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What good is the future, if it's in the future?

We had such a wonderful time at the beach yesterday, the girls and I.  We have many happy times, but yesterday I was aware that I couldn't stop smiling.  The stars had aligned and it just seemed the perfect day. It wasn't planned well ahead, it wasn't expensive, it didn't take a lot of effort to make it happen.  We were just there together on a perfect day having a wonderful time.

Then last night I came across the quote What good is the future, if it's in the future? and it really resonated with me.  No excuses, no list making and planning for something months or even years from now, just being happy now, making choices today, that stimulate and excite the whole family.

The adults in this house have been frustrated about some bigger things we are not yet able to change, things that do affect our future and in many ways make us feel that that future is being held to ransom.  In reality though, we can let that go and choose only on these moments right in front of us, choose to make them amazing and the future will take care of itself.  

There are no revelations here, nothing is original, but all of us come to these thoughts in our own time and for me, that was my thought of yesterday that I'm carrying forwarding into today and dragging with me tomorrow and onwards.

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"A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2014."

E  Instagram is addictive
L  Just chilling

Definitely summer here.  A lovely day spent with dearest of friends.

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It's a long journey we've taken together thus far, him and me.  I was 25 when we met, he was 24, before too many years pass we will have spent half our lives together.

We're very different, in many ways.  At times I've focused more on our differences than how we are alike. We don't have the same interests in all things, I can't stand watching sport and he doesn't stitch for relaxation. He exercises most days and I talk about exercising most days.  He often comes at discussions from a rational viewpoint, which naturally clashes with my emotional viewpoint.

We do however, share the same love of each other and our family.  We have the same dreams of more time together and a life more in balance.  We both try our hardest to support each other even when times are really tough and for the most part, we both succeed.

I've loved this man for a long time, those gentle soft hands, his forgiving spirit.  We both wish for something different in one main aspect of our lives this year, something largely outside of our control.  It's those things that are the hardest to manage, those things that you want so badly but can't predict or control, the frustrations, the disappointments, it can be hard to manage those hurts.

We have a lot to focus on, to get us through.  We have an amazing family, our girls especially make us both so happy and so proud.  We'll focus on the great stuff, there's plenty of it, focus hard on that and patiently wait on the other wheels to turn.

3/52

"A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2014."

E      So blessed with gorgeous friends, whose families share the same parenting priorities as us.  She is different, with her friends, still oh so lovely, but so nice to see the other side that these friends love, in addition to the one that is so important to us.

L       Still her mouth like that of when she was a babe.  When she sleeps, so still, I still gaze upon her and wonder where the time has gone.  Such a thoughtful soul, still so (thankfully) connected to her mama.

2/52

"A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2014."

E    This is absolutely what she does most of her days. She is a sedentary soul not because she's lazy, but she's always creating.  We have to remind her of the great outdoors most days.

L    A delayed birthday party, water themed.  Wonderful friends and great success.

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Kristi giving up her blog has really touched me.  It feels like the end of an era.  Perhaps that may sound silly, if you're just dipping into blogs for the first time, but I never realised what they could come to mean to you.

I consider myself if not old then definitely middle school.  I started my blog 6 years ago and back then it wasn't so common, or at least those that were around were more homely.  My blog has always been for me and that means not commercialised and honestly not even that polished, but good enough for us.  These days it seems that the standard of mum blogs has gone through the roof.  I'm not sure if they have far greater skills than me or are paying for help, but wowee, some of these are super polished and have all kinds of labels and categories!  Many of the blogs I used to follow have dropped right off, perhaps as their own children are getting older.

My children are no longer babies.  Leila was not yet 1 when I started and she's now 7.  My focus was only on my children and all their tiny little landmarks.  There are still plenty of landmarks, many of them huge, but focusing on them isn't quite right anymore.  It's relevant to me, but I don't think I feel the same desire, or entitlement, to share.

I'm going to shift my little space more towards me, which you may not like as much, but it's always been for me so I'll be okay if I don't hold your interest.  I'll still join in the 52 project as I love that memory for the years to come. I love the blogs of Rebecca, Rachel and Sarah.  They all have incredible voices.  They love words and are so wonderful at sharing them, so skilled.  They focus on their interests (aside from children) and I love that too.  I'm going to try and share more of me, Victoria, and see if in doing so it helps me to find more of myself, for myself.

Photos of some gorgeous new Marimeeko ttowels Geoff bought me for Christmas.

1/52

"A portrait of my daughters, once a week, every week, in 2014."

Can you smell the summer heat.  Park afternoon on a warm Melbourne day.

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Today she accrued 7 years.  She wished for a day with her family, starting with water slides after breakfast, chicken sandwiches at home with us, Nan & Pa for lunch to be followed by pasta with bacon, mozzie and olives for dinner.  Her requested cake was lemon cupcakes with very lemony icing.  Her birthday wishes included "a garden for my window" which we planted together this afternoon.

She is ever so thoughtful, proactively helpful around the house and garden, tender hearted, creative with a gorgeous singing voice and graceful limbs.  We is now 7 so there is some rather cheeky sass entering the equation, but still my baby remains in her cuddles and snuggles.

Beautiful Leila, our love, Happy Birthday.