MOPS...

Hopefully everyone out there has heard of MOPS, Mother's of Pre Schoolers. This is a WONDERFUL organization just for us mommies of little one's pre school age. I attend a local MOPS group at our home church, Christ Fellowship. It was a LONG road getting me there but well worth it! It has been such an important part of our lives this past year. Motherhood itself is challenging enough but when you add multiples to the mix it can get down right CRAZY! When the babies were little I did not think I could handle getting them up, dressed, fed & out the door by MYSELF so I did not join. Silly me! It was when they were really little that I needed the support the most. I ended up joining just after they turned one. It was the BEST decision I could have made. These bi-weekly get togethers help me keep my sanity! To meet other mommies out there who have it just as rough as me helps me more than you could ever know! Today our MOPS group had their last event of the session, a Mother's Day Tea. VERY fitting since we mom's will be celebrated this Sunday. When I think back to where I was a year ago it's scary! I was SO disorganized and unfocused. I was living day by day. Sometimes it is better to take one day after the next because life itself is HARD! Now I'm dealing with the "terrible two's", PRAY for me!! I cannot wait for the day when things will get a little easier but have been told it never will! (= When I decided to join MOPS the thought of having to wake up EXTRA early to get the four of mine ready did not sound appealing at all. Sleep was a hot commodity & I was not willing to give it up so easily. I was a good planner but not the night before. I now had to prepare food, clothes, etc so we could get out of the house by 845am. (Sorry but 845am is EARLY when they usually sleep till 830am!) I decided I was going to do it. 2X a month I would deal with the lack of sleep but I'd do it, I needed to do it! I'm telling you that getting up that extra 2 hours was HARD & I am SO happy that I did! I even joined the hospitality committee. I knew that I could not get there EARLY to set up but I could help clean up. So that is what I did. If I did not make the effort I would not have met the WONDERFUL women that I did. I just love the ladies in my group, our group leader Elrika & LOVE LOVE LOVE the various speakers & the fun events planned for us! I would not have had those "AHA" moments that helped me helped me cope in the CRAZY life I lead. Experiences are not what makes you who you are, it is how you handle them that does. I have really seen how MOPS has helped our children grow over this past year. They LOVE going to church and being around all of their little friends. I too have fun being there, meeting new people & learning new things. To have other mommies around to lend an ear & give support is WONDERFUL! I really do enjoy myself! Thursdays has now become our day! The best part is that I can also feel my relationship with God getting stronger. The Lord does AMAZING things! I wish I would have pushed myself sooner to join! For any mom out there with little one's you really should check around for a MOPS program near you. IT is AMAZING & will change your life! It is enriching for you & especially your children! I cannot wait till August so I can start back up with...

MOPS...

day out with Daddy...

Today Michael took the babies to the Fall Festival at my childhood church, The 1st Presbyterian Church, aka "The Pink Church". Yes the church is Pink! It is very well known in our neck of the woods and as far as I know it has ALWAYS been painted pink. Anyhow, Daddy took them out and to all places a Fair! YAY! I was working like I do most weekends so Daddy & Grandma took them. I love it when he takes them places so he can experience first hand what I encounter when I go out with them. The church is just a few blocks away from Grandma's so he did not have far to go. Luckily they took a good nap & the festival did not start until 2pm. They had Pony rides, various games, music, live entertainment and FOOD. By looking at them you would never know that they LOVE to eat! hahahh! They even had someone there painting faces. So they had their faces painted. The girls each had a butterfly & Brendan got a pumpkin on their cheeks. This is such a fun time of year & they are just the right age to enjoy it. Overall I think that they had fun on their..

day out with Daddy...

you gotta have friends...

We have the most AMAZING friends! From the beginning of our quad journey we have been blessed. I must say that the first 6 months were a blur. We did not know which end was up. We had some family, friends but most of all our church, Christ Fellowship, there for us. They moved mountains! We do not live near anything & they enlisted so many volunteers to help feed me, feed the babies, do house chores, etc. It still amazes us at how they helped us. We had complete strangers turn into some of our best friends. Isn't that what the Lord tells us, to love one another like he has loved us. Well, They really showed us his love. We thank you SO much! We met Auntie Jody through CF. She started coming when the babies were a few weeks old & stayed till after their 1st birthday. She would come once sometimes twice a week just to help out. She was our BEST babysitter!! When she moved to SC we all cried! We miss her tremendously!! Now that the babies have gotten older & WILDER (hehee) I have 2 of my best girlfriends help me. It's hard to believe that I have known them both for over 20 years!! This ages me! (= I think about how God had us cross paths & I am so grateful that he did! You can see from previous posts I not only am a SAHM but I also get to work part-time too! I am a police/fire dispatcher (in my 19th year! Yikes!). In the beginning I would only work on the weekends but that was making daddy weary. So I decided I would try & work a few week days so I could have part of the weekend off to spend with daddy & the babies. So Auntie Debbie & Auntie Delia come to Grandma's house to watch the babies. They ask nothing from me & are SO good with them. Taking care of four 18 month's old can be quite exhausting yet they enjoy it. The babies LOVE them too! I have such WONDERFUL friends! I just hope that one day I can repay them for all that they do for us!

oh you gotta have friends....