13 Year Anniversary

When two people marry each other there's so much they have no clue about. In the moment and in love...they do not see what is to come...or what they will face together. But with each year that passes and with compromise and caring...the things that seem so big become small and together they can find comfort and peace. Thankfully after 13 years, we have endured a lot. We didn't let go of our faith in each other. We always carried God in our hearts and we believed that with love, anything could be possible and even if we didn't get it...we were still thankful.



I believe the true meaning of marriage is so much more than saying "I do".
It's about character. It's about learning to laugh when things are tough. It's about giving each other space to flourish. It's about being there for each other when nobody else is. And most of all if it's possible ...letting go of selfishness.

Life can bring many challenges, but it can also bring many rewards.
What we choose to do with each day is entirely up to us. May we make them the best Inshallah.

Spring comes early

I have to say that the beauty God has granted this March is truly amazing. Not only is everywhere you look full of blossoms, birds singing and colorful scenery, but the faces among the people look happier and more uplifted, Thank You Lord.



By God's will, we were blessed with seeing Ali's brother at this amazing time. And he also brought with him, a rare flower that we will never forget, dear Fariba.



They came to see us in the first week of March and we took a trip to Lake Tahoe together.
I love that city. There's so much of God's beauty everywhere you look.



We walked a little and saw the water, the trees and some snow.



We enjoyed the time together and enjoyed the outdoors after being home for a long while.



Connected spiritually and wholeheartedly with a new sister.



And watched 2 brothers laughing together after a long time.

The next day Nana Papa and Tina, Kamran & Jamil came and we gathered round



My favorite time was when Arya got to spend quality time with his Amoo





And Amoo Farzad got to see and get to know our little Arya.

I am so thankful for these days we had and I pray that whatever God has planned for dear Farzad and Fariba joon, that it be full of happiness, health and peace. May His blessings guide them through each day of this life....

Feb 2015

Each year that passes by, I feel a sense of surrender that is more than I can say. Surrender to the One who created us and humbled by His knowledge that He has given all of us and left it there for anyone who truly wants it.

My humbled days of the 17th and 18th are such that my birthday and my mom's are next to each other. And that I am able to look into the beautiful woman's eyes that brought me into this world by God's grace.


And to be able to enjoy a little piece of cake or ice cream with all of those around us God has given in our lives.



Nothing in this world is an accident or coincidence. Everything is part of a divine plan that we know nothing about.



We are here for a reason - to redeem ourselves and go back and whomever we meet along the way there is a plan for them to either be guided or not based on the events that happen to them in their lives.



Our parents, siblings, relatives and friends are our teachers. Even a stranger can be your teacher if you observe what you need for your soul to grow. And we are also teachers to those whom we meet or who see us. May we all be guided in the right path...

2015 The year of the Sheep

Chinese predict that The basic energy of Sheep subjects is Yin. Not Yang. Some say that Yin represents peace, harmony and tranquility. One would hope then that a feeling of utter world serenity might pervade in 2015.








This year so far for us has begun with Tranquility. Thank God. We are grateful for everything.

We celebrated the New Year with gifts for Arya. He got to open each gift every week so I didn't get a picture of all of them. But it was a Lego set, 3DS, pokemon characters, and a marker maker kit.

Then later in January, Nana and Papa celebrated their 45th year anniversary. Mashallah!



God bless you both for all that you are and all that you do. And may you always be happy and healthy together always. My cuties.



We are so thankful to God that they can be in Arya's life.



Then Arya got obsessed with magic. (Which only lasted for about a week) :)



Is this smile BIG enough? :)



Papa looks like Abe Lincoln here :)  I love it when he's silly :)

December

There's something about December that touches the spirit.



The weather is cold, and there are more chances to snuggle up.



There's no school for the kids, so they can have fun doing their own thing :)





Homes get decorated and there's so much to shop for...

And sometimes everyone smiles perfectly at the same time



Whatever the occasion, the best part of December is being with those whom you love and drinking your favorite hot drink together. (mine is hot chocolate or persian tea) :)

Interesting Fun

Exploring new things is always fun when you're a kid, so when the opportunity comes, take it!
Here are a few of the things Arya's found on his list...

A toasty bread house







Did this with Jamil around Black Friday / Thanksgiving. Was fun pajama time with Jamil and eating it afterwards! I love peanut butter!

Snap Circuits way late at night



Ok, I'm not sure where this comes from but out of nowhere Arya decides he's not tired (way passed his bedtime) and wants to do snap circuitry. I was even too tired!!! But hey, I had a lot of fun finding out this kid has something hiding that I don't know yet :)

Learning how words / grammar works



Inquisitive minds ...:)

Riding with the Snowman. Yup. We got one. No more trees this year. Our celebration for the New Year is with Frosty and his friends :)




And Lamb Shank with Baqaleh Polo



This is his new favorite Persian dish. He wants it every time we go out for Persian food. It is rather good, I totally agree with him..mmmm! This is him raving over it. He's in food heaven.



Ali enjoyed it as well.
And we enjoyed watching him eat :) It is nice to have had Nana & Papa's company with us. God bless you both. Love you so much.

End of Soccer

Soccer was becoming a bit stressful and because of Arya getting hurt a few times, he really wasn't interested to continue. So he quit. But he did manage to see what was involved with it and if he ever decided to try it again, he'd know a lot more.

This was his end of the season party with pizza and Legos and they gave him a trophy for doing his part. That was cool :)