MOPS and POPS Cookout

Each year we try to have at least one event where the whole family can attend. Our steering team wanted to make this as easy as possible for everyone so we decided to have it catered by Smithfield's Chicken and Barbeque.  This was awesome by the way. They provided all of the paper products, tea, and even serving spoons.



 

 

Since we didn't have to cook that meant we were able to eat, relax, and enjoy our time together with our families. The children ran and played on the playground, despite the heat.  It was a fun night of fellowship!

 

 

One of the best parts of MOPS is that it allows you to form friendships, and not just friendships between moms but amongst the families. It is amazing how the children grow up together, learn to love one another, and play. And let's not forget the POPS...they just might find a friend too!  

 

Harbor Mothers of Preschoolers - Join us September 4th!

MOPS OF HARBOR meets the first and third Wednesdays, September to May, from 9:30 am to 12 noon.  We share our experiences and encourage one another through small group discussions & guest speakers.  We also enjoy refreshments and making crafts.  While the moms are meeting, our children have a great time in the MOPPETS program, with loving child care workers and a teacher who visits each room with a Bible story, crafts, games, a snack, and songs.

This year's theme is "A Beautiful Mess." We will be exploring all of the messes in our lives (organization, finances, fitness, relationships, etc.) and learning to embrace them!

 

If you are interested in coming or receiving more information, please contact Jamie at  910-538-7739  Registration for MOPS International is $23.95, which pays for MOPS' bi-monthly magazine MomSense, weekly emails, and online resources.  Harbor MOPS also charges $40 each semester to help cover the cost of childcare, craft supplies, and other necessities.

Harbor MOPS Tea & Testimony

 

Look at this beautiful group of mommies!  We were so blessed to have so many able to attend our MOPS Tea and Testimony.  We even managed to dress up for the occasion because all mommies deserve to be pampered and feel beautiful!  Some of us even wore "fancy" hats!

 

 

 

Several of our MOPS members decorated tables for the event. Each lady brought several place  settings of her china, cloth napkins, and decorations for the table.  You can see the wide variety of beautiful tables we had to select from for our tea. We also had so many delicious finger foods to sample. Our plates were overflowing!  God is good to Harbor MOPS!

As part of the "testimony" part of the meeting, we went around the room and several mothers shared how MOPS has been in a blessing in their lives.  There were definitely some teary moments, but a lot of laughter as well.

 

 

 

 

MOPs Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser

The Harbor MOPs Spaghetti Dinner Crew

 

 

Phew! There is a lot of hard work, time, and energy that goes into hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser!  During our MOPs meeting, some of the moms worked hard prepping the veggies for the salad, cooking the ground beef, and preparing the tables. 

But as you can see we had a lot of fun in the kitchen!  There may have been a lot of bread to cut, a lot of peppers and cucumbers to slice, and a lot of dishes to wash afterwards but there was also a lot of laughter!

Harbor MOPs is so blessed to have the love and support of Harbor United Methodist Church.  We sold over 100 plates and helped raised funds that will be used to provide scholarships, assist with service projects, and help offset craft and childcare fees. 

If you are not already familiar with MOPs, you should check out the official MOPS website. If you are around the Wilmington, NC area we would love to have you come to one of our meetings and check out our group.

We provide a supportive and encouraging environment for Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs) with children from birth-kindergarten.  Meetings focus on a love of Christ, a time of fellowship, topics and speakers relevant to moms, service projects, and crafts. We meet on the first and third Wednesday of each month from September - May from 9:30-12.

                                            



            

 

    

And a special thank you to Rain James Photography for taking these gorgeous photos of our fundraiser!

 

Love and Logic Discussion

 

If you are not already familiar with Love and Logic, you should really take a moment to check out the website and consider reading one of the books.

 

Pastor Donald agreed to come speak to our MOPs group about Love and Logic. He has been using this book to guide a parenting class at Harbor UMC for a few months now.  Love and Logic focuses on the idea of holding our children accountable for their actions and teaching them responsibility but through a loving and nurturing environment.  Instead of engaging in an argument with a child, parents can learn to use logic to help explain the situation in a meaningful way to the child and help him/her learn from the experience. 

Thank you, Pastor Donald!

 

Egg Hunt

 

What a blessing our children are every day!  Easter is such a special time of year for us to remember that Jesus died for us and to pass this Good News along to our children.

  We were fortunate to have a MOPs member volunteer to host an egg hunt at her home.  She had cupcakes, treats, and eggs for the children to hunt!  It was a beautiful day and we had an awesome time.

Thank you, Kerri!

 

Panel Discussion

 

 

 

As usual, we started our meeting off by enjoying some yummy treats.  It is always so fun to try new recipes and enjoy this time of fellowship with one another.

 

And we were so blessed to have a wonderful panel of "experts." These ladies (and gentleman) would probably never refer to themselves as such but they definitely have many years of experience with raising children between them.

 

Panel Members:

 

• Debra and Tony - Parents of 4
• Lisa - Children's Director and mother of 2
• Ceil - Mother of 2 and grandmother

Hot Topics Included:

• How are some ways you can cope when your spouse travels?
• What is the best way to approach your spouse when you need help around the house?
• How can you foster a relationship with Christ when your spouse has different views?
• Should spanking be an option?
• What should you do when your child is being bullied?

So now that you want to know the answers to all of these burning questions, just know that you should have been there! Panel discussions are always a hit in our group.  We typically have at least one per MOPs year.