We have the most beautiful Harbour in Hobart and Daniel and I used to spend quite a bit of time on the water in our free time. Before we had Kids we had a little Sailboat of our own, a Spacesailor 24. We did a few trips after Eleanor was born but when we found out we were expecting Twins we realised we wouldn't have the time or the space on board for 4 little ones so we sold it. Daniel continued sailing in the Twilight races on a friend's boat but since we moved back to Hobart last year neither of us have spent much time out on the water at all.
This past week, not only have we spent time together, sans Kids, we've also been out on the water a couple of times and have realised just how much we have missed both - spending time together alone and doing things that we love. We sailed around the Harbour for a fundraiser last Thursday (photo above) and then we spent a whole 9 hours together without the Kids at a Wedding on Saturday. This involved a breathtaking sail down the Channel and a return voyage back to Hobart just as the sun was setting behind Mt Wellington. It was so magical and I am actually still feeling warm and fuzzy after the whole day - it was one of the most beautiful Weddings I had ever been to, a complete reflection of the gorgeous couple. The speeches were beautiful and I cried my way through all of them, always a sign of a good Wedding don't you think?
I love Weddings but they are sadly few and far between these days. There was a time when it felt like we were invited to one every month but the last one we attended together was 5 years ago. I can't imagine there'll be a run on them anytime soon either. We've almost finished celebrating births too and are moving into 40th and bigger milestone Birthday parties with greater frequency.
What stage are you at? Have you been to a Wedding lately or have any on the horizon? Do you cry during the speeches? Any activities you used to do with your partner that you put on hold while the Kids are young? Any new discoveries?
Funny isn't it how life can be mapped by the rounds of parties you're attending. The 21st's, engagements, weddings, christenings, 30th's, second weddings (?), 40th's, 50th's. I cry at the drop of a hat, so yes an event as emotionally charged as a wedding undoes me every time.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for putting Enya in my head this early in the day.
Sail away, sail away.
I do like reading your posts Mel - always something different! What a great time you both would have had together, weddings are lovely and the day sounded just perfect for everyone.
ReplyDeleteWe actually went to an Engagement Party on the weekend, and it was lovely. The difference was it was our friends daughters' engagement and there were equal numbers of parents friends to daughters friends..... and it was fabulous. Seems like the 'oldies' still know how to Party big time! cheers Wendy
Sounds lovely Wendy. And the 'oldies' always seem to have more fun!
DeleteI agree with Fiona - life is mapped by the round of parties you attend. We seem to be at the stage where we keep hearing about couples who are splitting up! Our 'wedding round' was about ten years ago.... so maybe that's why.
ReplyDeleteI love sailing - my father had an SS30 on which I often crewed on the Swan. Haven't for years and he has since sold it. Not much water up here for The Farmkids although we do have a little motor boat we take to the coast which they love. Our kids are just getting big enough to start doing all the things we loved pre kids. Fun to teach them.
Same here, there seem to be quite a few couples splitting up after 10 to 15 years of marriage or onto their second marriages/partnerships……a boat is out of reach for us right now but we're thinking of getting into kayaking as something we could all do together and would go nicely with fishing :-)
DeleteYou really do live in an incredibly beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteThe next round of weddings here will be the childrens, if they bother ... they're all now of marriageable age. But the oldest two seem to be skipping the wedding bit and have started talking about babies! I could be a grandmother by the end of next year!
It's pretty normal here too Annie, some of our friends weren't interested in marriage and just went on to having babies. The funny thing is, without exception, they have all since tied the knot! Oooo I feel very excited that you may be having grandbabies soon :-)
Deletehow lovely for you mel! i hope there was lots of hand holding and eye gazing and not just with the newlyweds!
ReplyDeleteit's really so wonderful and exciting all you and your husband have to look forward to, and you are right so many stages. there is the doing with young children, growing children and (where i am now) with grown ones. the funny thing is, my adult children make me feel young as them. amazing. my youngest, hannah, will say to me sometimes " i need your honest opinion, not your mama one" :) i guess the best discovery is finding out how much fun there is at every stage of the way.
Yes, Weddings almost make me fall in love with my Hubby all over again! We were feeling a bit sad that we have moved out of the Wedding phase but you're right, there's fun at every stage :-)
DeleteThis is just such a beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it Nathalia x
DeleteSailing to a wedding sounds so exotic! What a beautiful harbor too. From the time our oldest was 2 we've done a lot of camping together ... every summer & every fall. And last year the four of us went on a huge trip to Europe. We sensed that this could well be the last few years we're just our small family together. My husband told me just recently that his parents never took him & his 2 siblings on trips with them. They always left them behind with relatives or friends. He said he always felt the sting of that abandonment (his parents travelled quite a bit). I never knew that, and it made me realize just how much it meant to him to have us together for all our trips. So eventually we may find we are camping on our own, or travelling abroad on our own, but I think we'll treasure the times we spent all together as the most precious. Wendy x
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting how things from our own upbringing impact on how we do things in our own families. Camping is great fun. We enjoy it too and I also have fond memories of family camp trips growing up :-)
DeleteWith a newborn in the house, I'm feeling quite nostalgic for the "before kids" me of late - must be the sleepless nights and constant crying :S
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I used to mountain bike ride (usually from the summit of Mt Wellington to our house in West Hobart) and I also used to be a single sculler (rowing).
Alas, these days it is too hard to find a babysitter for an afternoon while we ride and I cannot justify the cost of a rowing scull and oars (typically around $8000 plus!!).
One day, one day!
Oh I wish I could go to more weddings! I just love them, but like you, they are pretty much all done and dusted now, as are the births. But, yes I sobbed my way through all of them and soaked up every second. My husband and I are beach-folk and adventurers and have put most of it on hold having a young one in tow - we pine to return to Bali where we lived for a wonderful few years. But now is not the time, especially as we are desperately want to grow our family. One day, though....! Lovely post, Mel - so glad you enjoyed some quality time with hubby. Have a great weekend :-) Katie xx
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to get that lovely slice of time together. It sounds like it was a picture perfect day! I am at a very different stage than most of your readers, having just acquired an empty nest. I'm really enjoying my age and stage of life. After all the busy years of raising my five children I consider this to be my "me time." Selfish perhaps, but I'm loving it. Writing my book was a part of that transition. :-)
ReplyDeleteNot at all selfish Kristie!!! It's fantastic what you are doing :-)
DeleteOnly this morning I was thinking how long it's been since a wedding - but 40ths we have in abundance!! I guess we wait now until our mates' kids tie the knot.
ReplyDeleteYour sailing wedding was worth the wait indeed!!! x
This looks and sounds amazing Mel. We're spending Christmas day on the water and I'm trying to decide if it'll be rather pleasant or bloody hard work!
ReplyDeleterachel xo
I love weddings but there has been a lack of them over the past few years, we're now at the stage of going to friends children's weddings and also several 50th (!!) birthday parties - not sure how we reached this stage though!
ReplyDeleteThis seems so idyllic Mel and I love the gorgeous photos! How lovely to spend some time with the man you love and to rekindle some old pastime loves. It is so wonderful to have a bit of grown up time away from the kids and it always makes us appreciate the little things that we have forgotten to love about each other. We are well passed the marriage phase, in fact I can't remember the last time we went to a wedding a good 5 years ago, or something like that. Those were good days indeed. xoxo
ReplyDeleteFamily life is beautiful and demanding, but a day will come when the kidlets all fly the nest and you are left, just the two of you......so it's SOOO important to keep on dating! Easier said than done, i know, but good on you love birds for getting some alone time x
ReplyDeleteSuch dreamy photos, Mel! That wedding sounds gorgeous. I grew up in a sailing family and spent a lot of my childhood on the water, but I've never sailed with John. I'd probably want to push him overboard - we tend to compete to be the one in charge... It's so nice to have some time alone without the kids though, we all need it to keep marriages alive and healthy. No weddings here anymore, just the odd baptism. We are approaching the 40th birthday parties now. xx
ReplyDeleteHi Mel
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