so.....
Ya'all, Allyson is going to the Texas Houston Mission and reports May 26th. We are all thrilled for her and we know that she is going to love it there and be an awesome missionary.

She's gonna wait...

Ally says that she really is going to wait until Friday night when she gets home to open up her mission call. She has a.lot. of will power!!! She says since she is the first Schlauder to go, she wants to open it at home. She is so cute!
Here is a picture of the girls that she student teaches with at an elementary school in Alpine. They went with her to Aunt Lisa's to pick it up... 2 of them are return missionaries!

Just Waiting!

It's here!!! Ally is just waiting to open her mission call. She was going to wait and come home Friday and open it with all of us...but by the look on her face I don't think she is going to be able to wait. I'll keep you posted!!

MM 8

Allyn, Shadow and Leah...

Amber and Jennie had just finished a Stars dance class and their dad had come to pick them up. It was 1984. The dance studio was kind of in a warehouse area and in the alley was a man who came up to the three of them and said, "Hey, do you guys want this?" My sweet husband said, "want what?" and the man handed him a chubby, round, brown fur ball puppy. The man said that someone left a box of puppies in the alley and he was giving them away. The girls then gave the, "please,please,pleeeeeeaasssse...pretty pleeeeeaassse!" and their softie dad said, "we'll take her (of course it was a girl puppy) home and see what Mom says." That's right he wanted me to be the bad guy, because he knew I did not want a dog! I had three kids for heavens sake and the thought of taking care of a puppy was not at all what I wanted to do!!! They walked in the house with three joyous little grins on their faces and Allyn David pulls this fur ball out of his coat pocket...and I say oh, no, no, no pointing my finger and telling him he has, "three days to find a good home for that dog!" Well, that dog, "Shadow", (because she followed us everywhere) was a great dog for about 12 years...yep, 12 years. Shadow was an outside dog, at least I insisted on that, who was so good that even when we opened the doors would only put her paws on the threshold and be happy just watching us. She was probably just afraid of the mean mom inside. She loved to chase cars down Patrick Lane and she was Allyn's protector when he went on long walks in the desert. The girls loved her and before Shadow got too big, they even took her on walks in the stroller like she was their baby. Shadow was a good dog...and I have never admitted it, but I am glad they talked me into keeping her all those years ago.

Wolverines vs Green Machine

Kaden's new team played his old team today... while the score did not reflect a Wolverine win... the boys really won where it counts as they fought hard, never quit and were playing against several 11 year olds! (tell me how 8 & 9 year olds playing against 11 year olds is fair?) Oh well...our kids played great and had a lot of fun! Go Wolverines!!!

Check out Kaden's great throw...

and Hunter's awesome catch!!

Look really hard and you can see #6...with the ball

...and TOUCHDOWN! No one has scored a first down or a touchdown against the Green Machine yet this season...but Kadaman & the Wolverines did! (Check out the size difference!!)


Coach (Dad) couldn't have been any prouder.

Happy 1st Birthday Bristol and HB Aunt Lisa too...

Look at this beautiful boy...It's hard to believe that it was one year ago today that he came into the world and blessed all of our lives. He is doing fabulously and has so many people who love and adore him. We love all of the updates and pictures that we get from his wonderful mom and dad and we can't wait to see them all next month. Adoption really is a miracle and I am so grateful.
I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who blesses us with peace, comfort & unconditional love and can turn our heartbreaks and sorrows into joy and hope
and fill our lives with a love that we couldn't have even imagined possible.
Happy Birthday Bristol...We love you and your beautiful family!!!

And Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister Lisa. I could have never made it through this last year without you.
I love you with all my heart. You're the best ever. XO

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

34 years...and I love you more each and everyday. I'm the luckiest...

MM 7

This picture was taken by my dad 34 years ago tomorrow. I wonder how my mom was really feeling...
what she was thinking that day.
Mom was not the best journal keeper, in fact we only have about ten pages total. Oh, how I wish we had more. I am grateful that Dad was a major picture taker. And even though it drove us all crazy at the time,
the memories the pictures bring are priceless.
We were at my Aunt LaRae's and Uncle Fred's house in Taylorsville, Utah in Kaye's bedroom when this picture was taken. Allyn and I were sealed together forever in the Salt Lake Temple that morning, March 16, 1976. I remember walking to the Beehive House for a big luncheon right after. There was still a little snow on the ground and it was chilly outside. The birds were singing and I thought it was the most beautiful day ever.
I remember that my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
We had a small open house at the Ficklin's that night because I had spent every summer there since I was young and had come to know and love the people in their neighborhood and ward. Aunt LaRae and Uncle Fred are my second mom and dad and Kaye is my big sister in every way. I love them.
We had a wonderful time that night with people that we love and cherish.

This is one of my very favorite pictures. I can remember sitting at Kaye's vanity, getting ready for the open house, having mom fuss and fix my veil and tell me that I looked beautiful. I remember she kissed me on the cheek and told me that she couldn't be any happier or prouder. She told me how much she loved me. We laughed and we cried.
I can hardly believe that it was 34 years ago.

Dancin' TayTay

Taylor's first dance competition of the year was great...and without a doubt Taylor was the cutest, most beautiful, best dancer on that stage! I was so proud, I got teary eyed watching her...I thought how much my mama would have loved seeing her great granddaughter dancing today.

A little bit before Taylor's group was to perform their last number, Kate had to go to the bathroom. I said, "Well, let's hurry and you'll be back in time." And Kate said, "Oh no, I just don't want to miss a single minute of TayTay!" Kate was so cute and sooooo proud of her big sister. Afterward she hugged and hugged our very favorite dancer.


Way to dance Miss Taylor...We Love You!

Levi had had just about all he could take of girls dancing...

Ally's going on a mission!!!

Yea!!! Since Ally finally put it on her blog...now I can!!!! Our Allyson is going on a mission. We are so excited for our very own missionary... she is going to be amazing! We are so thrilled for her.
Any guesses where she might be going? Kaden thinks Ireland and I'm thinking Argentina or Temple Square Mission. Wherever in the world our Allyson gets called to serve she will touch many lives. OK, I'm crying already.

Birthday Lunch

We love getting together and celebrating birthdays at Bajios. Happy Birthday Keri...

MM 6

My Mom and Dad had a wonderful cabin in Lee Canyon...and man did we ever have some great memories there... Thanksgivings, dirt bikes, horseshoes, snowmobiles, coolest swing ever, ping pong, bumper pool, darts, games galore, & Dad even put a pool slide from the top deck down that the kids loved.
I miss the Huntington Mountain Dome Estate. a lot.

Wolverines!

Kaden's dad Jamie decided to start his own football team...so no more Green Machine...it's now Go Wolverines!!! They had their first game Saturday (Kaden is #6). They sure looked great, but it is definitely a rebuilding year. They are not Pee Wee's anymore. They are in the Midgets Division and the kids they played against are huge!
I cringed every time Kaden got hit. He is one tough boy!



After football it was off to Kaden's NJB basketball playoff game. They had a great season and made it to the second round of the playoffs. (I am glad it is over though...now Kaden is only doing baseball and football instead of all three!) Caleb and Olivia spent the day with us and it was so cute when the game was over Caleb gave Kaden a high five and said "I'm so proud of you, you did a good job!"

MM 5

I can remember this day so well! Mom let me (16) take Lisa (8) in my little white bug (my first car) to the "Las Vegas Stadium" (now the Silverbowl) for Las Vegas High School's state football championship game.
Lisa even got to go down on the field with us and be our little mascot mini cheerleader.
What a great memory.
I wish I could say that I was always this nice to my little sister back then...
but at least I have proof that I was nice for one day! I love you Lisa!!

Ally the brunette & Levi just jammin'

Allyson a.k.a. Ally the brunette...(she looks so pretty!) came home for the weekend...it was wonderful to have her here for a few days. Kaden especially loved having "sister" home. He and the rest of us just want to know when other "sister" can get home too! We miss you Amy!

After dinner we were all clearing and doing the dishes when we found Levi at the table with the dish of jam and a spoon just jammin' it in his mouth as quickly as possible. Oh, Levi.