Brace face,

Metal Mouth,

Train Track, Tinsel Teeth...

What else can I say?

Ethan got braces!

We're going to straighten this kid

out once and for all!

And don't you worry, we're going to fix that severe overbite too!

Charles' Funeral

As we were headed into the Chapel my sister in law Cheryl volunteered to take Talan for us. What a life saver she was. It was so nice to enjoy the funeral and not have to deal with our terrible 2 year old the whole time.

The funeral went really well.

Kerry gave the family prayer.

Charlie Kay gave the life sketch.

Each of the 5 boys told memories of their dad.

The Grands and Great Grands sang.

Teresa spoke about the Plan of Salvation.

Kendall and Karl gave prayers.

And David dedicated the grave.

After the funeral service we all headed outside as the Casket Bearers prepared to carry the casket. It was actually sort of cold outside, almost like a real winter day.

On the left side of the casket: Karl, Charlie Kay, and Tyson (Grandson).

On the right side of the casket: Kendall, David, and Kerry.

What I love most about funerals is that they are really just impromptu family reunions! So many people upon hearing of Charles death jumped in their cars and drove hundreds of miles to be there. So much fun!

This is 2 of Jeannine's brothers, Harry and Everett. From the looks of it we might just be having a few more of these impromptu reunions in the near future.

A few of the "life of the party" kind of people. Tara and Tona are David's cousins and Aunt Mel is married to Virgil.

Dave Chandler, Virgil, and Stacey

Dave was married to David's cousin Marveen who passed away this last summer. Virgil is David's Uncle and Jeannine's brother, Stacey is Virgil's son.

I love this picture!

This is how it is whenever Stacey is around. Lots of laughs and good times!

I love this picture too!

My mom and dad are the absolute best! They support David and I in all we do.

And yet another picture that I love! David and his mom. Too cute! And look at that cute outfit Jeannine is wearing. I helped her pick it out. It's important to look and feel your best when going to your husbands funeral!

The Turleys and J.R. Langston. David's lifelong friends.

At the Mesa City Cemetery.

All the little ones wanted to be by Grandma.

Suzette, Tom, Anitta, and Russell

Russell and Suzette are a few of our favorite people.

Russell and David are like brothers to each other.

David dedicating the grave.

He did a wonderful job!

Bunkers Mortuary presenting Jeannine with the United States flag.

This was extra special to Jeannine because when Charles worked for Bunkers he was responsible for the flags. He ordered them and had them pressed and ready for services.

The mini Slade reunion.

They came from Navada, Utah and Hawaii to be there.

What a sweetie!

Reagan holding a rose from the flower spray upon the casket.

What a good looking family!

All of us minus Talan.

Jeannine and her next door neighbor Patsy Dodge.

These two have been next door neighbors and friends for 57 years.

I find everything about funerals to be special. Everything we do is to show love and honor for whom has passed on. There's a sacredness to it all. It's that last physical act of service we can preform here on earth for whom we love so dear. I'm so glad that we chose to be there in Charles' final moments. I'm so glad that David had the opportunity to go through that experience of death with his dad. I'm glad he was able to dress him, talk at his funeral, and dedicate his grave. I feel like it was all a privilege.

Charles' Viewing

Wednesday night after Charles passed away we joined together in a family meeting. We discussed what needed to be done in preparation for the funeral. Who would do what and so on. I volunteered Elaine to do the table display. I thought that she would do a fantastic job! Shortly thereafter I found myself in charge of the table display with Elaine as my helper.

I had some picture sent to Costco to be reprinted representing all stages of Charles' life. I collected decorative items from different homes and then I went shopping for picture frames. I went through Charles and Jeannine's home and found things to display. I also made a shadow box of some of Charles' personal belongings.

I received a phone call from a gal in their ward named Erica Miles who is an artist. (Click on her name to see her blog) She said that she woke up and felt that she should call and offer to sketch a pencil portrait of Charles in his younger years. I told her that I thought that was a wonderful idea. It turns out she is an amazing artist! She drew this portrait of Charles in his Navy uniform in just one day!

It all came together and looked great. I feel like it was a nice tribute to Charles and the good life he lived. I even found a beautiful jar to display his pennies in. Now Jeannine can carry on his tradition. After it was all over and done I gave each of the 5 sons 2 framed pictures as a gift and memento.

Charles looked so good!

I thought that this was just about one of the sweetest pictures of all. 2 of Charles' Great Grandkids, Paije and Kale saying their goodbyes.

Jeannine and her 5 sons.

Karl, Kerry, Charlie Kay, Kendall and David.

All of us together.

And her girls!

Dixie, Shannon, Teresa, Elaine and Myself.

What an interesting reaction...

I was in the kitchen on my hands and knees mopping the floor. Reagan made a comment that my shirt had come up and she could see the bare skin on my back. I could tell that she was surprised to see my bare skin. But why wouldn't she be? I am always very well tucked and this was probably a first for her.

A little bit later Talan walked in and I was still on my hands and knees. He came up from behind me and slapped my bare skin, and then what he did next took my by complete surprise...

HE LICKED MY BACK!

Who licks someone else's back?

I'm pretty sure that much like Reagan he hadn't ever seen my back uncovered before, BUT TO LICK IT! What an interesting reaction!

This is what brings me to my conclusion of this observation.

HE'S A BOY!!!

Who would lick another's back?

A BOY WOULD!

Way to go Talan! Way to be a complete boy through and through!

Charles William Adair

Last Monday our whole family was home because it was Martin Luther King day. The phone rang and David answered it. And then I heard him say, "Okay, we'll pack and be on the road in a few hours." He hung up the phone and told me that his dad had 24 to 72 hours left to live. Three hours later the truck was packed and we were on the road to Arizona.

It's funny how you can know that that phone call could come at any moment, yet it's still shocking when it comes!

We had a long drive! It took just over 12 hours to get there due to the weather conditions. We arrived at 3:30 in the morning. We were able to spend Tuesday and Wednesday at Charles' bedside. Wednesday evening at 4:53 Charles took his last breath.

David and I both feel it was a blessing and a privilege to have spent his last moment on earth with him.

Jeannine, Charlie Kay, Kendall, Karl, David and Kerry.

All gathered around their dad just after his passing.

Charles William Adair

August 2, 1927 - January 20, 2010

We love you dad!

Nova Graduation

NOVA stands for:

Nurturing Opportunities Values Accountability

The 6th grade participates in the Lehi police departments NOVA program. It's a program that teaches the kids about making good choices. It also helps the kids realize that police officers are good people who want the best for them. It takes the scary cop idea out of their heads.

After completing the course they have a graduation ceremony and the kids all receive a little NOVA card to keep in their wallets.

Ethan was really excited about this NOVA graduation. Reno Mahe was the guest speaker. Reno was a running back for BYU and then went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Post Christmas Arizona Trip

We have tried all sorts of different traveling times. We've traveled durning the day and that works out just fine if you are an extremely patient person. On some days I would consider myself to be apart of this select group of people in the world. However when you put me in a car for some reason all patients seems to become thin. I can only handle so much crying, so much fighting, and so much stopping every few hours to let the kids run and play and get it out so to speak. Now don't get me wrong, if I am on a leisurely vacation where we don't really have any plans going from one town to the next visiting whoever... sure driving during the day is the way to go.

On previous trips we have left early in the morning so that the kids sleep for half the trip. It's a beautiful thing. It seems like the early hours of the morning are the most agreeable among the kids and so the trip would always seem just that much easier. David and I thought that this was the only way to go. Until this trip! We left at 12:00 midnight Christmas night. The kids were awake for an hour in silence and then fell asleep. They didn't wake up until we were about an hour and a half from my parents house. It was a wonderful thing! For the rest of the day David and I both felt as if we had been hit my a Mack truck but we were there in record time and we didn't have to listen to the kids (especially Talan) the whole way.

Coming home from this trip we decided to leave at 9:15 pm. The kids fell asleep immediately and slept the entire way. When we got home at 5:50 am we had them all crawl into their own beds and they continued to sleep until something like 10:00 am. It was heaven!

We stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Haws' house for the first few nights of our trip making a trip out to Queen Creek to visit with my brother and sisters and their kids.

(Talan and Abe born just 18 hours apart)

The kids got to see their cousins...

And sword fight with their Uncle Christopher.

Grandma and Grandpa Haws took the kids to Walmart and let them each pick out their own Christmas gift. The kids look forward to this little tradition. It's always fun to see what they decide to spend their money on.

We went to the Respite care home Grandpa Adair was staying in to see him. He didn't remember who we were but he played peek a boo with Reagan anyways. I think that somewhere in his brain he knows that he's suppose to do that.

This might be the last time we ever see Grandpa Adair alive. He is going through kidney failure and they don't expect him to live much longer. Even though he doesn't remember who I am I made sure to remind him that I was his favorite every time we saw him! He didn't see the humor in my saying this, but right before we left to go home I said it one last time and he laughed! I'm going to take that as an agreement, I am officially Charles Adair's favorite!

Ever since we moved to Utah Grandma Adair has moved her traditional Christmas Eve party to after Christmas. Our kids are glad she did because they love going to it. She always has pinatas for the kids and it's an absolute highlight.

It starts with the youngest and goes to the oldest.

Talan was second this year and had a pretty mean swing!

Reagan swung like a girl. A left handed girl.

Carsten was out for blood!

Bradon got close to breaking it.. Maybe next year!

The best part of the pinata bust is that you never know what Grandma is going to put inside the pinata. This year she had bills wrapped in tin foil. Each kid could have one! Some were ones, some twos, some fives and and couple were tens! Nothing motivates like a little money!

Next they did the older Grandkid pinata. Ethan got his chance at the turtle with no luck!

It was fun to see all the Adair's again.

That night we went to my brother Christopher's house to spend the night. The next morning we all went to a paint on pottery place. The kids had a blast being creative. Ethan and Bradon made Christmas ornaments, Carsten made a panda bear, Reagan made a couple of magnets, and I made a plate for Talan with his handprint on it.

Bradon, Milan and Carsten.

Ellyse, Lauren and Ethan.

Afterwards we went back to their house and the kids had a good time playing. Their is just something about Christopher and Cheryl's kids and ours that works. It's like good chemistry or something. They never fight, they never get bored, it's always just a good time!

Reagan loves nothing more than to play school. She is always the teacher and at home she teaches imaginary students. We caught her in her element teaching Lani.

Lani was very cooperative. The perfect student! Reagan read her books showing her the pictures while she read.

Bradon, Milan and Carsten

spent a fair share of time playing video games.

And Ellyse and Ethan played on the computer.

Maybe the chemistry they have has something to do with their similar interests.

Whatever it is... it makes for happy days!

We stayed the next night at my sister Staci's.

And then the next two nights at Grandma Adair's.

On New Years Eve David and I went to Brian and Jenny Mehlberg's and then to David and Kimberly Fuller's to ring in the new year. The kids rang in the new year with Grandma Adair just like old times!

We celebrated Talan's 2nd birthday at Chuck E Cheese on January 1st. (I'll post all about it next.)

The night before we went home Ethan and Bradon went to the Mehberg's to have a sleepover with Kaler. Carsten, Reagan and Talan went back to Staci's for another night with their fun cousins. David and I went to a hotel for some much needed rest before the long trip back!

Our post Christmas trip was a lot of fun! When we got home the kids thanked us for taking them and consider the trip to be one of their Christmas gifts.

"Oh it's so sad!"

While in the kitchen getting Reagan's lunch ready we could hear the sound of the television on in the other room. A commercial came on that she recognized. It was a commercial to the song All you need is love by The Beattles. Reagan told me, "Oh mom this is the saddest commercial. It shows all these old people. Like really old people. Oh it's so sad! Its like going to a funeral." What does she know about going to a funeral? Too funny! But I have to say that my interest is peaked. I can't wait to actually see this commercial. What could they possibly be advertising... on Nick Jr. ... With REALLY REALLY OLD PEOPLE!!!