The latest greatest news!

Lil sis Isa and her bf Matt are pretty cute.

The whole fam is a fan of Matt. He's all sorts of good (plus he's tall enough for the leggy sister). So when THIS HAPPENED yesterday,

our smiles were almost as big as these two!

Congrats both of you! Super excited and happy for you!

To a dear friend on her wedding day

Dearest Urszula,

Today you get married! I welcome you into the club of globe-trotting, mixed heritage married couples. 

It's club filled with people who decided that their love outweighed the challenges they'd face: differing expectations, ever-present communication problems, hard decisions about places (where to live? who to visit?), names (change it or not? baby names that everyone is happy with?), and so much more. You've met with some of those challenges already, but trust me, more are on their way. Mixed couples have it hard, and many things that wouldn't be a struggle if you married the boy down the street will crop up as major speed bumps to get over. 

So why do we do it? Why are there ever more people joining this club full of arguments and tears and misunderstandings? Why are you doing so today?

Because.

Because the love that drew you to this man, so different from you in so many ways (yet so alike in others), feels stronger than any you could have for anyone else.

Because the struggles that we face as mixed couples truly only do make us stronger, and solidify the bonds that we started forging years ago.

Because mixed couples go into marriage with their eyes wide open, knowing they'll have to fight for their love. And sometimes that makes all the difference.

Because the richness that your partner will bring to your life (yes it will increase!) will come in many forms: new places and foods, new languages to conquer, new points of view to understand, new realizations and greater empathy. He will be by your side through those experiences and help you make sense of them and see the beauty in them. 

Because you'll get to do the same for him.

Because your table will be filled with foods from differing corners of the earth (and I know you like to eat).

Because like attracts like, and the other mixed couples you'll meet in upcoming years will be among the most interesting and compassionate people you'll ever know. And you'll immediately be drawn to them, and they to you, and you'll be able to discuss all those struggles and hardships with your new friends, and they will understand like no one else can. They are the rocks you'll learn to lean on. Because couples need couple friends. And again, the richness of your life will multiply.

Because mixed couples make beautiful babies, who grow up with empathy and a unique perspective, who grow up multilingual, multicultural, and as true citizens of the world.

There are so many reasons that this club is a good place to be. I've only been in it for three years and have seen what incredible joy it has brought me. I'm so happy that, starting today, it will bring you the same. Welcome.

Hey Jude!

My friend Brooke came over a couple weeks ago with a super thoughtful birthday card and gift, and took this beautiful photo of me cuddling with her sweet little boy:

During that visit she and I tried to schedule a family photoshoot, but sadly it fell through, and now she's off to the States next week. So when she came to visit yesterday I couldn't help but take a few more pictures of her and Jude! It was hardly a photoshoot but just some quick photos as we chatted over tea. The little faces Jude makes just crack me up, and I was happy to see him in such a good mood, cooing away and drooling on everything in sight! (And I LOVE the bandanna bibs he's always sporting.)

The ubiquitous orange of my living room (the second-hand orange couches we bought before moving in years ago happened to be the exact shade our landlady had just repainted the walls) doesn't make the best background for portraits, but I got some nice ones nonetheless!

Plus yay for black and white!

I love this sweet moment,

and this picture is my absolute favorite of the day:

Thanks Brooke for letting me try to capture in photographs the love between you and your son! Have safe travels and a wonderful time in California!

HBD Patrick!

Happy happy day to you! Here's hoping this next year brings lots of lovely things into your life!!

Tall big bro and I in front of his tall, tall workplace a few years ago.

Remember when I said he's generous? Well,for various reasons my salary is stuck here for the moment, so he's spending his bday buying me a plane ticket! Thanks big brother!!

Flowers in May

Othman has been winning in the flowers-for-his-wife game this month.  Flowers here are cheap, fragrant and gorgeous and I love having them around. Take a look at what has been brightening up our living room recently!

 Birthday bouquet #1

Birthday bouquet #2

And a just because bouquet!

Thanks lovey for making me smile!

Channeling creativity

As a really original and fun birthday present this year, my mother-in-law took me to a scrapbooking workshop last week. I had been sick all weekend and had to take the day off of work on Monday (my actual birthday) and cancel what celebration plans I had, which was a bummer. So I was really pleased that I was better by that stormy and blustery Wednesday and able to go out with her for a lovely afternoon!

 

The workshop was led by a French-Moroccan lady who came over from France. She brought all the materials and had an example project finished, but she really encouraged us to stray from the pattern and make it our own which I appreciated! Here's what I had to work with:

There was even a delicious spread of snacks to keep us going!

There were six of us ladies, mostly teachers, who spent a really lovely afternoon creating beautiful keepsakes ready to frame afterwards! It was new and fun and I really enjoyed the collaborative and creative aspects. Here's what Othman's mom made:

And here's mine:

Merci beaucoup belle-mère pour une superbe après-midi!

In which my dad turns a year older

Happy birthday daddy! Here's hoping this Friday the 13th is enjoyable, celebratory and full of good things for you.

I found this very natural, lovely series of you and mom on my computer today and had to post it! I barely remember taking these photos last summer but I definitely love them.

I'm so grateful to have you as a role model; thanks for all that you do! Wishing that this next year brings you plenty of good and as little bad as possible. Sending lots and lots of love from across an ocean!!

Happy 21st Isabel!

To a sister who's classy, 

talented,

and loving,

happy happy birthday! Hoping 21 brings you plenty of new adventures, happy changes, and lots of love!

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day today, and my mom must be rejoicing: she has the majority of her kids at home, her #4 just graduated college yesterday, and my grandma is visiting as well!

Grandma is my mom's mother-in-law, and they have such a beautiful, loving and respectful relationship that I've admired so much throughout the years. This picture of them from my wedding almost three years ago gives a sense of their bond and love.

Thank you both for being wonderful inspirations, and teaching me so much about life and love and happiness!  I love you both; Happy Mother's Day!!

Little brother graduates!

All the Braga-Henebry boys now have college diplomas!

Note the double tassels: Thomas impressively graduated with a double major in Geography and GIS—Geographic Information Systems, aka a large part of what my dad does. He also got a music minor! I think he has his three older siblings beat!

O and I couldn't quite get there (neither could Isabel who's in the midst of junior-year finals), but I'm happy our cousin John-Michael and Grandma made it out to help him celebrate! I stole all these pictures from JM's and my mom's Facebook pages.

I love this picture of the boys—when it's just them you can't tell how TALL they all are! Plus it's funny seeing my dad in academic robes.

Huge congrats to you Thomas!