I take hundreds of photos every month, and most of them don’t get shared with anyone, let alone online. And yet the moments in time that those photos capture are just as important a part of our story as the other images that I do choose to share.

I created this blog as a way of documenting our lives, a way of watching the girls grow into who they’re going to be and a way of remembering who they once were. It’s something I want them to be able to look back on as they get older, because memories fade but (digital) photographs don’t.

It’s easy (and tempting) to only focus on sharing the fun bits, the memorable parts, the highlights and the celebrations. But I’m learning more and more as I continue through this crazy journey of motherhood that it’s really important to me that I capture the ordinary, everyday times that we spend together as well. The bits of the jigsaw that fill in the gaps to complete the picture. The tantalising glimpses into who our girls are becoming.

The chaos, the calm and all the moments in between.

This monthly feature – The Moments In Between – is a space for me to share all of those magical bits that would otherwise just stay in a folder on my laptop, never to see the light of day.

JULY

July felt like a reeeeeally long month.  The last three weeks of term seemed to last forever, even though they were ridiculously busy, which would normally make time speed up.  Finding quiet moments and allowing time for us to slow down seemed nigh on impossible and at one point I was a little worried that I wouldn’t have any photos for this month’s ‘Moments In Between’ post as there simply weren’t any moments in between anything – we were on the go constantly from the moment we woke up to the moment we went to sleep and it felt a bit overwhelming and never-ending.

Conversely, the first week of the summer holidays is already over and that seemed to zoom by at the speed of light, even though we’ve had lots of slow mornings and quiet afternoons in between little bursts of activity and days out here and there.   It feels like balance is beginning to be restored a little bit, which is very much needed.  It’s still tough trying to get the mix right of being present with the girls and keeping up with important work deadlines, as it is every year (although this year we’re doing it entirely without childcare, my husband and I tag-teaming as best as we can, just to add to the challenge).  I wouldn’t have it any other way though – I feel so lucky to have created this way of working so I can have lots of time with my girls and decide my own working hours.

Every month when I come to write this post I worry about whether I’ll have enough photos, and I never know what I’m going to say until I sit down to type it. And my worries are always unfounded because there are always enough images and my words, whatever they end up being, are always what is in my heart. And that’s all I can ask of myself really. I feel so very grateful to be on this crazy journey called life with the people that mean the world to me.

Each and every one of these photos is part of what makes us who we are. Each and every one of them tells part of our story. And I love them all.  In fact, I might go so far as to say that some of them are my new favourites.

This is us.

(Note: I normally add a caption to each image but, like last month, I’ve chosen not to this time – I think they tell their story on their own without the need for words)