Our Little Drummer Boy

Our Little Drummer Boy from Gina Shiflet on Vimeo.

Look at My New Big Boy Bed!

I'm a big boy now!

Difficult, Strong and Powerful

Difficult, Strong and Powerful from Gina Shiflet on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Christmas 2010

I first must apologize for the long pause on updates and posting.  I have actually tinkered with the idea of giving this blog up altogether, but I do so love to share some of the wonderful moments the Lord gives our family and to be reminded myself as I look back over the year of God's faithfulness to us.  So, with this year coming to a close I have thought more about how this blog helps me preserve our memories and even though there may be long pauses and I don't get to post all the posts I would like to share that it is worth keeping.

So, here is the drive-by version of the last three months.  Calvin has grown so much especially, since his first birthday-Oct 18th.  He is walking, climbing, chattering, giggling, high five-ing, piano playing, huggy, smoochy, and just plain adorable.  Much training and learning during this sweet season.  We all are learning more about our home from a 2ft perspective!

Camping Meridian State Park November 2010

First Camp out...brrr it was cold.  November 2010 Meridian State Park

Walking

High Fives

Playing Piano

Kathlena's vision has continued to improve since her surgery.  She still needs to wear her glasses for now and we are patching 4hrs daily to continue to strengthen her left eye.  She is doing very well with the patching.  Of course having an older brother who also is patching is a great encouragement to her.
Since glasses and surgery Kathlena has made great strides in her writing and letter recognition.  We are so excited for her as this whole new world of pre-reading is emerging for her.  She continues to be my great helper.  She loves to be in the kitchen with me and run errands...especially to Jubilee.  She loves to help me with the produce.  I am so thankful to the Lord for His grace in Kathlena's life as she continues learn about putting her trust in the Lord and not allowing fear to rule her spirit, but leaning on Christ and His Word for courage.  "We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus" -Romans 8:37

Go-Cart riding/checking on the cows at Nana's-September 2010

 Sisters September-2010

Kathlena and her morning cup of camp out hot chocolate at Meridian State Park. November 2010

"Just hanging around" at Meridian State Park November 2010

Andrew has been growing in so many ways.  Growing vertically as his pants testify!  It seemed all of the sudden, but really I should know by now as it seems to happen with all of my children around their birthdays.  Andrew celebrated his 8th birthday with a little chilly swim party, but Andrew was thrilled to get to celebrate with friends so the cooler weather he didn't mind.  He is becoming quite the young gentleman.  He is a great help with his younger brother and Calvin just adores Andrew.  It is such a sweet sight.  The Lord has given Andrew such a sensitive spirit and he is drawn to babies and the elderly.   Such a delight as a parent to see their child's God given talents and personalities grow and be used for His glory.  Andrew's vision continues to improve by God's mercy and diligent work to continue to patch.  We are now only patching 2hrs a day which is a cake walk compared to the days of all waking hours, but it has paid off.  Andrew is regaining his binocular vision and can even see a couple of letters on the 20/25 line which is nothing short of a miracle considering where we started.  What an amazing God we serve!  We would be praising Him for any vision restored or maintained, but that He has given Andrew back so much of what he had lost--what mercy we cannot fully comprehend. May Andrew always know, hope and trust in the great mercies of God all the days of his life. 

Shared birthday dinner with PawPaw at The Goose's Acre in the Woodlands. September 2010

A quick pic with his sister Emily while we were shopping at Hubble and Hudson after dinner. September 2010

Andrew is so sweet on his sisters.  Here is another snapshot with Kathlena in the produce. September 2010

Birthday boys-Andrew and PawPaw Shiflet September 20th

Andrew's first kid birthday party.  Water balloon fights were so fun.  Thanks DoDad for helping!

Andrew is an influential big brother who takes seriously his role.

My always inquisitive, thinking little boy.

A new bike for his birthday.  He has worked diligently even through patch therapy to learn how to be a responsible bike rider. 

J.Michael definitely has to be given notice to his phenomenal growth as he now stands just taller than eye level with me.  Literally, he grew inches over night and his clothes look like he was wearing Andrew's! What a young man he is becoming.  Working with his father and our Mr. Fix it man around the house.  He can assemble just about anything.  He is now working with his father and learning new carpentry skills. A great opportunity for him to learn from his father both skills and application of  biblical truths as he "walks along the way" with his Dad.

Kayaking with Andrew at Meridian State Park

Emily and J.Michael bike riding at Meridian State Park during our family camp out in November

Christmas 2010

Emily celebrated her 16th birthday in October.  She is such the young lady.  She contributes greatly to her father's house both in deed and in spirit.  She is still our song bird who teaches/practices with her siblings hymns of the faith.  Her beauty radiates from within.  Her love for the Lord manifests in her love and service to her family and those she comes in contact with through church and community.  Most of the pictures and videos in this post have been taken by Emily.  We appreciate that she has taken on the role of historian in our family as our family has grown.  

At church in October 2010

Emily and Calvin at Meridian State Park November 2010

 Merry Christmas 2010

As for David and I we are beginning a new chapter in our lives.  Earlier this year David surrendered to a call to the ministry as one of the pastors of a new church plant from GFBC Spring called GFBC Conroe.  A call to ministry that he has wrestled with for some time, but the how and when was confirmed through the GFBC leadership training class and the Elders of GFBC.  Through the planting of this new church it has become apparent that now is the time for us to make some significant changes that have been a long time in the works.  

So, in October David left his corporate job of ten years to dedicate more time to the church plant, developing his skills as a pastor/teacher and to explore some long time goals of starting a family business where he could work along side his sons and daughters.  He is currently working on developing a custom woodworking business.  Woodworking has been a skill he has been developing since shop class in high school and pursued a little at a time over the years.  While mostly self-taught he has had a few opportunities to take some classes, and attend woodworking conventions.  Woodworking has proved to be a handy skill that he has used to build furniture and create custom organized areas in our various homes throughout the years.  I have to say that he has spoiled me with his talent in this area.  I design or tell him what I want for a certain area of the house and he then creates the picture in my head.  I have rarely found just the item I want in the market place, it is usually a combination of pieces that David can then put together and make it fit in the space I have for it.  Now, we are hoping to share this skill with others to create custom woodworking designs for their homes and allow his sons to learn this trade (or I should say continue to learn and spend more time doing it!) with him.  Where all this will lead we do not know, but we are walking in faith, trusting the Lord to provide through our diligent, honest, hard work. 

 

Meridian State Park November

Merry Christmas 2010

In November we were given another gift.  The gift of life.  A new little Shiflet to be born next July.  My cup runneth over.  We are so grateful to the Lord for His mercy and grace on our lives.  I am feeling well.  What an amazing year 2010 has been for the Shiflet's.  It truly has been a year of learning to live Deuteronomy 6.  We marvel at all that the Lord will do and bring us through in 2011. 

Daddy's Birthday and Calvin 10 months

Today we celebrated David's birthday with a few surprises.  We have been wanting to get him a new grill as his old one was in bad shape from much use.  He has been trying to repair it, but it was just time to upgrade.  The kids and I took a field trip and came home successful with the grill he had been eyeing for a while.  J.Michael put it together for him (quite quickly with only Andrew's help).
We then took Daddy to his favorite restaurant for dinner--Babins.

Instead of a traditional birthday cake we made Daddy's favorite--cheesecake.  Everyone pitched in to make the cake.  Andrew helped get the eggs as well as washed the strawberries, Emily helped make the crust, Kathlena ran the mixer and J.Michael dipped the strawberries in chocolate and make the chocolate topping.  Daddy said it was better than cheesecake factory!  We all had fun making it together which made a special memory for us all.

We are so thankful for Daddy and how he leads his family well.  Pointing us to Christ in his words and deeds.  How blessed I am to have a husband who disciples me and his children with conviction and grace.  The Lord has been working mightily in our home this past year.  David submitting to the call of the Lord to ministry as a church planter/Pastor and stepping out in faith last March to begin a church with a fellow elder and church planter Greg Parker.  We are blessed to have a growing fellowship of families who love the Lord and have caught the vision for planting new churches to the Glory of God.

Today we also celebrate 10months of our precious gift--little Calvin who is growing so quickly.  He is about to walk any day now.  He has begun to let go and stand briefly on his own.  He says "Momma" to me in the morning when I get him out of bed.  He is also beginning to "feed" himself.  His favorite foods are ham, bananas, blueberries, yogurt, chicken, fish and roast...well meat of any kind really!  He has just started waving "bye-bye" too.  So cute!  He crawls at the speed of light and really likes to see what happens when he drops things...over and over again.  He seems to never tire of this game while Mommy does. ;)  What fun and laughter we have over watching him grow and change.  As infant hood is succumbing quickly to toddler hood we are trying to basque in these last moments as often as we can.

Calvin 9 Months

Calvin sitting with his Great-Grandmother Davis "Mema" during our annual 4th of July celebration/family reunion. 

Calvin helping me unpack the food at the hotel in San Antonio for the Baby Conference. 

 

Calvin has changed so much in the past month.  He is on the move and so curious about the world around him.  He understands and can respond to Daddy and Mommy's voices when we say "no,no" he can and will stop.  It is great fun to train him and see him capable of learning self control at such a young age.  He is still a very calm and joyful little boy.  He is a little man of many faces and cracks us up with his endless cuteness.  He now boasts a mouthful of teeth-7 well, 8 to be exact as #8 has just emerged. His latest accomplishment is cabinet or couch "surfing".  He is loving the mobility and loves exploring his new 2 ft high world.

Calvin 8 months

(By Gina)
Calvin you are growing up to fast.  Now that you are crawling you immediately wanted to stand.  After one week of crawling you began to pull-up on everything.  Then after two weeks you began to try and stand holding on with only one hand.  What happened it seems only yesterday we were waiting for you to arrive and now you are trying so hard to begin walking.

 Calvin did finally figure out how to roll over this month.  It would make him made to put him on his back because he couldn't turn over and crawl, but he finally got mad enough to do it.  Now he flip flops like a fish out of water.  Calvin is understanding "no, no" and will shake his head no when he hears you say "no,no Calvin".

Calvin is eating solid food very well now.  He eats liver, cooked blueberries, peaches, raspberries, carrots, green beans, chicken, quail (loves this!).  Mango-avocado-kefir water also is a favorite.  I have so enjoyed making baby food combinations in the Vita-Mix one of my favorite kitchen tools.  Calvin seems to just enjoy food and is not picky.  I am trying to follow Nourishing Traditions for babies.

Calvin has made a new friend.  Our dog, Chase is such a good dog and loves kids. 

Here is Calvin playing with our friends dog, Jackie who is also very kid friendly as you can see below. 

A Very Special Swing...

...long, long ago, before my three youngest siblings were born, my family lived for two years on my grandparent's ranch in Hillsboro TX. I was four when we moved there and it was love at first sight. At around 765 acres it was the world to me back then. We had a white picket fence around the little ranch house, a storm cellar, several cats and dogs, a little garden and a swing set. That swing set still remains on the ranch though no one lives in the old, run-down ranch house now. My uncle and grandfather recently moved the swing set near the lake along with a real retired merry-go-round from an old park that was remodeling their playground. They don't make em like this anymore. On our last trip to my grandparents my littlest brother, Calvin got to sit in the very swing I used to swing in when I was little...and I think he liked it. :)

What was funny was that we didn't even have to push him. That's the beauty of swing sets of antiquity, as long as somebody's swinging on it-albeit on the other side-the whole set rocks back and forth in unison. :)

Kathlena's Favorite is the merry-go-round.