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My goals for 2008:
Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, peace and happiness to all you meet. To make all your friends (and everybody you come across) feel that they are special.  To look at the positive side of everything and make your optimist come true.  To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. To forget the mistakes of the past, (revisit them only to learn from them) and strive for greater achievement in the future. To be cheerful always, with a ready smile for all. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself, that you have no time to criticize others, (and to rejoice in the improvement of others). To be too large to worry, too noble to anger, too strong to fear, and too happy to allow trouble.

Our Mission
To provide an organization where Moms can communicate, receive and exchange information, network with each other and be involved in the community.

Announcements

NEW! The Mom's Network of Walla Walla has official t-shirts. They are $22 each and come in sizes s,m,l,xl, xxl. Our first tshirts are on order. If you are interested in a tshirts just let me know. We will place our next order August 1st.
Our World:
529-2321 info@ourworldww.com
Our World designs by member, Karene Gonzalez and Terri Croghan are light-hearted, original creations that highlight our whacky world. They have a wide collection of Walla Walla items such as shirts, baby tees, aprons, hats & bags. Find their collection at By Arrangement, the Airport Store and at the Farmer's Market. www.gowallawallafarmersmarket.com/ourworld.htm 
Thank you to Our World for our new logo!

Volunteer Opportunities: 
CHS has a new program for high needs children from 4th – 8th grades. These children will be from Garrison, Sharpstein, Meadowbrook and Sagar schools. The volunteers will need to commit to one year with their child and will need to spend at least 2 hours a week with the child. We will have more boys then girls and are especially looking for men to mentor these kids but women are welcome too. There will be background checks done on all volunteers since they will be spending 1 on 1 time together. If you are interested, email member Marilee at mcquamd@pocketinet.com or call CHS at 529-2130. 
The YWCA is going to announce an “arrangement” this fall to increase membership and have great classes for women who join the YWCA. They have a new membership committee who meets once a month (on Monday’s, noon, and you can bring kids) who is working on a new brochure, class ideas and schedules (like cooking, gardening, bike classes etc). They are planning an open house in September to invite the public in and get to know the YWCA.  I will share the TMN spot at the Farmer’s Market in August to help get info out. They are looking for new ideas.  It is a great group of women with a lot of passion for the Y who are on the committee. The next meeting is the 16th at noon and I will be there too. 
Dr. Alison Kirby and Holly Howard are working on the School Based Health Center.  They are working on student and parent survey’s and will need help getting information out to the community.  Several members have already contacted me about assisting them. If you are also interested in being in the “loop” on the center just let me know and I will pass on the information.  They are still trying to develop a plan but they are moving in the right direction and have great community support. 
The WW Children’s Museum is looking for people to serve on the Development Committee. They meet monthly to discuss fund raising programs, researching grants,  and matching sponsors with exhibits.  You can email the director Joy Bader (TMN member) at devdirector@cmww.org or for more info www.cmww.org

Many of you have asked…currently we have 163 members!! Thank you. And we will be celebrating one year on June 23rd.  For all members that joined last summer, I will be updating you about renewal soon. 

If you need summer babysitting I have a new list of young women who are looking for daytime jobs. Just let me know.  

TMN will be at the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, June 14th and 28th from 9am to 1pm. Have a friend who would like information? Have ideas? Want to volunteer during that time? Just come by and see me. 

At the end of this month TMN will be celebrating one year so I thought it would be fun to celebrate together. So please join me at our One Year Celebration on Wednesday, July 16th at Sapolil Cellars at 15 E Main Street from 6:30-8:30pm for some food and wine. The event will cost $8 which includes your first glass of wine and your food. (It will be a no host bar after your first glass). So dress up and come say hi to me and meet some other members – please rsvp at bethswanson@charter.net

Successes
Thank you to all who came and heard Dr. Alison Kirby concerning the School Based Health Center. The statistics were staggering. I will be sending out more information soon on what it will do, where it will go, data they have found concerning youth health and how we can help.  This is a very important community project that affects all of us. 

Thank you to all who turned in pages for “Books for Babes”. The book turned out very cute and is going to 100 new Mom’s in the Walla Walla Valley.

Thank you all who came to the EMS Levy and WWPS Levy talks. It was so informative and you all asked great questions! To receive the enews from the WWPS just go to www.wwps.org and click the enews/enewletter tab on the right hand side on the home page. 

Congratulations to member Tiffany Jenes of Bright’s Candies and Gifts for placing 2nd in the Gingerbread House contest at the Marcus Whitman Hotel.  The event raised $622.01 for the Blue Mountain Community Foundation.  The money will be used to aid Walla Walla’s homeless through the BMCF.  Thank you Tiffany for participating!

Thank you to all those who participated in December's Library Open House! Everyone had a great time.

Thank you for all those Saturday morning walkers who joined me in dedicating our walk to “Breast Cancer Awareness” month.  Member Susan Hofmann distributed information from St. Mary’s and we all took a moment to think of someone close to us battling cancer. I would also like to thank Denise Isenhower, of Isenhower Cellars, for selling pink vests (at a discount) and donating the net profits to the St. Mary’s Cancer Center.

Thank you Cynthia Reese, nurse practitioner, for joining us for coffee.  We had a nice evening discussing hormones and estrogen.   Cynthia answered all our questions and got us up to speed on women’s health issues and current concerns.

Thank you Dr. Jen Bolduc for a wonderful and insightful evening.  Jen answered all our questions about children’s health issues and current “flu bugs”.  What an evening well spent discussing specific issues without children listening. Thank you for your insight Jen and thank you for those who attended.

Thank you Jannelle Bruns, TMN member and owner of Book & Game, for a great night of education!  Jannelle had so many suggestions for all ages.  Some of her favorite were “The Well-Trained Mind” by Bauer & Wise for parents who want to encourage a classical education and be involved in what their kids are learning.  She also provided a wide range of fun workbooks for all ages. If you missed the event, stop into Book & Game and she can point you in the right direction. We have had a lot of response from members to do this one again so we are planning on another event in January.  We will keep you posted.

Thank you for all your outpouring and support for the families in the YWCA shelter. TMN members have rallied to supply backpacks, school supplies, new clothes and gently used clothes. On Monday, August 20th we delivered 12 backpacks filled with grade appropriate school supplies, a new book for each child and a gift card at a minimum of $25 for school clothes.  Thank you members…what a true success this was!

Member only

I have some exciting news. I have been telling you about the YWCA special evening on September 10th at 7:30pm.  They are going to announce new membership opportunities and classes at the YWCA.    Classes will be whole grain bread baking, beginning crochet (hat or scarf), gardening, a mom and kid hike and so much more. Classes are available to all but YWCA members will get to attend at a lesser rate. The exciting part is that TMN members can join the YWCA at $25 year (vs. $45). So join at the market on the 16th or come to the event on September 10th. Spread the word. Fun, Friendship and Philanthropy…. 

Our next books is “The Lake of Dead Languages” by Carol Goodman.  This is a dark mystery, but not scary.  Once again Book & Game is offering this book at 20% to all TMN members. We will meet on Thursday, November 6th at 7pm at Book & Game. Enjoy reading.

Need a babysitter? TMN has been building a babysitter directory. Just let me know if you need some new babysitters or have one to add. The all come highly recommended.
bethswanson@charter.net