Silent Night...Holy Night

Silent Night,Holy Night..probably my all time favorite Christmas carol amd Hymm for that matter. I have spent the last 2 hours decorating my tree listenting to Christmas music and let me tell you..no one sings Silent Night like Andrea Bocelli. If I am ever so blessed to see him live I will do what ever it takes for those tickets:)
Christmas is here..full blown and I couldn't be happier. My house is decorated (minus lights= Alfred), tree is not done...ran out of riddon..need it before I put ornaments on it..but who cares. Samira watched "Polar Express" for the first time tonight (she rode it when she was 18mo. old)..and she LOVED the movie. I watched her watch it tonight and I love that she is getting Christmas. I grew up with so many traditions and with this day and age they are so easily forgotten. That will not happen if I have anything to say about it. Christmas is SO MANY things. It is the birth of our Christ, the uniting of family, the excitmenent of children underneath the beautiful Christmas tree, HAPPINESS. My daughter has been non-stop exctited the last few days and I cannot wait for Christmas day with her.

On nother note...like I mentioned before I have been decorating my tree for the last 2 hours...not making much progresss-BUT listenting to Christmas carols and actually getting teary -eyed on a few. They bring back so many memeories and now that I am a parent I want her to know these things. Christ was born- that is Christmas..He was born on a Silent Holy night and it is because of Him that we celebrate this season...however we celebrate.
I want tradition in my house..I remember mine- to this day. Thanks mom and dad:) From gingerbread houses to Elf on the shelf to Christmas tree to Christmas caroling...however you celebrate..it is the season to celebrate our Christ's birth. He truly is the reason for the season..let's not forget:)

From Drop Box

'The start of my tree:)

A perfect Day...

So...it has been awhile since I have posted. Alot has happened in the last few months..40th birthday(which was AMAZING and FULL of surprises), Maui/Oahu trip..incredible, Thanksgiving....GREAT time with my little bro visiting- the BEST. I will post- more details about past events- but today we went to the Griffith Park Observatory here in LA with Aaron and Jen. I have lived in Sunny So. Cal for almost 18 years now and have NEVER been to this all popular site. Needless to say it did not disappoint...it was awesome. It was a perfect Fall day here in LA, brisk weather, little breeze and clear skies. The observatory, if you have ever been there- you will understand offers breathtaking views, beautiful architecture, great astrological science info...and the biggest telescope- the coolest I have ever see in my life. Freakin' AWESOME!!! We went there with Jen and Aaron today and had a blast. Samira was "star struck"..litereally- to say the least and you get to see EVERYTHING...from the Hollywood sign (Aaron and Jen loved that) to Santa Monica...to downton..was beautiful. To top it off we went to lunch at this great cafe in Burbank..the best mac and cheese (next to mine::)) and an all around great day.. I so wished my brother and Jen lived out here. We spent the evening "makin' up a casserole" out of Thanksgiving left-overs..playing Sequence and a whole lot of laughs. I truly hope they know how much they both mean to us and our family and how much we love them,. Hopefully someday we can get them to move closer and have days like today all the time.

On another note- I so appreciated today because we live in a truly beautiful place. I loved telling Samira today about our planet Earth and the moon and the sun...and she got it. We walked inside the observatory and her first words were.."look at all the planets!!!" She loved hearing all the information...was awesome! She knows Earth, she knows the sun ...and I only hope that she grows up appreciating where she lives and learns how to take care of it:)

From Collages

A meaningful Day...

Well the day started out a little "icky'...maybe it's just that when I am under the weather my emotions run a little high. The weekend was loaded with good times with Al's parents returning from Lebanon after almost 4 months, a super awesome wedding of a close cousin and the birth of number 14 grandchild on Al's side: Sam Simon Semaan. Unfortunately, the good times was accompanied by me getting a gnarly migraine and some infectious thing in my lungs which has me coughing constantly.
So the day...swim lessons with Samira and then off to the promised few hours at the beach. She has been a little under the weather as well, so I thought maybe some good ole' California sun would make us feel better and bake out the nasty stuff. Needless to say she managed in the first hour to throw some serious attitude, kick sand all over hers and my lunch, get 3 time outs...and there's more but won't bore you with the details. So as I was packing up to leave because I had had it, she manages to squeak out through her tears that she is so sorry, that I am the best mommy and she didn't know what came over her. OK..really???? Trying not to laugh through my anger, I stopped what I was doing, sat down on the towel with her and pretty much had our first "heart to heart" ..if that's possible with a 3 year old.
I told her that I was sorry because mommy may have been upset with other things and taken some of it out on her...but that did not excuse the way she had been acting. We proceeded to talk for awhile, she having many apologies along with me asking her to explain why, and then spent the rest of the beach day laying down on our towels together, and eating our rinsed off lunch. The lunch was followed by a brief nap on the beach with my little girl.
I know it may be silly to even think so much about this, but it was such a moment I had with Samira that I so much needed. We both have had a little bit of a whirlwind week and a half with all the surprises, visitors, nights out, her overnight at friend's houses, babysitters..etc. I know my life is not busy like other's , but in some ways it is in different ways and it is easy to forget that the little one's need that "special" time. Mommy's need that special time. In an instant they can change you from a sad feeling to the happiest feeling in the world.

A Proud Momma

..so every Tuesday Samira has a swim lesson. She has been taking lessons since she was "before 2" mainly because she is a fearless water-lover. Those of you who know me, know I too am a water/beach-lover so why in the heck am I paying for lessons?? Well, I don't think kids listen well with these things with their parents and it was VERY important to me because my hubby is not much of a swimmer. ANYWAY, she is now swimming up and down the pool with her arms "semi" out of the water, doing backstroke AND elementary back stroke and I can honestly say that if she fell into the pool she would not drown- she knows what to do. She got her purple bracelet today...and I can't tell you how big the smile was on her face. Of course, my Flip video decided die on me at that moment.
It is so amazing how kids take after their parents. My daughter is such a water-bug, beach lover. I sometimes think I may have pushed it on her, but she loves it so much I think it maybe was inside of her. I am so impressed and amazed at her swimming. We went to the beach today, just the two of us. Ummm, it was so quiet because, yes, everyone is back to school. It was almost erie...but pretty much awesome!! We had such a great time together, built her the biggest "jacuzzi" ever in the sand and we just hung out. I needed this because for the past few days she has been " demanding"...to put it nicely.
Kids are crazy amazing, blessings and then there are no words to describe. But, I can say- to see your child love the things you love and kind of follow your footsteps in some ways just fills your heart beyond words.

From summer 2010

Samira in her sand "jacuzzi":)

From summer 2010

From summer 2010

Turning 40...a reality

So it is Monday, I am a few weeks from turning 40, my daughter was such a challenge today, I listened to a very inspirational message at church yesterday, listened to a song passed along from a friend that hit me like a wall. I have wanted to blog for so long, but I think I keep putting it off because I have so much I want to say that I don't know how to start. So here is my start:O)

The thought of turning 40 in a few weeks...FREAKS ME OUT!! WHY?? My husband keeps telling me I am crazy and it is just a number. I think the reason why is because I think to myself...40 years?? What I have I done in 40 years?? I taught for many years, hopefully I made an impact on some my students lives. I have a 3-year old daughter who I am so blessed to be at home with currently, I have an amazing husband who gives me the gift of being at home everyday. But, what are my accomplishments, what have I done? It really makes you reflect. I was so thankful for the message in church this past Sunday which was pretty simple..." God sees in you what other's don't". Maybe what I have done hasn't always been seen or acknowledged or even recognized, but God has seen it. I needed to hear that because I currently am having a hard time with this life changing age...for me.

We have been trying to have another child..no success yet...and I think I need to trust that whatever happpens this is what was meant to be. Samira is the joy of my life, the best gift I could ever have been given. I think all of us mom's feel that way, but the possibility of not having another child has been a weight on my shoulders. The thought of turning 40 at the same time we are trying is a stress I wish I could let go of. How do I do that?

.... I let go. These 40 years have gone by in a "Blink"....a small quick flash. The memories are amazing, sad, happy, hysterical, loving, humbling and most of all full of life. I love my life right now. I am so blessed. So I haven't conquered some HUGE mountain..or traveled the world, so to speak. I have a beautiful family that I love and loves me back. I have an amazing extended family, a Circle of friend's that I couldn't live without. I love to give, my heart is HUGE and if anyone needs anything, I am that person. So I am turning 40, yup, it kinda sucks. But I am so happy to be here to experience it and I hope the next 40 are full of life like these past have been.

From father's day session

This is one of my fav's. Reminds me of what my life is about. Thanks to Charla Blue:)

A New Blogger....

..So, Hi everyone, I have wanted to blog for such a long time, but didn't really know how. Thanks to my friends, Cora and Charla, I now have this cute templete and some kind of directiobn of what to do. I love to write and take pictures...so keep posted, there is much to come:)