End of Year MOPS Meeting

We had lots of fun at our meeting today, we plunged, we played, we laughed & we cried! We are sad to lose those of you who are moving on...we know that God has plans to use you in other ways, but we will miss you dearly. However, we also look forward to the new moms who will be joining us in the fall. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you! (please check out our summer activities calendar and come join us for some fun!)

Two years ago my friend Dana Mensonides, who is in my small group, mentioned MOPS to me and told me that I should check into it. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but in every area this group has exceeded my expectations.

 I have to admit that at this point I felt like I was lost & lonely in a sea of people at Big Valley...I only knew a couple of moms at church and was having a hard time getting connected. You see, I grew up in a much smaller church and had attended that church my entire life & knew each person there by name (many of whom were related to me)...so it was quite the adjustment when my husband and I decided to call Big Valley Grace our home church. Also, the friends I had at my old church were in a different stage of life, so when we switched churches I didn't have any mom friends to connect with.

Dana's invitation couldn't have come at a better time! I am so grateful for everyone who is involved with the MOPS ministry and committed to providing a place for us moms to support each other and become a community. Those of you who have extended friendship to me, thank you so much! I have enjoyed getting to know many of you so far and look forward to the lasting friendships that MOPS creates.

I was definitely challenged this year when I was asked to be a part of the blog team. You see, I have no background in writing and honestly didn't feel like I had much to give. I have slowly grown to enjoy writing the recaps of our MOPS meetings as it is a way for me to take to heart some of the lessons and advice from our speakers this year.

I look forward to seeing you at some of the play dates this summer & also in the fall when we start our new MOPS year!

Cyndi

Mom of the Month!!

Dana Dabney



Kids

Jack-2years, Noah-5months

Most disliked chore on the household chore list?

I really, really dislike washing windows, so don't look outside when you're in my house.

Tell us about your first road trip in your first car.

Well, since my first car was a 1934 Chevy pickup I couldn't really go on any "road trips." Every ride was an adventure though, thats for sure! When I turned 16 my dad was fixing up the old truck and it was the only spare vehicle at the time, so my parents let me drive it. Nothing like going down the road seeing a 16 year old girl in an old man Hot Rod ;) The only problem was that my mom wouldn't let me drive in the rain because it didn't have windshield wipers.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Childbirth (no explanation needed).

Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid.

Growing up I lived in the country and I LOVED playing outside, I could be out there all day (everyday). My imagination would just run wild and I would have so much fun exploring without a care in the world. Sometimes when I look back, I really miss those days.

One piece of encouragement or advice to share with other moms.

My advice to moms is something that I have to remind myself of everyday. Be the same person at home as you are in public. In those moments when you've lost all of your patience and you know you're about ready to explode, try to calm yourself by thinking: "ok...what if other people could see me right now" (when in reality...your children ARE people and they are watching (and learning)). Scary, right? So, I always try to be the same person in the car on the WAY to church as the person who I am IN church (the key word is "try"). I don't always succeed, but that's my hearts desire.