replace front disc brake pads 1997 Toyota Camry

I've been in car maintenance mode as you can probably tell.  This time, its been a long standing issue. Quite frankly these brakes have been squeaking ever since I got the car.  Very annoying and actually embarrassing when driving friends.  I was told when I got it that the brakes were not that old and because of the squeaking the mechanic put in the exact OEM pads for this car.
So are they just worn out?  Are the slider pins needing lubrication? Something else?  As it turns out I think the problem was the pads.  They were not worn down all the way.  But they are metallic pads.  I switched to ceramic and this made all the difference.  Here is how I did it.