Christmas by Candlelight Recap

We had a wonderful Christmas by Candlelight Meeting!  We enjoyed a delicious catered breakfast in a beautifully decorated room.  Each table was unique and filled with Christmas spirit thanks to the hard work of our Discussion Group Leaders and Steering Team.  A big thank you for all of their hard work spent planning and decorating!  Also a big thank you to Kathie Kelly for the slide show displaying all of our beautiful families throughout the meeting!

 

Tricia Zody, a friend of Cintia, joined us for the meeting and sang several Christmas Carols.  She then shared a message describing her life experiences as a mother and a woman of God.  She offered great advice, tips and reminders.  She really encouraged us to remember that this season when our children are very young is so short and we should cherish it.

 

Announcements:

·        The end of the first semester of MOPS is February 14^th.  Please notify Julia Steinhaus if you are not interested in being in MOPS again for the second semester.  Dues will be due again if you will be continuing for the rest of the year.  Julia will be posting the link to register for the second semester soon.

·        OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY: MOPS provided a $200 gift card to a family in the community who lost their mother in a car accident.

·        A cookie exchange will be held at Christ United Methodist Church Sunday Dec 15^th.  If you would like to participate, please bring 3 dozen cookies.   You will enjoy cookies at the party and also take some home.  Cookies will also be donated from the event.  Childcare is available if you sign up in advance.  Please contact Kathleen Randall if you have questions.

·        Cori Atkins hosted a Wrapping Party at her house on Tuesday! 

·        The Painted Bowls event is coming up as a part of the Super Bowl of Caring.  The event benefits East Fort Bend Human Needs.  Bowls are painted and then donated and auctioned off.  Several MOPS ladies participated last year and really enjoyed it.  More details to come!

·        Young Lives are having their Christmas celebration on Dec 12^th.  If you would like to help you can sign up to drive or help with childcare.  There is also a sign up genius to help with the Christmas Wish List created by the girls in the group.

Amanda shared that the Thanksgiving Meeting at Young Lives was a huge success.  We provided plenty of food and several of the girls were able to take some food home as well.  A big thank you for all who provided food and helped serve at the meeting.  Honey Baked Hams donated $200 worth of ham for the event!  Please support their business over the holidays if you are able.  It is the location located in Sugar Land near Sugar Land Town Center.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!!  Our next meeting is January 17^th!

Recap of November 15th Meeting

Hello ladies!

November 15th was another fabulous meeting.  Thank you so much to the blue table for the amazing breakfast!

Renata Smith and Cintia Listenbee started the meeting with their top 10 recaps from MOMcon 2013.  If you missed it, here they are:

1. What keeps you feeling like a masterpiece?  Positive thinking and focusing on the positive, not the mess (beautiful as it may be!) http://www.handsfreemama.com/2013/11/17/cleaning-up-the-heart-break/
2. Get organized and never organize alone.
3. Kathi Lipp's (www.kathilipp.com) organizational tips-- "The only difference between a project and a crisis is time!"

1. Work backwards--care for your future self.
2. Apply pressure when needed-start with the place that makes you crazy.
3. Wait for a path to appear.
4. Never organize alone.
5. Treat your home like a grown-up kindergarten room-establish a routine of where things go.
6. 3 boxes, 2 bags: green-give away, purple-put back, orange-other rooms, paper bag-recycling, trash bag-trash.
7. Make a decision, even if it's wrong. Clutter is indecision.
8. It's your house, you make the rules.

4. Writing and sharing stories--telling stories is more effective than preaching.
5. Let jealousy be your teacher-make connections vs. comparisons.
6. Save on your grocery bill! http://www.simplycintia.com/2013/10/how-to-save-money-on-your-grocery-bill.html
7. Renata attended a hospitality workshop where she learned about a "Wrap & Relax" party where friends gather to wrap presents and visit.  We all LOVED this idea, so mark your calendars for Tuesday, December 10th at 7pm.  We will meet at Cori Atkins's house (4930 Moss Run Dr., Missouri City, TX 77459).  Bring your gifts, wrapping paper and paraphernalia, and beverage of choice!
8. Cintia attended a session on MOPS essentials.  Find out more about how MOPS started at www.mops.org.
9. How to eliminate your energy drainers (the 5 D's):

1. Do it--do only what you can do.
2. Delegate
3. Dump it
4. Detach
5. Discern-think about what God wants you to do. 

10. Who puts life into living for you? Finding things that feed your soul outside motherhood.
http://momastery.com/blog/2013/11/22/little-girls-get-get-eat/

Thanks to Cintia and Renata for the fantastic recap!  If MOMcon sounds like fun (and trust me, it IS), next year's is October 2-4 in Louisville, KY.  Registration opens in January! http://www.mops.org/momcon

 

 

Thank you to all who participated in Operation Christmas Child! Thank you to Amanda Gates for dropping off our boxes!

 

In January, we will have a paramedic come and speak with us about common issues first responders are faced with.  He will NOT be able to dispense specific medical advice.  Cori Atkins is organizing a group CPR/First Aid class at CUMC for us to take prior to his visit.  Stay tuned for more info!!!

 

If you are participating in Secret Sisters and have not received anything from your sister yet, please contact Heather Lovell (llovells@earthlink.net).

 

Send your family/kid pictures to Kathie Kelly for the Christmas meeting!  kathiekelly@hotmail.com

 

Thank you to all who came to the Couple's Social--it was TONS of fun!

 

Thank you to Amanda Gates and all who brought food and served at the Young Lives Thanksgiving dinner.  It was a great success!

 

The rest of our meeting was spent under the careful tutelage of Meg Ruffing as we made our Christmas wreaths!

 

 

At the end of our meeting, Kathleen Randall shared a recent find that she discovered about how to have a more simple and mindful holiday.  The book is Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas by Bill McKibben. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Dollar-Holiday-Joyful-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00AK9ISCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385138955&sr=8-1&keywords=hundred+dollar+holiday

 

 

Our next meeting is December 6th.  This is our Christmas by Candlelight meeting and it is very special.  We will be meeting upstairs in room 210/211.  Feel free to dress up since this is a special meeting.  The breakfast will be catered and we will have a very special guest.  You don't want to miss it!

 

 

Y'all, we have some SERIOUS talent!

 





 

 



November 1st meeting

Hello Ladies!

Well, we started off the month of Thanks with a great meeting! Big thanks to Green table for a FABULOUS breakfast! I also need to give thanks for this blog because if I wasn't set to write it this week I would have easily given in to a "reason" to miss but I really needed to hear our wonderful speaker!

Holly Wright blessed us all with her testimony, sharing her heart and relationship with God. You can continue to follow Holly on her blog www.forthebrokenhearted.org.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please check the MOPS closet for items left behind as Liz reminded us how full it is getting.

Infant massage classes happening Mondays at 9:45 am or 6pm at CUMC. To register call or email Kim Ripley at 281-690-4765 or kimr@cumcsl.org

Amanda reminded us of Young Lives Thanksgiving meeting where we will be providing the meal for approximately 50 people. The sign up is posted on Facebook for the 6:30 meeting at Parkway on November 21st.

Kathie Kelly has requested will all send 2 (no more) pictures of our children/families for the Christmas meeting that will be held upstairs and is certain to be a special morning! Email pictures to kathiekelly@hotmail.com.

If you haven't had a chance to pay Meredith for auction items please do so.

Reminders for next meeting November 15th:

-Bring your shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/
-Craft meeting on the 15th to make gorgeous wreaths under the direction of the talented Meg! Please being supplies such as ribbon, flowers, burlap, ornaments, embellishments, etc. Get creative :)
 -Couple's social will follow later that evening from 6-8 for only $30/couple including child care! This fun evening will also be held upstairs so we have more space.

As always, we ended with a wonderful prayer full of praises and concerns.

Our next meeting is November 15th.  Blue Table is up for breakfast.

Have a wonderfully blessed week!

October 18th MOPS Meeting

Hello all!  We had a great meeting this Friday.  Thanks to the Yellow table for a fabulous breakfast!

Happy Birthday to all of our October birthday ladies: Catherine Kubala, Kathleen Randall, Lynnette Thompson, Melissa Bland, Jessica Forray, Constance Ritter, Christy Grover, Anne Leder

We had a fantastic time at Dewberry Farm on Monday!  We could not have asked for better weather!

 

 

On November 15^th MOPS will be hosting a couple’s social at Christ United Methodist Church.  Bring your husbands!  The price is $30 per couple.  This includes a fabulous Italian dinner and childcare!  Please bring your money to the next meeting if you want to go.  It was a lot fun last year! 

It's time again for Operation Christmas Child!  Amanda Gates is organizing this year and gave a great example of how to get your Christmas boxes started.   These boxes are delivered all over the world to children who otherwise might not receive anything at Christmas.    Flyers were passed out with more information.    You can start with a shoe box or a plastic container the size of a shoe box.  Then you can determine if you want to make the box for a boy or girl.  Next pick an age group: 2-4 years old, 5-9 years old, or 10-14 years old.  Fill the box with goodies such as small toys, school supplies, hygiene items, or candy that doesn’t melt.   Please do not include any war-related items (toy guns, military figures), no liquids or lotions, no medications, no vitamins, nothing breakable, no aerosol cans.  If you have any specific questions about what can or cannot go in the box please ask Amanda Gates!   The dollar store and the Target dollar bins are a great place to find items for your box.  After you fill your box you will need to include $7 for shipping.  You can do this online which will allow you to track your box and find out where in the world it is delivered.  Check out: www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.  Or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note OCC on the memo line).  Put the check in an envelope at the top of your box.   You can bring your boxes to either meeting in November (Nov 1st or 15th).

We collected $80 for Young Lives through the coin bucket!  Thanks for your donations!

The Silent Auction was a huge success!  Thank you so much to those that planned and organized such a great event!  We raised $1, 512 for MOPS.  Thanks to those that participated as well!  It was a fun night.  If you have not paid for your items please get your money to Meredith.  Congratulations to our MOPS VIPs: Leah, Anne, and Christy!

Liz Brown led us in a great activity to discover new authors and resources to help us navigate through motherhood.  Here are some of the authors and resources she shared:

·         Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst

http://www.amazon.com/Unglued-Making-Choices-Midst-Emotions/dp/0310332796

·         Out of the Spin Cycle by Jen Hatmaker

http://www.amazon.com/Out-Spin-Cycle-Devotions-Lighten/dp/0800734483

·         Makeover

·         www.mops.com

·           www.3thingsformom.com This includes a truth, tip, and a find

·         Carry On Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton  (This is Liz’s favorite)

http://www.amazon.com/Carry-Warrior-Thoughts-Unarmed-ebook/dp/B008J4GRTM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382622853&sr=1-1&keywords=glennon+doyle+melton

·         Momastery: this can be found on facebook and is done by the author of Carry On Warrior

www.momastery.com

·         www.handsfreemama.com

·         Proverbs 31 ministries

www.proverbs31.org

Constance Ritter led us in a great devotional entitled “I am Not Alone” from Proverbs 31 ministries.  She encouraged us to remember we are surrounded by a network of other moms.  She shared her personal experience and reminded us that it is okay to pray for friends to help us through this journey!

Next meeting is November 1st!  Green table is up for breakfast!  Have a spooky Halloween!!!!

October 4th Recap

We had another wonderful meeting and as usual breakfast was awesome!  Thanks, orange table!

Get ready for some shopping!!!  Our Boo-tacular Bizarre is this Wednesday, October 9th from 6:30 - 9:00 pm.  We have a lot of great items like purses, clothes and jewelry.  We had a couple of people eyeing the same items - but let's keep it civil ladies - you can fight with your checkbook.  The highest bid wins!  If the spirit moves you, dress up in your best Halloween attire.  Come out for a great night of shopping and time without the kids!

Our next social is planned for October 21st at Dewberry Farm.  The cost is $7 for adults and kids 3 and over.  Kinds under 3 are free!  We need at least 15 adults, so please sign up.  It should be a lot of fun.  Plan to bring your own food; however, you can purchase food out there.  This is a great place for the kids to run and go crazy and get rid of some energy. If you want to caravan, plan to meet at Christ Church no later than 8:45.  The caravan is leaving the Church at 9:00 am - sharp!  Please be on time as we have to enter Dewberry Farms as a group and we don't want anyone left behind.  Please pay by check or cash and get your money to Cori!  Visit www.dewberryfarm.com for more information.

The month of October is our diaper and formula drive for Young Lives.  If you can donate something, please bring to the next meeting.  Remember how much these girls need our support!  A suggestion was made to put money into a 'table pot' and having one table member buy on behalf of everyone.

The St. Catherine of Sienna Pumpkin Patch is now open!  The patch is located at 4747 Sienna Parkway (behind the levy) and is open every day from 10am-7pm until Halloween.  This is a fantastic place to take photos!  The pumpkin proceeds go to a great cause so come and check it out!

Once again, Cintia gave a wonderful, thought provoking devotional.  This week was about Godly thought patterns and 'How to Recognize, Change and Manage Thought Patterns'.  A most notable quote from her devotional and words to think of and remember:

“Watch your Thoughts; for they become Words. Watch your Words; for they become Actions. Watch your Actions; for they become Habits. Watch your Habits; for they become your Character. Watch your Character; for it becomes your Destiny.”

 

Our meeting ended with everyone getting crafty!  We decorated adorable sippy cups to give to the young ladies at Young Lives.

 

Meet our wonderful Mentor Moms!  We are so blessed to have these great women in our group!

Top: Sue Bridges, Nancy Burford
Middle: Colleen Flint, Jennifer Wells, Evelyn Smith
Bottom: Jan Santoro, Amy Young
Not Pictured: Sunday Coffman



The next meeting is Friday, October 18th and the yellow table is on breakfast duty.  See you there!

One last thing: everyone get ready to say "Awwww..." in 3....2.....1:

Sept 20th Recap

Hello all!  Friday was another fabulous MOPS meeting. Many thanks to the Red Table for the wonderful breakfast spread!

The bulk of our meeting was devoted to learning more about our Missions ministry, Young Lives.  Cheslee Escobedo gave us a wonderful talk about this amazing ministry.  The purpose of Young Lives is to offer Christ-centered support for teen mothers.  Cheslee really stressed how the goal of Young Lives is to create relationships with these girl and to walk beside them as they come to know Christ.  If you have been looking for an organization with which to volunteer, this group is truly wonderful and offers many different opportunities to serve.  They are in need of volunteers to bring food to the meetings, provide childcare during the meetings, drive girls to and from the meetings, and mentors who are paired with the girls and offer support.  Mentoring does require extra training as it is a sensitive situation and many of these girls come from difficult backgrounds.  Young Lives offers "Club" typically on the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 at Parkway United Methodist Church on New Territory Blvd.  Their first meeting of the year is next Thursday.   One additional way to help is to bring donations to our meetings and Amanda Gates will make sure they get to Young Lives.  Currently, their top three needs are diapers, wipes, and formula. As the year goes on, they will happily take gently used baby clothes, toys and baby equipment/paraphernalia.  This year, MOPS has committed to providing the Thanksgiving Feast in November and another meal in February.  A sign-up was passed around and everyone was asked to volunteer for one of these dates.  If you missed the meeting, please see Amanda Gates.  If you are feeling called to volunteer further with Young Lives, contact Cheslee Escobedo (chesleek@yahoo.com).

Next, we all got to know each other better with an M&M ice breaker.  Good times!

Meredith Canny reminded us about our upcoming Halloween auction on October 9th.  Meredith will accept any and all donations through our next meeting on October 4th.  At our October 4th meeting, we will have a live auction of 2 items to get us revved up for the festivities on the 9th.  This is shaping up to be a really fun evening, so you won't want to miss it!  Everyone is invited and you are welcome to bring a friend.  You do not have to donate or purchase anything at the auction to attend. Just come, eat, shop, socialize and have a fabulous time!  The auction will be held at former MOPS member Shelli LeBret's house in Riverstone: 6427 Crystal Point, Missouri City, TX 77459 and begins at 6:30pm.  This event will hopefully serve as our only fundraiser if we reach our $600 goal. Let Daddy put the kids to bed and come and shop!

Leah Hammonds and Julia Steinhaus introduced us to all our new members.  It is so great to see so many new smiling faces!

Kathleen Randall reminded us that our stylish black MOPS t-shirts are for sale for $10.  All sizes are available.  You know you want one!  Kathleen talked about some of the wonderful things that we as a group have been able to do with our Outreach Fund, such as sending two Young Lives girls to camp and supporting Becky Neese's niece's family who just tragically lost their young mother shortly after she gave birth to their second child.  We were able to give this family a $250 gift card to Babies 'r Us and we will have a formula drive for them at an upcoming meeting.

Kathleen also reminded us about the costume swap that we will have on October 4th.  If you have a gently used costume that your kiddos have outgrown, bring it to the swap.  Those who bring a costume will have first dibs on any of the costumes that are brought for the swap.  After that all the costumes are fair game to the group! 

Heather Lovell distributed the "Secret Sister" forms.  Remember, each secret sister is supposed to "treat" their sister twice during the semester.  The fall semester runs through February 14th.

Cori Atkins is working on a trip to Dewberry Farm for October.  The tentative date is October 21st.  If you have never been, Dewberry Farm is tons of fun for your kiddos and well worth the drive to Brookshire.  You really will want to take advantage of being able to go with our group during the week as it is MUCH less crowded than the weekends!  www.dewberryfarm.com Stay tuned for more info!

As usual, Cintia Listenbee inspired us with a fantastic devotional about "Sailing with Gentleness".  The biggest takeaway?  "If you can choose it, you can change it." --Chris Judd.  If you missed it, you will really want to check out her slide presentation on our group Facebook page.

 

Meet your amazing Discussion Group Leaders (DGLs):

Top row: Tina Koenig, Melanie Hausmann, Andrea Cashiola
Bottom row: Aleini Lacombe, Caitlin McNamee, Breanne Ward

 

 

And Finally, Friday was also our PJ party!  A million thanks to our fearless leader, Liz Brown for hosting!  As you can see, much fun was had by all!

 

Seriously, can we be any cuter?!?!



Our next meeting is October 4th.  Orange Table is up for breakfast.  See you then!

 









Recap of September 6th Meeting

Hello lovely ladies!  It is so good to be back!  Thank you Steering for the wonderful breakfast (especially Liz who was going to get us those casseroles come hell or high water!)

 

 

 

Our Coordinator, Liz Brown, got the ball rolling by introducing us to this year's theme: A Beautiful Mess.  I think most of us can relate!

 

The fabulous Cintia Listenbee then led us in prayer and devotion.  She reminded us that God wants to be involved in motherhood, even in the mundane tasks, minor annoyances, and small victories.  For those of you new to MOPS, Cintia has a wonderful blog that deserves a shout-out here:

http://www.simplycintia.com/2013/09/devotional-god-wants-to-be-involved-in.html

 

 

Liz Brown then walked us through what it means to be a part of MOPS at CUMC.  We constantly strive to fulfill the MOPS purpose, "The purpose of MOPS International is to encourage, equip and develop every Mother of a Preschooler to realize her potential as a woman, mother and leader in the name of Jesus Christ."  Amen to that!

 

Instead of everyone being assigned to a committee this year, we are asking everyone to volunteer where they feel called.  This includes not volunteering if you feel you are not up to the task.  If you did not get a chance to sign up for a committee at the meeting and you would like to, please see Liz.

 

Announcements from Steering:

 

Publicity: Be sure to join our Facebook page so that you can stay connected with everything we have going on throughout the year.  Search for "Christ United Methodist Church - Sugar Land MOPS" and any Steering member can add you.  The calendar, blog updates, play date info, mommy advice and much more awaits you!

 

Care Team: Congrats to Anne Leder and the entire Leder family on their newest addition!  Be on the lookout from Leah Hammonds for the Sign-Up Genius for Anne's meals.

 

Social: Our first MOPS social is the PJ party on September 20th at 6:30pm at Liz Brown's house (4410 Balboa Dr., Sugar Land, TX 77479).  This is such a great evening, you do not want to miss it!  Pizza and soft drinks will be provided, if you would like to bring a dessert that would be most welcome!  Definitely get into your pjs and come ready for some fun girl time!

Park play dates will begin next month!  On Tuesday, October 1st and Wednesday, October 2nd, we will meet at Castle Park from 9:30am-11:30am.  Castle Park is located at 4909 Commonwealth Blvd., Sugar Land, TX 77479.  Rain contingency plan is to meet at the Sugar Creek Playscape located at 1333 SW Frwy, Sugar Land, TX 77478.  Check FB on those days for confirmation. 

 

Fundraising: On Wednesday, October 9th at 6:30pm, we will host our second annual auction at Shelli LeBret's house.  Meredith Canny is currently collecting items for the auction through October 4th.  Dig through those closets, ladies.  We are looking for gently used or new purses, clothing, jewelry, kitchen gadgets, etc.  Then, on October 9th, bring your checkbooks and come shopping!  If we can raise $600 from this event, we will not need to do another fundraiser all year!  Shelli LeBret lives at 6427 Crystal Point, Missouri City, TX 77459.

 

Missions: Amanda Gates gave us a brief intro into Young Lives.  Next week we will hear much more about this so stay tuned!

 

September 22nd the MOPS hubbies (or the FOPS, if you will) are going to meet at Stadia in Town Center to watch the Texans game at noon.  Daddies need a support group too, encourage your hubby to come out and make some friends!

 

The Fall Couples Social has been moved from November 8th to November 15th.  The calendars in the folders have the incorrect date!

 

The rest of the meeting was spent decorating our journals that our wonderful Mentor Moms are going to use to communicate with and support us throughout the year.  We are so lucky to have these wonderful women as a part of our group!

 

Finally, meet your 2013-2014 Steering Team:

 

Top Row: Meg Ruffing (Crafts), Kathie Kelly (Publicity)
Heather Lovell (Coo-Chair), Julia Steinhaus (Membership), Liz Brown (Coordinator), Cori Atkins (Social) Leah Hammonds (Care Team)
Amanda Gates (Missions), Kathleen Randall (Finance), Catherine Kubala (MOPPETS Crafts), Meredith Canny (Fundraising)
Bottom Row: Cintia Listenbee (Prayer), Renata Smith (Hospitality)



Who are we kidding?  We all know it's more like this:

 

That's better....


 

 

Next meeting is September 20th.  Red Table is bringing breakfast!  See you there!



 

Last Meeting Recap!

On May 17th we gathered together for the last time this year.  A huge thanks to Steering (especially Liz, Constance, and Melissa T) for bringing breakfast!

During this meeting we said goodbye to several good friends.  Shelli LeBret, Sandra Varghese, Sarah Smith, Kim Garnett, Melissa Treadway, Kelly Otero, Lauran Helms, Kim Bund, Melissa Gisler, Nicole Waters, and Maggie Singleton you will be greatly missed.  Keep in touch and best of luck with your new mommy adventures!



Not pictured: Sandra Varghese, Nicole Waters and Maggie Singleton

 We also honored our fearless leader, Constance Ritter, for all of her hard work this year!  Thank you so much Constance and job well done!  Luckily, Constance will be returning to MOPS next year! :-)

 

Lauran Helms provided us with a wonderful devotional including a reading of the children's book Far Flutterby by Karen Kingsbury.  http://www.amazon.com/Far-Flutterby-Karen-Kingsbury/dp/0310712130/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370263630&sr=1-1&keywords=far+flutterby

 

She then had us write letters of encouragement to ourselves that will be mailed to us sometime in the future.  It was a great exercise for us all to take a moment and reflect over all we do as wives and mothers.

 

Keep an eye on the Facebook page for pool play dates and other summer get-togethers!  Liz Brown is leading a group going to Stewart Beach on June 10th.  Just because we don't have official meetings doesn't mean the fun has to stop!

 

Your new Steering Team was announced for the 2013-2014 year!  Next year's smiling faces include: Leah Hammonds (Care Team), Renata Smith (Hospitality), Kathleen Randall (Finance), Meredith Canny (Fundraising), Cori Atkins (Social), Julia Steinhaus (Membership), Amanda Gates (Missions), Erin Reed (MOPPETS Crafts), Meg Ruffing (Crafts), Cintia Listenbee (Prayer), and Kathie Kelly (Publicity).

 

And say hello to your Co-Coordinators: Liz Brown and Heather Lovell!

 

 

 

The rest of the meeting was dedicated to Swap-a-palooza!!!

 

 

Have a fabulous summer and see you in the fall!!!



Recap of the May 3rd Meeting

Hello again!  Friday was another fun-filled MOPS meeting.  Thanks so much to the purple table for keeping us happily fed!

We will only have one social in May, so be sure not to miss it!  On May 15th at 10am we will meet at CUMC, drop off the kids, and head out for a little pampering (we sooooo deserve it!) You will need to RSVP to Kelly Otero (theoteros@mac.com) if you would like to attend and she will be sending out more info so that she can take our spa orders (mani, pedi, both, etc).  There is a limit of 15 kids in child care that day, so please only sign up if you are SURE you can attend so that you don't take a spot from someone else.  We are asking $5/child to cover child care.

This year the MOPS surveys will be done online, so be on the lookout on Facebook and the Yahoo group so that you can fill yours out.  Steering uses your information to help plan next year so let your voice be heard!

Since we did not get very many recipes, Kathie Kelly decided not to make CDs for everyone.  However, she did post the recipes that she did get on both Facebook and the Yahoo group.

Renata Smith is appearing in Six Degrees of Separation at the Country Playhouse.  The show runs from May 10-25, Thurs-Sun.  There are evening and matinee performances. See countryplayhouse.org for more info and get out there and support Renata!

Jessica Cuthbert is organizing a "Sunscreen for Soldiers" drive through Mary Kay.  If you would like to help, you can purchase skin care packages ranging from $25-$35 that will be sent to our soldiers overseas.  Mary Kay does not profit from this, they items are purchased at-cost.  If you prefer, you can also just donate to this worthy cause.  See Jessica for more info!

Erin Reed (erin.reed@comcast.net) needs the full name of each "graduating" MOPPET.  A graduating MOPPET is a child who is "graduating" out of MOPS and going to kindergarten.  You do not need to contact her if your child is just not returning for MOPS next year due to school, only if he/she is going onto kindergarten.

Similarly, contact Melissa Treadway (melissa.treadway@gmail.com) if you are not returning to MOPS next year.

Lauran Helms and Melissa Gisler put out the call once again for VBS registration.  You do NOT want your K-5 children missing out on this awesome experience June 24-28th!  Remember, for those who have children younger than kindergarten, pre-VBS and nursery programs are extended to those who volunteer!  http://www.cumcsl.org/ministries/childrens-ministries/vbs/

Lauran Helms also reminded us about the Josh Wilson concert on June 15th at CUMC presented by those who organize the Walk to Emmaus.  Information about the Walk to Emmaus will be available to those who are interested, but those who just want to go for the concert do not need to worry about having information pressed upon them if they do not want it.  See Lauran Helms, Melissa Gisler, or Cosntance Ritter for more details.

After Prayers and Praises, Constance gave her courageous and moving testimony.  I think I speak for all of us when I say that we all were inspired and we thank you for your brave conviction, Constance!

The rest of the meeting was spent making our awesome craft buckets organized for us by always talented Cori Atkins!

 

Each bucket includes the following:

 

1. A muffin tin, shaving cream, and sponge paint brushes---fill each cup in the muffin tin with shaving cream and food coloring.  Give the kids the paint brushes, put them in the bath tub or backyard and let them go to town! 

2. Paper plates, tongue depressors, balloon--tape the tongue depressors to the paper plates (as a handle), blow the balloon up, play balloon Ping-Pong!

3. Paper plates and rice--put the rice in between the two plates and staple or duct tape shut--instant tambourine!

4. A stain glass making kit.

5. 6 glow sticks--put the glow sticks in the bath tub for a fun bath time activity.

6. Hair gel, gallon-sized Ziploc bag, letters, stones, and butterflies--fill the Ziploc bag with hair gel and drop in the letters, stones and butterflies for a sensory scavenger hunt!

7. Water beads--small clear beads that expand in water!

 

 

 

Cori also included a packet with instructions for a Scavenger Hunt game and a list of "bored-busters"--ideas to give your kids when they complain about being bored.  Thank you so much to Cori for keeping our kids entertained as we go into the summer months!

 

May 17th is our last meeting of the year!  Where has the time gone?  Steering will be providing breakfast.  Look forward to seeing you all there!