Spring is in the Air!

Posted on August 24, 2012 by natalietrew

I write this blog with a ‘spring’ in my step (I know pretty cheesy lol) because winter is almost over and spring is in the air baby!!!! Thank goodness!!! I dislike winter – except for the fashion of course! Freezing cold winds, layers of clothes, shorter days, runny noses, coughs and colds. Nothing in that sentence appeals to me at all! I get to autumn and look forward to wearing my jackets, scarves and jeans again, but the thrill of that is overcome by the cabin fever that can sometimes exist during the winter season. Thank goodness we live in Queensland and some of our winter days can be just sensational!!!

It’s funny how everything seems to go into hibernation during winter and as the temperatures start to increase and the sun starts to become warmer and warmer, the birds are visible, plants look more vibrant and people’s status updates on Facebook are evident that it is a much more happier time of year! From now, after the school pick up, you’ll find us outside playing, eating and soaking up this beautiful weather. The kids just love it. They already seem so much happier! Which means happy kids = happy mumma = household runs smoothly!

Spring is my favourite season of the year! The weather is usually perfect – not too hot and not too cold! It’s the lead up to the festive season and the start of beach trips, catch ups and swimming! And of course it is the best time of year to exercise:) no more breathing in cold air on my morning runs, more time in the day to go for a run and getting up in the cold of winter is no where near as appealing as during the warmer months! This afternoon I took a few snap shots of what life will be like for quite a few months ahead:

Fruit is there to munch on between playing!

Trampoline is one of the favourite things the kids love to do!

Footy never gets old…even though it’s the off season now!

Mia loves being able to see her feet again and run around in lighter clothing.

Today was a beautiful day! I opened every window in the house, gave the house a really good clean and am now enjoying watching my munchkins laughing and playing nicely (as nice as it gets here lol) together in our backyard with the dog as happy as ever! So I encourage you all to embrace this weather while it’s here, as for a little while longer we will still have a bit of cold here and there…..It’s now time to shave your legs ladies and paint your toenails because spring is in the air and the season for thongs and sandals is fast approaching!

Legs are shaved and toenails painted….My Havaianas live on my feet during the warmer months!!

80 Blessed Years!

Posted on August 19, 2012 by natalietrew

80 years ago today a beautiful lady was born into this world, and blessed this world is to have her! This lady is my dear nana Gloria! In her 80 years of life so far, she has experienced many great loves which have formed her family, but has also faced tragedies with the loss of a child, grandchild and parent. She has always been a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who would give you the jumper off her back or her last dollar if she had too!

Yesterday we celebrated nana’s 80th birthday just how she likes…being surrounded by family! My wonderful mother did a fabulous job organising such a fantastic day for everyone to enjoy! It was so lovely having most of nana’s grandchildren and great grandchildren present for such a huge milestone. And of course in true style we were able to capture many cherished moments…..

Nana and grandad with their children!

Nana and grandad with their grandchildren!

Nana and grandad with their great grandchildren!

My party of 5 with our dear Nana!

Nana’s cake I made for her:)

Aerial shot of the cake!

Mum put together a collection of things that my very talented nana made over the years…some of it is almost 40 years old!!!!

Nana and I….my fondest childhood memories included nana a lot!

As I was having a lovely chit chat with nan this arvo, it reminded me of all the wonderful girly chit chats we’ve had over the years! It makes me so upset at the thought of how Parkinson’s Disease has taken over my precious nana’s body and once where she was an active vibrant women who was very intelligent, now struggles with the day to day normal living of life. But in true Gloria form she never complains and always has time to give you a smile. As I kissed her soft forehead this arvo, I told her that she was the best and that she wasn’t going anywhere that we couldn’t survive without her….she replied with a beautiful smile and said “someone would replace me”, I replied with “never!” Because Gloria Holpen, the lady known to many of us as Nana Holpen, is simply irreplaceable!!!!

Happy 80th birthday Nana….I’m so glad you’ve had a wonderful weekend of celebrations!!!!!

18 Months Ago…….

Posted on August 17, 2012 by natalietrew

Exactly 18 months ago a beautiful little chubby baby girl was placed in my arms. She was our miracle, a true angel who literally saved my life! We’ve had many ups and downs with our Mia bear, from silent reflux, a turned eye, glue ear, chronic middle ear infections to croup! But despite all of this, she is growing into a funny, affectionate, playful little lady who we absolutely adore the ground she walks on!

It blows me away how fast time has gone and that my youngest born is already 18 months old! This age can be so trying at times and for our spirited child as we call her, a lot of the time lol, but it’s also a beautiful age. They are still so pure and innocent with really not a care in the world! They laugh at themselves and don’t care what they look like or wear. All they want is your undivided attention and affection and they are as happy as a pig in mud!

Mia has never been a fan of the camera, which is sad really because she is the most adorable thing and has a smile that makes your heart melt! But the photos I do capture of her, really depict the little lady she is becoming!

The Funny Mia:

The Adventurous Mia:

The Serious Mia:

The Cheeky Mia:

The Affectionate Mia:

The Cranky Mia:

The Peaceful Mia:

The Mischievous Mia:

The Drifter Mia:

The Adorable Mia:

These photos really depict a day in the life of our little Miss Mia (aka Mimi). She displays each and every one of these emotions on a daily basis, which makes the day very interesting for us! She really has left her baby days behind her and is in full steam toddler mode. Her talking is so cute and new words are added to her collection of vocab everyday….my favourite “ove you!” She is just one of the kids now and what they do she must do or at least have a go! She really lights up our lives and just like 18 months ago, at the end of the day she still needs to borrow her head on my chest to feel happy, warm, loved and comforted!

Mia Natalie Trew….18 months today!

3 Generations of Queenslanders!!!

Posted on July 20, 2012 by natalietrew

On page 72 of this week’s issue of the Southern Star is a story that involves three members of our family. 48 years ago my father started a trend. That trend was being selected to play for the under 12 school boys Queensland rugby league team. 28 years later I was selected to play for the under 12 school girls Queensland Orchids netball team and only two weeks ago, my nephew was selected for the same team his poppy was all those years ago! It is with such pride and excitement that we share our story as it’s not very often you see three generations make a state team at the same age!

Dad started playing football at the age of 9 for Cannon Hill Stars. He is the eldest boy of seven children but was the only one to play representative football. He was only an average built child at the age of 12, but through his speed and great defense, he was selected to play for his district, region and then finally his state. Dad continued making ways with his footy and was again selected for QLD when he reached under 15s. He then played his senior football for Wests where he retired at the young age of 22 due to a reoccurring knee injury! This was a heart breaking decision for him, but his family came first. He later went on to coach instead.

I was 7 when I started playing netball. I sat on the sidelines for many years watching my sisters play so by the time I started playing I was so familiar with the game. I grew so quickly and was always the tallest for my age. I represented my district, region and then state as a shooter, but by the time I reached my mid teens everyone started growing past me and ended up a centre court player. I played representative netball up until I was 19 when I was struck down by a back injury and was sidelined from playing premier division State League. I later returned and played for a few more years before starting a family of my own.

Sebby originally played union when he was 7, but with lots of encouragement from his parents and uncle Kane, he started his first year of league at the age of 8 for Logan Brothers where he still plays today. We’ve watched this talented young boy grow and develop over the past few years and with the help of extra training sessions from his poppy, he has turned into a brilliant player who has a very bright future ahead of him. Our family are so proud of Sebastian and can’t wait to cheer him on as he represents QLD in Mackay next month.

It’s a great achievement to represent your state and something every child who plays sport dreams of doing. Our family has always lived breathed and ate sport, so it’s inevitable that we were going to make a good go of it and it helps when we have good sporting genes! There are 6 grandchildren still to come through the ranks and Sebastian as the first grandchild has set the bar high! It would be awesome to think more of the grandchildren would be chosen for a rep team. And if the trend keeps going, just maybe one of our children’s children may follow in our footsteps but if not, 3 generations of Queenslanders is pretty fantastic!

40 Years and Counting!

Posted on July 10, 2012 by natalietrew

I write this piece with absolute pride, as the two people this story revolves around are my wonderful parents!

45 years ago at the young age of 15 a boy met a girl and took her out on their first date…a football match:) and from that moment on, they started a beautiful journey I would like to share with you!

After 4 years of ‘going steady’, a handsome Gary Keith Winters married a beautiful Carol Ann Holpen at the age of 19. They made such a stunning couple on their wedding day even though dad was in a terrible car accident weeks before and had his arm in plaster!!

Once they tied the knot and declared their love in front of all their loved ones, dad was sent to Singapore to serve in the army and mum being the supportive wife she is, went with him as he was to be away for a year! What an experience…19, newlyweds and living in Singapore, I know I wouldn’t have been ready for that at such a young age!

Once they returned from Singapore they spent the next couple of years working hard to buy their first home…our family home that we grew up in and the home they still reside in today! They first became parents at 22 to twin girls, my sisters Michelle and Peta. Mum only found out after she gave birth to Michelle that there was another baby to be born! Imagine being told “Mrs Winters you have another baby in there you need to get ready to push again!”….”ummm no thank you, I only ordered one!!!!” Ahhh thank goodness technology has improved lol! Then 6 years later after suffering a heartbreaking miscarriage in between, I was born!

Growing up in the Winters household meant lots of love, laughter and joy! The girls and I have truly been blessed with such wonderful parents who are so selfless and loving! They always worked so hard to provide a roof over our head, food on the table, clothes on our backs and always gave us the best holidays, birthdays and Christmas! The best childhood memories anyone could ask for!

As we grew older and started to achieve great things with our sport and academics, mum and dad always supported us and again worked really hard to help us make our dreams and goals come true! We were all so lucky to have magical wedding days and the support of our parents when buying our first house, car and making the decision to start a family!

Throughout all of this the one common factor that my parents relationship has sustained is love! They are still the most selfless people I know and they still work really hard to help us all out and now it’s not just three daughters, it’s also three son in laws and 7 beautiful grandchildren! But the love my parents share is even greater than the day that boy met a girl and took her out on their very first date!

Now that we are all grown up, moved out of home and have families of our own, it’s mum and dad’s time to relish in each other again. They have such a great life together and it’s so nice after 40 years of marriage that they still make each other laugh and enjoy spending time together – be it at Diggers on a Friday night, on holidays at Palm Beach or spending time with their grandchildren!

Which brings me to ask the question….can high school sweethearts last the distance?? So many people are quick to judge couples who have been in a committed relationship from a young age….”they won’t last!”, “what would they know about love, they were so young when they started going out!”, “they’ll get sick of each other eventually!”

I believe high school sweethearts or young love can last forever! Who says that you can’t have one true love?! How many people divorce that aren’t high school sweet hearts?! I really don’t think it matters if you are high school sweethearts or not if you love someone and want to be with them forever, it is possible, but like everything you have to work at it and make an effort! Marriage isn’t easy, it’s about flexibility, working as a team and compromising…..even my parents know that. They’ve had their ups and downs but never once did they give up!

I feel so blessed that I have two wonderful role models in my life that I can look up to and be inspired by! I’ve had exposure to wonderful parenting, a great marriage and now fantastic grandparenting! Kane and I are high school sweethearts and I can only hope that in 30 years time we are as happy and in love as my parents are today!

How many of you out there married your high school sweetheart or first love?

Middle Child Syndrome…..does it really exist?

Posted on June 14, 2012 by natalietrew

Middle child syndrome. People say it’s just a myth and maybe it is. Maybe it doesn’t exist in every household, but it certainly does in ours!

Meet my middle child….Sienna Lynette Trew!

When Sienna was born she was everything everyone in our family longed for! After having 3 rowdy boys, my sister who lives in Melbourne had twins – a boy and a girl….finally a granddaughter! But we still had all these boys in Brisbane, but at 11.57am, on the 30th of June, weighing in at a whopping 10 pound 2, our little Sie Sie girl was born and everyone was over the moon that a second little granddaughter was to join our family! She was a beautiful baby:) When I gave birth to her I pulled her out and she was placed on my chest and there she stayed with her eyes wide open, not crying, just looking around and checking out the world and the life she was about to embark on!

Bailey and Sienna were inseparable from the minute she was born. There is two years and four months between them but that gap has always felt much closer! Their personalities complimented one another for a while there, as Bailey was always so highly strung and Sienna so placid and easy going. Sienna was seriously the best toddler that you could come across and many a times while Bailey was having a moment, I would turn to Sie Sie and her beautiful beaming smile would let me know that everything would be ok….she was my shining light in a moment of darkness!

I always wanted three children, but when Sienna started having all her ear problems like Bailey and then when she turned 2 life started to become easier, our thoughts suddenly turned to – do we really want to upset the apple cart?? Then unbeknown to us I was actually pregnant at Sienna’s 2nd birthday party! I was never worried about middle child syndrome, it was Sienna the most carefree child, how could she ever be affected by anything?? Didn’t things change….! Sienna and I have always shared a special bond right from the minute she was born and one of the first thoughts I had when I found out I was pregnant, was “Sie Sie won’t be my baby anymore:(!” Being a parent feels like a constant guilt trip and this was one of those moments!

During my pregnancy, Sienna loved being involved with my growing belly and was always so fascinated by the whole baby thing and never seemed jealous at all! I made sure I included both the kids in everything as I didn’t want them to feel left out! Bailey was verbally disappointed when we found out we were having a girl, but Sienna was happy to be getting a little sister. I was about 35 weeks pregnant when Bailey started prep and this was the day that my quiet, placid, easy going girl disappeared and even though she is still in there and comes out every now and again, her heart from the day her little mate went to school, was left with a hole in it! Then if that wasn’t big enough, a few weeks later she became a big sister to Mia! That’s a lot for a little person to process and deal with! This is where middle child syndrome started to come out in our house!

In my opinion when you have 3 children middle child syndrome seems somehow unavoidable! I’m very conscious of it and tried everything in my power to eliminate it from happening, but somewhere along the way, when I was dealing with a reflux baby and a tired prep student, Sienna become lost in it all! Everything became all about Bailey starting school and along with that came special performances and fetes, homework and awards….Bailey, Bailey, Bailey! Then of course everything is about the baby because they are the most dependent child in the house….Mia, Mia, Mia! No wonder Sienna would just sit and scream at us if she didn’t get her own way! My placid girl who had never chucked a tantrum before the age of 2 and a half, turned into tantrum city, attitude plus and this affected everything then – including her sleep! It was just a spiral of events for a while there!

These days my little Sie Sie girl still suffers from middle child syndrome. She idolises her big brother and little sister and tries so hard to impress them both all day! She often gets her heart broken by both of them which breaks my heart to see! And we still deal with some behaviour issues, but in general she is a pretty good girl and has improved since starting preschool at the beginning of the year. I make a point of spending one on one time with her, as out of the three of my children, she has missed out on the one on one time that Bailey had before she was born and Mia will get when Sienna goes to prep next year!

Next year is Sienna’s year! She starts prep and I’m going to let her choose a sport of her choice. She spends all her time supporting her big brother at his school functions and football matches, it will now be her time to shine and shine she will! No matter how being the middle child has affected her, she is still my shining light in a dark moment. When Bailey is having a melt down and I’m cleaning up something of Mia’s for the 100th time, my middle child is always right behind me telling me “I’m being a good girl for you mummy!”…..god bless her cotton socks:)!

Sisterhood….a bond like no other!

Posted on June 1, 2012 by natalietrew

A relationship between sisters can go two ways – bad or good and thankfully for me, mine is great! I am the youngest of three girls and have twin sisters who are 6 years older. Growing up, like any siblings, we had our ups and downs but most of my memories were lots of laughing, giggling, and getting into trouble for laughing too loud! We always had so much fun together! Having a 6 year age gap did pose some problems at times though, especially when the girls would try and be my mum rather than my sister or when they would remind mum and dad “we didn’t get to do that when we were her age, why should she!” But that’s part of growing up as a family!

Love my sisters Michelle and Peta!

I was only 16 when the girls moved out of home and for a while there our lives were very different! They were getting married and I was only finishing high school, Pete had a baby when I was only finishing uni and then Shell moved interstate. But the one thing that never changed and is still the same to this day is the bond we all share….our love of laughing! Yes we adore each other and of course we tell each other everything and share all the joys and sorrows of life together, but sisters always know how to have a good laugh together. It’s being able to say what we really feel about something, falling down a ditch or disclosing something stupid that you did or said, all the while we laugh at each other when our stories are told! No one gets our laughter either. I remember one night Kane walked in to the lounge room while we were laughing at something and gave up on us and walked out lol….like I said a bond like no other!

We only get together a few times a year now but that doesn’t hinder the bond we share!

Now that Shell lives away, the times we are all together are few and far between, but when we do see each other, those times are so special and cherished even more! We are all on the same page now though…..wives, mothers, professionals and our bond is as strong as ever! Our laughter is still alive and well and now we have our offsprings who join in with us!

Our offsprings:)

Which brings me to what prompted me to write this blog….my two daughters! As I watched them together this morning sharing a kiss and a cuddle, it made me think of the bond sisters share. I feel so blessed to have not only one sister but two sisters and now I’ve been blessed to have two daughters, who will grow up and experience that bond of sisterhood! From the day Mia was born Sienna has absolutely adored her! Mia is 15 months now and Sienna never tires of asking to see if Mia is awake and when the girls are reunited after a nap, you would think they haven’t seen each other for 6 months! It is just so beautiful to watch. And the laughter, well that goes without saying! When I’m in another room and I hear laughter going on between the two, it brings me such joy to hear them do what I love to do with my sisters!

Sienna meeting her sister for the first time….such a precious moment!

At this age their laughter is so innocent and precious and can quite quickly turn to a pinch, scream or cry! But that also quickly turns back to a laugh and a squeal:) I love watching Sienna share her food or offer Mia a drink of her water bottle. They play games like hide and seek and build blocks together. Sienna loves teaching her the sounds of the animals and always encourages her to keep her socks on or to stop touching the candle on the coffee table. It’s Sienna’s reaction when Mia first crawled and walked and now when she says a new word for the first time, that shows how much her big sister is her biggest fan.They are lost when they are not together and with Sienna going to prep next year it is going to be a hard pill to swallow!

My beautiful girls who are inseparable when together…….

I know having a sister isn’t like this for everyone and I am very grateful that I have a great relationship with mine. I sincerely hope in 30 years time Sienna and Mia are still laughing with each other, just like my sisters and I still do today!

The Man That Holds My Hand!

Posted on May 19, 2012 by natalietrew

I’ve written quite a few blogs now about different members of my family and by now you would all know how blessed I am with such wonderful people around me. There is one person who I haven’t said too much about yet and that is my wonderful husband – Kane Trew!

Almost 20 years ago I met this skinny, shorter than me boy on the basketball courts, at Woodridge High in the first week of grade 8! We didn’t have a lot to do with each other until he was in my English class in year nine and again in year 10 and then for two years he sat in front of Tania and I in Science!

Then finally after a friendship for a few years, we started going out at the end of year 12 on September 21st 1997…almost 15 years ago! Throughout our 15 years we have been through many ups and downs and the reason why I haven’t been found in the fetal position in the corner of a room somewhere, is because of this wonderful man who is always been by my side!

Life is one big rollercoaster of challenge after challenge, thrown in with fun times that create our wonderful memories! As a couple who have created such beautiful memories together, we have also been through our fair share of hurdles. But one common denominator in our story is that most of the time it’s Kane who has had to be there to support me through the tough times and I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful selfless man in my life.

In 15 years Kane has been right by my side to hold my hand when:
*I was having a meltdown about not being able to complete a Uni assignment on time.
*When I’d had few too many drinks and needed a needle to stop the vomitting – oops lol!
*When I graduated university.
*When I got my first permanent teaching job.
*When writing report cards seemed like it was never going to end.
*When we made the decision to buy our first house.
*When he asked for my hand in marriage and then again when we declared our love in front of everyone on our wedding day.
*When we found out we were going to have our first baby.
*When I miscarried our first baby and had to have a curette.
*When I was in the late stages of my pregnancies and would wake up with terrible cramps in my legs or needed help to get out of bed!
*When I suffered terrible morning sickness for weeks on end.
*When I gave birth to each of our children.
*When I was up breastfeeding in the night for the first time.
*When our newborns needed help to be settled.
*When our children went to hospital to have their surgeries.
*When we went overseas with 2 kids under 4!
*When I had half my thyroid removed.
*When we waited 10 days for my results to see if the tumor in my thyroid was cancerous or not.
*When I’ve been up in the night with an ear ache, tooth ache or bad head cold.
*When I’ve taken on a new position at work.
*When I was given the news about my heart condition.
*And just this morning when I shed a tear over our last born not having a breastfeed anymore.

I wouldn’t have been able to get through any of this if my wonderful husband wasn’t their holding my hand! I figure if we can sustain all of this and still come out smiling and be in love more than ever, then he’ll still be holding my hand in many, many years to come!

All in the Name of Love!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by natalietrew

Love! What does it really mean? How do we measure it, can we really measure it? There are all kinds of love! Friendship love, family love or people who share the love of common interests. Then there is the good … Continue reading →

Mother’s Day……

Posted on May 13, 2012 by natalietrew

Mother’s Day….one of my favorite days of the year!

But they can’t all be perfect….

My day started at 3.48am when Mia decided she wanted to play ‘boo’ with her teddies! Even though I was thinking ‘what the’ it did bring a little grin to my face, until 4.30am when she starts to scream! She is teething so I gave her panadol, fed her and back to sleep she went! I crawled back into bed at 5am…Sienna wakes! Poppy stayed over last night and slept in Bailey’s bed so she was super excited to wake to her poppy! I’m still awake at 5.30am Bay comes in after having a camp out in the toy room, which he loves and asks to go to the toilet! 5 minutes later things settle again and I finally managed to go back to sleep, even amongst the roaring sound of Kane’s snoring! What felt like a 5 minute sleep turned into me looking at the clock and thinking ‘oops we have to leave for footy in an hour!’ Then the busy day really began….

Like our usual tradition, the kids bought all their beautiful presents to me in bed and we opened them, read the cards and got photos taken! Once I got out of bed and my feet hit the ground, they began running ALL day! We wanted to leave at 7.55am and we were driving out the driveway at 7.56am, so we were happy with that! Bay’s footy match started at 9am and he had a wonderful game. Scored 4 runaway tries and had his first attempt of a conversion but just missed! He ended up getting player of the game:)….so proud of that boy! Then we had to have morning tea with Kane’s mother and on the way home we stopped in to watch my nephew play the second half of his footy game, who also played well!

I’m so blessed to be their mother:)

Finally at 12.30 we returned home for nap time for Mia and rest time for the older two! In that time groceries had to be picked up and a few other things had to be done….between Kane and I we had it all done in an hour or so. 3pm I finally got to see my mummy and my nana! Poor nana has had gastro for a few days and is only just getting better so my wonderful mother has been staying there, hence why poppy had a sleep over last night! We had a lovely visit with nana, which continued up the road at my sister’s house for afternoon tea! The kids had a ball playing with their cousins and I had a lovely chat with my mum and my sister! We finally arrived home at 5.15pm where the witching hour of bathing and feeding began!

I finally got to sit down and relax at 7pm and started to reflect on the day which made me a little disappointed at how rushed and busy I felt all day, but then I pulled my head in and thought it couldn’t be too bad if….
I received beautiful handmade gifts and cards from my children.
My $1 million dollar gift was revealed – a mobile phone accessory:)
I got a beautiful pearl bracelet with a love heart on it.
I got to see my son score 4 tries.
I had lots of kisses and cuddles from my kids all day.
I got to see my nana smile and watch Mia pat her head like she knew she was sick.
I got to see the joy on my mum’s face when she opened her presents and cards.
And the kids played so nicely in the bath while Kane and I were running around doing dinner and getting ready for school and work tomorrow!

I’ve been blessed with the best mother in the world!

Yes I missed out on running the Mother’s Day classic, going out for brekky, lunch or dinner like we normally do, but things don’t always pan out the way you want them to, so you just have to roll with the punches! At the end of the day I was most satisfied with helping my mum out. Mum has been putting together a footy album for each of her 3 grandsons and because she was looking after her sick mother, I made sure I got to the boy’s matches to take the photos for her! My mum sacrifices so much for us, so sacrificing my fun run or meal out was worth it….that’s what Mother’s day was like this year and I’m happy with that:)!

My children….my world!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful women in my life…xoxoxo!

My Party of 5

Category Archives: Family

Spring is in the Air!

80 Blessed Years!

18 Months Ago…….

3 Generations of Queenslanders!!!

40 Years and Counting!

Sisterhood….a bond like no other!

The Man That Holds My Hand!

All in the Name of Love!

Mother’s Day……

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