Goodies for the Kiddies

Just a little reminder/FYI to those of you that choose to participate in the festivities on October 31st. There are lots of options, so join in on the fun at all of these events (or just one...it's up to you!)

1. Real Life's Fall Festival is from 6p-9p. Click here for more details.
2. Publix at Citrus Tower has Trick or Treating at their store from 4p-7p.
3. Downtown Clermont they close the streets from 9a -1p for the kids to trick-or-treat in the shops.
4. Chick-fil-A is doing a big "shin-dig" from 4:30p -7p in the parking lot behind Starbucks.

Enjoy the cool weather and have some fun with your kids! If you're sweet to them, they might share some of their candy! :)

"Happiest Baby/Toddler..." coming to Orlando

Dr. Harvey Karp - author of "Happiest Baby/Toddler on Earth" will be in Orlando for a FREE seminar!
- Thursday, Nov 13th from 6p-8p at the Orange County Regional History Center, the event sponsored by Florida Hospital.
- RSVP is required, first come first reserved.
Click here for more details and to reserve your seat.

A personal note from Amanda:
When my hubby and I went to birthing classes, our instructor shared the video "Happiest Baby on the Block". I kinda thought that the concept was cool, but didn't really know how it would work into OUR life with OUR new baby. Let me tell you - it was the best 45 minutes of information that I received. Our family has LOVED these concepts and I have seen them work first-hand with my little girl, my nephew, and several other babies that I've cared for in the nursery. I realize that every baby is different, but in the video we were given several tools and a great deal of baby-knowledge that helped us to remain sane during those first few months of being new parents. I highly recommend attending this seminar.....RSVP soon, space is limited!

Uncle Donalds Farm

Uncle Donalds Farm

I really had a great time and it looked like the kids really enjoyed the animals! I was glad to see so many parents join in on the fun. I took some pictures that I wanted to share. Have a great day and enjoy our Fall weather.........

I wanted to share this email with everyone, just in case

Please send this message to everyone you know with kids who will be going out for Halloween! With Halloween fast approaching comes a warning to parents and kids regarding Sherwood Brands Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins imported from China. The candy was sold primarily by Costco in bulk packages and may also have been sold as individual pieces at various dollar stores. The chocolate contains melamine which is the same chemical responsible for killing several babies in China, and sickening thousands more so do not buy them!!! Sherwood Brands Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins

More Info on Breast Cancer

A presentation on

Medical Infrared Thermal Imaging!

Come… enjoy light morning refreshments while you…

Learn what it is! * Learn what it does!

Learn How It Can Benefit Your Health!

Presented by: Immanuel’s Image, Inc.

Audrey Perryman Fedrick, BS, RDMS, RDCS, CCT

Where: The Branch Christian Church

Clarcona Ocoee Road

Ocoee, FL 34761

When: Saturday, November 1, 2008 @ 10:00 AM

RSVP Please: 407 832-5066

A Personal Message from Janna W.

Hi Ladies,
Janna really enjoyed her time with us earlier this week, and as she was thinking about our group, she wanted to share a few more words.

Here is her sweet message about her sister:

She was 8 years older than me and she meant the world to me. I remember walking that cancer journey with her and she had faith and joy until the end.

The furthest thing on my sister's mind was being diagnosed with breast cancer. She had tried for 5 years to have her son and was so happy. He was a precious baby and we all loved him so. At one year she was weaning him from breast feeding and developed a painful lump in her breast. Because she had been breast feeding the doctors thought it was mastitis (an infection in the milk ducts). The pain continued and she went to see a surgeon to have a breast biopsy with the plan for a mastectomy if the biopsy was positive. At 26 she had a radical mastectomy with multiple positive lymph nodes. She received her first chemotherapy treatment when her son developed meningitis and died at 15 months. My sister and her husband were broken hearted beyond explanation. She was at his funeral with her hair falling out. She never went into remission. She battled for 15 months and died 1 year after her son - almost to the day.

The take home message is that a woman is never too young to start monthly breast exams.

I was 18 years old at the time and now, 30 years later, I understand better than ever what she endured. She was my big sister and I love her more today than ever. One day we will be together again and what a celebration it will be!

Love,
Janna

October 21 Recap

The meeting was so sweet and smooth. I hope that you enjoyed yourselves as much I did.
From the time that you girls start arriving to the Real Life campus, it is hard for me to stop smiling. I get so excited seeing your faces!

Our time together was fun and sweet...it's just never long enough! Renee's Mommy Olympics idea is a hit! I was quite entertained watching you girls scurry around one another to pack your diaper bags. Mommy Olympics will continue throughout the year. The cards that we made for women that are getting a mammogram will be such an encouragement, whether they are being treated for Breast Cancer or just need a cheerful word to lift their spirit. Janna Wickham was the sweetest highlight of the meeting, with her gentle and soft-spoken nature. You girls were listening to her share her heart about surviving breast cancer with all that you had. I think that I could have heard a pin drop in the room. I am thankful for her life and her story...I hope that she said something that touched each of you deeply, whether it was how her family reacted by drawing even closer together, or her priorities in life and her career are rearranged, or that her faith is what got her through those tough days of pain and exhaustion.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE our new set-up for our discussion groups. It's great to sign-up for one of our five groups at the front door and then be able to sit wherever you want, with whoever you want. Jenn - great job! And our table hostesses are doing a marvelous job, as well. It's so fun that our team for MOPS is growing.

A shout out to all of the ladies that stayed after and helped clean up! It was done in record time - finished by noon! I'm thrilled. I only hope that we can continue to add some hands. :)

Here are the announcements, for those of you that weren't able to join us (We missed you, and we look forward to you being with us at our next meeting.)

**Next meeting: Nov 4 – Election Day (polls open 7a-7p, so be sure to join us from 9:30-11:30am)

**How is the coin collecting going? Keep collecting your change in the piggy banks that we made at our September 16th meeting. We'll be asking you to bring them in soon.

**Reminder: This blog can be used for Classifieds, just email us at mopsatreallife@yahoo(dot)com

**Fall Festival at Real Life on October 31st - click here for details

**MOPS heads to the Nursing Home on Nov. 11 @ 11am - stay tuned for further details.

**Operation Christmas Child is supported by MOPS International. We are encouraging moms to fill a shoe-box-sized container and bring it to one of our November meetings. Container collection deadline is Nov. 24.

**Reminder: MOPS Int’l Membership $23.95 – bring a check or cash to the meeting to register. The amount goes straight to MOPS Int'l Headquarters. Per MOPS' guidelines, we ask that you register by your third meeting. Scholarships are available, so please email us or speak to Amanda or Kelly.

Have a great week, ladies! I'll be in touch soon.

Local Yard/Bake Sale

*UPDATED 10/23* Location is changed to

Melinda & David Gill's home

1052 Linden Street, Clermont, 34711,

Directions: At intersection of Hwy 50 and 12th Street - make a left (heading South) on 12th Street, 2nd street on the left is Linden, 10th house on the left is ours - 1052.
All items must be dropped off on Friday, and then shopping occurs on Saturday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On October 25th, there will be a large Yard/Bake Sale in Clermont at Kim's Cabbage Patch on the corner of Hwy 50 and 5th Street, from 8am - 1pm. It is hosted by the local meetup.com group called "Herd of Little Pitter Patter". All proceeds will go to Sandy and Lilly Smith. They lost their husband/father, Daniel, on October 2 in a motorcycle accident.

If you would like to donate anything (personal, food, or money), feel free to contact Vanessa at vmvazquez83@yahoo (dot) com.

October 7 Meeting Recap

Our focus for October is The Well Woman/Breast Cancer Awareness. We had our very own, Nicole Casavant, come and share with us. Nicole was very generous...with her information, as well as her door prizes for correctly answering questions from her talk. We so appreciated her insight as she answered our questions varying from birth control to nursing to all women parts-related thoughts. She is a treasure and a wealth of knowledge. (I'm so thrilled that she is having a baby girl within the next 5 weeks).

Of course, the food was amazing (thank you to those ladies, for preparing something for all of us) and we had a very fun icebreaker.......Dress the Baby As Fast As You Can. (Erin Ramsey, I have no idea where your large baby doll came from, but I'm glad that I didn't deliver her.) It was a hoot watching you girls pass your dolls from one mom to the next.

Though our craft time was pretty short, I know that most of you finished it or just decided to take it home. I thought that it was a nice touch for our craft girls to make sure that we know we are "worth it", especially when we look at our key chains that we made. We are worth our monthly self exams and our annual well woman visits. As a mom, our health is important. :)

Here are the announcements, in case you weren't able to join us (there were several of you out...I hope that everything is OK):

*Next meeting: Oct 21^st – Wear Pink! We are having a breast cancer survivor come and share her story...let's support her and all wear pink.

*This Blog can be used for Classifieds - just email us and I'll set up a page for your for sale items, giveaway items, get-this-out-of-my-garage items. You decide the price and how you want other moms to contact you (phone # or email address)

*Trip to Uncle Donald's Farm – Fri, Oct. 17^th, sent out via E-vite…if you didn’t receive it, please email us.

*Fall Festival at Real Life – Fri, Oct 31st from 6-9pm. Click here for more details.

Have a great week! I look forward to seeing you on October 21st....Don't Forget - Wear PINK!

Kidz Room Creationz

If you are looking for a muralist, we've got the girl for you!

Kids Room Creationz - Murals by Jen
Jennifer Ganley
352-584-6774
jganley@cfl(dot)rr(dot)com

Contact her directly for all of your creative painting needs!