Thankful for MOPS

With all the snow days... I was thankful for MOPS last Tuesday. I really enjoyed hearing Dr. Sandy Johnson speak. I don't know about the rest of you, but I bought some of those Roc products... love them! I also tried that vanicream and the jergens natural glow self tanning for the face.... love both! It was good to see everyone and have some adult time. I hope everyone is enjoying getting to know each other at their new tables. We have lots of fun play dates scheduled, which I posted on the sidebar.

I really do have such a great time visiting with all of you moms and I'll miss all of you when I move to Clarksville. See you at the outback @ flame gymnastics at 9 a.m.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Christmas Ornament Craft

Hey gals... Wow, how the year has flown by... Thanksgiving is almost here and then Christmas and then a brand new year... Where does the time go?... I want to say that I am so thankful for MOPS and all the ladies that are a part of it. It's so great to be a part of a group where we draw our strength from God and learn from each others as mothers. Thank you Lord for all the women that are a part of this group and for all the blessings you give us as mothers. I hope everyone can find the time to list some things you are thankful for.

We will be doing a Christmas ornament craft on Tuesday. I promise it will go well and you will leave with a finished product. The ornaments are so pretty and great gifts as well. I wish I had a picture to post... Looking forward to seeing all of you ladies on Tuesday.

Kelly Stamps from Kelly's Korner is coming to MOPS!

Next Tuesday at Grand Avenue MOPS, Kelly Stamps from www.kellyskornerblog.com will be joining our group as our guest speaker. She's going to talk about life as a mother and blogging tips for mothers. She has a great blog and story and we are super excited she is coming. I posted a pic and her info from her blog below. Looking forward to seeing everyone and enjoying our "adult" time talking without the "little" loves' of our lives!

About Me

I have been married for five years to a wonderful guy that I met on a blind date (they do work!) We have one furry child, Dawson, that we love more than two people should and one miracle daughter. I love reality TV, Razorback Sports, Sonic vanilla diet cokes, magazines, fashion, Jesus, friends, my church, David Crowder, the color brown, cooking, decorating, all thing SOUTHERN, the SEC (best conference EVER), the BEACH, people who went to OBU, and laughing. After more than two years of trying,waiting and praying and a 3 week stay in the NICU- God has blessed us with a beautiful baby daughter, Harper Brown, born in January 2009! I am amazed every day at the love and mercy that my wonderful Savior has given me and the life more abundant that He lets me live!

Reading to our children...

Hello Ladies... I'm sorry I missed the last play date, but I heard it was lots of fun! Hope you all enjoyed it.

Next week, we are having a guest speaker: Louise Turner. She is going to talk with us about how to read to our children and what to read... From what I've been told, she has a gift of really captivating kids attention while reading. We are hoping she can share some of that with us. After she talks with the mommies, we are going to bring the preschoolers in for a little story time. Megan says this is when Louise really shines.

There are so many benefits to reading to our kids. In my house, it's a great snuggling and calming time. If we are having a meltdown, BOOKS are our friend. So come here Louise share with us how we can be better readers to our kids! See you on Tuesday!

Stroller Exercises

What a great meeting last Tuesday... I enjoyed seeing everyone and meeting the new moms that came. That little Keurig coffee machine... Wow, that thing is nifty. I might have to invest in one of those!

On Tuesday we are meeting at the Hillcrest Park. Some people need directions... Here is the easiest way to get there:

If you come from Phoenix turn onto Old Greenwood Road (towards Rogers Avenue), then turn left onto Country club (it's at a stoplight), Keep going until you get to Vista and turn right. Vista leads into the circle Drive and the park is right there. If you come from Rogers Avenue turn onto Old Greenwood (towards Phoenix), turn right on Country club, and then right on Vista.

There are lots of Streets that lead into the circle, so some of you know other ways to get there. This is just the easiest way if you don't know where you are going... or if you are like and me and are directionally challenged!

I think Jennifer Jenkins is going to lead us in the stroller exercises. I've done a few of them before even though I don't have a child that will sit in a stroller. Hope to see you there!

First MOPS Meeting: September 14 @ 9:30

Hello ladies! It's time to get the year started... I am so excited about the year to come. We have so many fun things planned. We will have lots of fun door prizes, free childcare, and fun fellowship with other mommies!

Our first meeting will be a kick off to a great year... we will be sharing our MOPS stories, playing games and receiving a few gifts. We are meeting in a different room this year if you are a returning mom from last year. It's on the first floor.. no more stairs! There will be signs when you arrive. Come and find out all the fun events and speakers we have planned for this year. See you there... Tuesday, September 14 9:30-11:30.

Who's ready for MOPs

Hello everyone... Hope your summer is going well! We have certainly been busy and I bet all of you have as well. I am ready to get back in the swing of things and see all of you... Also, I am ready to get the craft/scrap nights started again at Grand... that is if YOU will come! I will start the dates for September! But there will have to be some people show up or they won't continue...

There are going to be lots of changes this year for MOPs. You all need to pray for our group that we can collaborate and revamp our MOPs. If any one wants to be a part of the steering committee just let me know. I, as well as others, are praying for a mom that would like to step up to the challenge of leading our MOPs group...

Please be thinking about suggestions for the next semester of MOPs... including, what day, time, activities, topics, speakers, etc. Say whatever you would like.... Remember this is a reach out program to other moms as well, and we need make sure we are doing our part to share the fun we have at MOPs to other moms who need it as well... And WE all NEED it!

I would like to have a play date before the summer ends as well... Here are few dates: July 29th at 11 a.m. at creekmore pool or August 3rd at 10 am @ my house... or both if you guys would like!

Be thinking and praying about MOPs... Can't wait to see all of you!

Upcoming Events

This past Tuesday at MOPs, Sarah showed us some awesome exercises to do with your babies and strollers. In fact, we all loved it so much, we are meeting next Tuesday at Hillcrest Park to exercise. Bring your strollers and your kids.

Next MOPs will be on April 27th. We will be doing a craft and using the cricut! It will be so much fun. Our last MOPs date will be May 11. We will be doing a fun activity with the kids.

As the year is ending.... All of you need to think about being a part of the steering committee. We really need new people with new ideas and I know as moms, all of you have something to offer. Pray about it! There are several areas to help in.

The scrapbooking nights and days will continue during the summer as well as playdates. Check the blog or facebook for dates. Also, Raina's husband might be teaching a child CPR class for our mops moms with childcare. If you are interested let me or Raina know.

Updates and Prayer

Hey guys. This next week is spring break so no MOPs... I'll miss all of you. We are planning a trip to the zoo this next week, either Tuesday or Thursday. Although the weather may not let us go... If you would like to go let me know. Scrap night is on this Friday, March 19, 5:30-12. Come and hang out... even if you don't scrap, I know you have pictures you can organize.

Jessica Clark's sister in law is 23 wks pregnant and having contractions. They are trying to stop them, but so far no luck. Please pray for her and their family. This will be their first child and they had a time trying to get pregnant. Thanks guys.

Have a great spring break and Happy St.Patrick's Day!

Things to come...

I had such a great time at our last MOPs meeting. We have a great group of ladies in our group... We really missed all the ones that couldn't come. There is still so much sickness going around... I'm so ready for the sun to come out and kill all those cold viruses.

A few things that are going on this month... First, the next scrap night at Grand is Friday, March 19 from 5:30-12. I'm really looking forward to it. Also, during spring break we would like to plan a trip to the Tulsa Zoo. It's a couple of hours away, but it's a great zoo. We can pack lunches and have pic-nic while we are there. I say we leave at 8... I know that's kind of early, but we need time to get there. Eat lunch while we are there and then the kids can nap on the way home. So the days are Tuesday, march 23 or Thursday, march 25. Which ever is best for the majority. Just let me know which day.

We won't be having a meeting during spring break, so unless I see you at the zoo event, take care and see you in April!

Our Next Meeting...

A week from today we will be meeting again... It's a craft day! We will be decorating a picture frame, so if you would like to bring a 4x6 picture, you can. If not, you can do the frame without the picture. I'm really looking forward to spring this year, so I'm probably going to do my frame with spring in mind, but feel free to decorate with any theme. I will have lots of options.

When tragedy happens, it always causes some reflection on my part and this week something has happened that caused me to really think and realize how blessed I am! I am so thankful for my children and the opportunity God has given me to be a mom. I think sometimes I forget that I'm only a mother to my healthy children by the grace of God and that he's in charge of everything. It's hard to understand why things happen but I do trust that Lord leads my life and that I don't need to understand! I am thankful for a savior that knows my past, present, and future. I have really found out that prayer is so important in your spiritual life. I pray for the wisdom in being a parent, a wife, and a friend daily. I am thankful for my life, my children, my family and I give all the glory to God.

After saying that I wanted to ask for prayer for David and Amanda Yates, members of Grand Avenue. On Monday, they lost their full term baby... This just broke my heart and really hit home for me. As moms, we know have some kind of idea of how heartbreaking this would be and even some of you can relate... Please pray for them as they heal from this. I wouldn't have any idea of what would comfort them, but God! So I am asking they everyone pray for this family!

I am adding to our blog a list of prayer requests and list of Praises! I think we would all love to hear praises in the world we live in! Please feel free to email me, post a comment, or say at the meeting any thing you want me to add to the list.

Love, Sex, and Marriage: Michelle Sanders

Our next meeting is Feb. 23 and we will have a guest speaker. Michelle Sanders will be speaking to us about Love, Sex, and Marriage. What a fun topic this will be. I'm looking forward to hearing Michelle speak. Hope all of you can come.

Next month, we will be meeting on March 9th. We are doing a fun picture frame craft that I had planned for us to do in Jan... but I got the flu. We are only meeting once because the 4th Tuesday is during spring break. I'm really looking forward to some spring like weather that's for sure.

Have a great week you guys and hope to see you on Tuesday! God Bless!

Valentine's Day craft

First of all, let me thank my SIL Shelley, who lives in Clarksville as most of you know. She put together the cute little tags. I am so thankful to have her as my SIL and in fact I consider her more like a "real" sister. Thanks Shelley, I am so thankful and blessed to have you!

Ok Ladies, the pictures are not great... I'll post more when my SIL sends me her pics, I am hoping they are better than mine.

The pieces in the little baggy are for your tag, and the top of the jar. The black circle is for the top of the jar and the red tag is the base for your "ooh lah lah." The ribbon is to attach the tag with around the jar. Feel free to use any of the extra pieces in your baggy to decorate your tag or the top of the jar. The "ooh lah lah" is on a sticker maker paper. Just press down over the letters and peel the top layer off, the top layer will be sticky so don't set it on anything. The inside is up to you... make it special for who you are giving it to. I included some small stuffers. Hope you guys like it. Feel free to ask questions. I had fun today! Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Playdates?

Well, ladies my thoughts on a playdate this week to replace our meeting are as follows:

Wednesday: the mall from 10-12, or afternoon @ Eastside 12-2

Thursday: mall 10-12 or afternoon @ Eastside 12-2

I am willing to do one of each on both days, so everyone can come and pick up their Valentine's day craft/gifts. Just let me know your thoughts either by commenting or facebook.

And I'm going to ask if we can use the church play room, so instead of the mall we could go there. I'll let you know about the church play area as soon as I know! If we can use that room, we will try and split the time between moms watching kids and go to another room and do the craft. Like the first 30 min, half do the craft and the next 30 min, the other half does the craft. I will post tonight for sure plans on this blog and facebook, so be on the look-out!

The Snow won't stop the crafts...

Hey ladies, if the snow keeps us from MOPs tomorrow, we will still be doing the Valentine's day craft later in the week. Stay tuned for more info.... I hope we can just have MOPs tomorrow but if not, the stuff for the craft is just to cute to waist, so maybe Wed or Thurs or both days, I'll set up a time where everyone can come pick up the stuff to do the Valentine's craft. I'll post the "for sure" plans tomorrow. Hope to see everyone tomorrow!

Enjoy the snow!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Ladies! I am excited to get back in the swing of things. I feel like I haven't seen any of you in so long....We have an exciting semester ahead of us filled with fun crafts, great speakers, and great fellowship. I am looking forward to ALL of the above.

Coming up on January 26, Dr. Josh Wilkinson will be coming to speak to our MOPs group. He is an internal medicine/pediatric physician and has offered to a Q&A type discussion. So be thinking of questions you would like to ask him.

Since February is the month of love, we are doing a fun craft for Valentine's Day and on Feb 23 Michelle Sanders is coming to talk to us about Love, Sex, and Marriage. You know this will be a fun topic, right?

Just a reminder our meetings are the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month from 9:30 to 11:30. I am excited to meet new women and visit with the returning ladies. I have missed everyone!

Cookie Exchange

Hey Ladies. Our last meeting until after the holidays will be on December 8th. It will be a cookies exchange at my house. It will start at 10ish and last until you guys get ready to leave. In case you haven't ever participated in a cookie exchange, the idea is to bring a couple of dozen cookies and trade with everyone else's cookies to result in taking a plate of "variety" cookies home with you! We are going to have lunch, probably pizza, so just bring your cookies and your kids!
Besides the cookie exchange, I am planning a play date for Tuesday December 15, probably at the library or chick-fil-a. I'll keep you guys posted on the place and time. Until then, have a good holiday season!

Events to come!

Hey ladies. It was good to be at MOPs on Tuesday. As the holidays approach, we are planning a few special events. On November 30 and December 1st we are planning a shopping day for mommies! The plan is to meet at the church and divide and conquer. Half of the women will leave their kids with the other half of the women and go shopping for three hours. Use this time to get Christmas shopping done, pamper yourself, sleep as some said... whatever you choose. Then the next day, we swap! Hope you guys come and enjoy.

Also, we are planning a Christmas cookie exchange, but dates have not been finalized. I hope everyone is doing ok with all this sickness around. I know my kids have had some bad days of fever. Please let me know if I can do anything for you guys and I hope to see you all on the 30th.

On Thursday night, well technically Friday morning, the movie "New Moon" will be showing at the Malco. The times start at midnight and they have several showings. If any of you are sucked in by the Twilight saga and would like to go, we have a group started. Just let me know if you would like to go.

See ya girls!

Tomorrow's Meeting

Hey Ladies! If you haven't read on facebook... I am in Mississippi visiting my friend Katie. I really have missed you guys. The craft tomorrow is a really fun one. I have given Jennifer Martin all the supplies and she will be guiding you. It's a ruler with close pins decorated cutely and magnets on the back to put on your frig, file cabinet, or whatever you choose to display pictures, coupons, post-its, etc. I hope you enjoy the craft. Please call me with any questions.

Also, Sarah mentioned that dues are due tomorrow and are 23.95. That is strictly for the MOPs organization. See you guys next time. I will be posting any events for the month at a later date.

And if any announcements need to be posted please email me or post a comment. Hope you guys are enjoying the blog.

Welcome!

Ok everyone here is our new blog. My hope is that everyone can contribute to this blog, so feel free to use the comment section to make suggestions or announcements or whatever you want to say.... I hope I can keep this up to date with all the information about what's happening with our mops group. Sorry I missed this morning, I really did just blank...
I mentioned this morning that Tomorrow at the Main Library here is Fort Smith, they are having a make and take craft day from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. All children of any age are welcome. They have toddler story time at the main library every Tuesday at 10 a.m., so on the days of no mops meeting, you guys should go. It's a lot of fun and there are all kinds of ages of kids, even babies.
Also, this Saturday, October 17 at Chick-fil-A from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be the Touch a Truck event. There are all kinds of different trucks, fire trucks, tow trucks, FedEx, etc. The kids can climb inside the vehicles, touch the trucks and the drivers are there to tell them all about the truck.
The Craft next meeting, Oct. 27, is going to be fun. It will involve some painting and just a little creativity. Make sure and bring your picture, either 4x6 or 5x7. If I'm not there, I'll make sure you have everything you need.
Feel free to add any announcements I've missed, or please tell me favorite websites and I'll add them to the list. Like I said use the comment section to tell me anything you want and I'll add it!