New friends!

If you ask me, making a new friend as an adult is a feat worth celebrating. Long gone are the days when making friends was as easy as asking someone to play or showing up to hang out in a dorm room. Instead, it takes work and often a fair amount of awkwardness at first. On top of that, it's been hard for me to find like-minded people while living abroad. So though I may sound juvenile or cheesy, I'm really quite happy to have made a new friend, who happens to live in my neighborhood and also happens to have a gorgeous little baby! We met through a random chain of events, and soon I invited Brooke to stroll on over for tea. She brought along her little bundle of joy, much to my delight!

If you know me, you know I adore babies. So between bites of cookies and sips of tea and lots of great conversation, finding connections and sharing experiences, of course I couldn't help but snap some shots of little Jude!

I love this photo of mother and son! 

Thankful for friends, thankful for smiles, and thankful for the ability to record them! Stay tuned for an upcming family photoshoot!

A Maria of all trades (and master of all!)

To the sister who has written two entire novels just for fun, who has competed in the national Scripps spelling bee, who plays both organ and piano magnificently, who sings in multiple honor choirs, who draws, who letters, who paints, who is learning her third foreign language, and who is just all around amazing:

Happy 17th birthday!! 

With all those accomplishments one would think you'd be twice your age... or perhaps straight out of a Jane Austen novel!

You're a fabulous little sister, and I love bragging about you, maybe even almost as much as mom does! I got that opportunity today—in your honor this sister of yours (who can never even remember how to spell receive let alone "pfeffernuss") volunteered to judge the spelling bee at school! Seeing how stressful it was for the students I was even more proud of you than before. 

I love you and am so thankful you were born 17 years ago!!

Six years with Othman!

Six years is a long time! I just did the math (O had to help me of course, haha) and realized we've been together for 23% of my life! But he's only been with me for 20% of his life... does that mean I love him more?

This picture was taken only a couple weeks after March 25th, 2010. So much has happened since then; it's crazy to look at our young and hopeful faces and know what was in store for them. Miles of smiles, lots of tears, gajillions of cuddles more than a few adventures...

and six years of love! 

So thankful for you lovey!

Happy 1st!

Today is the first birthday of the sweetest little boy I know!

Exactly a year ago Othman and I visited Jessica, Ahmed and hours-old Noor in the hospital.

A lot changes in a year!! Even those little hand and nails have grown a lot!

 

Happy first birthday Noor, I feel so privileged to be your surrogate auntie. And happy first full year of motherhood to your mommy, who is such a wonderful friend!! 

International Women's Day

Yesterday was International Women's Day, which is a pretty big deal outside of the US. Here in Casa women were offered free movie tickets, deals at stores, prizes, flowers and so on all around the city. Of course the commercial aspect isn't the important part of the day, but rather celebrating all that women do and recognizing their contribution to society. However, I work at an American school, so it was just a routine day for us one way or another, which I found a bit disappointing since there is so much to be said for this day.

But then I got home later that evening to this display from my lovely husband:

After explaining that all the chocolate was because he forgot to get flowers (oh he knows me well!), he proceeded to bake me a French-style strawberry pie! Given the ingredients, it's basically a cheesecake with a pie crust underneath and strawberries on top, and wow is it delicious! I especially love the artistry he displayed in its assembly:

Thank you Othman, for being a lovely, thoughtful husband, and taking the time to make me feel special!