Happy New Year!

Labels: baby, Bert, family, holiday, Van

4th of July at the Lake

Bert and I had the best 4th of July! We celebrated with friends at Lake Sinclair. From eating brick-oven pizza (where the photos above were taken) to spending two days on the lake (thank goodness for sunscreen) to eating truly shameful amounts of food, we had an incredible weekend.

We capped off the weekend with a low country boil (yay for turkey sausage!) at an event with Jews, Christians and Muslims. To me, THAT'S America.

Thanks goodness for good friends!

Labels: friends, holiday, vacation

Holiday Photo Wrap-Up

As promised, here are more pictures of my holiday break. Oh, I wish I could do it all over again!










It is not easy to get back to the daily grind. It was so nice to be completely flexible and just spend time with family and friends.

Oh, well - Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday is right around the corner and we have a mountain getaway planned with friends. Just gotta hang on for two weeks. :)

Labels: family, holiday

Proud Aunt

I had a wonderful holiday with my family! More pictures will follow, but for now, here's a sampling of some of my favorites.

Labels: family, holiday

Happy Holidays!

Labels: holiday

Thankful

Got this great idea from LT'S blog.

Labels: family, friends, holiday, meme

Eid Weekend

Bert and I had a wonderful Eid weekend together. As most of my regular readers know, Eid is the Islamic celebration after the month of Ramadan (fasting).

I must say, this is one of the best Eids I have ever had. We went to Atlanta Saturday so I could find a new outfit, and I was so happy to find something in my favorite color - hot pink! We then ate dinner with my cousins, Omer and Naima, who we were visiting to celebrate Chaand Raat. Literally "Night of the Moon," it is a celebration that takes place in the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cultures the night before Eid. The significance of the moon sighting is that is how you know that the next day is Eid, as it is all based on the lunar calendar.

We heard a wonderful sermon the next morning for the special Eid prayer. I wish "people" would know what we really preach. Some of the sermon's major themes were about respecting your spouse, spending time with your children, understanding the importance of community, and remembering what's really important all year through - not just during holy times.

After the sermon, we had brunch at my great-aunt and great-uncle's house. It was so nice to be with family. We came home late in the afternoon and got ready for the week. And even though it's Monday, I feel energized and happy today, as I had a fantastic weekend. I had a weekend celebrating faith and family - and really, what's more important than that?

Labels: family, holiday

Holiday Wrap-Up

Well, it's back to the grind today, but the holidays were indeed fabulous. We spent a week with Ariana in Mississippi. It was so good to be with family, but obviously it was sad as well. We got there Christmas night and opened presents:

Ariana definitely racked up. Her pile was totally out of control...as it should be. As for me, I got some great stuff too. I picked out clothes from Bert and got a lot of home/kitchen items from my parents. My sister and her husband got us some great stuff too...I love my new mantle tree. My old one was from the mid-1990s from the Dollar Tree. It was really sad. I also got more graduation gifts, which resulted in the purchase of an iPhone! I am obsessed. Love it.

Anyway, while in Starkville, we also visited Abbu's office. It was like he was just there. Dried coffee was at the bottom of a cup. I touched the last pen he used. I looked in his drawers and continued to find examples of his very special existence. I missed him. We all did. Below is Mama, sitting in his chair:


He and my mom are both aerospace engineers. Below is his writing, still on the markerboard in Mama's office. Something about it is so very dear to me:


I also had the chance to visit with friends. One afternoon, I had a long lunch with Katie and Lindsey. Nothing like old friends!


And, of course, there was family time. Below are a bunch of cousins with Ariana. I must digress here for a moment. Somehow, several kids in my family found out about this blog. A word to their parents: this blog is not geared towards children! There's your warning. :)


On to the next...it's always a treat to see our great couple friends, Wes and Jamie. Jamie and I devoured the annual Mississippi Magazine Wedding Register after dinner. She is hilarious.


And then, back to Georgia for New Year's Eve. Bert and I went to dinner with friends, out downtown and then to a friend's house. It was a great evening and a nice start to a new and fresh 2009.

Labels: holiday

Thankful

The other day, I was in the car and heard the old song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" It was a "We Are The World"-type song produced in 1984 to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Basically, the message of the song is that there are people so hungry that they have no idea when Christmas even comes. I don't know why, but even writing about this song makes me cry. It is just a reminder that all over the world, people don't have food for dinner - let alone feasts for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

And so, this brings me to list some of the things that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving...

1. Food. I have breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Why can I never lose these pesky 10 pounds? Because I never have to go without food. Thank you, God.

2. Shelter. With the cold, cold weather outside, I don't let myself forget how lucky I am to sit in my heated house under a blanket. There are homeless people that are completely left to the elements. I am blessed.

3. Work. I am grateful to have a job. No job is perfect (after all, it is called WORK for a reason!), but I am so grateful, especially in these tough economic times, to have a job.

4. Love. I have family and friends that love me. I thank God for their presence in my life.

5. Abbu. My grandfather has had some health issues and there have been some big scares these past few months. I pray each day for his full recovery and am thankful for his presence in my life. I love him so much.

And so, there you have it. These are the main things that I am thankful for this year. Writing them down makes me feel humbled.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Labels: holiday

Bah Humbug

Poor Mr. Turkey. Poor pilgrims and Indians. And this year, even the Great Pumpkin got the shaft. Why?

Christmas has already exploded. It's not time! Yet, there are trees everywhere...and I actually saw them in September in some department stores. This is ridiculous. What happened to the day after Thanksgiving being the official start of the season? I swear, in a few years people won't even take their decor down.

Thanks for letting me throw my little fit. :)

Labels: holiday

My Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day to my wonderful husband! I am so lucky to have a completely equal partnership with this amazing man. He is such a hard worker and does an amazing job at work. He also does more than help around the house...he easily does half of the housework. He loves me for me and is such a kind and caring person. Bert has a huge heart and he has helped me become a better person. He is my best friend and I am the luckiest woman to be married to him. And the best part? Our marriage gets better with each passing day.

And, as you can see, he is also smokin' hot.

Man, I did good.

Labels: Bert, holiday

The Holidays

Below are some photos of our holiday...hope you had a great one!

P.S. For some reason, it seems you have to have your cursor on the slide show to view the captions. These captions have been giving me fits. :)

Labels: holiday

The Christmas Spirit

Christmas means different things to different people. As a child, Christmas was completely about Santa Claus to me. As an adult, it became about spending time with family. This year, I was having a hard time getting excited about a holiday I had always enjoyed.

Thursday night, Bert and I watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. I had (shocker!) never seen it before. I know, I know. Anyway, I thought it was a pretty terrible movie. Sorry - I really didn't enjoy the over-the-top humor. Still, though, I suppose it had some redeeming qualities in a few of the one-liners, the main point, etc. Well, after the movie, Bert looked around our living room and said, "At this rate, we won't even have Christmas next year." Because of traveling, we didn't put our tree up and our only decor were our two stockings, a tiny tree and an ornament.

As I went to sleep that night, I decided that I would change that. I woke up Friday morning and while Bert was at work, I wrapped tons of gifts, put more decorations up and put our holiday cards all around the mantle. Christmas had finally arrived and overtaken our living room. I even put the little tree on top of the mantle so that all of the gifts were pseudo under it. Bert was so surprised and loved it. I loved it. He said I had saved Christmas.

I was feeling really happy. Well, later Friday, I had to go and fulfill a community service requirement for Junior League. Honestly, I was dreading it. I had tons to do, and normally I'm the kind of person that would rather write a check. I know, that sounds terrible. But it was the truth.

I got to the Boys and Girls Club and as it turned out, they didn't need any help, as their Christmas party had been moved. Goody, I thought. I could get some other things done. I went and closed the door to my safe little car.

"Hey!" a little 7-year old girl called out. I opened my door to see what she and her friend wanted.

I spent the next hour playing with Brianna and Sabrina in a parking lot in the middle of the projects.

I have not stopped thinking about them since. They sat in my lap, told me about school. They were best friends, one in second grade and one in third. I gave them some Skittles, thankful I had shopped for stocking stuffers earlier in the day. And what really sealed our friendship was the fact that I was able to play both "Soulja Boy" and "Party Like A Rock Star" for them. They were showing me the dances in the parking lot. It was hilarious.

It was hard hearing them talk about how people in their family had been shot. Sabrina's older brother, Dre', confirmed that their family had moved from Michigan when "Bri" was a baby because so many members of their family had been killed. So sad.

In that hour, I met two little girls and a little boy who have been on my mind for days now. I told them I would come back in January - and I meant it. These were smart kids. Well-spoken, amazing dancers and so full of personality. Especially mischievous little Sabrina. That little girl could do a mean air guitar to "Party Like A Rock Star."

When I got ready to leave, Brianna asked if she could write their names on a piece of paper so I would remember them. As if I could forget them. They threatened to jump on the back of my car and go with me.

As I drove away, I realized that just because of where these children started in life, their lives would be very different than mine. If they were the exact same kids born to a middle-class family, their lives would be almost certainly be wholly different. It's just not fair.

And so, I found my Christmas spirit as I drove away from the Boys and Girls Club Friday afternoon. I felt something different than I ever felt before. The time I spent was worth far more than a check. This was so different. And I can assure you I got just as much from them as they did from me. Maybe I can be that person to someone. Maybe, just maybe if I go and volunteer more of my time these children will take something from that time that can better their lives. But regardless, I know for a fact that I will be better for it.

And so this year, I found the spirit of the season by making Christmas in our home for Bert and by spending time with Brianna, Sabrina and Dre'. I have never felt like I have received so much.

Labels: holiday

Holiday Cheer and Stupid Biker Santas

Well, the stockings were finally hung last night. The house was cleaned and the mantle has been decorated. We have (gasp!) decided to forgo the Christmas tree this year. Well, we do have up a tiny one that cost me $1 several years ago, but that is it. We won't be here on Christmas Day and the tree blocks my seat on the couch from properly seeing the TV. Eid is Wednesday and I finally got my Eid cards stamped and addressed. And so, this is all I have the energy to do. It has been lots of fun actually having a minute to get into the holiday spirit, hence the reason for the red and green Photoshopped photo of me above. I couldn't resist.

Today was a mostly fabulous day. I have been going through a very difficult time at work, and finally today, the situation was resolved. I had given up hope, but my faith was once again renewed. In the end, the good guy does win. And that makes me happy. I also got a beautiful orchid and Target gift card today as a thank-you from some graduate students. And I have made all A's! I saw my favorite professor today who informed me I had made the highest grade in the class. And so, hard work does pay off. It makes me feel so much better that what we do really does matter. Working hard and doing the right thing really is important, even if it seems like it doesn't matter at the time...it most certainly does.

But then I was a little bit hurt.

Flashback: 1996, High school Anatomy class. This girl hands out birthday invitations to everyone in the class (like 25 people) except to me and one other person. And we only had 54 people in our entire grade and half of us were in that class! I was devastated. I decided then and there that my child would never hand out invitations in class.

Today: 2007, Work. This lady hands out Biker Santa toys to 6 people at work, leaving out me and a few other people. And this lady tries to get me to do her work all the time! I have helped her out so, so much. And she didn't even give me a damn $2 Biker Santa from Dollar General. And she acts like we are such good friends! And no, I don't really want a Biker Santa, per se, but regardless, it made me feel left out. I know I am hypersensitive, but I can't help it. I decided then and there I would always have gifts for everyone or for no one at my place of work.

I guess whether you are 16 or 45, some lessons people never learn. But please, listen to me, dear readers...please do not hurt someone's feelings by making them one of the few who has to go sans birthday invitation or Biker Santa.

But other than that, it was a fantastic day. And it's not over yet, as Bert and I will head out shortly to dine with friends. Friends that would most certainly give me a Biker Santa if they had one. Yesiree.

Labels: holiday, work

Woo Hoo!

Finally, I'm finished -- and two days early! I worked my butt off this weekend to finish a paper early, and it feels great. All I have to do is hit "print" and drop my paper off. I just took my last exam, and I feel so RELIEVED!

My brain has been so fried that I made quite an embarassing mistake at work. One of my job duties is to plan all events, and so I was turning in a receipt to be reimbursed for soft drinks and plates that I had purchased - or so I thought. The accountant calls me into her office and says, "Anisa, we cannot reimburse you for pantiliners." PANTILINERS, people. I had bought some personal items the same day I bought all the stuff for work and I turned in the wrong receipt. One with PANTILINERS on it. That sums up how frazzled I have been.

And so having a day off from work tomorrow couldn't have come at a better time. Tomorrow, I will get all of my Christmas, Eid and birthday (for a baby) shopping done. It will be great to shop on a Tuesday instead of a weekend or after work. It might actually be enjoyable!

Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and support. Now, I just have six working days left and then I am off for two glorious weeks. Things are definitely looking up.

Labels: holiday, school, work

No Longer a Newlywed

Happy Anniversary, Bert! I love you so much and each and every year is better than the one before. I cannot believe it has been three years. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday we met; other times it feels as though I have known you for many lifetimes. I am a better person after each day I spend with you. Thank you for being you and loving me so much. You are my heart.

I can't wait to spend many evenings on our new swing talking about everything and nothing. I say it every year, and I will say it again. I am the luckiest. I guess this is when you become not a newlywed...and since each year gets better, that is more than fine with me!

Lots of love.

Labels: holiday

Just A Swingin'

Bert and I bought this swing yesterday and I am so excited. Today, he will go pick it up and put it together! I think it will be especially nice as the weather gets cooler. This is what we have decided to get each other for our anniversary (August 14) and I think it's perfect.

If any of you are interested in new patio furniture, head to Home Depot and take advantage of their super sale (50% of all patio furniture) while supplies last! We just went to look, but had our eyes on this swing for a while and had no idea of the amazing sale going on. Hint: although signs say 50% off all patio furniture everywhere, their stuff is not ringing up that way. You have to tell them that their signs say it's all 50% off.

I think it's weird how patio furniture is for the "summer" when it's blistering hot and lots of stores only stock sunglasses and floor fans in the summer. However, I guess that means all this stuff should be on sale and that's a good thing!

Labels: holiday, home

Fun Times From The 4th

Bert and I went with some friends to an outdoor concert for the 4th. It was a bluegrass band (Packway Handle Band), but I survived. :) Seriously, it was lots of fun and a perfect way to celebrate the 4th of July. All of us felt an outdoor concert with our fried chicken, chips and dip, red white and blue cupcakes and more was a very "American" way to spend the evening. We also lit sparklers at the end of the night and I LOVE sparklers!

Hope you had a good one!

Oh...I also forgot to mention the irony of the name of the sponsoring marketing firm. Their name was Professional Marketing Services, Inc. The people kept thanking "PMS" over the speaker and there was PMS stuff everywhere...cups, banners, etc. You would think a marketing company would catch it, but they apparently didn't.

Labels: holiday

Happy Mother's Day!

I have...

the best mother,
the best grandmother,
the best little Spanish grandmother-in-law,
the best aunt...

in the world.

I am blessed to know many wonderful mothers. Especially mine.

Labels: holiday

May Day

When, I was a little girl, I loved this book:


To this day, it is the most beautiful book I have ever read. I could not get a picture of the May Day celebration (copyrighted), but when I was little, I wanted so badly to dance around a Maypole like the children in the book. Here's an illustration of a Maypole:

I think of that book and the beauty of all the months. The dancing around the Maypole, the way they put cakes with glowing candles to float down a river, etc. It was beautiful.

And I have no idea where a Maypole is, but one day, I shall dance around one.

Labels: holiday