Registration is Closed!
I told you it'd go fast! Our nurseries are full to capacity at this point. Therefore, registration for 2014-2015 is now closed. If you do not need to use our nurseries and have other child care options, we always have room. We would like to encourage everyone to fill out the registration form so we have your information on file. As the year goes on, we may be able to wiggle you in. So, please stay in touch!
2014-2015 Registration is Open!
Theme Verse:
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)So, how 'bout it? Are you going to be brave? Are you going to join our group?
Well, you better hurry because we fill up quickly!
Be you, Bravely is designed to help us focus on making the choices that could create the most good in our lives, help us to step into healthy risk and to do it in the context of community where we can cheer one another on.
Come on and join us. We can't wait to meet you!
Click here for the Registration link
Click here for the Payment link
You have a few payment options. You can pay $115 all at once (before June 1st) online with a credit card or in check or cash. Paying in full early will save you $10. Or you can break it up. The first $45 holds your spot. You must pay and fill out the registration to be "in". The second $40 is due at the first meeting September 8th. The final $40 is due at the first meeting of the new year, January 12th. Cash and checks are to be given to Stephanie, our treasurer. If you are having a financial hardship, please talk to our coordinator, Tracy.
End of the Year Wrap Up
We've loved and laughed and cried and shared our Beautiful Mess of motherhood together. It's been a great year! We've finished the year strong with a leadership dinner at Blue Fish reminiscing about our time in charge and all we've learned. We had a cinco de mayo themed End of the Year party at Allison's house catered by Tijuana Flats. Michele won the best margarita contest for her delicious mango-ritas! Our last meeting was the day after Mother's Day. We "glammed it up" using our formal china and serving pieces. Each mom received a rose. We said thank you to our amazing mentor moms and good-bye to a few moms not returning. I feel so blessed with the farewell presented to me (the out-going coordinator) by the group. We even heard from Tracy, the new coordinator about how MOPS has saved her life. We finished with the Ring the Bell game. Pretty amazing stuff!
And now summer is officially upon us! The leadership team had a kick off dinner to start planning the next year. The retreat will be later this summer- where the real planning takes place. Meeting topics and fundraisers will be voted upon. The team will receive training on how to minister best to the mothers of preschoolers in our area. We even had our first play date of the summer!
Thank you to all the moms, St. Mark's staff, vendors and friends who helped to make this year of MOPS so successful! We are so blessed!
Check out this hot, beautiful mess!
And now summer is officially upon us! The leadership team had a kick off dinner to start planning the next year. The retreat will be later this summer- where the real planning takes place. Meeting topics and fundraisers will be voted upon. The team will receive training on how to minister best to the mothers of preschoolers in our area. We even had our first play date of the summer!
Picking blueberries at Veterans Farm
Strong Women
In this beautiful mess of motherhood, we are emerging as some powerful women! At our first meeting in April, Chris from the Women's Defense Company came to give us some tips. His intention was not to scare us but to make us angry. I like that thought. We had a great meeting talking about being aware of our surroundings and learning a few techniques. Maybe we'll sign up for a class as a girls night next year! We had a girls night at Chrissy's house this month: wine and trading recipes. One of the things that energizes me the most is a good belly laugh.
Girls Night at Chrissy's
We had a Photography Fundraiser and raised around $500! Jenny graciously donated her time and talent and offered a fantastic photo package- photo booth style, for our kids! What a success! Can't wait to see how the pictures turned out! Registration for next year is out...for our group only first. Don't worry future St. Marks MOPS moms, we'll post the link for you soon. I just promised to give current members a bit to register before we open it to the public. Please stand by! Our second meeting of April was about traveling with kids. We sat in a circle and traded tips. Julie, one of our mentor moms encouraged us to travel now, while our kids are young- before school. One cute take away I got was to hang a ribbon in the car with a little car on it that you can move to show the progress of your trip. I like that idea.
The dots on these maps show where the moms in our group have traveled with their kids.
This is pretty amazing! Who needs a speaker when we can just ask each other what works and what doesn't work!
Our year is coming to a close. Just one more meeting and a few parties! We have a busy summer to prepare for next year. It's going to be another good one! In the meantime, check out these amazing women. Beautiful, strong women growing babies! Wow!Keeping it Green
At our second meeting in March, we had the owner of Wee Sprout Naturally speak to us about "green parenting". We learned a few tips on cloth diapering and lots about "green cleaning". Jan hooked us up with this neat link of household non-toxic cleaners. Some of us left stressed out but luckily we had a few fun play dates to calm down. Gara was super brave and let us tear up her house one afternoon.
A few of us went to Gainesville this weekend for the MOPS Florida Leadership Conference. Our favorite part was splitting up into groups based on our positions for next year to brainstorm ideas and solve problems. We also loved meeting moms from other MOPS groups all over the state and learning how they set up their groups. We came back full of ideas and excited to plan out next year this summer!
We had our Easter Egg Hunt play date this morning at the park. This is an all-time favorite play date. The weather was perfect, the kids went nuts and ate lots of candy! The moms had fun, too!
We're closing in on the end of the year. Don't worry, there's still lots of fun ahead!
Awesome, play date, Gara! Thank you!
We also went to the library to hear Princess Belle read us a story. I guess Abigail was not a fan of the story she chose. Amy was the winner of the Disney on Ice tickets given away at the Green Parenting meeting. Congratulations, Amy!A few of us went to Gainesville this weekend for the MOPS Florida Leadership Conference. Our favorite part was splitting up into groups based on our positions for next year to brainstorm ideas and solve problems. We also loved meeting moms from other MOPS groups all over the state and learning how they set up their groups. We came back full of ideas and excited to plan out next year this summer!
We had our Easter Egg Hunt play date this morning at the park. This is an all-time favorite play date. The weather was perfect, the kids went nuts and ate lots of candy! The moms had fun, too!
Springing Ahead!
We're having lots of fun this spring so far. How nice is it living in Florida when you can get out and enjoy the parks and great weather even in February and early March?! We had an awesome play date at the Clark House playground in Orange Park on President's Day. Some dads came, too which was a nice touch.
Annie Pajcic was our speaker at our first meeting in March. She gave an awesome talk on her walk with faith and being a mom of 4! We were so lucky to have such a local celebrity take a morning off to spend with us. The week continued with an amazing girls night at Stephanie's house. We had 2 massage therapists and 2 pedicurists rotating through out the night, delicious treats (including Godiva chocolates!), wine, chick flicks, amazing moms pals and a beautiful sunset! Just, wow! We are so blessed to have such a supportive group of moms!
Clark House playground
We've had a few more work out play dates, too! Our last meeting in February was perfectly timed for planting season. Victoria Register-Freeman came to talk to us about gardening with our kids. She gave us tips on easy items to grow (radishes and lettuce) and the importance of teaching our children where our food comes from. Here is the season planting list to get you motivated to start planting!
We celebrated the start of Lent with our annual fundraiser Shrove Tuesday. We had all you can eat pancakes, bacon and sausage. The children worked on neat Mardi Gras crafts and we even had a bonfire for the palms. Oh and we raised $100 more than last year...not bad at all!
Our celebrity pancake flipper!
A family pack of tickets to Disney Jr. Live was given to a lucky winner who helped volunteer for Shrove Tuesday. Congratulations, Gina! If you missed it, don't worry...we'll give away a pack of tickets to Disney on Ice at our next meeting!
Showing off our Sophia I amulets at Disney Jr. Live at the Times-Union Center for Performing Arts
Waiting on a turn for a pedicure or massage while enjoying the sunset at our March Girls Night
New Years Resolution Help
Did you make a New Years Resolution? We've kicked off 2014 with some great speakers to help you become the best version of yourself. Our first meeting in January was more of a social one. We played the white elephant gift exchange with our Christmas reject gifts. In the meantime we had Sherry Field from Mother Earth Massage Therapy give us chair massages and friends from Beauticontrol Spa pamper us. What a great way to chill after the Christmas Craziness!
Nice and relaxed on a Monday morning!
So, now that we're relaxed, the next meeting's speaker was a Marriage and Family Therapist. (This was perfect for my new year's resolution!) She gave great tips and advice on keeping our marriages healthy. Communication seemed to be an underlining theme. The therapist does a series that you can watch here. Click on the Media section and you'll see the series: Love Handles. Awesome meeting! Most people's resolutions are about loosing weight and being healthy. Today's meeting nailed that one. A personal trainer talked to us about eating better (no carbs after 4pm!), fitting exercise into our crazy schedules and moderation. Her power point presentation is here. Nothing like a little MOPS to keep you on track! Our play date coordinator schedules a work out play date at least once a month. It's a treat to have our very own personal trainer in the group!
I finally stopped being sore after FOUR days!
We were able to see the circus elephants at our play date in January! It's amazing how quickly they can put away a table of food! We even gave away tickets at a meeting.
Eyes glued to the Circus action! Wow!
This past weekend we had a MOPS & POPS Valentine's Day party. The kids had pizza and watched a movie in the nursery while the parents enjoyed a nice meal catered by Biscotti's. We even played the newlywed game!
Romance in the air!
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