Fall Refresher

Robert & I took a time away to Bostom MA this fall! We had a great time together & exploring sites with Kalena! Including the graveyards where William Bradford & David Brainerd are buried. It was also fun to introduce Kalena to snow as it lightly dusted one night!   We enjoyed just ‘chillin’ & refreshing our spirits! And of course that included having some fun with photography in the fall season so enjoy some of the results:

Time Flies!

O where o where does the time go to? O where o where does it go?

It’s all just a fleeting memory…

almost a year has passed since i last blogged & oh so much has happened in that year! I think Facebook has taken over the novelty of blogging for most of us because it’s more convienent, but i enjoy the ‘art’ in blogging so i hope to get back into it a little more frequently! Thank you to all you faithful viewers! You can actuallly go into my picasa web album & view hundreds more pics there since i will never be able to post all of them. You can even comment on pics there too.  

I will be posting some pics of my God’s Girls of Up7street soon but for now I’m posting a few pictures in sequence of events of our little girl Kalena ….

Kalena at 7 months

Kalena at 8 months

Kalena at 9 months

A very happy 1st Mother's Day!

 

9 months

Kalena's PA dedication at 9 months

Kalena at 10 months

10 months on Father's Day... Daddy's little girl!

Kalena at 11 months

1st 4th of July

Ready to be walking soon!!

Kalena's 1st birthday

"YUM! Can i dig in now?"

There’s Healing in Jesus’ Hug

Tonight when i was talking to my sister in FL on the phone, she informed me that today is National Hug Day.  I checked and yes the ecard companies confirmed it!   And as i just finished reading today’s program on Revive Our Hearts, i wanted to go in and hug my sleeping baby… And any of you girls, teenagers, or women out there that have been through the trama of having an abortion, I want to HUG you too! So what i am doing is adding the link to this program that i read so you too can read the story of the teenager Luann …

Click here to read/listen.

Know that Jesus wants to forgive you, heal you, and hug you with His strong wonderful hands… for ANY sin you & I have done!!

Happy New Year!

Hey Girls!

I see some of you are chompin at the bit waitin for me to get back home to PA from my lil “vacation” time in FL with our families for Christmas & New Years! It’s SO NICE to be missed!! LOL! That’s why Ms B has to go away sometimes… so you don’t take me for granted! LOL! Well, i just wanted to let you all know that we are heading home tomorrow morning but we won’t be home till Tuesday late afternoon though.. and NO – sorry, not in time for a “Girls Club” on that Tuesday night! But i promise we will do something fun the following Tuesday! Yea, i can just hear ya! “Why ya takin so long to get home if ur leavin 2morw!?” Well, its because we are going to take our time…. OBVIOUSLY!! LOL! We will be in Georgia tomorrow & Sunday nights and we are going to a really big Church on Sunday and I am going to visit their Kids & Teen classes so i hope to get some cool/new ideas for teaching you all! Remember i told you we are going to be doing something new in Girls club this year!?  Then, not sure about Monday, but we will drive 1/2 the day and then probably do a little sight seeing or something to relax …

I DO look forward to seeing you all again! You can stop & see me after school on Wed. or Thurs. if you want! Just beat on the door! Here’s a couple pics of me here in FL … just in case you forgot what i looked like! LOL!!!!!

My sisters… Jen, Karen …& me  (my other sis Rhonda didn’t come.)

This is my cousins & Jen, Kalena & I… Travis, Brittany, Chris, & Brianna

Happy New Year!! XOXO

Best Christmas Ever!

I just wanted to express how very truly blessed i am to have so many people in my life who love me! And if you are reading this blog then you’re probably one of them… whether you would admit it or not! LOL! I was thinking today of different ways that Christmas has been so special for me this year! I must say there are SO MANY reasons it would be hard to name them all, but i will start with my wonderful husband & my darling new baby girl that God has given us this year!  I am truly blessed and i love every minute of mommyhood!

Christmas is so special with our little Kalena squealing for joy at every new moment bringing a smile to everyone who sees her!

I love my sisters… Karen, Rhonda & Jennifer & all their families… Moments together seem more momentous as we get older, don’t they!    I will post some pics of the grandparents next week with their precious jewel, but i thank my parents – Neil & Lyla Shillington and Robert’s parents – Paul & LaVerne Gagnon for all their love & support of our lil family & of our ministry. I love you guys! … I also may mention too, all the other “Step” grandparents in PA that claim Kalena as theirs too! You all are so special! 

And of course, all my God’s Girls!! I had a nice “pre” Christmas celebration with you all and really enjoyed chillin with you till about 5am before i left for FL! Although we didn’t make it to Candy Lane, we still had fun & games at The Georges (thanks dear friends for the plan B!) Enjoy the pics! I will be home soon to see all my sweet girls and i have a new plan for Girls Club this year!! Can’t wait to share it with you! Have a Happy New Year! Don’t forget to count your blessings… even if you have to name them one by one!

MY MUST NEEDS….

Sunday evening our Senior pastor, Barry Arnold, shared an inspiring message that has made me Think this week!  He used the scripture in John 4:4…where Jesus said,  ”I must needs go through Samaria…”. Let’s just say the Jews and Samaritans weren’t known for their friendship with each other! The Jews always went out of their way to AVOID going through Samaria! Jesus, knowing he himself was a Jew, probably wasn’t looking forward to it, (knowing that His peers may look down on him) but he knew God had something special for Him to DO in Samaria.  Sometimes we may put off what we know God wants us to do because we are afraid of what people may think of us… Do you ever do that??   Maybe God wants you to be kind to that girl in your class that isn’t so popular! Maybe you NEED to go out of your way to invite a “not so that” girl to your table to eat with you at lunch! Or maybe you NEED to invite the cute boy you’re intrested in to come to church with you! Just think of the neat things God may have in store for you when you go against the flow of what’s popular and do what you MUST NEEDS DO! Jesus was used in a powerful way once he went through Samaria! Many people ended up believing in Jesus as a result of Him talking to ONE LADY! ….. See the Domino affect?? We lead ONE person to Christ…. and how many more will then be affected? We will never know! But we MUST NEEDS TELL THEM and show God’s love to them!

I know what my MUST NEEDS IS….

1st it’s my family! My wonderful husband Robert & precious Kalena!

Then All you wonderful young people!!!!!  At the Gospel Center…. Our God’s Guys & Girls Group…(not all pictured) …. I love you guys!!

The GMC youth…. (Definitely not all pictured! they musta been loadin the bus like good boys & girls!) Love you guys too!!

I was thrilled when Jeanie & Anthony stopped to visit 3x in the last few months when they were back in Lebanon from NY.  We miss you guys in our youth group!!

Taught Jeanette how to bake a pecan pie!

WHAT is your Samaria that you MUST NEEDS Go to?

Kalena

I was reminiscing today what my life was like before Kalena…

Life was always so full of things to do… THAT never changes… what changes is your perspective and priorities now… you have to decide what’s more important for the moment!

It was a year ago now that i got pregnant and her little life began to form inside me! Sharing the news with friends & family at Christmastime was a dream come true! It was so fun! Then, wondering if the little one inside me was a boy or girl and painting the room a neutral “sand” color just in case the doctors were wrong! And then fixing up her room and searching for the perfect treasures to make her room be a special haven of rest. Oh, and choosing the name.. that was fun! My God’s girls club came up with all kinds of great names but they never guessed the real one!

Just from the experience of loving & teaching & nurturing all my GG’s here before 2008, i knew i had it in me to be a MOM! But wasn’t so sure of being a forever Mother of one i actually will always KEEP! I thank God for this little bundle of sunshine that He has given us! It brings compassion to my being, hearing her cry in the night when she’s lost her bobo & needs it put back in her mouth…. It gives me a thrill to watch her expressions change from discomfort to satisfaction when she wants her diaper changed or is hungry! She is delightful to dress into cute lil outfits … and she is SO incredibly inspiring whenever she grins or starts cooing at me or anyone else! She has a way of brightening anyone’s spirits! If you want to watch her latest story, just go to robert’s blog.

Kalena has already experienced so many 1st’s… Her 1st trip to the beach, 1st trip out of the country to Canada for Great Grandpa Ralph Shillington’s funeral, 1st time in many states… MD, DE, NY, IN, OH, WV… She’s already got her mama’s adventurous traveling blood!

Then there’s her 1st taste of LEMON at the Cheesecake Factory, ICE CREAM on mommy’s 32nd birthday, ICING at her playmate Ashton’s 1 yr birthday party, COCA COLA at Youth Challenge, and SPRITE at home… She did not like the sprite! She still thinks above all, mama’s milk is the best!

Here are a few pics of her since her latest post of only 2 days old! I really enjoy playing photographer and doing my own shots of her instead of spending all that money on studios! The following are some of my favorites of her & i at 6 & 7 weeks old. To see more, you can go to www.kalenanicole.com

By Your Side

Have you ever walked alone? Sometimes its nice to walk alone on a nice brisk fall day… like this week! I have enjoyed walking in the morning after i feed Kalena at 6:30. Just to feel the fresh morning air on my face, the chirping of the birds awakening, the sky turning alive with brilliant colors… I get a rush that gives me a surge to start my day and an excitement to begin the tasks of the day. Yet, i don’t jog too far when i pass a preteen listening to her headset jammin on her way to school…. then i see 3 teens dressed in black rushin on by… then i see a boy lazily headin to school definitely NOT in any hurry cuz he’s throwin rocks in the creek & watchin the ducks as they swim on by….then i see giggling girls whispering to each other as they pass a cute boy… then i see several forlorn loners with no hint of joy anywhere to be found! I wish each one of them a “have a good day at school!” Some reply with a “thank you” and some just don’t…

Then, i see a couple of “MY” kids! Teens i am working with at the Gospel Center. (You know who you are! Glad ur goin to Youth Challenge next week too! yea, i know.. anything for a day off school! yeah!) But all i know is that among these city alleys are all kinds of people that God has placed in my path… placed me here to “be by your side” to somehow encourage you that GOD wants to be by your side too!

Today as i was driving i heard this song & the words spoke to me and reminded me that God IS by My Side! He’s not only BY my side; He’s ON my side! So if you haven’t heard a word from the voice of God lately, (and i envision Jesus having a most awesome singing voice!) then enjoy this song as a word from HIM to your heart, as i did!

New lil God’s girl princess!

These 9 months have passed by quickly and now i am holding a dear little princess sent down from God!

Kalena Nicole Booth was born tuesday night, July 29th at 7:16pm… She weighed 7lbs 11oz. ~ 7th month, 7o’clock, 7lbs… Daddy says in the Bible 777 is the perfect number! He already thinks she is the perfect baby!

I can still hardly believe it is all over and she is not in my belly any more! When i hold her it is so amazing a thought to know that she truly WAS inside me! It’s truly a miracle! I thank God for the healthy baby girl He has sent me! I really feel undeserving of this gift! But i will accept it and do my best to raise this little one to love & serve Jesus… even better than i have!

Katthya said, “See Ms. Booth, I told you I would be the first girl from girls club to hold her!” And she was! Because she came to the hospital to visit when Kalena was 2 days old and brought me a bouquet of roses too! Thank you Katthya! Your phone call, visit, & flowers meant a lot to me! You’ll always be one of Kalena’s special big sisters!

You can view Kalena’s photo gallery and keep up on her growth by viewing her blogsite: www.kalenanicole.com ~ Compliments of Daddy Robert! You can also download the pictures by clicking on each photo & then the down arrow to store them into your hard drive. Enjoy! With 2 parents who love photography, Her photo days have just begun!

Mother daughter camping trip

This year i promised the girls we would get a cabin somewhere & go “out of the city into the boondocks” where we would stay overnight with their moms & have a fun time together… Well, 3 of the moms ended up coming & some girls were disappointed, but all in all, we still had a great time! We didn’t do the camping under the stars style in tents (which would’ve suited me just fine) but they did get to sleep on mattresses… those that even WENT to sleep!

We arrived around 8pm and our host, Brenda Habecker had a nice campfire waiting for us! You can see all those nice pics by clicking here… Katie & Laiken were experimenting with photography in the dark so some of the pics are unique! right girls??

On Saturday we had a good time of discussion about what makes it hard for mothers & daughters to communicate to each other about sexual issues in girls’ lives… We brainstormed together to help break down some of those barriers so the mothers and daughters would feel more comfortable with each other. It was very good!

Saturday, the savenger hunt was fun! Mrs. Booth’s team won!! We even found the mushroom!! Which was the hardest to find! The girls started a caterpillar collection too! But decided not to take them home when they found out they would become moths not butterflies!

We’d like to do it again… Right girls??