Ramadan Kareem 2016

Another blessed year brings the month of Ramadan. How truly amazing is this month with all it's hardship and what it gives in return....



One may think it to be silly to not eat or drink so that we can strengthen our will power.
But, it is so much more than that.

In the Quran, God tells us:

[2:183] O you who believe, fasting is decreed for you, as it was decreed for those before you, that you may attain salvation.

Salvation from what? From our sins.
If you believe in God and the Hereafter, you know that if you do good in this life you will be rewarded in the Hereafter.

None of us are angels, and in our daily lives we do things, think things, even not do things that can hurt our eternal destiny.

So what better than to follow God's guidance and attain mercy in any way we can to redeem ourselves?

For once a year to schedule our eating and attain salvation?!?! I'm there! So many people do that for losing weight, so why can't we do it to save our souls?

It also humbles you. I have found that by not eating or drinking I am reminded of those who do not have food for days at  a time. Or starving. I want to give more, do more, be better of a person.
I find more time to commemorate my Creator and appreciate all the gifts He has given us. A nice place to live, food, comfortable bedding, convenience of clean water, so on and so forth.
Our daily routine can sometimes dismiss all these things we take for granted.
Thus, it also allows us to re-look at our behaviors in how we act when we are deprived of something...Do we easily get angry? Do we put forth our own egos to satisfy ourselves or do we care for others first? Do we sit lazily while others strive? These are all questions to ponder upon and reflect....and better ourselves, our souls and our lives.

Mother's Day 2016

This year mother's day came by and went so quickly. We hardly had a chance to enjoy it due to some unexpected incident. Which turned out ok later. However, our appreciation for the One who has given us the opportunity to be a mother is never forgotten or unrecognized. We are grateful to You, oh Creator. For all your precious gifts.

Norooz 1395

Praise God for the beauty of Spring. There is so much beauty as nature awakens from its sleep all winter long.




And as each new spring comes to pass, with the beauty that we are privileged to see with the gift of our eyes, we also thank God for the warmth that surrounds us in our little home. Subhanallah.

 

Wow, did Kamran grow this year!!! (Not!, he's stepping on a block :)

Our 14 year Anniversary

Fourteen years have flown by as I write this post.



It is like it was yesterday that we were standing next to each other to be married.
Ali lost a lot of weight and thankfully I did not gain too much :)
We are grateful for our love and our life and everything in it. There are always ups and downs no matter what you do in this life, but one thing remains the same...if you have faith, there is strength, if you have hope, there is a way, and if you believe, even the impossible can be achieved.

Marjan & Nana birthdays

It's a special feeling to share a birthday. And especially when it's with someone so important in our lives. Thank you God for each year that is spent together and with our times we have. Thank you for our joys and our laughter, the love and the warmth of every day with those whom we love.

Sasha passes away :(

Our dear beloved dog Sasha passed away today. Sadly it was the same day as my Nana & Papa's anniversary. Though she left us in the evening.

We are so thankful for all the time we spent together. For her selfless love she gave us. For her kindness and caring. For the times that she worried and protected us. For the company and friendship and all the laughter. We will never forget her...our sweet girl Sasha. Love you always and forever.

2016 Begins

We began the New Year of 2016 with a very special day. It was Friday and we enjoyed it very much with our new Submitter family for Friday prayer. Thanks to God, we found these new people to be so much more uplifting and welcoming. Arya truly enjoyed the sermon and thought about it all week.
We ate lunch there and of course tea with treats. :)

Afterwards it was all about playing with toys and gifts opened for the new year!

Arya got a few games and star wars toys and legos.

Then it was off to Lake Tahoe on a mini-vacation! It was magical and so beautiful. The road was gorgeous as always with its beautiful trees and the lake and then to our hotel with lots of amenities.







We got to enjoy the snow and Arya learned how to cross country ski! it was a bit difficult at first but after a while, he got the hang of it.

The snow came down so softly but it snowed a lot and thankfully we got out of the boonies before the road closed!

Arya got to get Ali a little bit with a mini-snow fight.

Then after some fun, we stuffed ourselves at the food buffet!

It was a nice 3 day rest and eat and scenery, then back to life :)







It was a long ride...came home and crashed!

The scaryest part was when we went to the mountains and had no phone connection whatsoever.