We LOVE you Lewis Jess!!

It's been a while since I've posted. I just wanted to express my feelings in regards to this test/trial that my sweet niece Jesse and her husband Alvin are experiencing. Most of you know that their baby Lewis Jess had surgery on his heart yesterday. It was a long day for them, as well as all of us. I've wished so bad the last little while and especially yesterday that I could take it ALL away. I've wanted to take it ALL away for their whole entire family. You really do examine your life and try to put yourself in their shoes. I am so impressed with their faith, courage and strength. This test for them has really been a testimony builder to me. As we have fasted and prayed for them, the spirit has been so strong and reiterated to my soul certain things. I know that Heavenly Father presented a beautiful plan for his children and yes we chose to be a part of this plan and we actually shouted for JOY (can you imagine that). This plan included his son, our elder brother and his test/trial while here on this earth makes it possible for us to return home. I know at one point the Savior turned to our Heavenly Father and said "Thy will, Oh Lord, be done." Which is so hard to say, let alone do, I appreciate the Saviors example!! I know that the priesthood is the power and authority of God here on the earth and I am so grateful that through this priesthood, ordinances are performed and FAMILIES are ETERNAL!!!! Through it all, this gives me great hope and peace and my testimony is strengthened.

My love and prayers go out to this sweet little family!
SWEET is the PEACE the GOSPEL brings!!

Have you ever had a MORNING like this?????

Macky - "Mom - I don't have any pants to wear"!
Mom - "Macky - If you'd bring me your dirty clothes, you would have clean ones!"
Macky - "Mom - I did days ago"!
Mom - "Yeah - right"!!

Brock - "Mom - I can't find my shoes, have you seen them"?
Mom - "Brock - If you put them up where they belong, you would know where there at"!
Brock - "Mom - I did"!!
Mom - "Yeah - right"!! (they were in the back hallway)

J.T. - "Mom - I am out of hair mousse, do you have any"?
Mom - "NO - I am out of hair mousse, cause you've used all mine"!

Nate - "Mom - I can't find my backpack"!
Mom - "Nate - It's on your desk in your room"!
Nate - "NO IT'S NOT'!!
Mom - "YES IT IS"!! (it was on his desk)

Tim - "Hey Jami - have you seen my school keys"?
Jami - "No I haven't"!
Tim - "I think they are in my blue jacket - do you know where my jacket is"?
Jami - "It's in your closet hanging up"! (because I hung it up)

Pretty typical morning at the Slade home!!!
I love my family!!!!!

School Projects Are Stressful!!!

My 5th grader has a report due tomorrow on a President of the United States. Not only is his report due but he also needs a "FLOAT"!! He will parade this float in front of the class and as the float goes by, classmates should be able to identify who the President is that he has chosen:) He chose Theodore Roosevelt and as he was gathering things for his float, he decided to us a cow with a fence around it because Pres. Roosevelt was a rancher. Well the cow belongs to Tyton and Tyton started to FREAK OUT!!! I pulled him aside and reassured him that Brock would bring the cow back. He was crying and I asked him why he was so upset. This is what he told me, "Mom - my cow won't float - cows don't know how to swim - how deep is the water going to be"!!!

HOLY COW TYTON!!!!!

Sick of things not working!!!!

I married a Tim but not a "Tim The Tool Man"!!! I really am tired of things not working. I have been without a dishwasher forever and that is not so bad, besides it's been great for my kids to have to learn to wash dishes by hand, you know the "Good Old Fashioned Way"!! Well- a few weeks ago our heater in the back part of our house stopped working and that is where my laundry room is and it is FREEZING back there. I called our neighbor who is Mr. Fix It and he spent hours and had no luck. A few days after that I discovered that the hot water heater (also in the back part of our house) wasn't working, so I had Tim take a look at it and he informed me that it had burned up. I am just grateful it didn't burn the house down, when he took off the front panel you could totally tell where it had started on fire:( Well - days have gone by and nobody in this household seems to be to worried about it because it doesn't AFFECT them like it does me. I know I am having a pitty party and I just need to suck it up and make some phone calls and take care of it but I don't want to!!!! Who's job is it anyways??? The Mans or the Womans???

MY BABY IS FOUR!!!!

Tyton just a couple minutes old

Tyton before we came home

Tyton's four year old pics

It's hard to believe that my baby is four today. I waited a long time for him and he has been such a blessing in my life. I didn't think that I was going to be able to have anymore babies come to my home but a wise Heavenly Father (who knows all) had something else in store for me. At times I questioned why and I didn't understand but now that time has passed I have learned a few things. Our Heavenly Father is in control and is involved in the smallest details of our lives. His time schedule differs from ours and we think we know what is best but he truly knows!! It is so plain to see, it just took me awhile. Nate needed to join our family first and if we would have had Tyton we wouldn't have pursued foster care and Nate wouldn't be a part of our Eternal Family. When we found out that we could adopt Nathaniel, the very next day I found out I was pregnant, it had been 7 1/2 years since my last pregnancy. Heavenly Father was in control, I just need to get out of his way and stop being the obstacle. I have been so BLESSED!!

Tyton - I love you!
You were sooo wanted!!!
Thank you for patiently waiting to join our family!!
You make me laugh!!
You are such a good boy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

PUZZLES!!

Sunday morning the "big" boys started putting a puzzle together, it is a challenge around here on Sundays to find an activity that helps keep the day HOLY:) They got about half of it put together and we headed for church. When we got home I asked them to move it off the table so we could get ready for dinner. We were ready to eat dinner and calling everyone to the table and we couldn't find Tyton, so I sent Nate to look for him. Nate finds him by the puzzle and the "big" boys were not happy saying if he messed up the puzzle, they were going to mess up him:). All of a sudden Nate yells out "Tyton you're a Genius"!! Tyton had finished putting the puzzle together:) So, the rest of the night we called him "Genius" and since then he has been putting 75 piece puzzles together!!!

Poor Cardinals - It's ALL our Bishops fault!!

We were eating Sunday dinner as a family and Tim turned to me and said "I have a few visits I need to make tonight to some families". As he said it, he had a funny look on his face:) I took another bite of my food and it hit me, SUPER BOWL SUNDAY -Yeah I bet you have visits!!!!! What a clever Bishop:)

When he got home I asked him how his visits went and he said "TERRIBLE"!!

POOR CARDINALS!!!!!!!

THANK YOU Carly and Nicholas for making us such a YUMMY dinner. It was nice to get home from meetings and have Sunday dinner ready and waiting. We LOVE you!!