What a Week!

I had an awesome time in Dallas this past weekend at the MOPS Convention. It's always a time of refreshment, stress relief, learning, and bonding with friends, and this year was definitely no different.

Probably the hardest part of the whole experience for me was getting there! Anyone with little kids can understand how hard it is to prepare for a trip. I thought it would be really easy since I was the only one going...but, no. You have to understand that the whole time I was preparing to leave, the girls were sick and Craig was gone at volleyball (all weekend, and he had games both Monday & Tuesday nights), so a difficult task was made even harder. I scrambled to make meals for my family and clean the whole house before I left. There were times that it went smoothly...(here are some pictures of the girls playing sweetly on Tuesday morning)

But then, it went downhill fast. I took both girls to get their hair cut on Tuesday afternoon. Aslyn was in the chair getting her cut, crying and whining for me to hold her, and Jaclyn starts complaining of her tummy hurting. Well, both girls had had fevers previously without throwing up, and Jaclyn had said before that her tummy was hurting, but nothing ever came of it. So, like any normal mother, I told her she would be o.k., and to stop thinking about it. And then it happened....yes, she started throwing up in the salon! I was holding her when it happened, so I just tried the best I could to catch it all in my hands and my shirt while running to the bathroon with her. I felt so bad! But Shelby (my stylist, and a new mother) was so understanding and was very helpful. She even brought in her workout clothes for Jaclyn and I to wear (Jaclyn wore her sports bra...it was very comical, but that was the smallest thing she had!) So, we got cleaned up, and then finished the haircuts (yes, we finished them. It's hard enough finding time to get it done...I was NOT going to have to reschedule!). And then, of course, the rest of the day was spent taking care of Jaclyn and trying desperately to clean up the rest of the house and pack.

So, by time I made it to convention, I WAS READY! And I wasn't disappointed! It was so nice to get away and eat a meal without anyone needing help! Plus, I so enjoy all the speakers and concerts...what a fabulous way to get revived. The workshops that I went to this year were: How to have a difficult conversation; As you go, go deep with Jesus; Grace based parenting; and 10 assumptions leaders make, but shouldn't. (I went more of the leadership skills route this year.) And then the singers that performed were: Go Fish, Jaci Velasquez & Nic Gonzales, Plumb (yeah, I heard my favorite song!!!), and Avalon. Very, very awesome!

We saw the guys from Go Fish in the hall, so they were nice enough to take a picture with our group.

It's pretty amazing to go to convention and see thousands of women meeting together with one common purpose: sharing Christ's love through MOPS. The entire convention center is completely taken over by women, and it's funny to hear the male singers and speakers talk of being completely out-numbered. To represent just how much the women rule at this convention, I thought I would post this picture:

(Yes, that's a plant in the urinal in the men's restroom, which of course, was converted to a women's restroom. Leave it to women to decorate every square inch!)

I want to end this rather long post, by commenting on the very special time that our group had on Saturday night. Convention always provides us with a time of bonding, but this year was exceptionally special. God prodded the hearts of some of our women to open up and share the struggles and past hurts that have haunted them, and I feel that God allowed true healing to take place during this time. It's amazing how God can use even the ugliest parts of our lives for his glory. These women had the courage to expose the past (even though it's MUCH easier to keep it all hidden) because God led them to be real and transparent. I am confident that God is going to use these women in a powerful way as they minister to other moms this year and in the years to come.

"He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it..."

To God be the glory