By the sea ~ 7/52

I always remember my mum surprising us on drives home and stopping the car at a random park she knew was on the way.
We'd always ask: "Why are we stopping? Mum, where are we?"
Always surprised. Even though she did it quite often.
Then off we'd go to play and explore.
I loved the spontaneity of it. And the sense of adventure too.

I swore to myself a long time ago I would be spontaneous just like that for my girls.
We'd already visited the beach once this week to watch the waves, but this time was out of the ordinary, a last-minute split-second decision while I was preparing dinner. Dinner could wait I decided, then grabbed a towel, my camera and two changes of dresses for my little princesses.

I sat on the sand and watched them - squeals of excitement as they ran in the water, splashed each other and gathered a collection of shells to display on the sand.
And it felt good to let go of routine and shoulds and musts, to slow and to stop, to watch my girls just be.

xx

Are you spontaneous? The more I let go and savour moments, I feel like spontaneity is something I'm learning to love xx

In the planning



We've been making plans.

Some little {and mostly spontaneous too}: a walk in the forest, a drive down the coast, going somewhere new...

But some are bigger. A holiday for our little family of four. Day trips and weekends away.
We're finding even more places to explore. And instead of our usual thinking {and wondering} about when the time might be right to go there, we're just doing it.

That means mixing up routines a little, and as that happens I'm witnessing the rhythm of our days move from bursts of fast to pockets of slow {and that's okay}.

Time feels full of so much wonder and joy when we make it ours. And for the first time in a long while, it feels like we're getting more time {together} too.

xx

{Grateful for the new discoveries we're sharing and time spent together. We're working our way through our little list quite nicely. I checked in with it yesterday and smiled at all the memories we've made. And of course, after a week of slow and nothing new, this week has been big with lashings of chaos thrown in. Because life can. And because I needed the reminder that things come and go, but gratitude remains steady if I choose it. Elisa x}

~ Joining late with the 52 Weeks of Grateful at here.


What are you most grateful for today? x

 

Perfect timing

The thing about rainbows that gets me is the timing. The rain and the sunshine and whatever else it takes for it to occur, and fill the sky with beauty for wondrous moments before that rainbow begins to fade.

 

And when I witness a rainbow the timing strikes me even more.. that in the brief moments of it lasting I got to be present.

 

We saw a rainbow last week and it was magical, bright and looked oh-so-close. Spanning out over paddocks with a backdrop of the sky and sea. That's it in the picture.

 

It'd been over a year since we'd spotted one, despite miss three and I always on the lookout the minute the sun and rain begin to meet.

 

Then the following day we saw another rainbow. And it's reminded me that we can't force timing, rush it or slow timing down. I can't even make myself be in the perfect place at the perfect time... but I can choose to savour moments, celebrate our time, give thanks for it and trust in perfect timing too.

 

xx

 

{Grateful for perfect timing, finding and capturing beauty in the everyday and the memories made these past couple weeks with my family too. Elisa x}

 

~ Linking with the 52 Weeks of Grateful here.

 

What are you most grateful for today? And when did you last witness a rainbow? x

The day-time moon {meant to be}

 

This week I left home on a surprise visit to hubby's work at the time little miss three and little miss 18 months would normally be going down for a nap. As we drove away from home I questioned what I was thinking, but kept driving anyway. The girls were happy, and didn’t look one bit sleepy when they normally would.

As I drove I looked out at the road before me, to the hills and the dark trees standing strong against a blue and stretched-cloud sky. And that’s when I saw it. The moon. Three quarter’s full, high in the sky and standing bright and proud, as though it was exactly where it was meant to be at this very moment.

I pointed out the moon to miss three: “But mummy, the moon is meant to be asleep! Silly moon. It forgot to go to sleep?”
“The moon must be staying up when it normally sleeps. Just like us, we’re normally asleep now. Today’s the moon’s doing something different. Mixing things up a bit...”
Miss three still thought the moon was "being a little silly".

She kept her eyes fixed on the moon. And it followed us for the whole thirty-minute drive away. As if to say, you’re right where you're meant to be at this very moment too. And offering a reminder that what I see, experience and take in is exactly what I’m meant to know and learn and notice... at any given time.

And it was kind of refreshing to throw routine out the window for the day. To see the look of love and surprise on hubby's face as his girls chased each other into his arms. 

And to spot the moon in the day-time sky felt a bit like seeing a rainbow. Full of wonder, amazement and perfect timing. And that feeling that you’re witnessing something special {life} for the first time.

xx

{Joining in with the community at 52 Weeks of Grateful. I'm grateful for the lessons ~ big and small ~ life has been throwing at me lately. Oh, and in case you're wondering, there's definitely no moon in that image! But it is one of my favourite sky images I've taken. Elisa xx}


What do you see when you look to the sky? What draws you in most – the moon, a rainbow, sunshine or clouds dotting a bright blue sky? And are you feeling grateful? xx