Bugs, Babies & Life Stories: May 2007

Posted by Parkinson Family In:

Only 2 sleeps to go!!!!

On Monday we leave for our Birthday road trip!!!!!!

Monday 21st we drive to Wagga Wagga stopping at the Dog on the Tucker Box of course, then Tuesday 22nd for my 32nd birthday we drive to Echuca where we cruise the Murray or maybe roll in the mud....... and have a rest sightseeing day. Thursday 24th we hook up the van again and head to Ballarat where we do Sovereign Hill and Fairyland. On Sunday 27th we head to Wye River on the Great Ocean Road. We are planing to spend Monday going up and down the GOR and then Tuesday at Werribee Zoo. Wednesday 30th Andrews 40th Birthday we head to Phillip Island to watch the Fairy (yes I can call them fairy again!!!!) Penguins. Thursday 31st we head to Sale for a birthday dinner with my cousin Abbey who was born on the same day as Andrew only 27 years apart!!!!! Then it is the travel home Friday 1st Eden and Mogo Zoo, Saturday 2nd Batemans Bay and Sunday 3rd Home Sweet Home.

Please pray that we have no car or van problems (we just had to replace the clutch in the Pajero $1200!!!!!!) and that we are able to manage getting the girls to sleep at 7pm and us not going to bed till when ever, all of us in the little van!!!.

As we did Europe for my 30th, I felt it was only fair that we do something special for Andrews 40th and so this is why we are going on a road trip to VIC with a caravan and two kids...... hehehe I think I got the better deal.

Posted by Parkinson Family In: Family, Joanna Christine

Mothers Day 2007

I was very spoilt by my wonderful family.

I was given a beautiful hand made card from Caitie that in her words had a "picture of mummy and the sky and the sun and the grass on the front and then on the inside another drawing and some words". Then another card thanks to Daddy with lots of nice things said about me, exactly what you need to feel very loved and special. I then received the boxed set of Season 6 of McLeod's Daughters and a CD, "Ultimate Housework Hits", do you think that's a hint.... (no I asked for it....., the CD, not the housework!) and a pair of very high very white stiletto's, very cool..... very spoilt!!!

We then got dressed, I gave Pip her weetbix while Andrew showered Caitie and after a dance around the lounge room to my new CD with my girls we headed to McDonald's for breakfast, oh I did forget to mention that my special day started at 6:05am and so we headed out the door for breakfast and 7:30am. After a yummy breakfast we came back home, Andrew went over to the prayer meeting, Pippy slept and Caitie and I just bummed around till 9:20am when we headed over to the church. Bug went to Little Kids and Pip and I went into the service and sat with Grandma Werlie (Verlie). After Church we hung around catching up with people, came home gave Pip some lunch and then headed back out up to North Richmond for Chinese lunch with Verlie and Michelle. Really yummy food, Caitie's behaviour was borderline, but she was tired and is always worse when she it like that. Pip was given no chance to whinge, she just kept having prawn crackers shoved in her face.

After lunch we went the long way home hoping, praying that Caitlyn would sleep but she was passed it and it did not happen. We drove passed the old house (first time since dad sold it) and it still looks exactly the same, don't know what I expected them to do.... but anyway. A quiet afternoon and then Andrew went to Church, girls had dinner and bed, I blogged, watched TV and had dinner when Andrew came home.

Over all it was a lovely day and made even more special as for the second night running Pip went down without a feed at 6:30pm and only woke at 5am for a feed and got up at 6am, and Caitie went down at 6:30pm and woke at 6:30am and didn't wake at all during the night!!!! Yeah, it is so amazing what 2 nights unbroken sleep does to your outlook and brain power.

Posted by Parkinson Family In: Joanna Christine, Special Events

My First Pastors Wives Retreat

WOW!!!!! This was the most amazing weekend away, I learnt so much, and came back so pumped and excited about ministry and it was so at the right time cause I was so over everything.

Pip came with me and she was a dead baby, slept through all the sessions and great a night. That was a HUGE answer to prayer. Caitie stayed with Andrew, which was a great blessing to me to have some time out. I have a very special husband and I know it, just need to tell him more.

I was able to see that I am doing this "Pastor's Wife" gig ok and that what I am feeling is normal. That I am not failing my husband, church, God or self. Just that it can be tough some times and that life is so different to one married to a 9 to 5 Mon to Fri husband.

I caught up with Carolyn Altman and she is doing really well up and Lithgow and I met 21 other women who are just the same as me and that was so encouraging. Our speaker was Greta from Tamworth and she was so real and honest and such a talented lady, with a great husband that looks after the 2 girls while she came to minister to us.

I have decided to help out by being on the committee for next year which will give me something to do for me and that is out side of Windsor. Also allow me to network with more Pastors wives so when I do go to things with Andrew I can speak to more people than him and myself.

Both Anne and I were inspired to start up a ladies retreat, which our church has never had and seeing the men have had one every year for the last 10 years, we thought it was about time we had one. So I have booked the same site as this retreat, so we have a date, I have a name "MeTime Ladies Retreat" as every woman can identify with the need for METime, I have a really cool logo (if I do say so, I think it is anyway!!!) and as you can see I have done the flyer. All we need now is a speaker and for 12 months to pass..... but I am sure it will fly by.

I was really encouraged by the response of people when we have told them about the idea. We need 35 to book the site and I know that we can do that easy just by how many women who have already booked husbands to take the kids, are telling others and are excited too. This is such a blessing and confirmation that the ladies of our Church need this.

So if you are reading this from Windsor, put the date in the back of your 2007 diary ready for next year, start saving your $2.50 a week, tell others and lets get excited about the possibility's.

If you are not from Windsor, Anne and I would value your prayers as we work together for the first time to make this happen, as we seek a speaker, look at specific people to help throughout the weekend, for the ladies of our Church and most of all that is a weekend of blessing to everyone who comes and glorifies God.

Posted by Parkinson Family In: Family, Philippa Jade

Cousins

I have come to the conclusion that we breed little ones........

Philippa 5 months and Imogen 2 days

Philippa 8 months and Imogen 3 months

Its started already!!!!!

Posted by Parkinson Family In: Special Events

Hawkesbury Show 2007

Well, this was very disappointing day.

We thought that with Caitie being that year older she would be more into the rides...... NUP she has over developed her sense of fear during the year!!!

We thought with Caitie being that year older she could pat and chase the sheep and goats in the friendship farm .......NUP no animals to pat as they were not there!!!

We have a tradition Dagwood Dogs followed by pancakes..... NUP after 15 years the Pancake Shack was not there!!!

Good weather..... NUP it was wet, muddy, raining and just not fun!!!

Clydesdale's ...... NUP don't know whats happened to them!!!

It was just not as good as it has been and we had got a frustrating call about the Church 'lack of development", so our mood was changed from grumpy to just don't go there!!!

After a really lame pony ride, we did find some little kids rides that she liked and that was the jumping castle and cars, so we spent 30 minutes with those rides and then headed home.

Oh well maybe next year

Posted by Parkinson Family In: Family

Special Mummy Biscuits (Anzacs)

I am really starting worry myself, lately I have been making Bread, Damper, Play dough and now Anzac Biscuits.

You can't have Anzac Day with out those yummy, chewy sweet biscuits.

The one on the left is Caitie size and the one on the right is mummy size....hehehe

Posted by Parkinson Family In: Special Events

Introducing Sabrina Kate Mackay

Born Monday 23rd April, to very proud parents Nathan and Annette and Big sister Madeline.

Posted by Parkinson Family In: Joanna Christine

Where has that 3 years gone

On the 16th April it was 3 years since mum died.

We got up and headed to Penrith Train station and got on a train to the city, then we jumped on a ferry to Watsons Bay. I can't believe that I am 32 years old and this was the first time I had ever done this. It was beautiful.

We had fish and chips on the grass as Caitlyn chased the seagulls, then we went for a walk up to the gap. After that we jumped back on the ferry and headed over to Garden Island where we walked around and Caitlyn climbed all over the big guns and anchors.

It was then time to get a ferry back to the Circular Quay and back on a train Penrith bound.

Caitlyn went to sleep on the drive home (and slept till the morning) so after putting her to bed we had KFC for dinner and Andrew went to a Deacons meeting.

It was a great way to spend this day as train, ferry rides and KFC were some of mums favorite things.

Here is a comparison

This is Caitie at 15 months eating Pizza in St Marcos Square in Venice wearing her "My Grandma says..... I'm cute as a button"

and then

Here is Pip at 7 months eating a rusk on Garden Island on Sydney Harbour, wearing the same bib.

Posted by Parkinson Family In:

Georgina Brooke

This is a little girl that is from a family in Nyngan that go to Nyngan Baptist and where we go and do a kids club mission trip each year. She is also the grandaughter of a family that go to Kurrajong Baptist.

Please visit her blog and please pray for her and her family.

georginabrooke.blogspot.com

This is such a sad story and so much more when we know the family and the fact that we are parents, please spend the time and take a look.

Some background information since the beginning

Day 1 - Tuesday 17/4

The Brookes were in Sydney for the Royal Easter Show. Georgie had been ill with a temperature in Dubbo at Easter. Doctors in Dubbo said she would recover shortly in 2-3 days and she picked up from this after a short period. At the show she said she was tired in the legs and Greg carried her. She then began to talk without making sense.Greg sought the help of the nearby St John's Ambulance volunteers. They soon were at the hospital at the show. Georgie was assessed with questions like "What is your name" etc. and did not do well with the answers. After 30 minutes of sleep, Georgie was also asked questions and again the response was not good.A decision was made to send her by ambulance to Concord, but Angela intervened and requested Westmead. They were a similar distance, so Westmead was the destination. Georgie spent 3 hours in the emergency department, where she was screaming and very sensitive to any touch and could not stand any touch or light.She was taken straight to the PICU and has been there since. They sedated her, did some scans, did a spinal tap, did blood samples for a week for screening. All tests have shown no trace of any pathogen.

It is now day 23 and still no answers and still bad seziures everytime they reduce her medication.

Posted by Parkinson Family In: Family, Philippa Jade

Pip update

Well Pip loves her food, she is currently eating anything you put in her hands which is great and distresses meal times. She is currently having her mush food followed by either banana or yogurt and then she has a second tea with us up at the table where she gets what we are eating to squish and feed herself which she loves.

Foods so far

Rice Cereal, Pears, Carrot, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Zucchini, Broccoli, Fish, Beans, Potato, Biscuits, Prawn Crackers, Banana, Peaches, Yogurt, Cheese, Bread roll, Toast, Rusks, Egg Custard, Peas, Corn and Weetbix.

She is also so close to crawling, she is up on her knees and hands and follows you around the room she just hasn't quite got the move the hand and the knees together. She is still trying to move her knees, overbalancing and face planting.

She is such a happy little thing, but does make a rather annoying noise when she is hungry, tired or dirty, I guess it makes it easier for us the know what is wrong, cause if she is screaming then she isn't tired, hungry or in need of a nappy change. She is still waking through out the night for feeds, but if she doesn't drop them herself before we go on our holiday in 20 days then once we are back it will be time to get tough and get her sleeping through. It is just so exhausting, especially when I go from my bed, to Caitlyn's to Pip's to mine.... I was saying to a friend the other day I think the last decent nights sleep when I slept all night undisturbed was 3 months before Caitie was born...

She loves her big sister and when Caitie is in the room she has Pips total attention, it is pretty much the same for Andrew and I too, she always has the biggest smile for us and either flaps her arms or does a little dance.

She is going really well at swimming, loves splashing around and has a great time, I on the other hand really do not enjoy being back in the cold wet water again.

Bugs, Babies & Life Stories