Tuesday, January 28: Parenting is Messy Work

OK, confession time: 2013 was downright messy for me. Was it that third kid who threw off our family's routine? Was it my hormones playing tricks on my mind? Was it my husband's ridiculous work schedule that left him distracted, disconnected and uninterested in joining forces with me in child discipline? Perhaps it was all three (and more) that created the perfect storm: a miserable mommy and disrespectful kids. I felt like I was raising bratty teenagers instead of sweet preschoolers, and it seemed impossible to focus on the many wonderful blessings in my life. The only thing my extended family and several friends could do was laugh and tell me that it would only get worse as my children turned into real teenagers soon. 

Gee, thanks.

Nobody had a clue how much I was hurting -- and struggling -- to create a loving, peaceful home. And knowing that there was always someone out there who was worse off than me made it extremely difficult to feel justified in seeking help.

As is so often the case, God answered my prayers when I least expected it. It happened to be during a round of "High/Low" at a MOPS meeting last Spring, and when my turn came around, I just couldn't hold the tears back. The other moms surrounding me that morning prayed for me and supported me exactly the way that I needed. They encouraged me seek God's wisdom and strength, and trust Him to lead me and my family on a path toward healing. 

Fast forward a few months. My son and I attended a few counseling sessions so that I could better understand his needs. I added B vitamin and fish oil supplements to my diet to help me better manage my reaction to the kids. And, some loving and well-timed parenting advice from my in-laws helped my husband better understand how to support me with the kids. Our family's New Year's Eve celebration this year was a near repeat of last year's, except that the tears and frustration were replaced by giggles and joy. I can't say that we are back to the "good ol' days," but the past year of struggle has helped my little family to grow and change more than all of our time together combined. That's a good thing! 

Parenting really is messy work, but with God's guidance and a great support network at MOPS, we can all get through those tough times and come out stronger, wiser, and with a greater understanding of God's grace. 

MEETING TOPIC: Parenting is Messy Work

WHEN: Tuesday, 1/28 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Fellowship Hall at Calvary Bible Church (3245 Kalmia Ave., Boulder, CO 80301)

FOOD will be provided by Destiny's table (thank you!)

As always, we will start with a prayer and welcome message before we settle in to play "High/Low" at our tables while enjoying our meal.

Kacey put together a fun craft for us: glass etching (ok, it'll likely be monograms, but still, you get the idea...) After that, our lovely Mentor Moms will come together on stage for a panel on temper tantrums and other behavioral concerns. This panel will lend itself to lots of Q&A. If you have a specific concern that you would like addressed during the meeting, please feel free to email Kelly or Jacqui directly:

kelly.nishi@gmail.com
jacqui.reddick@gmail.com

Otherwise, we will have cards at each table during the meeting so that you can jot down questions as they come to mind.

See you on Tuesday!
Sheryl

Loving on Our Kids: Rachel Kuir

Next up in our MOPPETS series is Rachel. 

NAME: Rachel Kuir

MOPPETS Title: Toddler room helper

BIRTHDAY: September 22, 1984

HOMETOWN: Southern Sudan, Africa

CHILDCARE EXPERIENCE: Rachel is a mom, which makes her more than qualified to love on our kiddos. :-)

FAVORITE THINGS: Rachel loves most movies (The Lion King, in particular), and books of any kind.

FUN FACT: Rachel thoroughly enjoys playing with kids. What better way to spend the day?

Thank you for your service, Rachel!

Tuesday, January 21: Play Date: But He Was STILL Hungry...

Now that the holiday hubbub has subsided, we wanted to organize a somewhat calmer, more intimate play date. Instead of meeting in a public space, Kacey Olson has generously offered up her home for all of us to gather together and relax while the kids play. She has plenty of infant and toddler toys on hand, but feel free to let your child bring a favorite toy to share!

WHAT: MOPS January play date
The theme will be "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," and we will have a story, caterpillar puppet craft and snack centered around this. Of course, there will be plenty of time to just play!

WHEN: Tuesday, January 21st at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Kacey Olson's home
9397 N. 63rd Street, Longmont, CO 80503

303-910-5057

We hope to see you there!

Welcome to MOPS, Ivy Jean!

Emily Schulz has had her baby, and we're so excited to share the news with the rest of our group! Healthy and beautiful Ivy Jean was born on January 5th, measuring 6 pounds 8 ounces and 19-3/4" long. Mom, Dad Joel, brothers Jackson and Tucker, and of course baby Ivy are all doing great!

Emily, we are so excited to see you again and meet your sweet baby girl at MOPS. No pressure to come until you're absolutely ready, of course, but know that there will be plenty of help for you when you do come!

Girls' Weekend: SPARK Leaders Live!

Mamas, we have learned about a very special opportunity to help develop our life and leadership skills as well as learn how to support a friend or family member experiencing tragedy. Who couldn't use these skills?? Please consider joining us; let's make it a girls' weekend!

WHAT: SPARK Leaders Live, a MOPS event

WHEN: Saturday, March 01, 2014 from 9am - 2pm

WHERE: Mission Hills Church (620 South Park Dr, Littleton, CO 80120).

COST: $20, which includes a boxed lunch

Please contact Joanna Buhlig for more information and to register. 
jb@blooms.westfalcon.com

Tuesday, January 14: Lighten Up!

Happy New Year and welcome back! Everyone on Steering hopes that you had a peaceful and restorative Christmas break with friends and family. And now, back to the grind... may it be a "good" grind for us all!

MEETING TOPIC: Lighten Up

WHEN: Tuesday, 1/14 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Fellowship Hall at Calvary Bible Church (3245 Kalmia Ave., Boulder, CO 80301)

FOOD will be provided by Jen Bishop's table (thank you!)

As always, we will start with a prayer and welcome message before we settle in to play "High/Low" at our tables while enjoying our meal.

We hope to have plenty of "table talk" on Tuesday, as we're sure that everyone is anxious to catch up after what surely was a busy holiday season. Of course, we will time for some fun, too! The Steering Team came up with a silly game that pokes fun at some of the most common new year's resolutions. 

Then, Nicole Irbeck of Restoration Fitness will give a talk that will help us to "Drop [y]our Body Baggage and Live Lighter." 

At one point in her life, Nicole was so consumed by how bad she felt in her own skin that she checked out of being real and instead spent her time obsessing about how she could be more thin, more athletic, and well... more anything. After finding a love of running and a respect for her unique beauty, she has devoted her life to helping women and girls drop their body baggage and embrace their unique beauty and strength, too. For more than 15 years, Nicole has been involved with sports medicine/rehabilitation, personal training, and group exercise. Nicole is no stranger to the rigors of personal health: an accomplished runner, she competed as a Division I athlete with the University of Iowa in cross-country and track and field and has completed both the Boston Marathon and the Chicago Accenture Triathlon.

In preparation for Tuesday's meeting and Nicole's talk, we hope that you will ask yourself:

* What are your gifts and talents? How do you see yourself beyond your outward appearance?
* How does your self-perception change how you think of your physical self?
* What life experiences have shaped who you are today?

See you on Tuesday!

Sheryl

Loving on our Kids: Lindsey Hall

After all of that family time over the holidays, are you ready for a little break from the kids yet? Are you ready to reconnect with other moms, relax and focus on yourself for a couple of hours? Good, you deserve it, and we're excited to see you! But first, we want you to meet one of our selfless MOPPETS leaders who will love on your kiddos next Tuesday. 

NAME: Lindsey Hall

MOPPETS Title: Leader in the 1 year old room

BIRTHDAY: July 25, 1990

HOMETOWN: Hmm... neglected to answer this question. Might she secretly be from another planet??

CHILDCARE EXPERIENCE: Lindsey previously worked in a church nursery on Sundays. Once she turned 16, she got a job at a drop-in daycare. 

FAVORITE THINGS: In her free time, Lindsey enjoys shopping or just walking around the mall. This is a great way to spend time by herself! She does not like to stay at home and would much prefer to go out and do things. Her children are the same way, so they are always on the go! When she is at home, Lindsey loves to bake. She loves making yummy treats for her 3 children (Annabell, 3.5 years; Gavin, 1.5 years; and Abigail, 5 months). 

FUN FACT: Lindsey really likes sharks! She finds them really interesting and she would love to go diving to see them up close some day.

Thank you for your service, Lindsey!