Mama & Me

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T15:48:00.001-06:00

Thank you, Laura, for coming up with such a cute craft!

Remember our love dare- be kind to your sweetie tonight!

Prayers Requests:
Paige's friend, Amy
Jenny's grandmother

Moms Night, next week- Feb 23rd at my house at 6pm. Lyndsey said she'll be glad to go over some more coupling things so let her know what you are interested in- drug stores, grocery stores, etc.

Music & More- info on previous blog post- Thursday at 10am

And dont forget!!! Sign up for LL is on this coming Sunday- sign up is usually outside "the ark" area.

Thursday Music Classes

2012-02-07T15:32:00.000-06:00

Hi ladies,

This is the info on the music classes I mentioned. If you'd like Kari's email address, just let me know! Maybe some can try it next week. Hudson always loved it :)

We started a little mommy and me music class a few years ago and now we have a room at our church and thought ya'll may want to come. Pam Stracner is the teacher. You can bring any or all your kids together. You don't have to sign up, just come when you can, it is just $2 a time. It is on Thursday at 10AM at Briarwood Church in room N111. Follow the signs to the Nursery and it is down the hall. Email me with any questions and bring a friend if you want!
Thanks,
Kari

THIS WEEK

2012-02-07T14:57:00.000-06:00

Prayer Requests:
From Paige L: her friend, Amy @ Duke about a possible lung transplant
From Blaire-pregnant friend's hubby diagnosed with lymphoma and a friend leaving soon for a 2 yr mission trip
From Emily- college friend, trying to get pregnant but instead has had to have/is having a hysterectomy

Ongoing requests
Noah- Caroline Lee's friend
Lindsey's dad & her dog, Sugar

We started a little devotional today, talking about Love Dares from Fireproof. Today, we talked briefly about patience and having patience with our spouses. Let's work on patience this next week and be ready to discuss the 2nd love dare, kindness.
LOVE DARE
Here you'll find all 40 days worth of love dares-- check it out!

Thursday is our party at Lindsey's house-- 10 am! Bring a treat to share and Valentine's cards if you'd like to exchange them.
Next Tuesday, we will be making Valentine's cards to send to our own Rev. Suzanne Pruitt during M&M.

And don't forget the 23rd, Mom's Night Out at my house, I'll be making a couple of soups and will have drinks, so bring an appetizer or dessert to share.

See you all Thursday!

A Special Prayer Request from Lindsey Ring

2012-02-02T11:21:00.002-06:00

I felt that I needed to share with all of you a prayer request that is heavy on my heart. A few months ago I found out my estranged father had "stage 3 esophageal cancer with a low survival rate". I was devastated but nothing changed how I felt about our situation. Fast forward to 3 weeks ago, my mom called to tell me my dad was not doing well after having surgery to have 11 inches of his esophagus removed. It was touch and go and the doctors weren't sure if he was going to make it hour to hour. Something changed in my mind (& heart) and I immediately knew I had to get to the hospital & see him. I prayed he wouldn't die before I got to Memphis.

I hadn't seem him since I was 16, 12 years ago. Walking into the ICU was one of the hardest things I've ever done but i was glad I had done it.

That was the same week Thomas was in the hospital. I spent the mornings at the childrens hospital with T and the evenings in ICU with my dad. It was a terrible week for our family & probably the worst week of my sister's and my life.

I headed home at the end of the week knowing Thomas was doing well and thinking my dad was on the mend. He has since had more surgery, been in and out of ICU several times, and he now has pneumonia and we were told this week he has copd (lung disease). This is not necessarily the end, he certainly could make a turnaround.

He was supposed to meet Kathryn this weekend but that is not possible. I'm hoping when I come back in 2 weeks that they can finally meet. I pray that I get one last chance to see him out of the hospital & for him to meet Kathryn. I'm most afraid that our reconciliation is too late for that & that all of these years have been wasted.

It's amazing how when a close relative is so close to dying that all the things that stood between you can be forgotten. He did apologize for the events that lead to our estrangement but I didn't need it. It didn't matter anymore. I've spent the last 12 years trying to forget my memories of him and what happened and the instant I thought he was dying that's what happened.

Please pray for all of us as we navigate through the next few days and weeks and, hopefully, months.

I still plan on having our valentine party next Thursday. You will just have to excuse the appearance of our house.

Love,
Lindsey

Updates

2012-02-02T08:39:00.001-06:00

Long time, no updates-- sorry, friends!

Great group this week to celebrate Jordan and her baby girl, Cate!
Next shower will be for Alli, Emily and Ashley, end-ish of March, I 'm thinking?

Get your calendars ready-- lots of dates!
Feb 5-- Consignment sale at Jordan's
Feb 9- Valentine's Party at Lindsey Ring's 10 am
Feb 14- Valentine craft and exchanging cards at M&M (any volunteers for craft?)
Feb 19- Lil Lambs Seller Numbers will be given out at church at the Ark
Feb 23- Mom's Night Out at Kelley's house- bring snack, appetizer to share 6pm
March 9 & 10- Lil Lambs

For a list of most consignments sales in Birmingham CLICK

This is also a new sale and would be convenient to most of us!
MBCC Sweet Repeats

Prayer Requests:
all ongoing requests
Maggie Bailey (successful surgery, prayers for healing)
Family of Karla Holloway (passed away, child and husband, went to college with Kelley and Chris)
Lindsey Ring's dad
Jordan, Alli, Emily and Ashley (pregnancies)
Any other requests? Leave a comment

Who wants to lead next week?!?! Volunteers please!

2012-01-18T20:57:00.002-06:00

I'm loving our prayer circle! How do y'all feel about it?

Prayer Requests

--Shaun- on the job hunt
--Sicknesses-Blaire,Caroline, Charlie, Hudson
--Upcoming Bailey's trip & Mag's surgery
--Pregnancies
--Lindsey's father, declining & serous health condition

Praises!
--Noah, Caroline's friend- doing well!!
--Lindsey's nephew- on the mend

Mark your calendar!!
--Jordan's Sprinkle- Tuesday, January 31, 10 am

--Valentine Party at Lindsey's- Thursday, February 9, 10am

--Mama's Night Out at Kelley's- Thursday, February 23, 6 pm
Bring a dish to share!

Continue to bring your coupons as they expire!!

Hope to see you Tuesday! Or tomorrow at Homewood Library's 10:30 am Storytime!

Add to prayers

2012-01-11T19:16:00.002-06:00

Hello all!
Please remember the Ross family in your prayers as well- baby Charlie also has RSV and Jack has a cold. Prayers for healthy families!

Also, remember Kathryn's friend in Ohio!
Lv k

Updates and Announcements

2012-01-10T14:57:00.001-06:00

Hello ladies,
Lots and lots going on these days-- when is it not busy, really?

Thank you to Kathryn for taking the reigns today, as I couldn't make it to M&M today. She had shared a bit about her prepared lesson about "Carpe Diem"-- what'd you think? I loved the blog she had referenced me to (another mom mentioned it to me too!), so you might want to check it out:
momastery

Also, don't forget about the exercise class opportunity I mentioned a few weeks ago-- anyone interested?
Contact Stacey http://www.mommyandmetime if you are interested.

We have a Valentine's Party in the works for the kids, probably a week or so before Valentine's Day. We would love a craft during M&M on the 14th though if someone would like to volunteer to head this up!
Speaking of, we are going to have a Mama's Night Out during this time of LOVE-- mark your calendars for Thursday, the 23rd-- come on over to Casa Winsletts-- I'll cook supper and you can bring a dessert to share, or appetizer, or wine or nothing-take the night off-- 6ish :)

What else? Let's see...Jenna Bailey is running in the Mercedes Marathon for The Bell Center, see the earlier post on that if you'd like to make a contribution or send her a note of encouragement. Also, Laura Lee is working with COR and is accepting donations of small, hotel sized toiletries-- check out your bathroom closet or pick some up at the grocery store to donate.

We collected some great coupons today, thank you for those of you who could bring some and thank you Tara for heading that up....

Be watching for a Sprinkle invite for Jordan- Baby Cate will be here soon! We'll plan Emily and Alli's in March....

And lastly, we have some prayer requests this week.

Please remember all ongoing prayer requests, you can see those in previous post.

Lindsey Ring and her family-- she has traveled to Memphis to help her sister while her nephew undergoes a battery of tests-- also she asked we remember all of those she's encountered while on her trip, she reports of serious health situations for lots of children and their families.
Unspoken request
Kelley's health-- Im under the weather with a cold, but jacked up my bad ankle when I fell out of the truck into my front yard on Sunday-- please go ahead and laugh, there's nothing funnier than a fall, but I'm hobbling and wincing every time I sit down (hurt my tailbone too!)- and kids don't wait for Mommy
Lois Anne- croup
Jack-cold

Any other requests? Please leave a comment-- mark your calendar and watch for those invites!
Have a great week!
Love, K

All of our pregnancies

expired coupons

2012-01-09T13:15:00.003-06:00

don't forget your coupons tomorrow! also, if you are like me you only clip the coupons you know that you will use...so clip the cat food coupons even if you don't have a cat because somebody overseas might (not sure why that was my example) :) i still haven't heard from the director of coups for troops about getting a family. i am just going to mail it to a distributor here in the states.

thanks,
tara

Can you help?

2012-01-06T21:00:00.001-06:00

Hi friends,
Jenna Bailey will be running in the Mercedes Half-Marathon next month to benefit The Bell Center. Check out her webpage to see if you'd like to support her!
http://www.crowdrise.com/bellrunners2012/fundraiser/jennabailey

We are all behind you, Jenna!

2012-01-04T21:10:00.001-06:00

Hey there Ladies!
Listen up for announcements

PRAYER REQUESTS

Rachel's friend from college has passed away leaving a wife 7 months pregnant and a 3 year old -- The Reed Family

Kathryn's sister and mom

Caroline's classmate-- Noah, had an extremely serious procedure today concerning his brain tumor

Lindsey's nephew

We did have some praises from Paige- so glad to see her

Her friend, Amy in better health

Her hubby, Matt, hired on full time in November at her job!

Also, she and Matt won't be on nursery staff any more, so they'll get to attend church! I know we all love her being in the nursery, but we hope that they find a SS class that they love!

Our lesson was on keeping perspective when we have a million and three things to do-- being a mommy means seriously multitasking! Also, we started our prayer circle and will be praying specifically for one another this week for those prayer needs mentioned.

Be watching for information from Tara about our "Coups for Troops" mission-- don't throw away your expired manufacturer's coupons-- just clip them and bring them with you next week to M&M.

Also, any volunteers to lead?

Tomorrow a few of us are gathering at Wee Flip at the Vestavia City Center at 11 to play, $6-- hope to see you there! Babies up to age 5.

coups for troops

2012-01-04T15:31:00.003-06:00

hey mamas! we are going to start collecting expired coupons for military families overseas. we can either send them to a satellite location and they will send them to a family or we can send them directly to the family that we get assigned to. i wrote to the direct mail volunteer to see about matching us up with a family overseas. i think it would be kind of neat to send them to one family so that we could pray for them too. we could include other things in their coupon packages like letters or magazines. anyway, here's some info about the coupons...

What types of coupons should I send?
-All manufacturer coupons (including Catalinas) that state "manufacturer coupon."

-Store coupons cannot be used (ie Target, Publix, Walgreens, Family Dollar).

-Printed internet coupons can be used by our recipients.
-Restaurant coupons cannot be used (ie Chuck E Cheese, Blimpie, Olive Garden, Boston Market).

-Because of the time it takes packages to get to our recipients, send coupons that have expired in the last month or two. Commissaries will accept coupons that are up to six months expired.

What do I need to do before I mail them?

We only ask that you cut out the coupons before sending them to us. Please do not staple your coupons.

here is the website that explains everything.

so spread the word to your friends and start saving all those expired coupons!!!

thanks!
tara

From Lindsey's Ready Set Embroider

2012-01-01T14:01:00.003-06:00

"So we all have made it through the holidays! They are always fun but super busy. I am finally finished all of my existing orders yesterday (12/29) and plan to take time off for the next week and resume sewing on Monday, January 9.

I read about a woman who has an embroider business and each item she works on she asks the customer what they would like her to pray for and while she sews she prays for them. She wrote that the time she spends sewing is one of the only quiet times of her day and that she thought it would best be used in prayer. What a wonderful way to reach out and help each other. I would love to do this for you, no matter how big or small the prayer request is. All prayers are important and we all certainly know the power of prayer. Please do not hesitate to give me your prayer request for my 'stitched in prayer.'

Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed making all of these appliques and blogging about them!

If you would like to contact me, my email address is Lindseykring@gmail.com "

Lindsey,
This is a great idea. Thank you.
K

Coups for Troops

2012-01-01T13:59:00.001-06:00

Mamas-
What do you think of this? Let's keep those expired coupons and participate in this mission project!
K

What to do with all those cute Christmas cards?

2011-12-30T16:16:00.002-06:00

Normally, I put our Christmas cards in a photo album, so that we can look back at our friends and the kids can practice names...but this year, I'm going with this FANTASTIC idea...check it out...

Praying for Friends & Family

Have a great day, see you Tuesday at 10!

A few dates to note

2011-12-28T11:51:00.001-06:00

JANUARY 11 - TCDC & PDO Registration begins for Trinity Members. Trinity's Child Development Center (TCDC) and Parent's Day Out (PDO) program announce registration dates for 2012-2013: 1/11/12 - Trinity Members & 1/25/12 - Community. Questions? Contact Kim Wood at kwood@trinitybirmingham.com.

JANUARY 14, 2012 - Trinity's GREAT DAY OF SERVICE. Let's help our community with some "hands-on" help for the ministries we support. Everyone is invited to participate in this special day.

In-house Projects:
-Health Kits - Contact Laura Eanes: 243-8162 or littlerenovations@yahoo.com (family friendly). We are currently collecting health kit items in the Outreach Box in the Commons Area. (Health kits include hand towel, washcloth, comb, metal nail file, bath size soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and 6 adhesive bandages inside a 1-gallon plastic bag.)
-Sandwich Making - Contact David Miller: 320-2680 or dmiller5@bham.rr.com (family friendly)
-Cards for Shut-ins - Contact Adair Whetstone: 290-9392 or adwhetstone@gmail.com (kid friendly)
-Cutting and sewing patterns of bibs, scarves, and hats for Shut-ins - Contact Donna Himes: 945-8349 or donna_himes@bellsouth.net
-Coat Drive - Contact Bettie Jackson: 879-7201. We are currently collecting coats and sweaters (please, no other clothing items) of all sizes in the Outreach Bin in the Commons Area.

Outside Projects:
-Framing Walls for Habitat House - Contact Kirk Mills: 943-9234 or kirkandsu@charter.net
Landscaping at Firehouse Shelter - Contact Donna Burgess: 870-8124 or donnaburgess@bellsouth.net
-Painting at Firehouse Shelter - Contact Kirk Mills: 943-9234 or kirkandsu@charter.net
Building bunk beds at Urban Rush Center - Contact Larry Taylor: taylarry2@charter.net or 879-7920 (need two more adults to help with nail guns)
-Wall at House of Restoration - led by Billy Beers (volunteers fulfilled)
-Painting at House of Restoration - led by Thermon Jones and Agape Class
-Painting and cleaning gutters for Urban Ministries - Contact Dave Barnhart: 879-1737 or dbarnhart@trinitybirmingham.com
-Tornado Relief Projects (planning on 2 or 3 teams depending on response) - Contact Kirk Mills: 943-9234 or kirkandsu@charter.net

Wrapping Up 2011

2011-12-20T17:08:00.000-06:00

Ladies, can you believe that today was the last meeting for 2011?! Where has this year gone?

We've welcomed a lot of new "regulars" into the group, regained some original members with changing nap schedules and sent some on their next adventure with moves. We've contributed to tornado victims. We've gathered toys and baby supplies for those in need. We've ministered to one another-- we've cried, we've laughed, we've yelled, we vented, we might have said a few bad words here and there. We shopped consignment sales with master plans. We've busted out our swimsuits in front of one another with abandon. We've kept one another's kids; heck, we've kept each other! We've cooked supper and delivered it one another. We've opened our homes to one another for play dates, passing down clothes and breaking bread. We've couponed! We've prayed for one another's needs. We've prayed for one another's friends and families. We've prayed through sickness, health, thanksgivings, jobs, moves, -- well, what haven't we prayer for?

I could talk for hours about what we've learned and taught by sharing our lives with one another-- sharing our time and talents. I am so very blessed to share in this group of women. I am so blessed to call you my friends.

I love you all.
Have a safe and very Merry, stress free, Christmas.
(well, as stress free as it can be with little ones, take time to ENJOY it)
See you on January 3.
Kelley

From BhamBargainMom

2011-12-16T13:55:00.000-06:00

There are some great things going on at the Southern Musuem of Flight Saturday and throughout December.

Saturday you can get your picture made with Santa + get free cookies and hot chocolate. They will burn the picture onto a disk for you or you can bring your own camera.

It's from 10 a.m. to noon and is free with paid admission to the museum.

PLUS if you go to their website you can get a coupon good for free children's admission with a paid adult admission. Good for 2 kids free with one adult.

The coupon is good through Jan. 31, 2012

Who doesn't love cupcakes on Nat'l Cupcake Day?

2011-12-15T21:44:00.001-06:00

These kids and their mamas do! Lindsey was so kind to host our entire group for our M&M Christmas party today. She went all out with the decorations and the cupcakes. I can certainly say it was a success!

She set up a decorate-your-own cupcake bar! How cute is that?

Get ready for lots of kids and babies!

We also collected donations for Toys for Tots and a local adoption agency that will be helping an orphanage in Haiti. Thanks everyone for pitching in!

All the kids were so glad to play with one another....it's amazing how they form their own little friendships with one another. One mom summed up our group as the place we go on Tuesdays where we might say any of the following:

Can someone watch my kids while I go to the bathroom?...

Does anyone have a size 4 diaper?...

Who lost a shoe?...

It's his turn now, remember, you have to share...

SO TRUE!!!!

Look at this pretty girl-- isn't she a doll?

Even the little ones enjoy their time....and us mommy's with bigger kids get some baby cuddles in!

And look who got to make his own cupcake after preschool! Hudson was so glad he didn't miss ALL the fun!

Thank you again, Lindsey for opening your home! And thank you all, Mamas for bringing your donations and for making this another wonderful year in Mama and Me!

Prayer Requests this week:
Traveling husbands

See you Tuesday at regular time and then we'll break until the first Tuesday in January 2012!

Mommy Workouts!

2011-12-15T21:26:00.000-06:00

No ladies, I'm not talking about chasing the toddler as she goes to throw a precious earring down the toilet, but there is a local mom who teaches Mommy and Me Exercise classes! She wanted me to share the info with you, so check out her website!

This is what she had to share:
"....It is specially designed for Moms - an interactive workout for Moms and their kids ages 4 months and up. It provides an excellent workout for Moms plus the opportunity for them to have a fun, healthy bonding experience with their children. Myself, and the other instructor are both Christians, and we would love to get more Christian Moms involved in working out with us.....We are currently meeting at OLS just down the street from your church, and would love to see about bringing your group to us or starting a new class just for your group....'

Thanks!

Stacey

Mommy and Me Time Fitness mommyandmetime.com

Pray on it, think on it and let's talk about it next week to see if there is any interest.

See you Tuesday!

A busy week!

2011-12-11T22:09:00.000-06:00

Hey Ladies!
See you all tomorrow for our regularly scheduled M&M at TUMC at 10am!

Then, we have our Christmas party at Lindsey Ring's house on Thursday! We will be collecting NEW toys for Toys for Tots, so remember to bring your donations!

Also, Mel sent out this email: "One of the orphanages in Haitit that Lifeline works with is need of some basic supplies-hand sanitizer, bar soap, shampoo, baby lotion, baby wipes and disposable diapers. I know that at this time a year we all feel stretched financially, but if you would like to donate it would be greatly appreciated. I will be dropping off everything we collect to Lifelife on Monday, December 19th. I will be more than happy to come by your house to pick it up if I am not going to be seeing you before then. So grab a couple of bars of soap from your bathroom closet or pick up an extra package of wipes at the store this week; every little things counts!

Love,

Melissa"

So, we hope that you will bring in those donations for our Christmas missions and we'll see you soon!

One more thing!

If you'd like to save a stamp, bring your Christmas cards this week to exchange with one another during M&M or our party! It never hurts to "ooh and ahh" over one another's kids!

Love, K

A Mama Christmas

2011-12-05T21:12:00.001-06:00

These were our "pickle hunting" groups!

Thank you to Emily for hosting our Christmas Mama Party!

Remember our kid party on the 15th!

We had such a great time and enjoyed our fun games! See you in the morning ladies!

Such beautiful mamas!

Special Prayer Request

2011-11-30T20:38:00.002-06:00

Dear girls,
Please remember my friend, Maegan in your prayers. Grab a tissue and go on over to her blog to hear her story: http://maeganroper.blogspot.com/

See you soon,
Love, K

Party time!

2011-11-29T14:06:00.001-06:00

Hi Ladies-
FINAL headcount going on now.
Please respond to Emily's Evite or email her or text her if you plan to come on Monday night to the Christmas party.
$10 should be delivered/mailed to me ASAP. If you write a check, I need it before Friday and I need you to leave the "To" part blank. You can also give me cash or send a payment via Paypal. If you'd like me to send you a request for PP, let me know-- it will be $10.50 if you do PP b/c of the charged fees.
Please remember all ongoing prayer requests and I'll see you soon!
Lv k

Wait, there's more at Tiny Prints!

2011-11-23T23:08:00.000-06:00

Hi ladies,
I almost forgot!

At Tiny Prints, if you spend $100 or more and buy a $25 gift certificate, you'll get $30 off your holiday card order! How could you beat that? What a great deal, especially with all the couponing we've been doing! Go HERE for all the info on this awesome offer!

And I can't wait to see all of your cute Christmas cards! Maybe we should plan to exchange one day and save on our postage as well?
K

Tiny Prints Christmas Cards

2011-11-23T22:36:00.000-06:00

Hey there Mamas!
I know that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but if you're like me you're already planning Christmas-- we have to stay a step ahead, or five steps ahead with our little ones, right? And so, I was thrilled to see that Tiny Prints has the cutest Christmas cards available this season! Just go HERE to see for yourself!

I've started a tradition with my kids and the Christmas cards we receive. We display them in the house during the holiday season by simply taping them up on the kitchen door. But, it's after the holidays that we get crafty. I love all the cute pictures that we get of our friends and family, so we started a photo album a few years back and we put our Christmas cards in them! Hudson loves looking through to see his friends and see how much they've all grown. Seriously cute.

So, be sure to check out all the cute designs this year at Tiny Prints!
You won't be disappointed!

And check out their blog campaign, where you can blog to earn some free cards for yourself!
Have a great night,
Kelley

Good Mommy Reading Here!!

2011-11-17T10:42:00.002-06:00

Busy Moms

Check this out, Mamas!

2011-11-16T19:22:00.000-06:00

This week's prayer requests:

Kathryn's mom surgery
Kathryn's sister
Pregnancies
Kelley's back! Ouch!
Mel's healing hand
Travels

Also, remember no M&M this coming week, can you believe it's already Thanksgiving?!?

Dec 5- 6 pm Emily's house- Moms Night!!
Please pay by cash or Paypal to Kelley by the 29th, Tuesday after next. If paying by PP, please plan on .50 extra due to fees.

Dec 15- 10 am Lindsey's house- Kids' Party

See evites for details, let me know if you've not received yours!!

The Mother of All Coupons

2011-11-13T16:47:00.003-06:00

Thank you Alli for sharing this coupon with us! Use this friends when you renew your membership to McWane! If you aren't a member already, what are you waiting for? You will use it all winter long!
McWane Coupon

A few notes

2011-11-10T17:40:00.000-06:00

Hi Ladies!
I have a few announcements and updates!

Please remember all of our ongoing prayer requests and add the Head Family.

December 5th is our Christmas Party! It will be at Emily Israel's house and we will have it catered this year.
So, I need to know Zoes or Tazikis? Let me know your vote and once we decide, we will get payment up front and determine who will pick it up and bring it to Emily's. Of course, we may still bring a dessert or two. Watch for an Evite from Emily.

Also, be watching for more info in your inbox about a special kids' party coupled with a Christmas mission opportunity!

Finally, I would love a volunteer or two to help me set up and "run" the Christmas Advent Wreath activitiy at TUMC. It will be the Sunday after Thanksgiving at 4pm in our fellowship hall. You don't have to be a member to help out!

Who's hostess next week?
We will need a volunteer for:
Nov 15
Nov 29
Dec 6
Dec 13

Can you believe we only have 4 more meetings this year?!?!?

Turkey Time

2011-11-05T17:34:00.001-05:00

I have a really cute appliqued turkey infants gown - 3/6 months ... Shep wore it last year and since its turkey time again i thought id pass along to someone who has an infant this yr. let me know and i can bring it to mama and me! Jordan elkins did the applique and it very cute! Orange and brown colors so very unisex.

Alli

A few requests

2011-11-03T12:40:00.002-05:00

Hi all,
Please remember all ongoing prayer requests and add Laura's stepfather and a friend of her Caroline's, who is facing a non-treatable tumor.

Who wants to lead next week?

Halloween Party

2011-10-25T20:38:00.002-05:00

Thank to all the moms that made it for our Halloween soirée today! And thank you to Jenny for organizing it :-)

We had lots of friends-- for some reason I didn't get a picture of the big boys-- I think those superheroes and trains were just too fast for me!

These girls had lots to discuss...

These boys got their naps out..

Just a reminder that our couponing get together is this Thursday at Lyndsey's house, 6pm. Come for a great time!!

Also, our Christmas Party is scheduled for December 5 at 6 pm. Emily Israel will be our hostess! Thank you, Emily!

Prayer Requests
Mel's hand- surgery went well, prayers for healing
Kathryn's sister
Pregnancies
All ongoing requests

Prayer Requests

2011-10-22T19:20:00.001-05:00

Hi Mamas-
Please remember all of our ongoing prayer requests:
Pregnancies
Newborns & families
Lauren Nickles

And add
Lindsey Ring's family, loss of her beloved dog this week
Melissa- her hand surgery has been tougher than anticipated

See you Tuesday for the Halloween par-tay, the Thursday for the coupon get together!

Halloween

2011-10-22T19:18:00.001-05:00

Hi ladies!

I have been trying to organize a little Halloween get-together with our kiddos and the senior adults at church, but we were not able to work it out. Instead, we will have a Halloween party-toddler style. Please bring your kids in their Halloween costumes to Mama & Me next Tues, Oct 25th. We will play and visit and eat. Also, bring a little snack to share. I will bring paper goods and something for the moms to drink. If you haven't been able to make it to Mama & Me lately, we miss you and hope you can make it on Tuesday.

Jenny

Mark Your Calendars!

2011-10-13T20:13:00.001-05:00

Thursday, Oct 27
6pm
Lyndsey Mooney's home
Couponing Mooney-style 101

Watch for details from Lyndsey!

Prayers

2011-10-11T21:24:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies,
Today we talked a bit about praying with and for our kids. I know our discussion made me think a bit and I've prayed for my children more today. We have few prayer requests as well:
Laura's stepfather
Library's dog
Our pregnancies
Our new babies & their tired mamas
All previous ongoing requests

Praise for our new babies!!

Reminders:
On Tuesday, October 25, dress your little one in their Halloween costume and bring a treat to share. Jenny Ellison will be leading and sending out more info.

Be watching for a couponing get together, hosted by Lyndsey Mooney! I'll send out more info once the details are decided.

December 5th will be our Christmas get together!

We need a volunteer to host next week- any volunteers?

Prayer Need

2011-10-05T21:53:00.002-05:00

Please remember Lauren Nickles in your prayers tonight. She has not received good news in her fight with cancer, but remains hopeful. In prayer, there is hope.
Journey SS class will be collecting items for a birthday basket for her. If you'd like to contribute something, please bring it to church on Sunday.

Next week at M&M

2011-10-05T14:48:00.000-05:00

Hi ladies,
I will be leading next week at M&M and hope to see you there!

Please remember that flu shots will be available in the fellowship hall from 8am-1pm at a cost of $20. The pharmacist from Homewood Pharmacy will be administering them.

Also,visit this blog if you get a chance, http://thedykmanfamily.blogspot.com/
This family is in town for their son's kidney transplant and Jordan has been delivering meals to them; meals that are frozen that the parents can heat as needed. If you'd like to send a meal, email Jordan or contact me and I'll get you in touch with Jordan.

Also, we have a weeks that are needing someone to sign up to play hostess and lead our devotion. Please check your calendar, or comment and let me know when you can!
(KB, I know you signed up for a day in Nov, you're totally off the hook with a newborn, but if you'd still like to lead, sign up again please :-))

Oct 11- Kelley
Oct 18-
Oct 25-
Nov 1-
Nov 8-
Nov 15-
Nov 22- no mtg
Nov 29-
Dec 6-
Dec 13-

We'll be doing a couponing workshop soon. Watch for that info!

Please note our Christmas get together on Monday night, 6 pm, December 5!!
Do you want to play dirty Santa? Do a cookie/treat exchange? Ideas please!!

2011-10-05T11:10:00.002-05:00

Hi ladies--
Mel and Jenny will be at M&M to lead and co-host tomorrow. I will be on a field trip with Hudson and lots of 4 yr olds!!

Meal schedules have been set up for our new babies!! Thank you for helping out these 2nd time moms!

For the Bubrig's:
http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=MDSQ2860

For the Paulks:
http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=IRYJ7330

Prayer requests!!
Please remember these requests:
Sarah- sick!! & new baby
Charlotte- broken collarbone! Fell down stairs
Kathryn- new baby
Alli, Emily, & Jordan- pregnant
Emily- flu!!
Melissa's hand & surgeries
Shaun- studying for next CPA exam
Chris- traveling

All our ongoing/previous requests
Hows Charlie's cough?

Be watching for a social date soon!!
Love, Kelley

This week...

2011-09-21T14:10:00.000-05:00

Thank you dear Jenny for leading this week! And thank you to our visitor! We hope that you felt at home and will come back soon!

Random acts of kindness: they make everyone's day. Have you been especially kind to someone? What goes around truly comes around so share some smiles and the love of our Father!

Prayer requests
Blaire's high school BFF's family
Kathryn's pregnancy (she is 40 wks! today
Sarah and new baby, Brooklyn
Alli and Jordan's pregnancies (she's having a...oh, check her mom's blog!)
Unspoken health concerns
All ongoing requests

Have a super week!
Love you all
K

Making tents

2011-09-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I talked about how sometimes we get so caught up in being a wife, a mother, a friend, that sometimes we forget that God actually did give us an agenda when he created us-to share his word and be examples of His amazing love.

Shaun and I have this thing that we say to each other every morning: Be a tent maker. For those of you are aren't familiar with that saying, it refers to the dispel Paul. Paul put everything he had into missions. His claim to fame was that he never took donations to fund his missionary work, but instead worked making tents and used his on money to support his mission trips. Not only was his tent making a way to fund his missionary work, he also used his shop as a way to spread God's word to the people he made the tents for. The point is that he wasn't just a tent maker on the weekdays and then a missionary on the weekends. Paul never lost focus of what his true purpose was, to be witness for Christ. Shaun isn't just an accountant. I am not just a wife and Mommy. We see these "jobs" as avenues to do our real work, the work of Christ.

Every day we have the opportunity, in one way or another to be a witness to Christ. So try to remind yourself to be a tent maker. Teach your children to be tent makers. God has given me so many worldly blessings, but sometimes I forget that He also gave me an agenda to follow. He laid out good deeds for me to do, but I am the one who must follow through.

Ephesians 2:10

- Melissa

No M&M tomorrow

2011-09-05T22:09:00.000-05:00

Remember ladies- no meeting tomorrow- check your calendars to see if you can lead during October. Leave a comment if you can and/or if you have a prayer request
Stay dry!!
Lv k

Thanks to our leading ladies for September!!
September 13- Melissa
September 20- Jenny
September 27- Blaire

What's Up?

2011-08-30T14:46:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,
A few announcements and prayer concerns!
Mamas Night Out tomorrow at 6 at Panera Bread at the Summit

No M&M next week due to holiday

10am NEW TIME beginning on 09/13/11
Who will be leading? Devotional?
Please sign up to be our hostess!!
We need someone on
09/13
09/20
09/27

Lil Lambs still needs volunteers!

Prayer Needs:

Michael Buse, at St Vincents, ongoing health issues

Family of Jared Hubbard
   Jared(27 yr) He's now
   being moved to a regular room and
   an end of life team is taking over.
   Prayers especially for his mother,
   Charlotte Hubbard and brother,
   Adam. His dad just died in June.

Lauren Nickles-Mom of little ones, diagnosed with cancer

Jeanette- Jenny's mom's friend undergoing treatment for cancer

Kathryn's Ohio Neighbor- 17 yr old son died
Katheyn's Work friend- health issues

Lindsey R's friend, Laurie- recovering from c section complications

All of the M&M pregnant moms

Many of our littles ones will be starting PDO/TCDC/other preschools next week

Please sign up to lead and send me any requests!
Also, if you received an email to join the M&M Google group, please join! It really helps communication!

Much love, Kelley

11:00 tomorrow

2011-08-22T19:46:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow we will be meeting at regular time, 11 am.

10am will begin on September 13th as our fall schedule.
Hudson's caught what Lois Anne had, so I won't be there again.
Have a great day!

Mama and Me Fall Updates

2011-08-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

Hey there Mamas!!
Just a few things to share with you!

We discussed our fall schedule on Tuesday and will be moving back to our original 10:00 meeting time on Tuesday mornings. We will meet each week, with the exception of Labor Day week, Thanksgiving week and the week of Christmas and after. Please see the schedule of Tuesdays and leave a comment to let us all know who will be leading which week (this will also help if for some reason you aren't able to lead on your week). We will also be starting a new study on 09/13, if you'd like to suggest a study, we'd love to hear your ideas. You may also choose to share something relevant on the weeks that you are leading. This is going to take everyone's commitment to keep this ministry alive! Pray on it, ladies!

September 13
September 20
September 27
October 4
October 11
October 18
October 25
November 1
November 8
November 15
November 29
December 6
December 13

When can you lead?

Don't forget, Mama's Night Out at Panera Bread, Summit, on August 31st at 6. Don't worry about dressing up, come in your mommy clothes and enjoy your supper in peace!

Lil Lambs will began sign up for sellers and volunteers on Sunday, August 21st. It will be open the public the following day. The sale is on September 9 & 10.

Prayer requests:
Winslett's sick house
Any others?

Homewood Library Sale-- Children's Books!!! Check it out!

2011-08-10T07:39:00.001-05:00

FOHO Blockbuster Book Sale

Join us Friday night for the opening event!

Friday night, August 12

6:30—8:30

$2.00 admission per person. Enjoy wine, refreshments and first choice of the books!

Saturday, August 13

9—5:30

Sunday, August 14

2—5:30

Monday, August 15

9—5:30

Prayers please!

2011-08-09T21:48:00.002-05:00

Elizabeth Scheeter ended up with an emergency c section tonight due to high blood pressure but all is well! Baby Scheeter is 7 lbs 13 Oz 21.5 Inches. No name yet but working on it!

2011-08-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

Just a few reminders!

Baby Sprinkle next Tuesday, the 9th for Kathryn (boy) and Sarah (girl)
Come for fun and treats!!

August 31st, Mama's Night Out, 6pm, Panera Bread, The Summit

Also, a few prayer requests:
Blaire's Friend's little boy having surgery Friday at childrens
Blaire's Friend from hometown-her 3 year old drowned this past Saturday.
Kathryn's house in Ohio has a contract on her house. Pray everything works out.

Updates

2011-07-27T08:25:00.002-05:00

A few prayer requests!
Summer pregnancies
Emily's BIG appointment and Caroline's eyes (update Em?)
Melissa's sister in law w/new baby Callie

Dates to remember
August 9th-- Sarah(baby girl) and Kathryn's (baby boy) baby sprinkle
August 31-- Moms Night Out, 6 pm, place TBD (leave a comment to suggest a restaurant)

AND if anyone wants to meet, there will be a group meeting at 10 at McWane on Friday (not Th as discussed). Meet in the Just Mice Sized area.

A few things to share

2011-07-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

Hey Mamas!
Just a little bit to share from this week!

No M&M next week due to VBS. If someone would like to organize an outing, please let me know!

A few prayer requests:

The Ellison Family, Daniel's young cousin passed away unexpectedly
Sydney's upcoming consult for tubes at the end of the month
Emily's cardiologist appt at the end of the month
ALL of our pregnancies
Home for sale

Please sign up to be hostess for a week of M&M!!

July 19- No VBS

July 26- Mel

Aug 2-

Aug 9- Kelley

Aug 16

Aug 23

Aug 30

2011-07-07T09:24:00.002-05:00

Please make way for new baby Charlie! Johnny and Tara welcomed Charles Robert Ross into the world at 12:57 this morning. He weighed 7lbs 3oz, and is 20 3/4 inches long with a head full of dark hair. Tara is resting and Jack is excited to meet his brother.

I've gone ahead and set up a meal schedule if you'd like to take one. Here is the link!
http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=HMYE0464
(posting from iPad, can't make a real link)

Also, check your blogs! Someone special made an announcement!!

Updates

2011-07-06T15:36:00.001-05:00

Good afternoon, Mamas,
Tara will be induced on Monday, IF she doesn't go before then and that's a big IF. Please remember her and her family in your prayers.

Also, Eli's tonsils and adenoids proceedure went well today. Please remember him as he recovers and his sweet mama and daddy as they care for him.

And one more request-- please remember Mel's DH Shaun, as he readies to take the next part of his accounting test!

Prayer Requests for the first week in July!

2011-07-06T07:48:00.000-05:00

July?!?! How did we get to July so quickly?!?! It will be Christmas before we know it!
See the previous post from Melissa's blog about praying for our children. I think it is a great guide and would be super for us to do at home each day!

A few requests:

Laura Lee's step-father, diagnosed with renal carcinoma
Eli E- tonsils and adenoids removed today
Kathryn, new to M&M and expecting her 2nd, two drs appts next week
Tara- close to D Day!!
All of our pregnancies-- don't forget Sarah and Brinkley an Elizabeth Scheeter!
Lindsey's husband with continued job search

Praise!

Let's remember all of our little ones and we have celebrated and will continue with a lot of first birthdays this summer!! And, Lindsey's friend, Adrienne, had her baby Bennett at 26 weeks along-- he turned one on Sunday! Praise, Praise!

No other announcements right now-- no M&M on the 19th due to VBS-- anyone want to schedule and host a water playdate? It's so hot these days!

Please sign up to host a day of M&M-- see list of days a few posts back.

See you all soon!

love, K

Praying-- a guide

2011-07-06T07:37:00.001-05:00

Praying For Our Children
I saw this the other day on a friend's blog and thought that it would be a wonderful thing to share with my friends and family. I printed the list out and have started praying a specific scripture over Lillian and John Whitten every day. My friend had the idea to match the number with the correlating date (# 5- July 5), and that is how I have been doing it. I challenge my other Mommy friends to do the same. Parenting is such a huge task and I know that I cannot go it alone. Shaun and I are not enough for Lillian and John Whitten and we know that we need God in order to be the parents He calls us to be.
-Melissa

1. Salvation—"Lord, let salvation spring up within _________, that she may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." (Isa. 45:8; 2 Tim. 2:10)

2. Growth in Grace—"I pray that _________ may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. 3:18)

3. Love—"Grant, Lord, that _________ may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in her." (Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:2)

4. Honesty and Integrity—"May integrity and honesty be _________'s virtue and her protection." (Ps. 25:21)

5. Self-Control—"Father, help _________ not to be like many others around her, but let her be alert and self-controlled in all she does." (1 Thess. 5:6)

6. Love for God's Word—"May _________ grow to find Your Word more precious than gold and sweeter than honey." (Ps. 19:10)

7. Justice—"God, help _________ to love justice as You do and act justly in all she does." (Ps. 11:7; Mic. 6:8)

8. Mercy—"May _________ always be merciful, just as her Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36)

9. Respect (for self, others, and authority)—"Father, grant that _________ may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands." (1 Pet. 2:17)

10. Biblical Self-Esteem—"Help _________ develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that she is God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 2:10)

11. Faithfulness—"Let love and faithfulness never leave _________, but bind these twin virtues around her neck and write them on the tablet of her heart." (Prov. 3:3)

12. Courage—"May _________ always be strong and courageous in her character and in her actions." (Deut. 31:6)

13. Purity—"Create in _________ a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in her actions." (Ps. 51:10)

14. Kindness—"Lord, may _________ always try to be kind to everyone." (1 Thess. 5:15)

15. Generosity—"Grant that _________ may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for herself as a firm foundation for the coming age." (1 Tim. 6:18-19)

16. Peace-Loving—"Father, let _________ make every effort to do what leads to peace." (Rom. 14:19)

17. Joy—"May _________ be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit." (1 Thess. 1:6)

18. Perseverance—"Lord, teach _________ perseverance in all she does, and help her especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for her." (Heb. 12:1)

19. Humility—"God, please cultivate in _________ the ability to show true humility toward all." (Titus 3:2)

20. Compassion—"Lord, please clothe _________ with the virtue of compassion." (Col. 3:12)

21. Responsibility—"Grant that _________ may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load." (Gal. 6:5)

22. Contentment—"Father, teach _________ the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives her strength." (Phil. 4:12-13)

23. Faith—"I pray that faith will find root and grow in _________'s heart, that by faith she may gain what has been promised to her." (Luke 17:5-6; Heb. 11:1-40)

24. A Servant's Heart—"God, please help _________ develop a servant's heart, that she may serve wholeheartedly, as if she were serving the Lord, not men." (Eph. 6:7)

25. Hope—"May the God of hope grant that _________ may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)

26. Willingness and Ability to Work—"Teach _________, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all her heart, as working for the Lord and not for men." (Col. 3:23)

27. Passion for God—"Lord, please instill in _________ a soul that 'followeth hard after thee,' one that clings passionately to You." (Ps. 63:8)

28. Self-Discipline—"Father, I pray that _________ may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair." (Prov. 1:3)

29. Prayerfulness—"Grant, Lord, that _________'s life may be marked by prayerfulness, that she may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers." (1 Thess. 5:17)

30. Gratitude—"Help _________ to live a life that is always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 5:20; Col. 2:7)

31. A Heart for Missions—"Lord, please help _________ to develop a desire to see Your glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among the peoples." (Ps. 96:3)

Yay for Tuesdays!

2011-06-29T08:02:00.000-05:00

We had a great little group yesterday at Mama and Me -- a second time visitor and a lot of fun!
Gift cards should be in to Jenny by the end of the week, Publix preferrably-- just email her and get them in the mail to her if you've not seen her. Any amount, no matter how small is appreciated. Remember, this is for a local family who was devastated following the April 27 tornados.

On Tuesday, July 5th and 12th, we will be collecting "6s of items" for the sextuplets at Brookwood. We will be collecting wipes, lotions, diapers, onesies, burp clothes, of even gift cards. You can go to the Dollar Tree and only spend $6! This family also has a 2 year old son, if someone wants to do a big brother prize, too.

We will not be meeting on July 19th, due to Vacation Bible School.
And we need you to sign up to be leader for a week if you haven't already!

July 5
July 12
July 26

Aug 2
Aug 9-- Kelley-- Sarah's Baby Sprinkle
Aug 16
Aug 23
Aug 30

Prayer Requests this week:

Eli E. will be having his tonsils and adenoids out next week
Sydney is going for a tube consult
Caroline I. will be having her tear ducts opened on Friday
Kathryn B, pregnant, will be having two drs appts coming up and Collier has been running a low temp
Tara-- knee and baby!!
Our other pregnancies-- Sarah, Brinkley-- anyone else? We seem to do this as a group!

PRAISE!!
An unspoken medical condition of a friend's child has received positive news! Praise God!

Meet at McWane at 9am on Thursday in the Just Mice Sized area on the 1st floor if you want to play!
Have a great day, girls!

a few pics!

2011-06-21T21:10:00.000-05:00

We will miss you dear friends!!!
Keep in touch and keep that blog updated!
We love you, Ginny and Robert!!

Weekly Update

2011-06-21T13:19:00.003-05:00

Hi ladies-
Just a few updates from today and prayer requests!

Please remember:
Tara- not only is she nearing the end of her pregnancy in this heat, now she's got a bum knee and will be facing a MRI. Remember her and her family! It's hard on everyone when mommy can't get around!

Pregnancies- Tara, Sarah, Brinkley, Elizabeth Scheeter and Kathryn
Please remember Melissa Sadbury, she's just lost her mother after a long battle w cancer
Couple w health struggles in Mels SS class
Safe travels- Kyle and Nat, my brother and SIL in Peru on mission trip and girlfriend, April in Iceland on vacation
Ginny and family with upcoming move

PRAISE!
Mels hubby Shaun got a great score on his CPA exam!

Way to go! We know that Shaun had to study hard while Mel had long hours too!

On Friday, Lila & Elizabeth will be in town if everyone wants to go to McWane, or we could do a morning playmate if someone wants to volunteer to host. Just comment or email!

Please get your Publix cards to Jenny by next week if you want to participate in June's mission. For July, we will gather and donate "sixes" of baby items for the new sextuplets at Brookwood. Please bring any items with you to M&M.

Prayers Needed

2011-06-19T19:55:00.001-05:00

Hey ladies-
Please remember Tara, she is due next month and has hurt her knee yesterday. She hurt it while getting up and hopes to see an orthopedist tomorrow. She will keep us posted.

And also, I saw in the news that there are a new set of sextuplets in AL, born at Brookwood yesterday at 28 weeks gestation. There were 5 girls and 1 boy, along with a big brother now. What can we do for this family? Wal Mart gift cards? Everyone bring in a box of diapers, wipes and formula coupons? Or just a random baby item by the 6's? Like 6 lotions, or 6 diaper creams? Pray on it!

See you Tuesday!

Tuesday

2011-06-15T20:41:00.002-05:00

Good evening, Mamas-- just a few prayer requests from M&M yesterday!

Paige Hofer's cousin's child has a severe staph infection
Emily and Caroline Israel have some upcoming doctor's appts that are important
Family who lost their child in last week's Mt Laurel drowning

We did have one praise, Maggie Bailey had a pretty bad fall this last week or so and PRAISE to the Lord, she was fine!!

We are still taking gift cards for tornado victims, Publix cards are great-- get those to Jenny as soon as you can.

Thank you and welcome to our visitors, we hope that we will see you soon!!

Be sure and say a prayer of thanks for all of our blessings tonight!Blaire-- please email me, I only had your work email address!kelleywinslett@gmail.com

Tomorrow Night-- Craft Night!

2011-06-07T19:59:00.004-05:00

Hey ladies,
We will be in Room 111, right across from the nursery tomorrow night from 5-9pm! Bring your own snacks, supper, take out, etc and a craft or something fun to work on! If you have no sewing, or scrapbooking to do, we have a project for you to work on-- new nursery bags for those little ones turning one. I can't wait!

We had a great Mama and Me today, and sprinkled Tara with love and baby goodies. Thanks to everyone who came and also brought a treat to share. It was a great M&M! I was so glad to see everyone's beautiful face!

A few prayer requests:

Please remember our pastors, Andy Wolfe and Suzanne Pruitt with their battles with cancer
Mel's request from last week of those SS members
Family of Garrett Jones (re: email from Jenny)
Family of Ella, the little girl who passed away this week in Mt Laurel
Mallorys family as she and Bryan travel and all of those from previous weeks

PRAISE--

Ginny found a house on the big house hunt, pray that everything works out!

Hope to see everyone tomorrow night!

Also, please sign up to host a week of M&M!

Tuesday, June 14th-- Jenny
Tuesday, June 21st--Becky
Tuesday, June 28th-- Lindsey Ring

Tuesday, July 5--
Tuesday, July 12th--
Tuesday, July 19th-- We will not meet due to VBS!
Tuesday, July 26th--

Tuesday, August 2--
Tuesday, August 9-- Sarah's Sprinkle
Tuesday, August 16--
Tuesday, August 23--
Tuesday, August 30--

Summer Freebie

2011-06-01T21:36:00.002-05:00

Click HERE to see a fun summer freebie!
Thanks to Alli for sharing this link!
Love, K

What's happening this week?

2011-06-01T21:12:00.001-05:00

Hey there Mamas!
A few prayer requests, a GIANT PRAISE and some dates to remember:

all of the requests from last week (see previous posts)
Alli-- she's lost a piece of jewelry that's very important
Mel-- a friend from SS, with tremendous health issues
those dealing with tornado aftermath
pregnancies within our group
Ginny will be house hunting this weekend for big move
anonymous person going through a divorce

PRAISE

Trevor fell this past weekend, down an entire FLIGHT of stairs-- and is completely fine. He was checked out from head to toe at the hospital and was smiling at M&M this week. What a praise that is.

And as always, please comment if you have more! We mamas gotta pray to make it through our days, can I get an "Amen"?

REMEMBER

Next Tuesday, June 7 is Tara's Baby Sprinkle at 11am

Next Wednesday, June 8 is Craft Night for Mama's, Room 111, 5:30-9p,

Tuesday, August 9th will be Sarah's Baby Sprinkle

And please sign up for which Tuesday you will commit to being our M&M leader-- just leave a comment below or email me and I'll update this list of dates. (See previous post if you are out of the loop!)

Tuesday, May 31st-- Kelley
Tuesday, June 7-- Tara's Sprinkle!
Tuesday, June 14th-- Jenny
Tuesday, June 21st--Becky
Tuesday, June 28th--

Tuesday, July 5--
Tuesday, July 12th--
Tuesday, July 19th-- We will not meet due to VBS!
Tuesday, July 26th--

Tuesday, August 2--
Tuesday, August 9-- Sarah's Sprinkle
Tuesday, August 16--
Tuesday, August 23--
Tuesday, August 30--

Summer Changes

2011-05-26T22:54:00.000-05:00

Hello dear Mamas,
I think we may have one more change with our summer-- does that surprise anyone? I mean, with so many kids and vacations does this really surprise anyone?

We are still going to focus on completing three missions-- we are currently taking donations of $ and gift cards for the families affected in PG by the recent tornadoes and we are going to be tackling two more this summer. We are also still keeping things casual with just Tuesday meetings being a "Play and Pray" format, of taking prayer requests and discussing those, along with the kids playing.

I've heard from several of the mamas who have been coming faithfully since the beginning of M&M, April 2009, and they need somewhat of a break. So, I am going to outline our summer Tuesday meeting schedule and I'd love for some volunteers to commit to being at M&M at least once during this time to open the doors, welcome everyone, take prayer requests, make announcements-- generally just "be in charge" for one session, so that we definitely have a group available for mamas and visitors, but also some of the mamas can go on vacay or a quick trip to the grandparents with no guilt :-) of needing to be at M&M.

Please leave a comment below, or email me if you would like to lead one or more weeks this summer. I will update this list as I get volunteers-- Again, thank you in advance for pitching in and making this ministry the success that it is!
Thank you!

Tuesday, May 31st--
Tuesday, June 7-- Tara's Tea-- We will all be there!
Tuesday, June 14th-- Kelley
Tuesday, June 21st--
Tuesday, June 28th--

Tuesday, July 5--
Tuesday, July 12th--
Tuesday, July 19th-- We will not meet due to VBS!
Tuesday, July 26th--

Tuesday, August 2--
Tuesday, August 9--
Tuesday, August 16--
Tuesday, August 23--
Tuesday, August 30--

We will resume regular weekly meeting with devotional and/or Bible study after Labor Day on September 6.

Weekly Update

2011-05-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

Hello my Mamas!
I hope that you are all doing well this week-- beautiful weather, fantastic kids-- we've got the good life, girls....that's for sure....I do have some reminders and prayer requests this week.

Prayer Requests:

Lillian, as she continues to heal from tonsil removal; It has gone very well and she is on the road to being 100% again!
Lindsey's oral surgery went well, pray that it will be success, as she will have one more procedure if this one "takes". Also, Robert continues his job search.
Traveling this weekend, we are headed to MS for a wedding and Hudson is the ringbearer!
Our pregnant mamas!
Mallory's friend, Fran-- also Mal and Bryan will be traveling abroad for two weeks in June, sans children.
A friend, Lanie, whose father has passed away this week.
From Paige Hofer, her father's minister has been diagnosed with cancer, and the minister's wife has been diagnosed with leukemia
All of our brothers and sisters recovering from tornadoes here in Alabama, and including the most recent vicitims of storm in Joplin, MO
From Jenny, her soon to be brother in law is from Joplin, his family is safe, but has sustained alot of damage to their homes

PRAISE!

Kathryn is in a big girl bed wearing big girl underpants!! Go Kathryn!! High 5 to you!!

Okay, dates for the calendar...get it ready...here we go....

Tuesday, June 7th, 11:00 am, Tara's Baby Sprinkle during Mama & Me
Wednesday, June 8th, 5-9pm, Craft Night, room 111-- Bring your favorite fast food, take out, or something to share!

So, we are taking it easy this summer, with "Play and Pray" Tuesdays-- basically, taking requests and talking prayers, while letting the kids play-- no structured study or reading, no lessons, just mixing it up a bit--- Laura Lee will be planning some crafts to do during June, July and August, and I hope to do music a time or two.....

We also want to focus on some missions during these months. I believe that we plan to do a "gift card" ministry during the month of June-- if you'd like to collect $ on your own and gather a gift card or two, or just open you own wallet, Jenny will be personally delivering these to local families from her hometown that were affected by the April 27th tornadoes.

And we'd also like to complete two more missions this summer, anyone want to head these up?!?! Come on, ladies!! Pray it through and think on it!

I hope to see you all on Tuesday, the 31st for M&M!

Have a great, safe weekend!

Love, Love, Love to you all!

Get Ready for Geddy!

2011-05-25T20:14:00.004-05:00

Mark you calendars, friends!

Geddy the Gecko is coming to Trinity!

Sunday, June 19th, during the SS hour, Geddy the Gecko will be performing in the gym for our families!

His performance will feature songs, skits and lots of fun with a Christian message-- get there early with the kiddies for a great seat!

For more info about Geddy, go HERE

Hope to see you there!

Also, if you haven't signed up yet, check out Homewood Library's Summer Reading Program. I know we have alot of toddlers and preschool aged children and they can participate in the fun too! There are all sorts of activities, concerts, dancing and such for FREE family entertainment if you participate in the program. Go to their WEBSITE to sign up now!

Mommy & Me Tuesday

2011-05-22T20:24:00.004-05:00

So sorry that this post is so late, but better late than never! We had a small group last week but welcomed a new Mommy and her little girl, who should also be there this coming week.

Our lesson was simple: we discipline our children because we love them. In Proverbs 3:11-12 we read, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son delights in." God call us to discipline our children in the same way that he disciplines us; out of love. We love our children therefore we must discipline them in way that glorifies God and God's love!

Prayer Request for this week:

Lillian Surgery-Tonsils

Kelley, Chris and the kids traveling back from the beach

Lyndsey Ring is having dental surgery Thursday

Lyndsey's husband, Robert, interviewing in Atlanta next week for a job

A Letter from Jenny

2011-05-18T22:02:00.001-05:00

There are many people needing help all over the state. I just happen to know a few personally since it
hit my hometown. If we want to “sponsor” a family or two, here are my suggestions.

"E"- I grew up with him. He is two years older and was in the band with me. He is an Eagle Scout and
has always helped others. He is now a firefighter. He is married to a girl he met in college. They have a
four year old son and an eight week old son. He had hernia repair a few days before the storm. When
he saw the storm was approaching, he and his family went to a friend’s house nearby because they did
not have a basement. His family and his friend’s family were in the friend’s basement as the home was
destroyed. "E" crawled out of the rubble that was his friend’s home to find his own home also destroyed.
"E"'s home was bulldozed this week.

"K"- She is fourteen years old and was in the children’s dept when I was the children’s coordinator at
PGUMC. Her mom works as an aide at the elementary school, and I am not sure what her dad does for
a living. She was on a band trip with her mom and grandmother as chaperones when the storm hit. Her
mom and grandmother headed home to find "K"'s home destroyed and her grandmother’s home
heavily damaged. K"'s mom was able to salvage a Tupperware of K"'s baby keepsakes. K returned home a few days later to find her whole world changed. They lived for a few days on their
property in a camper that someone loaned them. They are now staying with her other grandparents. I
spoke with K"'s mom a few days after the storm, and she said that things were just things and that
they were just so thankful that everyone was alive. K"'s home was bulldozed this week.

If we decide to “sponsor” one or both of these families as a Mama & Me group, I would suggest we
collect gift cards. These families have very little and when they get settled, they are going to have a
lot of needs. I would think gift cards to Publix, Walmart, Target, Old Navy, etc. would be very useful to
them. I know most of us are not rich and have probably donated to the relief effort in other ways, but I
think even the smallest gift would help them and remind them that as the weeks pass and the interest
wanes, they are not forgotten. If we are interested in doing this, we can collect these gift cards over the
next month and I will make sure that these families receive our gift.

Love,

Jenny

Manners

2011-05-17T00:02:00.000-05:00

Manner #1

When asking for something, say "Please."

Manner #2

When receiving something, say "Thank you."

Manner #3

Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.

Manner #4

If you do need to get somebody's attention right away, the phrase "excuse me" is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation.

Manner #5

When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later.

Manner #6

The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, and out of earshot of adults.

Manner #7

Do not comment on other people's physical characteristics unless, of course, it's to compliment them, which is always welcome.

Manner #8

When people ask you how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are.

Manner #9

When you have spent time at your friend's house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had.

Manner #10

Knock on closed doors -- and wait to see if there's a response -- before entering.

Manner #11

When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.

Manner #12

Be appreciative and say "thank you" for any gift you receive. In the age of e-mail, a handwritten thank-you note can have a powerful effect.

Manner #13

Never use foul language in front of adults. Grown-ups already know all those words, and they find them boring and unpleasant.

Manner #14

Don't call people mean names.

Manner #15

Do not make fun of anyone for any reason. Teasing shows others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel.

Manner #16

Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit through it quietly and pretend that you are interested. The performers and presenters are doing their best.

Manner #17

If you bump into somebody, immediately say "Excuse me."

Manner #18

Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don't pick your nose in public.

Manner #19

As you walk through a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.

Manner #20

If you come across a parent, a teacher, or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say "yes," do so -- you may learn something new.

Manner #21

When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile.

Manner #22

When someone helps you, say "thank you." That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers!

Manner #23

Use eating utensils properly. If you are unsure how to do so, ask your parents to teach you or watch what adults do.

Manner #24

Keep a napkin on your lap; use it to wipe your mouth when necessary.

Manner #25

Don't reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.

From Yahoo!Shine,

Originally published in the March 2011 issue of Parents magazine.

Toddlers to Teens

2011-05-16T22:39:00.001-05:00

So I ran across this article the other day, and as it is for teens, I thought it could totally apply to our everyday lives with toddlers....

15 things that should be said daily during your child's teen years:
1.    No one will ever love you in the same way or have your best
interests at heart more than your mom/dad and I will.
2.    You have so many gifts and options; I will help you
capitalize/benefit from them as best I can.
3.    How can I help you reach your dreams?
4.    No matter what you confide in me, I will always love you and do
what is best for you.
5.    My job is not to be your buddy. I am your parent and will love
and mentor you.
6.    I am sorry. (Say this whenever you hurt your child, or your
child is in pain from something someone else said to them.)
7.    I embrace your friends, but I love you the most.
8.    It is okay to mess up; I do it all the time.
9.    I am sorry you don't like my rules, but you will have to abide
by them. I will hold you accountable if you break them and there will
be a consequence.
10.    If you are in trouble, call me first, no matter where you are.
I may be angry, but my first concern will always be your safety. We
will talk about punishment or consequences later.
11.    You are an integral part of this family, and the family needs
you to run smoothly.
12.    I don't care what your friends get to do. I am not their
parent; I am yours and you are my main responsibility and concern.
13.    I admire you more than you can ever understand or know.
14.    If you get in trouble at school, be honest with me. Your
teacher is the authority at school and if I hear it from your teacher
before I hear it from you, I will feel betrayed or deceived. I may
react to this breach of trust.
15.    From the first time I saw your eyes, I vowed to be the best
parent I could be for you. I make mistakes but they are not meant to
hurt you. I make them because I love you so much and get scared
sometimes. It is hard parenting a teen (your child will understand
this confession).

Weekly Announcements

2011-05-11T15:42:00.000-05:00

We have a few prayer requests this week:
-- Caroline- recovering after dehydration
-- Hudson- no mono, but still on strep antibiotics
-- Winsletts ling to beach by car with LA this weekend!
-- Eli Nations- upper resp infection
-- Robert Ring- job search
-- those affected by Mississippi River flooding
-- and of course those neighbors affected by the recent tornados

--Praise-- Kathryn is in a big girl bed!!!

Also, we will be doing things a little differently this summer. Beginning in June, we will have "Prayer & Play" Tuesday meetings-- we will meet at regular time, 11am to share prayer requests and praises. We won't be doing weekly devotionals, taking a break for summer, since we will traveling with our families,and may not be at M&M consecutive weeks.
This summer, we will focus on missions, hoping to do 3 activities that benefit others. As time goes on, there will be more needs for local tornado victims and we pray that we can make a
small difference. Please email me or leave a comment if you have ideas or would like to lead a mission. Jenny mentioned several families that she knows personally who will need aide. Health kits are also a need-- maybe we could divide up the items and assemble them as a group? Your ideas are welcome!!

Also, Sarah found out if Sydney will have a baby brother or sister!
May 22, Caroline I's party
Tara's Baby Sprinkle June 7
June 8 Craft Night, 5 pm, Room 111

VBS 2011

2011-05-08T22:39:00.000-05:00

Go to our church website to register for Vacation Bible School!
http://www.trinitybirmingham.com/

VBS is for children who have completed 3K (and are 3 years of age by September 1, 2010) up to completed 2nd grade.

This week

2011-05-05T10:25:00.000-05:00

Prayer request:
-Pray for all the people affected by the tornado. These people will need our continued prayers for a long time.
-Tara's friend is newly pregnant. She had a miscarriage in December.
-Paige's friend that has been on our prayer request list. She is back on the ventilator and has been having lots of ups and downs.
-Mel's move this week
- our pregnancies in M&M

Praises:
-Laura stayed well with a sick husband and was able to finish her half-marathon in 2 hours and 11 minutes.
-All the people who were unharmed by the tornado.

Also, mark you calendar for the first week in June!
-Tuesday, June 7 will be Tara's Baby Sprinkle during regular M&M time
- Wednesday, June 8, we will be meeting in Room 111 , across from the nursery from 5-9pm for our Craft Night! Bring a snack to share, your favorite takeout for your own supper or just a craft to work on! We will have tables to use so you can catch up on your sewing projects or work on scrapbooks and baby books. If you don't want to craft, just plan to hang out!

A few ways, those of us with "smalls", can help.

2011-04-30T20:58:00.008-05:00

From Bargain Mom at al.com
The Salvation Army will be opening the doors of their 350 Industrial Drive warehouse in Homewood tomorrow to receive gently used clothing, appliances, furniture for tornado victims.

You can also bring non-perishables, cleaning items, house hold items and personal care products.
They will be accepting items indefinitely during these hours:
Saturday 8 to 5 p.m. (April 30)
Sunday 1 to 6 p.m.
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PLUS VICTIMS CAN SHOW UP MONDAY TO PICK UP ITEMS.

If they have it they need to bring proof of residents and a photo ID.
The items will be free to victims only. This will be for their use only.
Visit www.Birminghamsalvationarmy.org after 5:30 p.m. today to get full details.
PLUS -- There's a volunteer registration link at that site if you want to help at any of their distribution and mobile command sites.

California Pizza Kitchen will be giving 100% of ALL SALES from both of their Birmingham CPK locations on Monday, May 9th and Tuesday, May 10th to the American Red Cross to help support their relief efforts for those who have been affected by the recent tornado.

The locations are at The Summit and Riverchase Galleria, mark your calendars to eat out for lunch and supper that day.

A Time for Prayer

2011-04-29T13:47:00.001-05:00

Hey mamas-- it's certainly a time for prayer, huh? I say let's fit it in wherever we can. Let's silently pray while fixing meals, doing laundry and playing with our children, for today, there are devastated neighbors who have no kitchen to cook in, no laundry to fold and sadly, no one to play with.

Trinity has lots of opportunities to serve and volunteer. Anyone want to head up something that we can do with the kids? Maybe health kits? Email or comment to let me know if you'd like to be in charge of that.

We were blessed as the first tornadoes came through Cahaba Heights. Not a scratch on either of my children's heads or my home. Our yard was a bit of a different story, but not a big deal. The shopping center down the road was a bit worse. It literally took my breath away.

Please remember especially Jenny's family-- Pleasant Grove is home to her and hubby, Daniel. Their families made it out with the lives, but need lots of prayers. If you have someone specific you'd like us to pray for, please comment below.

Other news for this week:
Please remember
Laura as she prepares for a marathon---
Mel as she packs in preparation for her move
Paige Lowery as she readies for a Cystic Fibrosis fund raise (http://ourjudah.blogspot.com/ for more info)
Our pregnancies, Tara and Sarah
All of our babies who've been sick, ear infections for Sydney and John Whitten, Caroline Israel
and Lois Anne now with croup
And all of those who were on the previous blog updates and posts.

We will be reading through/doing lessons on a new book, Sheparding a Child's Heart, by Ted Tripp. Both Alli and Mel reccomend this book, so if you get a chance, pick up a copy to read along with us.

Upcoming events both time and place TBD:
Craft night (sewing, scrapbooking or just drinks and conversation)
Couponing info (Lyndsey M, let's talk about a TBD for this )
Hope everyone's power comes back on and stay safe and strong, Mamas!!
Love, K

Please remember

2011-04-21T21:50:00.002-05:00

.... The Beaton Family-- a prayer request from Mel

Prayers

2011-04-20T19:00:00.001-05:00

Please remember Caroline and Mama Emily. Caroline has been a sick baby this week.

Also, please remember all of those families traveling this weekend!

He is Risen!
Hallelujah!

Thursday Party

2011-04-20T14:52:00.001-05:00

We are hoping for no rain on Thursday, but IF it is raining Thursday at 4:00, we will relocate Sydney and Lois Anne's birthday party to Trinity UMC nursery from 4-6 instead. That way we will have plenty of space for kids to play! If there is no rain, head to my house.
Thanks!
Sarah

2011-04-13T14:03:00.003-05:00

Mama and Me will not meet next week due to the Holy Weeks services during the week. There will be services on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday if you are interested. There is a guest speaker, lunch afterwards and nursery is provided. Please go to the church website,
http://trinitybirmingham.com/ for more information.
We do have Sydney and Lois Anne's playdate birthday party at Sarah Paulk's on Thursday afternoon! Check you evite or let me know if you've not gotten it, I know there have been some email changes!

This week we continued our discussion about finances and what we spend.

Mel will have our lesson week after next....I had thought we would meet next week, but forgot about the nursery being used and some mamas that might want to attend special services.

Quick prayer requests:

Baby Sydney and Baby Caroline have been sick
Mel is getting ready for a move to the new house and Lillian will be having tonsils out in May, let's help make this move easy and offer some meals ladies....
We are having a friend move in for a few weeks at Hotel Winsletts
Paige Lowery's family, her friend- Amy, her sister-Jenn, and her hubby as he goes to the doctor about a serious break in his finger
The death of a family friend of Emily
Paige Hofers-- knee and contacts :)
our prgenancie
our unspoken medical condition

And thanks to our visitor, I won't call you out, but I hope you come back soon!
Ladies, be looking at your calendars, we hope to do a "couponing workshop" soon and a craft night.

See you soon!
Love, K

Hey there Mamas!!

2011-04-05T15:51:00.003-05:00

Hey ladies!We had a great time today and missed you if you couldn't come today. We talked about finances today and are thinking of going on a "spending fast"-- could you do it? The author of our lesson did it for 40 days, but discussion was wondering if we could do it for a week...pray on it....

Speaking of praying, a few requests:

Lillian -- ENT
remember the loss in Paige L's family

please remember Paige H and her quest for contacts-- pray she can wear them, we all know that mama's life needs to be as easy as possible

several unspoken health issues within our group

praises for great reports on friends who have been on our list

Emily will be sharing her recipes for freezing secrets this week, so watch for that, I'll get her to post them here for you if you are interested! Mel shared about her children's prayer journals, email her for more info on how she does that! Also, go here for a spring sale's info: http://mykidzklozet.com Don't want to cook supper tonight? IHOP's April "Kids Eat Free" promotion includes dinner on the house, (between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.), for children 12 and younger. Here's the fine print: dine in only, one free kid's meal with each adult entree purchase and meals must be ordered from IHOP's "Just for Kids" menu. Deal ends April 30. Offer not valid with any other discounts, coupons or specials. Find locations at ihop.com. And finally, next Tuesday, if you'd like to bring bring bottled water to M&M, it is being collected for a Lenten Water Offering to go to the Church of the Reconciler to be distributed during these upcoming hot summer months to the homeless and destitute in downtown Bham. Have a great week!

Moms of Boys

2011-03-26T20:53:00.000-05:00

Great article for those with boys!!
Copy and paste it to read:
http://www.babble.com/toddler/toddler-behavior-and-learning/raising-boys-fathers-parenting-advice/

Terrific Tuesday at Mama and Me

2011-03-23T19:35:00.005-05:00

We had a smaller group this week but it was a "terrific Tuesday" and we all enjoyed the company and fellowship with each other. The kiddos seemed entertained too!

Our Prayer Requests:
Kelley and the Winslett clan have all had strep!
Jenny Ellison - Granmother suffering from dementia
Lindsey Ring - Friend of the family lost thier son in a car accident, he was only 24.
If I missed one please email me or kelley and we will add it to the list.

We did not have a lesson this week since Melissa and Kelley were both unexpetadly not able to come but we did discuss the new guidlines for car seat safety, here is a great link on the information. http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyourlife.usatoday.com%2Fparenting-family%2Fstory%2F2011%2F03%2FChildren-should-ride-in-rear-facing-car-seats-until-age-2%2F45099386%2F1%3Fsms_ss%3Dfacebook%26at_xt%3D4d874e8f33b7f9db%252C0&h=de565 I know a lot of the Mama's have babies turning one soon (me included, yikes!!) so its good information to know. Knowledge is always a good thing!

REMIDER: Mama's Night OUT!! This Thursday 2/24 @ Chuys at the Summit, 6 PM. Email Kelley for more info.

Have a great week everyone!

Alli

BIG SUCCESS !!!

2011-03-19T13:23:00.000-05:00

Thank you SO much for all the donations and help with the yard sale. We raised over 500 DOLLARS!! What a difference this money will make!! Baby Winston will soon be in his parents loving arms. Praise God!
Alli

Garage Sale Service Project !!

2011-03-14T18:54:00.002-05:00

Last week I announced that I would be organizing and hosting a garage sale at my house this Saturday to benifit a dear friend who is adopting a little boy in the Ukraine this summer. This sweet little boy is not in the best of conditions, and will also face some life long challenges as he was born with out one of his legs. My prayer is that the proceeds from this sale will be a blessing to this family and take some of the finanical stress off so that they may focus on this child who needs their love.

A HUGE Thank you to all the Mama's who have brought donations and offered to lend their time Saturday. You are an answer from God! While we are not all called to adopt, I believe in adoption for many reasons but the main being that Christ himself adopted all of us as his children when we are so unworthy. During this lenten season what better way to be apart of his desire to welcome the least of these than to take part in something that will help bring a sweet baby home to his loving family.

Please keep those donations coming and even more important COME SHOP !! Tell eveyone you know about the sale !! My address is 1101 Blue Ridge Blvd. Hoover AL 35226. The sale will start @ 8:00 AM.

Alli

“The universe around us is creepily silent–like an orphanage in which the children no longer believe they will be heard. But if we listen with Galilean ears, we can hear the quiet desperation of thumbs being sucked, of cribs being rocked. As we welcome orphans into our homes, we can show the orphaned universe what it means to belong to a God who welcomes the fatherless.” - Russell Moore

What's Up?

2011-03-10T15:47:00.003-06:00

Lots going on at M&M!
Thank you to our many visitors this week, we had a big group,huh? We will split next week into two groups if we are as blessed next week. The children were very well behaved, but we could hardly hear one another! What a great dilemma!

A few prayer requests:
-- Robert, Lindseys hubs has an awesome job interview coming up!!! This job would mean they get to stay here!! also, remember her fiend who is going through a divorce.
--- Mel and Shaun are buying a house and moving again!
--- Alli and Korey as they make decisions for Shepard.
--- Our pregnancies-- Tara, Hunter, and Sarah
--- a few friends of mine with unspoken prayer requests for their children
--- Tommy, Emilys FIL , who had surgery this week from a weekend fall with Caroline-- she is fine!!
--- Jenny's friend, Bonnie, who is pg also

Also, always remember those on the previous posts :-)

Good job, Mamas! Laura reported that Operation Christmas Child raised 8.2 million boxes this year-- you helped with that!!

Moms Night Out, March 24th, 5:30 Chuys! And see next post from Alli!

Have a great week!

A service project by Alli

2011-03-10T15:44:00.001-06:00

I am organizing and hosting a garage sale for Saturday March 19th - all proceeds will go to benefit a fellow Mama, and friend of mine whose family is adopting a special needs child from the Ukraine this summer. You can read more about the family and baby here:
http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsorsmith-4

If you would like to help please bring any donations you would like to make for the garage sale to mama and me this week or next, or drop off at my house 1101 Blue Ridge Blvd. Hoover 35226. I am also happy to come pick stuff up if you just email me! My husband has a truck for bigger items : )

And please COME SHOP !! Also tell your friends to come by and shop the sale !!

Lv - Alli

Thanks for sharing, Paige H!

2011-03-02T14:23:00.000-06:00

This is a new website that is similar to groupon or living social but for maternity or childerens things on line. It is going to be great.
Sign up to get the emails of the deals!

http://www.bitsybug.com/?r=A6ADFD83-0120

11:00

2011-03-01T15:28:00.007-06:00

11:00
Once and forevermore, we will be meeting in one group, Tuesdays, at 11:00am. We'll do lunch and visiting until 11:30 or so, and then start M&M with our prayer requests and devotion. On those days with exceptional attendence, we will split into two groups for the safety of the babies.

Prayer Requests:
--- Jenny's friend, whose child had a strong reaction to peanut butter
--- Alli and Korey as they make decisions about Shep's hand surgery
--- one of my Phi Mu sisters, Melissa, getting to the nine mos mark with her pregnancy and her mom is dying with cancer
--- John Whitten still has an ear infection
--- Rosemary has been sick
--- Lindsey R and her dentals, along with husband, Robert,and hid job search, pray got a job and a job here!!!
--- Amy, Paige Lowery's friend long time friend, Amy is very sick, please pray for healing!!!!
---- 2 anonymous requests of friend's of mine, one facing surgery for her baby, one whose child has a heart murmur

Alli is taking donations for a fundraiser yard sale she will be hosting to help with a friend who is adopting a child-- email her if you can spring clean and give her some sellables, anatcollc.com

Remember, MNO on March 24th at Chuys at 5:30 pm and Lil Lambs consignment shopping this weekend!!!

Zoo

2011-02-27T20:07:00.002-06:00

If you are thinking about purchasing a zoo membership, or renewing one, don't delay!!! Membership pricing increases on Tuesay, March 1st!!

See you on Tuesday at regular times-- 10:30 and 11:30---- please try to be on time so that we can have our devotionals.
We will be announcing the new schedule later this week!

Have a great Monday and we can't wait to play on Tuesday!!!

2011-02-25T18:35:00.002-06:00

wanted to pass this on:

Hello Everyone,
We are so excited to start Music and More again:

Thursday, March 3rd at 10:00 back at
301 Crest Drive
Homewood, AL 35209

We are looking forward to seeing you all and catching up!! Please feel free to invite a friend as always. Also, call me or e-mail me if you have any questions or need further directions.

See you soon,
Kari
jasonkariholley@aol.com

Help?

2011-02-25T14:48:00.001-06:00

Hey mamas,
Got this email from a friend in Anniston, can you help and vote?

"Peyton Thornton is a five year old child in our community who just had a bone marrow transplant to help cure his EB. When Peyton, went for the transplant he had pneumonia. His doctors treated this infection and he was able to have the transplant. The family recently got to come home with Peyton and they have now been told that their home has aspirgillious (misspelled I’m sure) mold in the air conditioning/ heating unit. The home is being treated for this mold that could be deadly to Peyton but the treatment will only last a year. The family has applied to extreme home makeover and the main way families get chosen is by letters of support. If you will, please go to abc.go.com scroll to the bottom of the page click contact us and then choose extreme home makeover and in comments ask for a home makeover for the Thornton family. Please keep this family in your prayers as they wait to find out if Peyton has been re-infected with the mold. Also, pass this information onto anyone that would fill out a request for a home makeover.

Here is a link to the article in the paper http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/8866840-His-brother-s-keeper-After-years-of-waiting-Payton-Thornton-may-have-found-a-medical-miracle-in-his-little-brother

Here is a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzCY9HeQfwU

Hey Ladies

2011-02-24T21:44:00.005-06:00

A good week at Mama and Me, lots of Mommies, lots of kids and 2 pregnancies!! Sounds like it may be in the water again!!
Praises for jobs that have been offered and accepted and for Jenny's friend that we've prayed for-- her friend, B, is pregnant!

Also, praises and prayers for our newest pregnancies, Sarah and even though she's far away on a map, but not in our hearts, Elizabeth!
Tara is having a boy!!

A few prayer requests:
Paige Lowery's childhood friend
Hays family, as Shaun has a study heavy schedule and Mel has some long mommy days
The Hofers have been sick
Emily's friend who is pregnant after several miscarriages
Lindsey R's upcoming dental surgery and best friend who is getting separated
LL's request about potential lay offs with her DH's company

Announcements:
MNO March 24th@ Chuys
LIl Lambs next weekend!!
Bargains on the Bluff tomorrow and Saturday

Also--- we've been discussing our having the two separate meeting times-- it seems as if the 10:30 circle is somewhat overlapping into the 11:30 circle-- which is great for visiting and playing, but it's making it extremely hard to be consistent in our devotionals, which is most important. So, we may make some changes......stay tuned!! Comments are encouraged!!!

Remember, Whole Foods story time tomorrow, Mel and Alli will be there!!
Love to you all!
K

What a nice day!

2011-02-15T17:42:00.002-06:00

A little birdie told me that M&M was a success today at the park! Maybe we can do that more often, at least before it gets to be 80 degrees in the shade.

Here are a few prayer requests--
Paige Lowery- pray for her and Matt as they have some big life decisions coming up. Matt's continues his job search.

Melissa and Alli- Our little brother is traveling to Brazil with work. He leave this Saturday and will be gone three weeks!

Alli and Korey as they make decisions regarding Shep's upcoming hand surgery/ies

An unspoken friend who child will likely be facing a potentially dangerous surgery.

Mallory mentioned in SS this past week about a family she had heard about through a friend. This family is split, the dad in Huntsville at home, and the mom living here with her sick child as the child undergoes treatments at Children's Hospital. Here is the website for their story: www.prayfornoah.com

Mallory is going to try to coordinate some meals for this mom and child while they are still here in town. With us being stranger to this mom, we aren't sure if she will accept home cooked food, or prefer restaurant gift cards. Please pray for her family and we hope to be able to serve this family in some way. I'll keep you posted as to what Mal finds out.

LL the first week in March!
Chuy's, MNO in March, see previous post for date!
See you all soon!
Lots of love!

February 15th

2011-02-13T15:26:00.000-06:00

Hey Mamas!!
Mel will be leading both of our M&M circles this week and had the great idea to meet at Homewood Park since we will be having pretty weather!
Bring a blanket, a picnic lunch and your prayer requests!
Enjoy the sunshine!!

Valentine's Play Date

2011-02-11T17:26:00.002-06:00

Email Jenny if you'd like to join our Valentine's Day playdate!!

Valentine's Play Date

2011-02-11T17:26:00.001-06:00

Email Jenny if you'd like to join our Valentine's Day playdate!!

Updates

2011-02-09T15:33:00.007-06:00

Please remember these prayer requests!

Judah
The Paulk family-- they are on the mend!
Elizabeth is pregnant!!
Tara will find out if we are adding a boy or girl to the mix this summer!
Laura Lee's cousin. Allison
Paige H-- her dad and sister
Shaun's uncle has passed away, remember their family
Emily- a former co-worker has been diagnosed with aggressive cancer

Mom's Night Out, Thursday, March 24th at Chuys, 5:30pm

Little Lambs is coming up! Mark your calendar for March 4 & 5!!
http://www.trinitybirmingham.com

Today

2011-02-01T15:14:00.003-06:00

So, I know I've been slacking on the blog thing-- sorry, ladies-- you know how it can be sometimes!
Yay to our visitor today, we hope you felt welcomed and will be coming back!
We are now meeting in two circles, one at 10:30 and another at 11:30 on Tuesday mornings-- this seems to be working great!

A few prayer requests from last week and this:

Alice's family and the loss of her grandmother
Baby Sam's thumb is much better!!
Lindsey has a few requests: Her friend, Adrianne and baby Bennett, her cousin Lauren and her hubby Robert will be graduating with his MBA-- job prayers!
Paige L-- Judah's testing and Matt--job prayers again!
our only pregnancy at the moment-- Tara!
Alli and Korey, direction on Shep's hands

Remember, church members can get a seller # for Little Lambs this coming Sunday, the 6th--- non members can sign up on Monday, the 7th.....LL will be the first week of March-- mark your calendar now!

Also, Mama's Night Out to dinner on Thursday, March 24th 5:30pm, Chuy's at the Summit.

Supporting One Another

2011-01-19T16:54:00.003-06:00

We started our new study this week and with two circles of M&Ms! It seems as if two sessions, one at 10:30 and one at 11:30 really worked....what do you think, mamas? Feedback please!!

Our devotional this week was on support--- who supports you? All mamas need support, but we also need to support ourselves and have our "me time" with God--- I sure hope I get to be better about that!

Next week, we will talk about self control.....hope to see you there!

Prayers requests

Alice's grandmother
Matt Lowery's interview :)
Laura Lee's and her dad and hubby
Paige Hofer's dad and sister
Ashley's friend who was close with the accident at FSU
Suzanne Pruitt
Tara

Any others? Please leave a comment!
Please be sure to RSVP to the Spa-jama party!

See you next week!
K
See you soon!

THIS WEEK

2011-01-16T15:41:00.000-06:00

Reminder!!: We will meet this week at two times, 10:30am and 11:30am.
Hope you can make one time or the other!
Thanks!
K