So Long... Farewell...

Another year of Mom2Mom has come to an end. I know I say it at the end of each session that I can't believe the session is already over, it goes by so fast, etc. etc. but this year really did absolutely FLY by!! It feels like just yesterday I was sitting down to type out this!! Wednesday was a busy, busy morning that went by a little too fast for my liking. The mentor moms blessed us with a wonderful taco salad and a beautiful cake that Nancy Walker made. We had a morning of extra long talk at our tables, followed up with sharing by some of YOU and just praising God for all He has done this year in the lives of each one of us through this ministry. We concluded with a slideshow and a very emotional farewell to Kerri, who shared that she isn't returning as the Mom2Mom coordinator next year. Kerri, YOU WILL BE MISSED more than any of us can even begin to express. We prayed for Debbi Garcia as it was announced that she will be stepping into Kerri's shoes next year as coordinator... I'm eagerly looking forward to next year (or September I guess... it'll be here before we know it!) and all that God has in store for this ministry and each one of us!

It has been a pleasure serving you this year at Mom2Mom.
We love you,
The Leadership Team

Worship Day & Mrs. Shafer

This past week we had the wonderful opportunity of Jason Shafer & Katie McGihon leading worship!! Worship Day is one of my favorites of the session, if not the entire year, at Mom2Mom and this last worship day of the this year proved to be no different. Jason and Katie sang Cannons, Desert Song, Living for your Glory and From the Inside Out, and they rocked each and every one of them!

We also had the pleasure of having Elizabeth Shafer (Jason's lovely wife) come and share all about her amazing mom, Kim, with us! The title: It's not what happen to you, It's what happens in you. Although Elizabeth isn't a mom, yet, she shared with us some wonderful things that her mom did in raising her and ideas for each of us to use with our kids. One of the main things I took away from her talk was wanting my kids to be able to come and talk to me about anything, in the years to come. Elizabeth was able to do that because she and her mom had such an open and honest relationship and Kim would shower her with grace anytime Elizabeth had something she needed to come and talk to her about.

Thank you to Jason, Katie & Elizabeth for blessing us on Wednesday!

Nutrition

April Johnson and Diane DeVall came to speak with us about KIDS and NUTRITION last week. They've both become certified in Dr. Sears Lean Kids programs and offered a TON of helpful information, most of it being pretty common sense stuff, but the way they presented it and gave ideas on how to help remember them was very helpful.
A few things that I took away from the morning:

Traffic Light Eating - easy for kids to remember too!!
GREEN: Green means "go" - Green light foods are "grow" foods. You want to help your child learn to eat as mucha s they want of these foods, which include all fruits and vegetables. Green light foods are: grown and not manufactured, low in calories, high in nutrients, colorful and usually can be eaten raw.
YELLOW: Yellow tells us to "slow down" - Yellow light foods are okay to eat everyday, in moderation. Yellow light foods include: pasta, rice, bread, tortillas, noodles, eggs, lean meat, chicken, low fat yogurt, nuts and seeds, olive oil, soy foods, whole grains, fish, low fat cheese and vegetable oil.
RED: Red means "stop" and think - When we come across a red light food, we should make a different choice or eat a smaller portion. Red light foods are low in nutrients; high in calories, fat or sugar; or contain artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils or trans-fats. They include: butter, cookies, candy, frozen yogurt, fatty meats, pastries, chips and white bread.

April's Cereal Rule:
Over 4 grams of fiber
Less than 6 grams of sugar

Nibble Tray: Fill a muffin tray in the morning with an assortment of different snack and goodies for your kids to nibble on during the day. Fill it with mostly green items, some yellow and a couple of dips (peanut butter/ranch dressing). Great idea. Uses the colors of the rainbow and gets kids intrigued and excited about all the options they have.

If you missed last Wednesday come and see me for extra handouts with lots of helpful information that April and Diane had out on the tables!!

A few books that were mentioned during their talk and were up at their table:
Dr. Sears' L.E.A.N. Kids: A Total Health Program for Children Ages 6-11

The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Ten Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track

The N.D.D. Book: How Nutrition Deficit Disorder Affects Your Child's Learning, Behavior, and Health, and What You Can Do About It--Without Drugs

Fit For Christ

As Rhonda Coombs shared with us last week, she is starting a women's fitness small group. Her marathon-spiritual-journey was life changing to say the least and I'm so excited that she's passionate about sharing her journey and helping those of us who may need a little push or accountability.

Small group information
Start Date: Monday, 5/17/10
Days of the week: Mon./Thurs./Sat. mornings
Time: 5:30 AM – 6:30 AM
Location: SWCC church parking lot

5:30AM: Prayer/morning devotion
Distance: 2.2 mi course – walk/run

*once you make it back to your car, you are free to leave. I am committed to staying until 0630 for the support and safety of all women.
*I also encourage multiple laps (2.2 mi) if you desire.
*Monthly: Once a month I would like to schedule a “late” Saturday morning so that we have time to fellowship and connect as a group (snack/water break).

Rhonda will have a sign up/small group sheet at the tables tomorrow, 5/12 in order to get emails/phone etc.

"The Gift of an Ordinary Day" by Katrina Kenison

Happy Mother's Day!!

Hope you all have a fabulous, relaxing day!!
Love & Blessings,
Holly

Cupcakes Galore!

It was a fun, festive Cinco de Mayo celebration at M2M this week! We started out our morning with a conga line to breakfast, followed by a devotion by Karen Blodgett and finished up with decorating delicious treats!



Carol Pawlak, Bridgette Ridenour's very talented aunt, came to teach us all about the art of cupcake decorating this week! We all had the opportunity to try out our own decorating skills and make roses out of fondant. It was fun to be able to start with something small that doesn't seem to intimidating for those of us who have never worked with the stuff before. It was a fun, messy morning and I know that the childcare volunteers and our loved ones enjoyed our creations immensely! Thank you Carol for blessing us and for bringing just about everything we needed for the fun morning!



Here's the website for the Cupcake Cuddlers that Carol created to put cupcakes in for pretty much any event/occasion you can think of. Check it out!!

All of the Milton fondant products can be found at Michaels or Joann's if you want to practice with it more at home!!

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Also, just wanted to let you know that pre-registration starts this week! Bring your checkbooks/cash to reserve your childs spot downstairs for Fall 2010 session.