Fall Changes

This fall semester has brought on 3 changes for me.  I'm a born extrovert, so adjusting to stay-at-home momhood was a hard adjustment for me.  Without knowing any other SAHM's in our area, my days were very lonely and I'd end up being really needy when Bryson's came home.  After getting involved in a church this summer, I begin to pray and look for opportunities to make friends, be in community, and learn how to be a better mom.

1. This class is wonderful!! There are about 15 moms who meet together for the eight week study.  Motherwise to include a workout at the beginning of class, a video lecture, and then we break up into our small groups.  In our small groups there is mentor mom who is a lot "wiser" in age and life stage then the rest of us. She is there to guide, pray and mentor us through the class. I have really enjoyed this class a lot. The church has a great fitness center, so we have really sweaty, fun, intense workouts each week.  The book is challenging as it takes you though lessons on your relationship with your husband, God, self, children and others. When we meet in a small group we get to talk about what we are learning, ask questions and pray together.   Sadly we only have 2 weeks left of the class, but it has been such a growing experience in my relationship with God, my husband and also with Violet.

2.  I had heard about MOPs briefly and started to look into it when I had Violet. Being a new mom, in a new town, I was too scared and insecure to actually go to a meeting.  As I started to look into women's events at our church, I was SO excited to see they had a MOPs group. MOPs is for mom's of preschool aged kids (newborn to until kinder), to "experience experience authentic community, mothering support, personal growth and spiritual hope, all to help you be the best mom possible."  Seriously it is SO much fun! Our group meets twice a month, we have a huge breakfast, listen to a speaker, discuss and usually have a craft or game....all the while Violet is in childcare in the same building! (love it!) The women are so real, fun, kind and inviting.  I would highly, highly recommend ALL mom's to look into joining one. Even if it is hosted at a different church than you normally attend, it's a great place of community...and you'll make new/more friends!

3. Joining a small group (sorry no picture!)  A small group is basically a smaller group of couples from our Sunday school class that meet together once a week to support each other in our daily lives, spiritual growth, marriages and just having fun together!  We currently are going through this book , discussing a chapter each week.  While a lot of the times we are out of town on the weekends and miss Sunday School, it is nice to have a common place to meet during the week with friends.  We are learning  a lot from the book and it has been really fun to make friends with other couples in our same life stage.