I knew very few people and knew very little about the area when we moved to Morgantown, WV a year ago. I really wasn’t sure where the best restaurants were, where the post offices were located, when you should avoid driving through town, and all those other little things that are important to thriving in a new area. Our friends Tiffany and Steve (Morgantown natives) took us under their wing and taught us the ins and outs of the town, and really, we probably would have been pretty lost without them! Literally! But then I learned even more…

We made some quick connections with some of Brian’s coworkers and that’s where I found out about the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group at Chestnut Ridge Church. I had never heard of MOPS before but after I found out it was for moms, kids and there was hot breakfast, I knew I couldn’t pass it up! Being a first time mom myself and loving interacting with other moms like me, I yearned to be surrounded by moms and their kids so I could learn and connect. And MOPS was just the place for that. 🙂

MOPS is Christian organization that offers a super friendly place where moms and their kids can find community, connections, resources, and most importantly support. We meet September through May on the first and third Thursday mornings of each month and ever since joining last October, I look forward to it every time! We also have moms night out activities and play dates so the group stays active and we have lots of opportunities to build strong relationships with ladies in the group. Being able to sit down and just talk about mom things with others who are either new to the mommy-hood like me or those who are experienced with four kids is such a blessing. Even the coffee, hot breakfast and chance to get away from the kids for a little while are such blessings!

This year I decided to get a bit more involved with the group and join the steering team. I’m officially in charge of all the fundraising efforts (it takes lots of money to provide for 100 moms and their kids) and I’m anxious to get our events started! We’re looking into doing a fundraising day at the local Naticakes store, maybe a spaghetti dinner this fall and then a large community yard sale in the spring. Things are busy for me on the steering team already, which is a little crazy with it being wedding season as well, but it’ll be a nice little job for me to really dive into in a couple months during my off season. Pretty good timing I think. 🙂

Here are a few pictures from our first meeting…

The calm before the storm. We were expecting a lot of moms, maybe 60-70, but we ended up having almost 100! Quite the turnout, eh???

Carie and I were greeters and hallway helpers. 🙂

And there it is, the yummy breakfast! Every mom enjoys a good, wholesome, hot breakfast!

MOPS is not good birth control. There’s always cute new babies at the meetings!

Getting to know the Discussion Group Leaders…

Old friends! Megan and Amy reconnected at the meeting after a few years…Megan was Amy’s OB nurse during the birth of her last child and now they’re in the same MOPS group together! Very cool. 🙂

One of my favorite meetings last year was the food preparation and meal time meeting. WVU staff visited the church for some cooking demonstrations and gave us recipes for easy family meals. Some of the moms also shared their tips and tricks for grocery shopping, eating healthy and feeding lots of kids. And of course I loved the spa day meeting! Last year’s steering team put together a large group of local vendors who donated their time to give free haircuts, manicures, pedicures, massages, and eyebrow waxing to all the MOPS moms. It was an extra special treat and a great way to end the year!

I’m so glad to have found such an active, supportive, fun group of ladies in the Morgantown area. Even after we move next year, I’m still planning to be part of the group because I look forward to it so much and really enjoy every time we get together, even if it’s just a play date in the church parking lot! I’ve also made a lot of great friends through MOPS and I don’t want to lose those relationships just because we’ll be a little farther away. Thanks to all my friends in MOPS for making this first year in a new town super fabulous! I can’t wait to keep growing with you. 🙂

If you’re interested in finding out more about MOPS or finding a MOPS group in your area, check out their website and group locator!