MOPS Christmas Celebration

What a great Christmas celebration we had!  Christmas Caroling, fun festive crafts and a Cookie Exchange!  Thanks so much to everyone who made this meeting such a wonderful and memorable one!  All the moms did a great job signing! 

Thanks to all the moms who participated in our 'Ugly Sweater' contest!  Many of the sweaters were too cute to be considered 'ugly'!  Congrats to the winner! 

Moms had fun coming up with lyrics for our 12 Days of Christmas Song!  Such creative moms! 

Thanks to MOPPETS for the wonderful Christmas performance!  The kids were ADORABLE! 

Our next MOPS meeting is on January 19.  No meeting on the first Thursday of the month. 

Radiant table is hosting at our next meeting. 

Thanks to the Heart table for hosting a wonderful breakfast! 

We hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. 

How to be a HELPER....

Happy Holidays.  Many of us are preparing for Christmas, putting up the Christmas tree, shopping,  and planning family and friend gatherings.  We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! 

Thanks to all the moms who attended today's wonderful meeting.  What a meeting!  We were fortunate enough to have Terry Rosello as our guest speaker.  She did a great job explaining the important and valuable role of women as "helpers" to their husbands.  She gave us some great examples of scripture as it applies to women and their role as "helpers". 

Thanks to the Baguette table for hosting. 

•  Our next bible study meeting is Thursday, Dec. 8 at 9:30am.  It's not to late to join us, we are working on week 4. 

• We are having a Farmer's Market outing scheduled for Dec. 10.  If you would like to carpool, meet us at the Laveen Baptist Church parking lot by 8:30am.

• Next meeting is our MOPS Christmas party: Dec. 15th:  we are having a cookie exchange (see Evite for more info), Ugly sweater contest, also, please dress kids in red or green for their "performance". 

We hope you have a blessed week!

Operation Christmas Child

Thanks to all of the moms who helped in assembling Operation Christmas Child (OCC) boxes.   You all did a great job, and we were able to donate many boxes to OCC. 

Moms were given the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the scripture John 6:1-14. 

Moms had a great time playing our 'What's Cooking' game.  Thanks Becky for the recipe! 

Thanks to the Trillion table for hosting a delicious breakfast!  There was so much food!  You all did a great job! 

Upcoming events:

• APS Electric Light Parade on Dec. 3 at 7pm along Central Ave., from Montebello to Camelback, east on Camelback to 7th Street, south Indian School.  for more info 602 534-FEST. 
• Trip to Farmer's Market Downtown Phoenix 9am on Dec. 10
• Guest speaker Terry Rossello (Marriage Counselor)

Who is in your Circle of Relationships?

Our cooler weather has arrived and the holidays have officially begun!   What a relief to finally have such wonderful cooler weather!  Time to spend as much time as we can outdoors. 

At today's meeting moms watched a video on "Circle of Relationships".   The video emphasized the importance of a mother's support network.   A mother who feels supported and with strong relationships is a "better mother" for her children.   A mother has a several layers in her circle of relationships, ranging from her inner circle of closest friends and family, to her outer circle of physicans, and teachers. 

Thanks so much to the Emerald table for hosting today's delicious breakfast! 

We hope you can join us this Friday, Nov. 4 for our 'Frugal Movie Night' at Monica's home.  Please see Evite for more information.

Laveen Baptist Church will be a drop off site for Operation Christmas Child (OCC).  Please sign up to help us out during the week of Nov. 14-Nov. 21.  Thanks! 

At our next MOPS meeting on Nov. 17, we will be hosting a packing party for Operation Christmas Child.   Hope to see you then!

How to be a Smart Shopper!

Our guest speaker Margaret Kirkland showed us some savvy ways to save money while shopping!  She gave us some great tips on what websites to use and how to make the most out of using coupons.  Margaret uses her talents as a coupon expert by donating many of the items she purchases to those in need.  

Moms were given the opportunity to discuss and reflect on Matthew 6: 31-34 encouraging us mothers to trust in the Lord who will provide what we need. 

Thanks to our Princess table for hosting.   

• Our MOPS garage sale will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 6:30-11:30am. 
• Our Walking Club will be walking this Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 9am at Cesar Chavez Park all are welcome!
• Laveen Baptist Church is hosting a Harvest Carnival on Oct. 31 from 6-9pm, all are welcome!
• Our next meeting will be on November 3rd. The Emerald table will be hosting.
• Frugal Friday Movie will be on Friday, November 4.  We will be watching "The Proposal". 

Have a blessed week! 

Stress discussion and Accessory Swap

Moms were treated to a yummy breakfast by the Marquis table!  Thanks for the delicious food ladies! 

Moms participated in an interactive Bible study regarding 'stress'.   We were given the opportunity to discuss how stress impacts our lives as mothers and how we respond to that stress.   Each group was given a chance to reflect on Mark 4:38.  Thanks discussion group leaders for leading a great discussion.

Our  Accessory swap was lots of fun and a huge success!  Moms were asked to bring in some of their gently used accessories and 'swap' them for some different ones.   Many of us walked away with some different accessories to add to our wardrobe! 

Our walking club will begin its morning walks on Wednesday, October 12 at 8am.  Meeting location will be at Cesar Chavez Park by the playground.  We hope many of you can join us! 

Our next meeting will take place on October 20th, we will have a speaker who will talk about Smart Shopping.   The Princess table will be hosting this meeting. 

We hope we can count on you to support our upcoming Garage Sale on October 22nd.  The garage sale will be part of Dobbins Point Community wide sale.  We are in need of donations.  Please contact us if you have items to donate!  We would really appreciate it! 

We are in the process of planning a 'Frugal Friday Movie Night' stay tuned! More info to come! 

See you soon!

Women of Wisdom Panel

Thanks so much to our wonderful WOW (Women of Wisdom) Panel who shared some very important advice and experiences with our moms.   Our moms presented a series of questions relating to discipline, husband/marriage, values/teaching and some general parenting advice.  You helped many of us reflect about how we could implement some of your ideas.  

Some of the books that were referenced during our discussion by one of our Mentor Moms are:
1) Creative Correction: Extraordinary Ideas for Everyday Discipline by Lisa Welchel
2) Dare to Discipline by Dr. James Dobson
3) Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp

Thank you to the Brilliant table for hosting our yummy breakfast!

Our bible study is beginning this Thursday, September 22 at 9:30am.  We will be using Beth Moore's Believing God study guide!  We hope to see you there! Childcare is being provided. 

We hope to see many of you for our play date at Chuck E Cheeses (Ahwatukee) on September 29 at 10 am.

The Marquise table will host at our next meeting on October 6! 
We hope you can join us for our October 6 meeting during which we will be hosting an "Accessory Swap".  If you are tired of using your same accessories over and over, here's your chance to get some different ones.  Bring in the items you would like to swap and choose some different ones! 

See you soon!

Our first MOPS meeting of the 2011-2012 year

What a great meeting we had today!  We saw lots of familiar faces and some new moms that joined us for the first time!  It was a busy morning as moms dropped their kids off in MOPPETS and then enjoyed a delicious breakfast hosted by the Steering Team. 

Our theme for this year MomSense: Bold, Loving, Sensible: will equip moms to embrace their mothering instincts and develop their own parenting style...

Moms got a chance to meet the new Steering Team, Mentor Moms and Discussion Group Leaders.   Moms enjoyed their time getting to know each other.  Each table got a chance to compete in "Smarter than a Preschooler", congrats to the winning table! 

Moms were able to sign up for our upcoming bible study, which will begin on September 22 from 9:30am-11:30am.  We hope to see many of you there!  We will be using Beth Moore's "Believing God" workbook. 

See you all on the 15th!  The Brilliant table will be hosting at our next meeting! 

What's happening with MOPS

Hope you are all doing well.  Many of you with school aged-kids are getting ready for your kids' first day of school!  We hope this is a smooth process for all of you! 

Lots of thanks for all those moms who showed up to help pack lunches for the Phoenix Rescue Mission.  We were able to pack 107 lunches! This event was a success because of your help! 

MOPS will begin on Thursday, September 1st.  We are excited for the new year to begin and to see many of the returning and new moms! We hope you will decide to join us this year!

We hope many of you can join us for our MOPS Kick Off and Fundraiser Night on Tuesday, August 16th from 4-7pm.  Bring the family out to Scooptacular (ice-cream shop on the corner of 51st Ave. and Baseline Rd., next to Starbucks).   Please invite family and friends.  We will have information about MOPS for any new moms and you'll have a chance to pre-register while the kids are happy eating ice-cream! 

We look forward to seeing many of you soon!

Summer Fun at Trailside Park splash pad

Thanks to everyone who showed up for a fun morning in the sun!  It was a warm morning, but the kids didn't seem to mind!  They all had a great time playing and getting wet!  Thanks Jill for providing some much needed shade for us!  It was nice to get out and socialize with other moms! 

We hope you can join us for our next splash pad playdate at Trailside park on Friday, August 5th at 9am! 
We hope you are all having a great summer spending time with your kiddos!

Summer Fun!

Summer is here, and our WARM weather has arrived! Our kids are out of school, and many of us are starting our summer family vacations.  

Most of us are trying to stay cool while having fun at our local splash pads and museums. 
Since our MOPS meetings are not in session right now and won't begin again until September....we hope you take the opportunity to set up some play dates with some of the friends you met at MOPS. 

We hope to see many of you at our upcoming play dates at Trailside Park splash pad.  We'll be there at 9am on the first Friday in July and August. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.  Be safe and stay cool!

Love Languages and Homeless Outreach

Time keeps flying by! Wow only 1 more meeting before summer!

Thanks to Rose and Magnolia for supplying us with plenty of yummy treats to get ready for swimsuit season....ha, ha! I hope we're all making strides in loving our children in all 5 of the love languages and becoming more aware of the faces of the homeless around us.

I had the privelege of taking our lunches (over 100 sack lunches) down to the Phoenix Rescue Mission. I have to admit I had never been there and I got lost.....but what sweet surprise God placed before me. I got off of the freeway and there was a homeless guy with a sign sitting on a crate. I sometimes smile and look away, but this time I had over 100 lunches in my car. I thought to myself, "Why not give this guy one?" So I rolled down my window and held a lunch out. He ran over and said, "Thank you, Thank you!". Then he scurried over to a private area on the sidewalk of the overpass and dug through the bag with delight. As I turned the corner he looked up and gave me a big wave and a smile. I had tears in my eyes as I drove away. What a sweet glimpse into the eyes of the Lord just as Matthew 25 states.

Verse 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Hope you all had a blessed Easter. I look forward to seeing what each of your tables put together for our final Tea and Testimony meeting on May 5th. Lilac will be hosting and it'll be AWESOME! See you there!

MOPS Swap March 17th

The MOPS Swap was a success.  It was so much fun finding treasures that many of us are looking forward to next year's treasure hunt already!


Our next meeting is this Thursday, April 7th at 9:30am.  This week is a presentation on Love Languages of Children.  Great topic.  With only 3 meetings left, this is not one to miss! ... and neither are any of the other ones!


The Rose table is hosting.  Contact your table leader Shannon at shannon@8beans.com with any questions.

Spa Day March 3rd 2011

How wonderful it is to be a woman and to fully appreciate pampering!  Thank you so much to all of the women involved in bringing us such a wonderful event.  Spa day was an amazing success.

News and Upcoming Events....

MOPS Bible Study this Thursday 9:30-11:00am. Download the study on Heart and Attitude if you forgot to pick it up.

Check out the Classes offered at the Eastlake Park Community Center for Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers. Classes like ballet, messy art, and parent/tot musichttp://phoenix.gov/PARKS/eastlak.html 

The American Cancer Society is holding a fundraiser in Laveen this year at Betty Fairfax High School on April 16th and 17th. To join a team or start your own go to http://www.relayforlife.org/LaveenAZ 

Anani is setting up a field trip to Maya's Farm at The Farm at South Mountain to tour the farm/chickens area and learn about gardening and so on. There is a set fee for any group, so the more families that go, the cheaper it will be. She is looking at the morning of Monday, April 18th. Anyone interested can contact her at ananimv@yahoo.com

The MOPS SWAP is set for March 17th-St. Patty's Day. Information will be e-mailed regarding  guidelines to everyone who has signed up so if you forgot please e-mail Jill Fenner. Remember we will not take items on Thursday morning, they must be brought Wednesday evening. If you have no idea what the MOP SWAP is then scroll down to "MOPS SWAP" and check it out.

Coming Up In March

March 3rd -Spa Day - Join us for a morning of girlie pampering. You'll enjoy a short sampling of spa-like things such as Satin Hands Treatment along with a Parafin Dip, a Facial, Do-It-Yourself (or Do-It-For-Your-Neighbor) Nail Painting, and of course the always famous chocolate fountain. You'll have a chance to win some great prizes like a spa pedicure, body lotions, a Scooptacular gift card, and a MOPS t-shirt. E-mail laveenmops@yahoo.com with any questions. (Lily is hosting: Table Leader Kari karifumusa@cox.net)

March 17th - MOPS Meeting and MOP SWAP - This is a really great garage sale without actually exchanging any money. You bring your stuff and basically trade it for other people's stuff (kid's items, adult clothing, household items, whatever-the only stipulation is that it must be in good repair-no holes, dirt, etc.) You get 1 ticket for each item you bring and each item you'd like will cost you 1 ticket. All items must be brought and set up on Wednesday the 16th from 8-9pm and the swapping doors will open at 9:45 am. E-mail laveenmops@yahoo.com if you have any questions. (Sweet Pea is hosting: Table Leader Jessica jessicasmithdesigns@yahoo.com)

Marriage and Intimacy Feb 3rd

What a Morning of Glorious food from the Morning Glory table this past meeting.  Thank you ladies for all of your efforts in serving us. 


Next MOPS Meeting: Feb 17th on forgiveness. You won't want to miss this speaker. The Daisy table is hosting so contact Rachel (daisy's table leader at arizonarachel@hotmail.com if you have any questions.

 

A Day at MOPS 1/20

What an array by the Lilac table!  Whoa.  That was amazing.  Thank you so much ladies for your wonderful display.

Bible Study this Thursday (and every 2nd and 4th Thurs. through April) at 9:30am at the church. Children can be dropped off at the playground (but please keep infants with you).  Study is on beauty.

Next Meeting is on Feb 3rd. Jennifer Miller from Home Life Revolution will be our speaker on Marriage/Intimacy. Check our her website at homeliferevolution.com Morning Glory is hosting-Melissa McAdams is the table leader melissamcadams6504@yahoo.com

Christmas Concert

What a wonderful array of desserts and coffee for the Christmas Concert.  It was the perfect compliment to a beautiful Christmas program.  Thank you to all of the Steering Team and ladies who contributed. 

We have some great topics ahead for MOPS in the upcoming year.  (say did anyone get you with the "See you next year" line at the end of last year?  - That gets me every time!)

Here is what you can expect to hear about in 2011 at MOPS.... 

Revolutionary Marriage, The 5 Love Languages of Children, Spa Day, Intentional Parenting, and even Community Outreach. 

Looking forward to seeing you Thursday, January 20th for our next MOPS meeting.