Spokane Washington The Power of Moms Retreat

You know how you plan things and really hope with all your heart that you actually follow through with them?  About a year ago I set a goal for myself to accomplish something that I thought would actually really require time and effort but I was going to actually DO it this time.  I set a goal to hold a The Power of Moms Retreat in Spokane, WA, where I grew up.  And to top it all off, I decided I would be a co-presenter with my cousin Saren Eyre Loosli, who is also the co-founder of The Power of Moms.  I DID IT!
This last weekend Saren, my sister Karley and my daughter Morgan and I drove to Spokane where Saren and I held a Retreat with about 35 amazing moms in attendance.  It was wonderful and the moms there were just like the other moms we find at these retreats...beautiful, deliberate, creative, friendly, compassionate and humble.

Me, Daisy Phillips, Chatol Sego, Saren

As I look back on the small miracles that happened in order to make this Retreat possible I have to share just a few things.  When I was in the planning stages we were in need of a host location that could accomodate a lot of women.  We like to hold retreats in homes so this requires a good sized home.  My friend had graciously offered her beautiful cabin, but we felt it might require too much travel for those coming in from Seattle and outlying areas.  With no place in mind we threw a request out to the moms on our Power of Moms Facebook page and so quickly, a willing and excited Andrea Hainsworth stepped up to host.  As retreat approached and it was 2 days previous, a family tragedy occurred for the Hainsworths and another amazing friend and neighbor offered her home in exchange.  She wasn't even going to be in town, but KariAnn Roland opened her home and accomodations to us.  Willing trainers stepped up to purchase the food and help with the logistics and everything came together beautifully.

My family has been so supportive of me through all of the craziness, I work part time and added this to my schedule, but I hope that my kids are learning that it is ok for you to pursue your passions even as a mother.  They have been amazing and excited for me.  Each time a registration for the retreat came in they would at least feign enthusiasm for me as I did a little happy dance with each registration.
And so my point that I want to leave you with is this:  Don't let anyone, including Satan, tell you that you can't make a difference and do what you are passionate about.  I am passionate about helping moms that are in the trenches of the most important thing they will ever do.  Giving them tools to make the job easier and above all, sharing with them that we are all in this together.  We all share the same trials and frustrations and even though we are not CAPABLE of doing this job perfectly, the learning and the joy is in DOING IT REGARDLESS.  You can make a difference, but not if you don't try.  I can't wait to present again, to learn more to share and share what I learn.

I am so thankful to Saren for making this happen with me and for believing in me.  Our mothers are sisters, my birth mom, Lenna and her mom Linda.  They are amazing women that give me identity.  Saren has become one of my dearest friends.  Thankful as well for my friend Kim Claypool for being there.  Seeing her and embracing her was just what I needed that day.  She is the wind beneath my wings after 27 years and counting.  Deborah Thomason White for making what was a strained relationship in our teenage years, now a bond that I will treasure.