Rounding out our FAMILY!

We are expecting #6!! We are so excited and our boys can't wait! It has been a whirlwind worrying about wether or not we were going to be pregnant with twins again, a higher chance after we already had twins. Safe to say, there is only one baby!! I am slightly relieved and Aaron is a little sad, he thought 2 sets of twins would be so fun...although it would be an adventure, I was scared!

We of course are hoping for a GIRL and have figured it is the pattern in our family! Boy - Aydan, Girl - Lilia, Boy - Asher, Girl - Ella, Boy - Cruz, GIRL?!? We will see. We are so happy and can't wait until the end of February to welcome our new addition!!

STOMACH FLU, need I say more...

My house has literally been plagued with the flu. I have never seen such a strong bug sick around for so long. The first person, AARON!! I do think having a sick husband is way worse than sick kids. Not only do you still have to take care of your 4 kids, but you now have a sick husband that needs love and attention, too much work. His sickness started on June 5, while we were in Utah. The rest of the week he seemed just fine with no illness...then Friday happened. I was planning to take my 6 kids (my 4 and Amy's 2) to the zoo when Aaron got sick again, same thing. Sunday then Friday, REALLY? Sick husband again? So I took the 6 kids to the zoo, ALONE!

I think it has passed, we skip Saturday and then Sunday, June 12 Aydan wakes up not feeling well. He feels better by Monday, but then by Wednesday Aydan gets it bad. Throwing up all night and writhing in pain for 3 days!! I think he is sick from eating SAND, because Peyton is sick as well. I'm actually praying it's sand so that none of the other kids get sick. So, now it is Saturday, June 18, we are at the Rockies game for dinner group and I get several texts from my babysitter saying, Ella has thrown up like 6 times. RIDICULOUS!! We leave the game early, get the babysitter sent home and not 5 minutes later, Asher is throwing up. Get Asher cleaned up, Ella calmed down, go to bed, hear coughing on the baby monitor, CRUZ is now up throwing up. SERIOUSLY?!? Must they share everything.

The laundry is not stop at my house. The babies have continued to have Diarrhea all week and I have had to change their sheets 1-2 times a day this week. I think it is fading. Aaron and I attempt date night #2. At the movies, receive a text, Ella is throwing up all over her bed. NO WAY!! We leave to come home immediately, one babysitter has been thrown up on in that time. Ella continues to vomit until she throws up a little bit of blood. This results in a long late night at Children's. She doesn't throw up all day Saturday but on Sunday, June 26 she throws up again. And this morning I get a call the Mya, my niece is also sick.

Needless to say the sickness is never going away. We are now on week 3!!! I have no been at my ward for all meetings for the entire month of June. I finally made is to just sacrament meeting where everyone was asking where we have been. Why do we have the stomach flu in the middle of summer? NO FUN!

Today SHE would be 4...

Today is a day unlike any other. Today is our beautiful baby, Lilia's birthday. Today she would be 4, I cannot believe that 4 years have gone by since the last time I held her and she was with us. It can't be... I feel like it was yesterday I was able to say, Hello, and then sadly say, Goodbye. I tell myself that after 4 years this should be easier, I shouldn't be as emotional or sad. But every year on this day I take the time to remember ever minute I did spend with her. I don't talk about Lilia very often but I think about her every day. I miss her every day. Just this last week I was teaching piano lessons and one of my students was playing, Families Can Be Together Forever, and I had to fight off the tears. For me, I know this to be true. We will one day be able to hold her and take care of her. She will be able to meet her brothers and sister and they will know her. I don't usually share many of the sentiments from that time but I want to share the words of my mother in law, Anne Davey. She spoke at Lilia's Funeral and this is what she said.

Lilia Sue Shafenberg

For 8 months I tried to convince Emily to name this baby after me & her Mother, Lisa. But, Emily was unwavering, and of course she could articulate exactly why the name Lilia was perfect! Emily’s favorite flower is the calla lily. Aaron’s favorite bible passage is Matthew 6:28 – “Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin”. Aaron & Emily’s marriage blessing was adorned with beautiful calla lilies. And of course, Aydan could easily pronounce the name “LILI”. So, just as her parents intended, Lilia was indeed, a perfect name for a perfect child!

L – I – L – I – A.

L – is for the LOVE this family had for Lilia long, long before she arrived. We knew her scheduled birth date. We knew her name. The nursery was perfectly decorated. This family could not wait to share their love with Lilia!

I – is for the INNOCENCE of a child. Completely unstained by the flaws of our world, Lilia is now bathed in the pure white of GOD’s love.

L – is for the LASTING memories this family will have of our beautiful Lilia. Her full head of hair, her long feet, her cleft chin and her perfect fingers and toes. Although we had only a few hours with her, those hours produced a lifetime of memories!

I – is for the INFINITE wisdom and mercy of GOD. However difficult to understand, we now place our trust in HIS plan.

A – is for this ANGEL sent to Aaron, Emily and Aydan Shafenberg. A gift on loan, now back home with GOD.

Lilia we love you and miss you and can't wait to see you again, but for now we know our Heavenly Father is holding you and taking care of you until we meet again.

Girls weekend, Amazing Aaron, & Park Pictures

Last weekend I left my 4 kids for the first time!! I went on a 3 day girls trip to the mountains. I felt a little guilty leaving Aaron with all of the kids, but he is amazing!! So, I took 4 friends and SIL Tiffany for a fun weekend of crafting in Breckinridge. It started on Friday with lunch and shopping at the outlets. We then started scrapbooking/quilting at 4pm Friday and didn't leave until we were headed home on Sunday at noon. It was such a fun time and I did an entire baby book for Ella. I am so grateful for my friends and the time we had to just do something fun and get a break from the everyday norm.

While I was gone Aaron was here with all of the kids and he has to be the best dad ever. I called him at 7:20am on Saturday...all the kids were dressed, the car was cleaned out, and he was taking them to breakfast. He even got Ella all dressed in an adorable outfit and texted me a picture!! AMBITIOUS for a Saturday. He took Aydan to baseball practice, took the kids out for meals and even got them all up early Sunday (daylight savings) and took the boys to church. He is a really great dad and husband, what a blessing he is to me. I love him so much! Speaking of Aaron...

Aaron has been having a lot of drama at work with his manager and district manager. His manager was never trained and was never a very good manager and Aaron knew it. The District Manager then put the manager on probation. Aaron was off Monday when he got a call from him manager saying, "I quit UPS!" Aaron was shocked! Aaron went back to work Tuesday to his District Manager putting him in charge while they are trying to replace his manager. Aaron has been in charge since Tuesday and already his Center at work has done better than it had ever done last year and today it did the best it has ever done!! Aaron is an amazing leader and really taken his temporary responsibilities seriously!! I'm so impressed!

That's what we have been up to. It's really been pretty calm at home and the kids are doing so great. We took our first spring day out to the park this week. The kids had a great time. The babies were so cute and loved going down the slides. Ella has a few texture issues so she did not want to sit in the grass of the wood chips. It is pretty funny! I love my little family!

Ella Loved the tube slide!!

Asher is tackling Aydan and I from behind!

My kids make the silliest faces!

These two are both very particular about their hands!

They both figured out that you scoot forward to go!

Cruz was a little more tentative about the dark tube slide!

Ella wouldn't move for fear she would fall in the wood chips!

New sunglasses!

Getting ready!

He caught me through a hole in the tunnel!

Happy Birthday Ella & Cruz!!! 1 year in pictures!

1 year today!! - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Ella and Cruz are 1 today! I can't believe how fast it went and how much fun we had. They are just the two sweetest babies and have such fun personalities. They are both officially walking, a little unsteady at times, but I can't believe they can walk. Ella is still petite as ever and just beautiful. Cruz is such a lover and loves to snuggle. Here is what our year looked like...

Getting ready for the babies to come, at the hospital.

Aaron ready for the c-section.

Babies first picture together.

1 week, getting ready to go home.

1 month, adorable and handsome.

Ella 1 month.

1 month

Baby Blessing

Tie dye - 2 months

3 months

3 months

Easter 2010

Stripes and Polka dots - 4 months

Our Golfer - 4.5 months

Flower girl - 4.5 months

4th of July - 5 months

Great Grandpa Lee's 83 - 6 months

Ella - 6 months

At the soccer game - 7 months

Can't resist those eyes - 7 months

Cruz Haircut # 3(Ella no hair!) - 8 months

Park in Breckenridge - 8 months

Breckenridge - 8 months

Utah - 9 months

UPS visit, we are cute in our brown - 10 months

Christmas - 10.5 months

Christmas - 10.5 months

Breckenridge family weekend - 11 months

Making Adjustments!!

Making adjustments to a very routine life is pretty difficult!! For months now we had heard Aaron's position at UPS would be changing and we were both really excited for Aaron to get a new opportunity to do something different. We knew the hours were going to be a be change but for us we think it will be for the best. So, last Monday Aaron started his new job as a PDS (Package Dispatch Supervisor, I think??). He has to be into work by 12:30 am, YES that is close to midnight. He works from 12:30-11:00am and needless to say we have had to make a lot of adjustments. The hardest of course being a sleep schedule!!

Aaron claims he doesn't need that much sleep but 4 hours is just not enough. So every night we bicker about when he should go to bed. He tries to be in bed by 7, but still that is only 4.5 hours of sleep!!! So during the day he tries to get in a nap for a few hours too. This has been hard since the twins go to bed at 7 but the boys don't really go to bed until 8 or 8:30. Aaron of course feels bad going to bed before the boys so we have tried putting the boys to be early too, but man that has made for some rough mornings. Now Aydan and Asher are waking up at 5:30-6, MISERABLE!! I of course am not an early to bed, early to rise person. I stay up until 11 and then Aaron wakes up at 11:30. It is pretty bizarre...we are still adjusting!

THE POSITIVES!!!

• Aaron is home all day and actually gets to spend time with the kids!!
• Aydan loves that his dad picks him up from the bus and is here to play with him.
• Aaron will be going back to school to finish up his disagree.
• I get to go anywhere and do anything after every one is asleep, this usually includes a trip to the gym, red mango and target. Hit me up if you want to go too!
• I love seeing Aaron in the day light hours!

Hopefully we will get the hang of this very soon and things will run smoothly again!

One big Family VACATION!

RECKENRIDGE!!! We had the amazing opportunity to go to the mountains with my entire family for the weekend, that's now 23 people now!! We had a really great time. I don't even remember the last time we were on a family vacation?!? We drove up early on Friday afternoon so the kids could play in the snow and the second we got there they were ready to hit the hill (the driveway). My dad was so nice to stand at the top of the hill and push all of the boys down. Asher's first time sledding and he was in heaven. He would get to the top, get pushed down and then once he got to the bottom he would get up and grab his sled and run back up the hill, I was exhausted just watching him. I love that we have this beautiful house to go stay at with our family, it is such a blessing. The second day we got out Jen's snowmobile. It was so much fun for the kids. My dad flipped it on his first ride, but got the hang of it shortly after. Aaron and Steffan took turns giving the kids each a ride, it was so fun to watch. Then Aaron rigged a sled to the back and got the kids going pretty fast around a track. SO MUCH FUN!!! The babies were great the whole weekend. It is so nice to travel with kids and not have to worry about them not doing well. I've got to say, they are pretty great!!! Thanks to my whole family for the fun times. We are just grateful we made it home...our tires weren't cooperating in getting out of the driveway, going up I-70 to Eisenhower, or getting into town...it was a rough 4 hour drive!! Needless to say we got new tires on Monday!

Peyton, Asher and Aydan on the sled behind the snowmobile

Asher laying down and Aydan sliding off the back because Asher is kicking him!!

Asher driving with Daddy!

Steffan and Peyton out for a ride!

Aaron and Ruby driving!

Aydan and Dad, but Aydan did not want to go!

My Dad tipping the snowmobile, first run!

He is sledding right into a group of people, hence the smile!

First encounter with Aydan!

Isn't he cute!!

Daddy and Asher made it all the way to the garage!

Aunt Traci came for a visit, Ella liked her a lot!

I love his faces!

Max came up early and played with us all afternoon!