VIP Audrey!!!!!!

Aaron-Audrey is such a wonderful sister to have. I have been very blessed by her being in our family. As we all know I felt inspired to change careers after working the same job for 9 years. Audrey was the one who helped out at my house while I was gone. She was the confidant that my wife needed. She was the additional disciplinarian in the home while I was gone. She helped provide additional spiritual strength in the home. She filled the roll I had to vacate for a while. Without her and her strength, I don't know that my family would have weathered the change as well as they did. Audrey is a great example of a righteous woman, she will be a wonderful wife and mom. I love her and I'm truly grateful she is my sister.

Nate- Audrey I'm so proud of you for serving a mission, and I'm so excited to hear where you'll go, I think you'll be the second Audrey, and the 3^rd shillig in Paraguay but maybe I'm wrong. I love that you have such a sensitive spirit and that you're so powerful yet so humble. One of my favorite memories is going lizard hunting with you when you were a kid, and you'd go barefoot. I often use that story when I tell people about my family members, how my kid sister was like a little pioneer girl and how even fire ants biting her toes didn't bother her because her toes were basically made of solid steel. I also remember when I used to take care of you when you were a little baby and I made up this totally dumb song that went something like “My name is Audrey I like to party, A-u-d-r-e-y” and you would just laugh and you loved that little song/skit that we used to do. Anyway, I love you and I'll miss you when you go.

Kurt- I would have to say that what has stuck with me the most about Audrey goes back to when she was little. I think it was with Audrey that I realized that children can be like a double return investment in that the love and commitment you show to them they will double and show it back to you. Somewhere between 2 and 5 our other siblings realized a special bond between myself and Audrey. I remember it became almost like a game to them to see if they could get Audrey to say that she loved them more then she loved me. They bribed her with all kinds of special treatments and desirable possessions that would be hers if only she would say that she loved one of them over myself. It never worked. That gave me such joy to know that she was totally committed and would not jeopardize our bond. I will always love Audrey for her love and commitment.

Jake-Audrey really loved Kurt growing up. What's not to love he's the perfect older brother. I had my work cut out for me trying to convince Audrey that I should be her favorite brother. I remember spending hours playing with Audrey and kissing up to her and then asking her... Audrey who is your favorite brother? Without fail no matter how successful I thought I had been she would answer that Kurt was her favorite. Audrey has a gift of discernment. She was able to recognize that I was only being nice to her to steal Kurts place as the favorite older brother. I think Audrey’s ability to discern between good better and best and then always go with the best option has brought her to the high station she's at now. No one can question her work ethic. She went from illiteracy to collegiate excellence. Her quiet observant personality has turned her into a spiritual powerhouse. But even though she's quiet she's no kitten. One time while we were driving through Provo canyon I was really being loud and obnoxious. She asked me to please be quiet and I kept going. She told me to stop in a firm voice and I didn't listen. Finally she slapped me upside the head really hard and I shut up. I can't wait to see where my amazing sister Audrey will end up serving the Lord and I know because of her work ethic her intelligence and her beauty both outside and in... she will be a formidable servant in the vineyard.

Luke-I am kind of jealous of all my other siblings because a lot of them have had the opportunity to have Audrey in their home on a 24/7 basis. I feel like Audrey is one of a kind in our family because she is very shy and sensitive, but she is also going to be the first Shillig girl out of Grandpa Shillig's grand kids that will go and have a missionary experience. I am so proud of Audrey and I am excited for the time in her life when she will be serving God as one of his faithful servants. I love the fact that there will be a girl in our family that we can talk to and share missionary stories with, as well as get the female perspective from the mission field and missionary work. I am sure (as it was with most of us), that Audrey's personality will really flower in the mission field and I can't wait to be a witness of what she will become. I just hope that one day how ever long it may be, that she might be willing to spend some time living with our family so that we can get to know her on an even greater level.

Larkie- Audrey is the sweetest most genuine person I have ever met. She makes me laugh. I don't know what it is but things she says that are not even funny are funny. It was great having Audrey live with me. Audrey is also great at being kind to others. She is going to be the best missionary ever. One time Audrey and I were walking in SLC and there was this lil old bum lady who fell and Audrey ran up to help her. she didn't even worry about lice or disease. the lady thanked her Audrey gave her a dollar and the lady kissed her. Kissed her and Audrey just sweetly stood still and said have a great day. That is how kind she is. Also this story is a lie but i bet you all believed it cause this really could have happened and this really is how nice Audrey is. Love you Audrey you are awesome.

Kailie- I could go on for hours about Audrey, I think she's pretty much the Kurt to my Jake! I remember when I was really young, some time in elementary school Audrey brought a friend from school home, of course as the younger sister I wanted to play with Audrey and her friend, but because I was smaller than them and they wanted to play to the best of their abilities I was kinda ruining their fun. Audrey took me aside and explained to me very carefully that she wanted to play with Shannon by herself, and that they would play with me later. I was really upset and didn't really believe she would keep her promise but I left them alone and did as Audrey asked. After a while, they were ready to play at my pace so Audrey came inside and found me to fulfill her promise. If there was anyone in this whole world I trust unconditionally, it would probably be Audrey. Audrey always does everything she says she's going to do, not only that but she will do it while helping others accomplish their goals. In High School I went back to being a loner my Freshman and Sophomore year, so of course I started following my older sister around again, I'd hang with her and her friends at lunch, I'd try and emulate her quiet demeanor and even what she ate, when she tried out for a team, I would to. Then when she tried out for soccer and asked me to please stay in Basketball so that Dad could coach like he loves to coach his kids I did. I didn't ever get on any of the Sports Teams that Audrey did, in fact I usually ended up doing something more suited to me like choir or a play, but Audrey always tried to help me in every way she could, teaching me how to serve a volleyball, or dribble a basketball, showing me how to pass a soccer ball, anything she could help with she would. I love you Audrey, Thanks for being my Big Sister and always being there for me.

Elli - Well Audrey has always been the sister that has had the most patience. She always wanted to help whether it was cleaning or playing Zelda. Well when I was 6 or 7 she was driving me somewhere and I was in the back seat. I was flipping people off with my arms. Not knowing what it meant I did it to everyone that passed, then smiled and waved. Then Audrey looked back at what I was doing and said “Elliana what are you doing?” Of course I replied "Nothing" then Audrey and I got to our destination and Audrey said Elliana don't do that ever again. So Audrey has the most patience, she could have beat the crap out of me but she didn't. I love you.

VIP Hailey!!!!!

So I know it's been a while since the last VIP for the rest of the family, but I figured out that I didn't know who to do!!!! It was a lot easier doing all the In-laws, because even though I don't hang out with u girls and guy on a regular basis, I have had an extended period of time where I got to know each of you a little bit. However with our Nieces and Nephews, most of them haven't even gone to school yet, and the ones that have are either in Georgia and I haven't seen them in years, or he's in California and is just barely starting, so he probably wouldn't be able to read any of this yet. So I'll share a couple of my memories that I have of her.
So I've talked about how Mandi and Aaron were a lot of firsts for me, first wedding that I had some sort of real connection to, first brother that lived in a house, first brother to have cable, or internet, or even a computer first one to have a kid. I remember Mandi being pregnant with Hailey, and I don't think I fully understood what the heck was going on, I knew they were gonna get a baby soon, I don't think I knew that the baby was going to come out of Mandi. But I remember when Hailey was born, I don't remember the specifics, but I do remember someone telling me that Mandi and Aaron had had their baby. The day that I went to see the new baby was so weird, I didn't understand why we were at some huge building that was filed with rooms, but I do remember the first time I saw little Hailey, everyone was saying how tiny she was but I thought she was pretty big because I was so small. I remember that everyone else got to look at her and passed her around the room, I remember wanting to hold her but being to afraid to ask. Mandi or Aaron I can't remember which but I think it was Mandi, looked at me and said "Kailie do you want a turn?" I'd been waiting so of course I said yes, they told me to sit down and I could hold her. She was so beautiful, I couldn't believe that she was a tiny little person, I think I'm thinking of the right baby but I'm not entirely sure cuz there have been so many kids! I remember she had a lot of hair and everyone was amazed at that. I remember that at some point after that, I thought she was my Birthday present from Heavenly Father, cuz she was born the day after my b-day, and every time I think of Hailey, I think of her as my best birthday present. I love you Hailey

Larkie and the Chipmunks!

So I'm sitting listening to christmas songs from my playlist and "Christmas Don't Be Late" from the original Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas CD came on. I rememberred this one time when we were little, Larkie decided to make up a fun act in her spare time where She was Alvin, Audge was Simon, and I was Theodore. I don't remember if we filmed it or put on a show for the family, or if we just did it for fun, but I remember putting dance moves to it, and Larkie acting like a frustrated Alvin. We must've listened to that song a hundred times too get it down perfectly, but I had so much fun that after that I just kept playing that song. I think that somebody must've eventually hid it from me cuz they got so sick of it but to this day I still smile and try to remember the dance moves we originally thought up.

Dad's Surprise VIP!!!!!

Dad's VIP

Aaron-The thing I wanted to highlight about dad is that he has always taught us kids to execute any thing that the lord reveals to us and we will always be blessed. Once I was talking to dad and he asked, "So are you going to marry this girl or what?" prior to that question I had been praying to heavenly father as to how I should pursue with this relationship. Once dad asked that question the spirit let me know that this is the girl I needed to marry. I am glad that dad has taught me to always follow the spirit because my life has been truly blessed because of my eternal companion.

Nate-

Kurt- In thinking back to my experiences with Dad I'd like to point out that many of my experiences with Dad have shown me that Dad has a talent for anticipating an outcome and making action so that the out come would be benificial either to him or those he loves. This talent has blessed the lives of all who are in his personal circle both physically and spiritually. I remember one day we had a lot of relatives over for some reason or another and we were sitting in the living room socializing. Some in chairs and some on the ground. A small baby of one of our relatives was set over by the fire place and while it was sitting there it lost its balance and began to fall backward. In a flash Dad dove over and made a diving catch of the back of the babys head before it could smash onto the edge of the brick which at that time made the fire place. Another experience similar to that was that of Kailie Dirt skiing with the rest of her older siblings. The dirt ski consisted of a chain link fence that was fastened to a very heavy metal construction beam. We would fasten that to the truck and drag it around the farm to eliminate all the weeds. To make it more fun we would fasten ropes to the construction beam and stand on the chain link fence. By fastening ropes it enabled us to lean our weight back and provided us a little more stability. Kailie must of only been between the ages of 6 and 8. The driver for our adventure was not very experienced and kept on slowing and excellerating making keeping your balance while dirt skiing a little bit more challenging. Well one time the driver slowed to an abrupt stop followed by a quick excel. And in that instant Kailie had lost her balance fallen forward to the ground just in front of the metal dirt ski. In the same instant that Kailie had fallen and was about to become worm food Dad leaped forward to the ground after her, grabbed her tight in his arms and rolled himself and her outward to safety just as the dirt ski swallowed the ground she landed on. To this day I can remember my exact thought after seeing it with my own eyes. "How did he just do that?!" Dad uses this same talent to protect all of his childrens spirituality and virtue. I'll always love and respect him for that ability among countless others.

Jake-Kids want to impress their parents. When I was very young I could fit underneath the upside down Y formed by the folding chairs at church and I remember dad being impressed that I could. I remember him setting up little obstacle courses for me to crawl through. Another tender memory was at chuck e cheese. Dad seemed to love watching me play skee ball and one time I had so many winnings I was able to buy a chuck e cheese folder for school. As I got older impressing dad continued to be one of my main motivations in life. I had my work cut out for me though because kurt was such a shining star. Even though I may have fallen short in my performance at times dad still seemed genuinely impressed with me. So I guess what's magical about dad is his ability to motivate you to reach for the stars and make you feel genuinely good about yourself when you only grabbed a piece of the moon.

Luke-William Edward Shillig Jr. has been a light on the hill to all whom he has come in contact with. It all started with his desire to lead his family as a teenager, to go and serve a full time mission for the Church. It seems like from a young age Dad had a deeply rooted desire to seek out truth and cleave to it with all his heart. We see evidences of this in his conversion story at college, his missionary service, in his courtship of Lark Turner, and most importantly in raising his children to be truth seekers as well. Out of everything that I have learned from Dad the one truth that I think has changed my life the most was how to receive inspiration from the Holy Ghost. I can remember a very specific time in my life when I began to question everything my Mother and Father told me. Ever since I was a young child I can remember hearing the adage that is so common among church membership. "Joseph Smith is a Prophet, he translated the Book of Mormon from the gold plates that he found in a hill, I know that these things are true." I must have heard our parents, especially our father say that phrase, a hundred times over. As my mind became more and more independent, and I began to think for myself, I remember questioning this statement. I remember one time in particular where I heard Dad testify to me that the church was true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and I was so fed up with people saying that they knew these things to be true when they had not seen Joseph Smith with their own eyes, that I outright questioned Dad. "How do you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet?" I asked, "Did you meet him? Did you see the gold plates with your own eyes?" I thought I had Dad in a corner with that question, but then he replied with a life changing statement, "You can know if the church is true too, all you have to do is pray and find out!" After he said that, I didn't say a word, because I hadn't thought to try that yet. His words cut me to the bone because I had not been living and seeking truth as I should. So I began a spiritual quest, and my mind began turning. I began thinking day in and day out whether or not the Book of Mormon was true. Then one day when I was at church in Sunday School, Brother Waterhouse was teaching my class and gave a promise to all those in attendance that if we read the Joseph Smith testimony in the beginning of the Book of Mormon, and prayed and asked God if it were true, that he would tell us that it was true. Because I had just recently been told this truth by my Father I felt like this was my chance to learn if it was true or not. I waited until the whole class left the room, read the Joseph Smith Testimony, and knelt down to pray about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. In my prayer I asked God to tell me if the church was true and that the Book of Mormon was true, I told him that I wanted to know so that I could know whether or not I should follow my Mother and Father in their examples of living the Gospel. I finished my prayer, got up and nothing happened. Then I walked down the hall and into the sacrament meeting room when all of the sudden the spirit began to burn within me, the spirit that began to grow within me was so strong that I might as well have had a ton of bricks dropped from the heavens and land immediately in front of me as a testimony of the truth. From that day on, I knew, and I knew that I knew. I may have strayed from the straight and narrow a time or two, but that experience always kept me coming back for more. In some ways I feel like I owe that experience to Dad, he set the pattern in front of me, and eventually I decided to test it out for myself, and thanks be to God that I did.

Even today, Dad is still teaching me things, and mentoring me in things regarding the spirit. I always enjoy our discussions and and I hope I can learn as much as I possibly can from him before he is called back to that God who set him on this Earth

Larkie-I have realized now being a parent why you did the things you did. I used to hate when you mixed cereal, but now that I buy the grocerys and use tupperware containers for my cereal I can't stand throwing out the last little bit that isn't eaten yet to make room for the new stuff. Well guess what I do yes i mix them. I now know the importance of teaching your children the word special body. I thought it would be good to teach my child the real names. Boy I was so very wrong. Now my sweet daughter uses the words penis and vagina like she is asking for a piece of candy. Oh the wonderful things you have done for us. You have also been a wonderful father to confide in and are great at always having open arms to us. Thank you, you are wonderful. Thank you for singing us to sleep video,gaming us asleep. and again always being there for us. I love you daddy.

Audrey- There's a lot of things I could say about dad but the most prominent thing in my mind is that I've always been able to talk to dad and he's always been able to talk to me. He's always been willing to do stuff with me. I remember as a little kid playing ball in the front yard with him throwing and me hitting, when I was a teen I remember driving home from basketball games and talking to him not only about every day things but about spiritual things and I've always been grateful for those opportunities I've had to talk to dad my fondest memories are watering the garden with dad and talking to him while he's watering the garden. Those times I've shared with him are something that I'll always love and hold dear to my heart. he's an excellent example of patience and positive thinking, one I often look to if I'm struggling in those areas and I'm so blessed to have him as a dad.

Kailie- I've always loved that dad has treated all of his kids with respect. Every single kid I've talked to seems to have a similar experience with dad bringing out the best in them. I always felt like the Black Sheep in our family, because I was really awkward and obnoxious in front of people, I wasn't all that great at sports, and I just felt a little different from my brothers and sisters. Even though I was more interested in music and Dance than I was in soccer or little league Dad related to me and helped me to be comfortable with myself, when I told Dad I wanted to try out for the school play he said “That's great Honey, well why don't we try out together!?” he made me go to choir when I was embarrassed because I was the only person under 30 there, and I'm glad he did because otherwise I wouldn't have developed my voice. Dad would tell me why people were cruel and stupid people and why they would pick on me, he even gave me some advice on the different situations, like “just tell 'em to go pound sand!” or “Well Honey if you want them to quit botherin you why don't you just give 'em a punch in the nose, they'll stop making fun of you Real Quick!!” Dad somehow knew exactly what I needed at all times, wether it was encouragement or a reprimand, total support or to let me figure out the problem myself. You've been an amazing teacher, and I think that's one of the best things you could ask for in a father. I love you Dad and I hope I can be half as great as a parent as you.

Isaac-I have so many great memories with dad and he always helps me to aspire to do better, like being patient. One great memory I have with dad is when we went to hungry valley together and we rode all day long. We spent time with each other and he set a great examples 4 me that day and sets a good example for my friends and I'm so glad I have a dad who will spend time with me. Dad is always willing to have fun but he will always choose the right thing to do and I'm grateful 4 that. I love u dad

Elli- When I was turning 11 we were doing a glowstick thing and dad was dancin and it was dark, dad was dancing so hilariously I couldn't stop laughing. dad has an awesome sense of humor I love you dad thanks for being the funniest dad that doesn't drink or smoke at my parties like some kids have to deal with. You dad are able to be crazy and funny without having to be drunk. I love u dad

Kurt's VIP

Aaron - Sis there are tons of reasons why I am glad Kurt was born into the family. However the one I want to highlight is his sense of humor. He has the ability to make you laugh. In fact he makes you laugh so hard it brings tears to your eyes. Another thing I want to mention about Kurt is that he always makes ridding a motorcycle more fun when he is around. One time when we were young we both were on our motorcycles and thought that it would be super awesome if we high fived each other as we passed each other. Well as we were headed toward each other and were getting ready for the sweetness that was giving each other a high five we didn't take into account the fact that the speed of both bikes approaching each other was going to aid in the force of this awesome high five. Well we executed the five flawlessly and as soon as we did it felt like I had been hit in the hand by a Mac truck. Both Kurt and I stopped immediately and howled in pain. Even as I write this I laugh to myself because we were lucky we didn't break our hands and just how much pain it caused.

Nate -Kurt is like Neo the anomaly, he is so in tune with the mechanics of his body, I actually believe he can dodge bullets and do the floating crane kick! He has the leadership qualities of Captain Moroni. I truly believe he will lead the Lord’s troops as a trusted General next to the great ones at the battle of Gog and Magog! Kurt is a lot like Dad and always seemingly optimistic and positive, which comes in handy when you feel like jumping off a bridge, or stepping in front of a bus, or flying a rocket into the sun.

His athleticism is nothing short of legend in our family. He is a crazy daredevil and can kick the trash out of any brother. I know I am sounding like an obsessed fan and like he is a celebrity, but I really admire him and am so grateful to have him as my brother and best friend! Love you man, womb to tomb!

Jake(e-mailed, word for word) -Kurt was the perfect older brother to me in high school. I was more than a little off socially and did dumb things on a regular basis but instead of being that older brother that you see on movies who publically denies any relationship to the high school loser (who also happens to be his brother) Kurt would pull me aside after a stupid act and say, "Bro, you don't do things like that in public, a better way to handle it is..." I remember one time in seminary I thought bowels meants butthole so when we were reading a scripture that used the word bowels I raised my hand and asked, "Doesn't bowels mean butthole, why are they talking about buttholes in the scriptures." Kurt could have publically denounced me and made me feel like absolute garbage but he didn't, he's never been the type to put someone down to make himself look or feel better. After seminary he just said, "Bro you don't say words like butthole in seminary." There is something special about Kurt that has endeared every single one of his siblings to him, to the point that when times get rough in the future and like the scriptures say, "brother will turn against brother and father against son," Kurt will likely be the Jedi Glue that holds our family together!

Luke -If you haven’t guessed it yet the boys in our family love videogames. Growing up we would do anything we could to get our hands on the latest and greatest in the gaming sector. I remember when Jake used the money that he got from working with Kim Fogg to… (unbeknownst to the brothers) buy a Super Nintendo. Although Jake and I had fun frying our brains in our own little corner of the house without the older brothers terrorizing us, that fun pales when compared to the kind of entertainment that we had when Kurt took one for the team. I don’t know what got into Kurt but one day after he was done working at the Flying J, Kurt, Jake and I all took a drive down to Bakersfield in Kurt’s white Mercedes looking for some fun. When we got down to Bakersfield we rolled into a Wal-Mart or a Toys ‘R Us and Kurt dropped about 250-300 bucks on a brand new N64 with four controllers. Oh what a blessed day that was. Soon thereafter Kurt, Jake, and I were spending large increments of our days competing against each other in 007, Mario Cart, and NFL Blitz. It is interesting to note the many aspects of my life Kurt has subsidized, when I was young it was things that brought me pleasure like video games, trips to the beach, and riding motorcycles.

The last subsidy that I wanted to mention was when I was going to college at BYUI. During my first couple semesters at BYUI Kurt’s financial backing was what helped keep a roof over my head and books in front of me to read. Kurt is one of the few family members who (during a time of financial instability for me) acted as a catalyst to shorten my path to academic success. I hope that one day in the future I can return the favor.

Here it is.

Larkie(e-mailed, word for word) - Kurt is a very caring brother he is really good at making you feel good about yourself. He is also very selfless and generous. I have a number of stories that I can share but I am just going to pick two. One is when Kurt and Aaron clone aka Neil were playing a game in the living room with a shoe. They were chucking it at each other. I am not sure the point of the game but the shoe ended up hitting me straight in the eye/face. Kurt quickly ran over and took care of me for the rest of the evening asking if he could do anything etc.... Also when I worked for him he was very generous. He even gave me a car. Kurt you are amazing,kind,loving,charitable and a great example of treating others as you want to be treated. Kurt i love you thank you for being such a wonderful amazing man and brother.

Audrey - When I think of Kurt I think of hard worker, kind, patient, creative, and so much more. He consistently demonstrates these virtues/gifts. For example:

Kurt works so hard to care for his family, and does a great job at it. His children love him to death because he himself isn’t afraid to be childlike with them. I was once talking to one of our siblings and they said that Kurt is the best dad ever and any child in the world would be lucky to have him as a dad. I laughed and realized that they were right. Kurt is very good at helping people help themselves because he kindly gives guidance to them. And you can tell that he is only trying to help you because he loves or cares you. I can remember being in similar situations and thinking how can I help this person without hurting them, in other words, what would Kurt do.

Some of my fondest memories of Kurt are of him playing with me and the other kids. One time we were building a fort and it was okay and then Kurt came along and used mom and dad’s light blue satin looking blanket to make the fort into a circus tent looking thing. He made around the TV and put a fan in there for good airflow. I remember thinking that this is the best blanket fort ever. I remember running to him hoping for safety from Luke and Jake. I also love Kurt’s fearlessness; jumping of the cliffs at lake pyramid, jumping the pit, and sliding down the high school’s railings on his feet. These are just a few of the many fun memories I have of Kurt. I love you Kurt I appreciate you being there for me and being a wonderful example.

Kailie - I love being a young kid in our family because it’s like having 9 parents instead of 2. Kurt has always been a good dad, even when he technically wasn’t a father. I remember several times when Kurt showed the understanding of a father, as well as the concern and kindness of one. Kurt went to my Halloween party in the 2^nd grade, he helped me figure out ways so that I could keep Mom happy and still get to do fun things. One of my best memories though is from when I was really small, and I still used to sneek into mom and dad’s bed when I’d have nightmares. One night I had a terrible dream and after I got up the courage to get out of my bed and run to mom and dads room before the monsters could get me I found that their door was LOCKED! I sat there and cried at their door for a while and then I somehow got the idea that Kurt could beat the crap out of ANY monster. So I snuck into Kurt’s room and found him on the bottom bunk, I poked him awake and he asked what I needed, I simply told him I was scared and he just lifted up the covers so I could be protected by my big strong brother Kurt.

Elli(e-mailed, word for word) - My story is when we were motorcycle riding and I was going way to fast and I crashed I thought I had broken my leg but no. I sat on the side of the rode waiting for Kurt and soon enough he came he is the brother who is able to drive fast enough to get to me I love him so much

VIP Kaylene!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness Kaylene! How is it that u can be a combination of the sweetest temperred, most optimistic, artsy, kind, creative, and intelligent person I know? I'd never heard of getting plus size clothes and then altering them to be cute, and your size! I don't think I've ever heard you say a mean word about anyone, which let's face it can be a rarity with the Shilligs, since some of us let our mouths run away with us(I'm talking about myself as well so please nobody get offended). I'm always amazed by the fact that all of our in-laws are so healthy and have the ability to switch from pregnancy extras to looking like they've never give birth. I can remember u trying to find the best way for u to work out without causing issues in your pregnancy. I'm constantly amazed by you Kaylene, and I feel like I hardly even know you, and I Want TO!! I seriously hope I can come and visit you some time soon and get to know you a little better. I'm sorry I don't have a wonderfull hour long blogg I can dedicate to you but here's something from when I first moved to UT, that's one of my favorite memories of you. It was some time aroud conference, maybe it was before I actually moved here, but either way, u had just finished your sociology book, and it was something about how society has defined the sexes. You and Luke started talking about it I think over Scype, and he said something that totally seemed to me like he was attempting to bash ur opinion, which I've often seen in the family, but u just played it off like he was joking, I thought he was totally serious and I was kinda offended for you, but u kept on acting like it was a joke, and either it was from the begining and I just wasn't aware, or it turned into one because you refused to let it be a negative experience. Either way I was amazed and in Awe of u because I knew had I been in the same situation, I would have walked away probably crying, and questioning wether or not I was a stupid person for believing what I do. Anyway, I'm so overjoyed that you are now in our family, and even if we haven't hung out as much as I'd like, I love you Kaylene, thanks for helping complete our little bit of Heaven

Stockings?

Hey everyone, I know a lot of the kids don't have stockings, but I was wondering which adults don't have stockings? I know Kaylene has her own family stocking tradition so their family doesn't need any but if you could all let me know which other in-laws don't have them I'd really appreciate it. I'm halfway done with Gwen's and I think I could do another one before new years, or if I'm lucky, maybe before Christmas. the only person I for sure know doesn't have a stocking thats an in-law is Seth, but if someone got married before him and doesn't have one like Amy or Caroline I'd like to know.

Since we're on the subject if you could all give a comment including the spelling of ur kids names that don't have a stocking and their birth years so I have all of them I'd really appreciate it.

I know it's still fall but . . .

I can"t wait for Christmas, I love that everyone is a little nicer how everytime it snows I just get amazed by how pretty it can be to watch, I love the christmas songs, and how families get together

I love the silly and cute traditions like kissing under mistletoe, and bundling up next to the fireplace with your friends while eating hot chocolate. I love going caroling and I love christmas parties.

I'm halfway done with baby gwen's christmas stocking sontheir family will have a omplete set this year. I love christmas styles, and I love christmas cards and family pictures. It's just a wonderful time of year.

VIP Amy Caroline

Oh my goodness Caroline. I'm always amazed with how much u really care about everyone. Your like the universal mom, which I'm so gratefull for. I know that I never really show how thankful I am for you and I'm sorry about that. Caroline you are an Amazing mother, and not just to your own kids, you were a mother to me when I needed one, you pushed me to accomplish more than I thought I could. You helped me plan for the future and that's something I'd never do on my own. You've married Jake which is an amazing feat in and of itself. I'll be honest when I was little I wasn't ntirely sure if Jake would ever get married lol. I love that you've totally accepted all the shilligs as if they're the family you were born into, heak u call Mom and Dad, Mom and Dad. I love that you are an organized person, not only that you are a go-to kind of person, when u need something done you don't procrstinate, u do it right on the dot! Anyway, thank you Caroline for being my sister, thanks for marrying my brother because you're the best thing that could have ever happened to him. I love you Caroline, and I can't wait till I see you next

I wish I could do this

ok on my playlist there is a song called 2009 Pop Remix by Dj Earworm. I first heard this song while watching a movie on facebook, and it's basically a ton of songs that have been made into a mashup, and it's fricken sexy. check out the song but if u can find it on you-tube it would be even cooler to watch

VIP Amy!!!!!

Oh Amy what can I not say about you, you are an ingeious creation of God. You somehow manage to cook amazing food that's great for your body, have the most discipline I've ever seen in a human being, be a wonderful mother and one of the best friends I've ever had. I've got a ton of stories that I could share about you but I'll just share one of the ones you know but I don't know if you know what it meant to me. My Junior and Senior year I was attempting to break out of my shell and become someone individual in my family, Audrey was already an intelligent and shy but powerful girl, Larkie was one of the prettiest girls most people in Frazier would ever see with a brain and an outgoing personality, and both of them were brilliant at each sport they tried. Needless to say I wasn't feeling too great about myself, I felt like the odd sister, I was intelligent and pretty good at basketball but I only viewed myself as being musical and couldn't see any other benefits. Amy helped me change that. I tried out for cheerleading both my senior and my Junior year, Amy would share fun antecdotes with me about her cheerleading days, I asked her questions about boys, we rocked out to Brittney Spears in her car, I shared my secrets with her, she taught me how to do my own make-up. My biggest issue was being healthy, I'd been forced into diets, and badgered to work out for so long, told I was fat and ugly so often that my self esteem had been lingering somewhere between 0 and -1 for years. Amy asked me if I wanted to do a work out with her one day, and I of course said no and that I'd just watch her. When I saw her working out she made it look so easy, and then when she got really intense she would make these sounds that weren't like grunts or screams, but more like things you'd here a person say if they were beating the crap out of someone and had just thrown a hard kick to their face and needed to let loose a sound of triumph like " HAAAH" and it just looked like it would be so fun to work out with her that I started to. I started breathing really hard and feeling like my lungs were going to collapse within 5 minutes but Amy kept encouraging me and saying things like "come on Kailie, you can do it" and "just a few more" and "Yeah Kailie!!! keep it up" that I was able to go farther than I would push myself. Every now and then I'd do work outs with her and she would always be encouraging afterwards and congratulate me like I'd just run a marathon. I finally changed my mind and realized that I wasn't destined to be the fat, ugly girl in my family and that I could be Beautiful.

I don't know if I would have become morbidly obese, diabetic, or had a heartattack when I was twenty or if I would've just ended up being the same as I'd always been, lethargic and with out any type of enthusiasm for my life. but I'm glad I never found out and Amy is a big part of why I'm happier now than I can ever remember being on an average day in my life before she helped me. Not only have you helped me become physically healthy, but you helped give me confidence, you helped show me that god answers prayer.

Even though you're the most physically beautiful woman I've met, I know that you're even more amazing on the inside, you have a kind and tender heart, you listen to people, you do everything in your power to protect and care for your family, you are a truely christ like person. Thank you Amy, for making me feel worth while, thanks for making me look in the mirror and see someone beautiful looking back, thanks for making me joyfull about life, thanks for being my sister, friend, and confidante. Thank you for everything. I love you Amy, I hope I can be half as amazing as you when I finally grow up.

VIP Ashley

This weeks VIP is Ashley. I don't know how she does it! She has managed to do a lot in her life, and I knnow she loves her family, she's so kind hearted it kills her to even put Madi in time out, she manages to survive on only a few hours sleep most days, she remembers everyone's special occasions on her calender, she explores different foods, she somehow manages to exercise like every day, and I love how honest she is. I know when she tells me I look cute that I really do, she's the kind of person you would want to go shopping with because she'll tell you honestly "yes those pants make u look kinda chubby" and "No actually I think it brings out your eyes." I've gained a new apreciation for her after living with her for so long. I think every in-law has their own special quality that no other shares, and plenty of qualities that they all share, either way I'm happy that Ash is a part of the family, and I hope she stays with us for ever.

Motorcycle fun

So Last night I was on my way to singles ward FHE. I'd just picked up my new roommate Chelsea and we were on our way out of Layton, stopped at a red light. Chelsea is one of those girls who is still inside of her shell, a girl who will probably never fully break out of it, chelsea"s cousin has asked me to attempt to break her out of her shell. So I looked around and saw in my rear view mirror a small but ideal opportunity, a dude on sweet motorcycle. I waved to him in my rear view mirror and wasn't sure if he noticed when the light went green, we kinda started playing hide and seek on the freeway which was fun, and then he pulled up to the side of the car and started signaling his phone number with his hands, I didn't want him to kill himselfso I gave him the wait a second sign. I asked chelsea if she wanted to give him her number she was a bit too nervous so we gave him my number instead. Chelsea wrote it down and handed it to him out the window, which he grabbed and then sped away to his off ramp. all in all it was a pretty fun experience.

Most embarrasing moments

So this actually happened a while ago but it just popped into my head and it's one of my adventure stories I thought I'd share with the family.

I went over to this gal Kelsie's house and spent the night but before we went to bed we ate some left over burrito's from ranchero's. The next morning I felt a little queesy but no big deal. Her cute cousin came over while I was getting ready in the bathroom and we started flirting and I thought I was doing a pretty good job. . . then I felt the Nausea come in a single wave I had just enough time to tell him to hold on and shut the door to the bathroom before I started puking my guts out and if anyone has ever heard me puke you know that it is the exact opposite of a quiet process. so when I finished up I rinsed my mouth out a little bit and opened the door and he was just standing there. He got this weird look on his face and asked if I was ok and I said it was just food poisoning. Needless to say he never talked to me again after that lol

VIP Mandy!!!

The Highlight I have for Mandy is actually I think my first memory of Mandy. I was just a little kid but I remember (or I think I remember) mandy and Aaron coming over to the house before they were married, and I just remember them looking at each other right before they kissed, it's the look that I see between all my siblings and their spouses, it's a look of felicity, peace and magnanimous love for the person you're giving it to. Mandy is an Amazing woman, she cooks like a pro, she knows how to keep her house in order while still having fun with her family and friends. When I look at her life I feel like she's truely understood and taken to heart the idea of a well balanced life. Thanks for being a part of our Family Mandy, thanks for taking care of my brother Aaron, and I'm not sure if this is the full story or not but I think I heard that you were a big part of the reason why Aaron was able to come back to the church. . . which is something I can never thank you enough for. If that had been the only thing you'd done for me I'd be forever in your debt, but it's not and so I can never pay you back for all the things you've done for me. Thank you for helping to complete our family I love you Sis, and please let me know if there's anything I can do for you.

I have successfully Flirted

Yes it's true I can now flirt! Which probably isn't that cool to most people who will read this because most of you are already married but I thought it was impossible.

I was leaving my singles ward FHE and saw a guy with a cool Hat so I complimented him on it and we got to talking. I had to go so I said bye and got into shotgun of Caroline's car. On the way home I had my hand hanging out the window and a car pulled up right next to us . . . it was him, we talked some more and flirte some more, we attempted to hold hands while both cars accelerated but it didn't work. For a few more stop lights we flirted and at one of the last ones I gave him my phone number!

this was a few weeks ago and I eventualy went on a kinda sorta but not really date with him and found that he wasn't the type of guy I wanted to date.

Sunday night of this week though I successfully flirted with 2 guys in one night. so I think I've finally passed the threshold and am able to flirt with any average joe, but I'm still building up confidence to flirt with the guy I really like.

so that is a small peek into my current life status

VIP: Seth

I started with Seth because I feel like he sometimes isn't as recognized in our family. Not to say that we don't love him but he's just the only Brother-In-Law which kinda makes him like the tigger in our family.
My highlight about Seth actually comes from before he was in our family. Jake had invited him up to The Farm from Monterey Bay and I think they stayed for the weekend. I was going through an Anime phase where I was really interested in Japanese culture and so I had rescently read the book "Memoirs of a Geisha" I don't quite remember how I broke into the subject but I said something about it that set Jake off and he and I ended up arguing which ended with me crying and going to my room. I woke up the next morning and was in the process of avoiding Jake when Seth came up to me and started talking to me about japanese culture, I don't remember what we discussed but I remember feeling a lot better and I was greatfull to Seth for making me feel like my knowledge, ideas, and opinions were worth listening to no matter how young or inexperienced or immature I was.
Seth has helped me in many other ways like seeing a situation from another persons point of view, or helping me understand guys. All in all I'm glad to have him as my older brother now and I'm thankfull that Heavenly Father helped concince him to join in our awesome and slightly crazy family lol. Thanks for being an awesome older brother Seth

Kailie's family VIP

Hey Everyone,
I did Isaacs VIP last month and it gave me an idea. . . I'm gonna do a VIP for everyone with just my experiences with them because I love our family including all the additions. Since every month for like the next year our family is gonna specifically target the original 10 I'm gonna start this VIP with one of the in-laws. I'm hoping to pick a new family member every week but it might go 2. I'm gonna start with the people who can read (meaning it won't include the younger kids until later). I don't care if anyone actually reads it or not I just thought it would be good to recognize all the other people in our family that won't be included until much much later. So here it goes !!!

Isaac's VIP

Aaron-(called in so not word for word) I’m a lot older than Isaac so my story is a little different because I didn’t get to grow up with him as a younger brother in the same house. The thing that is my highlight is more a fatherly thanks than an older brother story. Isaac and Brandon have been friends since they were kids, and I appreciate that Isaac has been such a good friend to Brandon. So I’m very thankful that Mom and Dad had the foresight to have another child and do what the lord told them because otherwise we wouldn’t have Isaac as Brandon’s best friend and Uncle.
“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world”
– Brandi Snyder

Nate-(typed in front of him, word for word) Isaac came and stayed with us a couple summers ago and we had a blast. He was so good with Madi and so helpful around the house and with Madi. Of Course like all our family I like to play video games but its much more fun with your brothers. I remember fondly staying up late and bagging deer on XBOX with Isaac. I look forward to the next time he comes to stay with us.
“A brother is a friend god gave you”
Proverbs

Kurt-(called me not word for word) Most people when they learn how to ride a dirtbike, they start out on a small one and work their way up to the bigger machines. Isaac was like 8 years old and he used to ride with me on dad’s big YZ250 and after a while he could drive it by himself. I just remember being in awe as this tiny body just wielded this huge machine up and down the road, and just sharing in the excitement of his accomplishment.
“A narrow track of dirt through the forest isn't a trail -- it's an attitude.” Author Unknown

Jake-(e-mailed word for word) I was super impressed with Isaac when he told me a story about when he was 10 or 11. Isaac was alone and I think he was on or near Adam's Trail when a suspicious car started to approach. Isaac was scared by the car and hid and he felt the distinct impression that the intent of the driver of the car was to abuse, hurt, or murder Isaac. Isaac listened to the Holy Ghost and stayed hidden and while he was hiding he prayed asking Heavenly Father to protect him from such evil. Isaac was protected from evil that day as a direct result of his sensitivity to the Holy Ghost, and his fervent prayer. Isaac has done a lot of amazing things, but up until now nothing has impressed me more than this story that he told me because I think if he had acted differently he might not be with us today.
“My hope for my children must be that they respond to the still, small voice of God in their own hearts.” By Andrew Young

Luke-(e-mailed word for word) I have always been impressed with Isaac's ability to play sports. From a very young age I can remember playing baseball out on the front lawn with a yellow bat that had a huge barrel on it. I would sit there and pitch to Isaac as slow as I possibly could with a nice arc in the ball and Isaac would cream the ball and send it flying. As soon as Isaac would hit the ball I would shout, go, go, go, (then he would run around in a circle and head back to where he started from) and I would shout, slide! Slide! Slide! Then Isaac would slide into home plate feet first with a crouch and a smile on his face. I was also recently impressed with Isaac's athletic ability in the last Turkey bowl where he was able to run the ball amidst guys twice his size and shake them for substantial yardage. But my fondest memory of Isaac comes from before he can remember. Most of the older siblings of our family can say that they had a good hand in raising some of their siblings. For example, while Mom was doing Tupperware, Jake was constantly baby-sitting Kailie. Well for me I feel like I had a good hand in raising Isaac because when Mom was working at the Flying J sometimes I would have to stay home from school (if Mom didn't get a later shift) and I would watch Isaac. He would get fussy and start crying, and whenever that happened I would take him out on the swing in the backyard. It was a little yellow swing with a blue plastic piece on the front that acted like a safety gate on the front of the swing and slid up and down on the ropes of the swing. I would push Isaac out on that swing for 20 to 30 minutes until he fell asleep, and then I would carry him in to his crib and lay him down. I know that this experience doesn't really relate to the relationship we have today, but it helps me feel like I am tied to Isaac in some way deeper than words.
“When you have brought up kids, there are memories you store directly in your tear ducts.” ~Robert Brault

Larkie-(e-mailed word for word) I appreciate how loving Isaac is. He is always willing to tell me he loves me and give me hug. When he hangs out with my family he is very helpful. I am grateful for that as well. I love you Isaac, please always be kind to others, especially your family.
“Kindness in Giving creates Love”- Lao Tzu

Audrey-(e-mailed, word for word) my dear brother Isaac has subtle but great importance in our family. Some of the things I love about him include:

· His humor and wit, Isaac has the amazing capability to make anyone laugh. When talking to him he often quickly plays off your words with something witty that can make you laugh or sometimes insult you.

· His capability to quickly forgive, I remember times when we would fight and the very next day we would be the best of friends again.

· His love for playing; a game’s fun magnitude is always increased when he joins.

· His thoughtfulness; Isaac often makes sacrifices or does something special to show that he loves you. I remember one time I had lost my knife and he gave one of his secretly so I would have one in case of emergency.

I don’t know if everyone else has seen these things but I definitely have. There is much that we can observe and learn from Isaac. People flock to him not because of flattery like some, but because of his loyalty, kindness, and genuineness. I love Isaac and our family would be incomplete without him.
“To the outside world we all grow old. Not to brothers and sisters. We known each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.” ~Clara Ortega

Kailie - I never thought that the day would come when I thought Isaac was smarter than me, but it came a few weeks ago. My roommate asked if I wanted to play soccer a couple Sundays ago and I knew that I shouldn’t go but for the life of me I couldn’t remember the reason. I knew it was to keep the Sabbath day holy but because it was with my ward and because my roommate was a returned missionary I couldn’t seem to remember how playing would be breaking the Sabbath. So I called home to ask dad and I got Isaac, he said dad wasn’t there so I asked Isaac if he knew why.
Isaac replied simply “I’m pretty sure that if Jesus was there they wouldn’t be playing soccer on Sunday!” and there you have it. An answer that made total sense and seemed so simple but I couldn’t think of it. I am glad that Isaac was placed in our family; he keeps me humble and reminds me that sometimes age or experience can take away from our lives because it takes away the simplest truths.
“Our siblings push buttons that cast us in roles we felt sure we had let go of long ago - the baby, the peacekeeper, the caretaker, the avoider.... It doesn't seem to matter how much time has elapsed or how far we've traveled.” ~Jane Mersky Leder

Elli-(e-mailed, word for word) well when I was about 5 we were at Grandma’s house and I got stung by a bee right in the ankle Isaac helped me inside. I think Isaacs greatness and love at heart is the best.
“Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.” ~Marc Brown

money, Money, MONEY!!!!

so due to the fact that I have a car to put gas in I have decided there aren't sufficient funds for a digital camera so I've decided against it. But good news everyone, I am getting my wisdom teeth on top pulled on June 2nd this way I should be able to have a good time hanging out with the Family after the baptism.

So I have some fun stories to tell everyone. I've decided, since I can't really post my pictures on here, to tell anyone who feels like listening some of the fun stories I'm going through just to keep u guys updated and get any advice you'd like to give.

Digital Camera's

So I've been thinking a lot lately about getting a digital Camera so I can update my blogg more and just keep my memories. So I was wondering if anyone had any good ideas for quality affordable cameras one that I think might be a good option for me is the Sanyo Xacti it costs about $60 at wal-mart which isn't to bad and reviews say that they really enjoy it and that it takes great pictures. it has about 10 mega pixels which I don't know if it's good or bad. I'm open to advice if anyone reads this I will be researching this for quite a while so I'll be able to hear most of the comments I think

Gwenivere

I've started on baby gwen's christmas stocking, it took a bit to figure out how to arrange the name and year but Ithink it will look great!!

I'm going to be doing some job shadowing at Nate's old state farm agency this week so I can be better at service and help out around the office a lot more.

I'm also planning on fixing up the latch to pop the hood on the Flave so I can drive it a lot more and not worry about popping the hood lol

For those of u who don't know I got into a little trouble in the middle of an intersection. My battery cable came loose while I was in the turning lane and no one could go around me to the right and my hazard lights wouldn't come on because of the bad battery connection, some nice people helped me out though and they were able to pop my hood and tighten the cable, but when they closed it I think they got the cable stuck cuz now we can't open it.lol

MY 1ST STOCKING!!!!!!!

It's done!!! After 4 months of mistakes and knitting, and not really blood sweat or tears, but lots of patience, the first stocking of the new generation is now finished! It's not as good as grandma's but I'm hoping to improve. Anyway enough of my babbling, here's the front and back pictures so u can get a taste. I think my next project is gonna be little Gwenivere's stocking and I'll just go by family from oldest to youngest.