A Special Christmas Christmas Special

I know, that's a weird title!  But, it will make sense I hope. 
After watching all the usual Christmas specials, I  find that one in particular still gets me excited.  I, of course, love The Grinch and Frosty and Rudolph, but when a little boy named Linus actually QUOTES FROM THE BIBLE in a CHRISTMAS show, I just get so full of joy!  Yes, Christmas is love, peace, family, togetherness- all those wonderful things espoused by those other shows.  But the real meaning, the absolute truth about Christmas is that God so loved us that He sent His son, a tiny baby, to save us.  Unfortunately, we end up hearing so little of that aspect in today's media.  So I thank little Linus for reminding us of the true "reason for the season".
I hope you all have a safe and merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year!

Happy October!

Our next meeting on Oct. 12th will have breakfast provided by the Delta Divas. We will also have Jennifer Talkington as speaker and she will doing a Home Economics class which I have really been looking forward to.  As mothers, we are pretty much the sole gatekeeper for what foods come into our homes and what are families will be eating.  That is a big reponsibility and Jennifer will be giving us some tips to make it easier.  Should be fun!

back to school

Its back to school time, and to help ease the transition from beaches to books our Sept. newsletter will have some ideas for healthy school lunches and snacks.  Then, in October, our MOPS group will have our version of a "Home Ec" class where we will learn some yummy and easy to prepare meals. As always at our meetings, you can enjoy some breakfast and coffee with friends while having fun.  See you soon!

Baby shots

Yesterday I had to take my baby in for his shots, by far one of the things a mom dreads most.  I was surprised how, even though he's my 3rd, it was just as hard as when my oldest got her shots. The nurse even made a comment that most of the time, its worse for the parent than the child.  As I placed Joseph onto the table, he smiled and giggled, curious what mommy and this new lady were doing.  My heart already started breaking as he looked at me so trustingly and innocently, completely unaware of what was going on.  As he got the shot, he looked at me in pain and I could almost read his eyes, questioning why mommy was allowing this pain.  It made me think of God and how He must feel when we look up at Him wondering why we are suffering.  How we are like little babies in our understanding of how the world works, not realizing that maybe the pain we are feeling is small in comparison to what could have been and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.  I imagine that God's heart is probably breaking as well when He asks us to just trust in Him and that He loves us despite our feeling that He might not be there for us.  As soon as I could, I took Joseph back up in my arms and hugged and kissed him and promised him that everything would be alright. Then I quickly wiped my eyes and we headed back home.

Welcome to MOPS 2010!

It's back to school time! Amid all the hustle and bustle to get your little ones ready, it is nice to know that a new year of MOPs is also starting.  This year our theme is Momology: the Art & Science of Mothering. As moms, there is so much to learn and share as we journey together in this unique time of life.  Sometimes you may think, "why isn't there a school to become a mom?"  Well, with Momology there is!  And MOPs will be there to make it as memorable, and fun, as possible.    Come join us on Sept. 14th at 9:15 for our 1st meeting of the year and follow our blog here and also our Facebook page.

Together on Planet MOM

MOPS Schedule
9:15am-11:30am
Childcare is provided for children through age 5

September 15- Together on planet Mom
Welcome back

September 29- Avoiding Black Holes
Don’t let your house swallow you up!

October 13- A day in the life on planet Mom
Organizing our finances

October 27- Falling back to earth
Fall craft and devotion

November 10- Astronaut training
Healthy meal planning and getting in shape

December 8- In a galaxy far, far away
SPA DAY!!

January 12- Authorized personnel only
The importance of nurturing the relationship with your spouse

January 26- Houston we have a problem
Conflict in relationships

Get ready for Life on Planet MOM!!

The MOPS steering team has been hard at work planning our upcoming 2009-2010 year. There are so many great things that we want to do this year, it is hard narrowing it down. But there are some inspiring speakers, cool crafts, and just fun ways to connect with other moms coming your way! Christa Mushett- one of our wonderful mentor momsStephanie Pounds- one of the co-coordinators

Karla Briggs - one of our new mentor moms, Amy Shutt, Angel Cooley - all trying to not look at the camera.

Traci Mozina and Tracy Booth co-coordinator and coordinator of our awesome group

Caryn Colahan and little miss Lilly

I just wanted to let you know that this year we will not be having a pre-registration at Baines park as we have in the past. So be prepared to fill out your registration forms and such at the first meeting.

There is a change in the month of September as well and I wanted to let you know right away. We usually meet the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month - that will hold true for the months Oct-May, but with Labor day falling the day before our 1st meeting, we are pushing it back a week. So our 1st meeting in September will be on Tuesday September 15

Hello! I know I haven't updated this during the summer. I just wanted to let you know that the steering team is hard at work planning an exciting 2009-2010 MOPS year. More details and dates are to come..

Hope you all are enjoying every moment of summer with your families!

MOPS will be back before you know it!

Pizza in the Park

Just in case you haven't heard- Our last official get together for this MOPS year our Pizza in the Park that we had scheduled at Baines Park has been canceled for today due to the rain. We will have some get togethers during the summer, so when I get that information I will certainly update you all here.
I know summer gets so busy, but sometimes it is just nice to slow down and reconnect with other MOPS moms so still check back for updates as I will do my best to pass things along to you!

Another note, I will be entering registrations for next MOPS year, there is a discount if you are registered early.This is for the MOPS International fee, not our Mops dues. The yearly fee is $21.95 as opposed to the regular $23.95. So there is some savings. Contact me if you haven't already and I will make sure to get you all signed up for another exciting year in MOPS!!

SPA DAY

Our last meeting was the best yet! We had our annual Spa Day. A day for the moms to get pampered, a day to refresh, to renew our minds, bodies and spirits. I have to say this one was the most Spa-like we have ever had! Truly you felt like you just stepped out of a professional spa. We had four stations, one which I do believe was everyone's favorite was the massage. Katie Fox had some of her students there giving us wonderful chair massages, Caryn Colahan was giving facials and paraffin wax treatments, Allison Arndt was doing mini pedicures, and our wonderful pastors were fixing up some made to order omelets!

Shaunda our wonderful moppets leader snapping pics of the kids.

The sanctuary was transformed into a massage areasorry Lori, I couldn't resist!Some unidentified ladies maxin and relaxinpedicure areaFacials felt soo nice!Our chefs for the day. Everything was soo good!Well it's hard to think we are wrapping up our MOPS year. Just two meetings remain. May 12th is our last meeting at Norwalk Alliance, we will be having a MOM & POP panel. We have 3 couples on hand to answer a variety of questions on the topics of parenting and marriage. Very Exciting! It also is the day we thank our moppets volunteers. Without these wonderful helpers, many of us would not be able to attend MOPS. So be sure to say THANK YOU to our teachers and volunteers when you bring in your kids. Let them know how wonderful they are!!

Our second meeting on the 26th will be at Baines Park. We will be providing Pizza, just bring a snack to share.

April 14 Meeting - Bumper Cars

Our April 14th meeting went much better than I think we anticipated. This meeting happened to fall on spring break for one of the schools, and our local preschools. So with our group having childcare only available for ages newborn to 5, we expected not as many moms due to having older children at home. We had a great number and one new mom at that! Praise God! Our new mom also was our only birthday for April, so she was put on the spot just a bit. -But I don't think she minded:) Door prize winners were Diana Salsberry and Heather Barber. The speaker today was pastor Bruce Rzengota
Pastor Bruce is our lead pastor at Norwalk Alliance Church. It always is a blessing to hear what message he has to bring. Today was on the topic of conflict resolution. Identifying the weapons we use and how to disarm ourselves. I think many of us found this more helpful than they probably even realized. Without preschool going on that day, there was less rushing out early to grab kids and more discussion group time which was great!

Be sure not to miss our next meeting coming up on April 28, 2009 this is our SPA DAY and as Mothers of Preschoolers, we all could use a good day of pampering!

April Happenings

Well for those of you who were able to attend our last meeting, what a special one it was! I was so moved and touched by our mentor mom Diana's testimony. I love to listen to how God has worked in our lives and to hear the story of how people are brought closer to him. The stories are all so unique whether you went through a life changing event or you were raised to know him and had a realization of his awesomeness. It was such a blessing to hear all the GOD moments that soo many of you volunteered to share! THANKS BE TO GOD!!!!

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24

It is April and Springtime! What a wonderful time to be a mother of a preschooler! With new life and lessons all around, enjoy this special time with your families as we get ready to celebrate Easter.

Our MOPS meetings this month fall on April 14 and April 28. Keep in mind the April 14 meeting falls on some Spring Break vacations for some school children and we do not have the childcare available for the school age children.

A few other events to mark on your calendar are:

Thursday April 2 1:00PM-2:00PM - Kalahari Treetop play area

Tuesday April 7 1:00 PM - Play date with MOPS mom Rachel Webb - Meeting at McDonalds on Benedict Avenue (across from Hospital)

Tuesday April 21 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Edison Park - Milan

If you have a question about any of these play dates, please contact Alice Marcy 419-668-2249

MOPS at GAYMONT

I don't have updates from our last meeting, as I was unable to attend, but I wanted to add this from Alice:

Hi guys!
I forgot to remind everyone that MOPS will be visiting Gaymont Nursing Home this Monday March 16th from 2p-3p. (If you need to leave earlier to pick up kids from school etc. that's fine). If the weather is nice they are planning on playing with a parachute outside!
Hope you are able to come!

February 24 Highlights

What a great meeting we had! We started out with a wonderful devotion by our mentor mom Lori. She was such an inspiration to so many that day. She spoke of having respect for our husbands and has a 30 day challenge she is putting out there, if you think you might be up for some life changing wonderful things in your marriage, drop her a line. She'd love to hear from you! Then we had our craft, which I do believe was a big hit! We stenciled and painted words and sayings onto tiles. They turned out so nice. Even those without a creative bone in their body were able to make this look like a masterpiece. Great selection Caryn.

Caryn going over the directions for the group.
Creative minds hard at work!

Hi Stephanie! Gotcha!Selecting the right colors and layout was a tough decision! It took a little planning and careful observation:)

Our next meeting is Tuesday March 10. We will be having a First Aid Station. Our speaker will be Becky Linder and we will be putting together first aid kids. Also don't forget to mark your calendar for the March 24 meeting our Tea and Treasure day which is always a special day you don't want to miss.

As always a little plug or friendly reminder that we will be meeting at Sherri's coffee house Tuesday March 10 at 6:30 PM for our Mommy Diaries. We will be reviewing Chapter 3 Relationships. Hope to see you there!

MOPS RECAP

Our last meeting was a hit! We have such creative and wonderful bakers in our group. There was so many choices of chocolate dishes, I don't know how our judges ever made a decision!

Our speaker Karen Duncan spoke about how to help a grieving friend and it was as always so nice to hear her speak.
We had some exciting baby news from one of our mops moms. Alice Marcy announced that she is expecting baby #3
Door Prize winners were Karen Duncan and Katie Fox
Linda Hart won Lunch with Lori, Carrie Bellman won coffee with Christa and Tracy Booth won dining with Diana

Congratulations to all the winners!
Our play date at Kalahari that was scheduled for last Wednesday was a no go with so many kiddos being sick, but it's definitely a date to watch for in the future. Lets get the kids out and burn some energy!!

Our next meeting is Tuesday February 24, 2009 9:15 AM Hope to see you there!

Oh! and one more thing our winter Bible Study - The mommy Diaries will be meeting Tuesday 2/24 at 6:30 PM at Sherri's coffee house we will be reviewing Chapter one. Identity.

Chocolate Day!

Just a reminder that our next meeting is Tuesday February 10, 2009 and it is a good one that you won't want to miss. Our speaker will be Karen Duncan and our theme is CHOCOLATE DAY! So whip up your favorite chocolate treat, or try a new recipe. This is a chocolate pot luck:) But if you are out of time, or unable to bring something that is okay. THERE WILL BE PLENTY! There will be a contest on best taste and best looking chocolate dish.

Park Operations

Hello ladies! I am so excited and honored to be one of your MOPS coordinator’s again this year. I hope to get to know you all a bit better and help you through your “adventure” of mothering young children.

Speaking of adventure, life is an adventure as is motherhood. Lately the “roller coaster” that life is taking me on is one I call busyness….which leads to stress….which leads to depression….which leads to a lack of spiritual bonding with God. Many of you may find yourselves on the same “roller coaster”. How can we stop the whirl wind we find ourselves in and get off the ride of busyness? Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” WOW! Doesn’t that sound amazing?! It makes me feel calm, peaceful, rested just by reading it. All God asks is that we come to Him….spend time with Him in prayer, worship Him by song, be with Him in solitude, and He will give us rest. As mothers of preschoolers we never get enough physical rest, and if you are like me, busyness keeps us from having spiritual rest. I challenge you to find time for God and see how much rest He will give you. Let Him carry your burdens for you and see how much lighter you will feel. I pray that you will all feel a bit more refreshed and rested after being here today as well. May God bless you all!

Because Mothering Matters,
Traci Mozina

Updates!

Our new MOPS year is off to a great start. Besty Kniffin opened the year as a guest speaker. She humored us as well as challenged us to understand what our children are teaching us as well as what we are teaching them.
Our second meeting featured a devotional about friendship and flowers given by mentor mom Lori Neuberger. She also taught us how to make a fall flower basket.
We're excited about some of the up coming events we're having at MOPS. The fall auction will be coming up this month. There will be more details coming at our meeting next week. The steering team members will also be sharing about the MOPS Convention in Dallas, Texas that they recently attended. You won't want to miss out. And last but not least our creative activities leader will be teaching us how to make another craft. I'm sure it will be lots of fun.
We're looking forward to seeing all of you there.
Any questions??? Call Tracy Booth at 419-660-9450

It's That Time Again

Preregistration is HERE!!!! Come join your new Steering Team on August 19th at Baines Park from 10 am to noon. Cookies and lemonade will be provided. You'll be receiving a letter soon in the mail with all the details. We're looking forward to an exciting year filled with lots of fun. Hope to see you all there.