Radiant Abuelita

We had to post this picture on our site since it's such a beautiful, radiant picture of my [Alicia] mother! We had the good fortune to visit Jameh (and Katrina and Nafeh) again in January. As you have probably been able to tell from his (Jameh's) web site, he's growing so fast and quickly developing more and more character in his lovely, little countenance. His birth was such an amazing experience for me [Alicia]. My mother and I had the blessing of being with Katrina throughout her labor. I have been graciously (too graciously, I think) thanked for my efforts in that process, but I can only offer that I would not have felt as confident in my own instincts had my own mother not been there. Her wealth of experience, love, and words of wisdom gave me so much strength and allowed me to truly connect with Katrina and be as much of a help to her as I could be. It was also such a blessing that so many family members could be there as well throughout the hours leading up to and after the birth (Katrina's parents, her brothers, her cousin, Navid, and my husband were all there during the labor-though not necessarily in the room during her hard labor hours as only a couple people were allowed to stay). And, then, fortunately, Nafeh's mother, Karen, was able to join us shortly after the birth. Other family members were also there in spirit, we are sure, if not frequently by phone. I only hope I am blessed to have so many family members surrounding us when we have our children. Then, the blessings of this birth continued as my mother and I were able to stay several extra days to help Katrina out during the critical days after the birth. We miss Jameh so much and can't wait to see him again!

I love this picture of Jameh and Brian! Just see how Jameh's fingers reach back for Brian's hand...so adorable!!

Everyone should get regular massages

Yesterday, Brian and I went to get massages at a local massage and aromatherapy center! So relaxing and so long overdue!!! Brian got a 1/2 hour Swedish massage and I got a 1/2 hour Hot Stone Massage. That was the first time I had ever gotten a Hot Stone Massage and it was wonderful! Whenever any of you come to visit, we will have to treat you to a massage at this place (see link at left). They are very reasonably priced and very nice people. We will definitely be going back. They also feature other types of massages, body wraps, facials, manicures, and the list goes on. Then, we went to Smoothie King and got some good antioxidant and detoxifying smoothies, water (a must-have after massages), and some really good health snacks like these chips from root vegetables and a Pistachio Pineapple Boomi Bar (gluten free). It was a day of health to be sure...now the real challenge is to carry over that same perspective on health every day...and we try.

Brian's Pirate Name - we didn't plan this!

My pirate name is:

Mad Sam Rackham

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are
more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune
of having a good name, since Rackham
(pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham)is one of the
coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Alicia's Pirate Name - what fun!

My pirate name is:

Mad Anne Rackham

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are
more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune
of having a good name, since Rackham
(pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham)is one of the
coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.

Movie reviews

Brian and I went to see Nanny McPhee this past weekend and WE LOVED IT! It is such a treasure of a movie and we highly recommend it! Emma Thomspon (who also wrote the screenplay) and Colin Firth are great-we're a little partial because they are two of our favorite actors. Nanny McPhee is just one of those movies that takes you back to the innocence of childhood and the idea of believing in magic and fairy tales and the fun of being mischievious. Our experience was made even more enjoyable by all the little children in the audience (I am pretty sure we were the only ones there without children.) and especially these two adorable little boys (about 3 and 5 years old) who giggled and laughed the whole time.

We also rented The Last Samurai from Netflix and watched that this past week. A great movie also...a real tearjerker for me. Some beautiful imagery, writing, and the historical aspects were fascinating.

Has anyone else seen these movies? What did you think?

Thru the Looking Glass: Amelia, Lucia, and Roya

As Amelia, Lucia, and Roya are away in Haifa, Israel, and cannot, sadly, be with us for many of these events (though they are with us in our thoughts and in our hearts), we think it is only fitting that they have their place on this blog as well. So we offer the photos below of the darlings out and about at cafes, walking the grand steps up the terraces on Mount Carmel at the World Centre, celebrating birthdays, and generally enjoying each other's company. (Of course, girls, this does not deprive you -or relieve you- of the responsibility of continuing to send us news and more pictures.)

Reasons for the time warp

[Alicia] You will soon notice that there will be more and more photos for the time being that were taken in the past. This is as a result of the plain fact that we didn't start this blog until this month and there are just so many great photos that we want to share and that shouldn't stay hidden. So...for the time being...you will pardon the fact that some of these photos will be a little dated.

Time Warp...Back to New Year's Day 2006

[Alicia] Brian and I walked in the mist along the remains of one of the piers in Gulfport (Cousin Cheryl in the background). The damage and destruction everywhere was amazing. There are many places I remember as a child visiting, when my family and I would go to visit family in Gulfport, that are simply not there anymore as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The destruction and remains looked particularly eerie this morning. (I'm not TRYING to look extra cool in my glasses...there was glare - I promise! Yes, there was!)

More images of the destruction that are neat, but that only really offer a small glimpse of the scope of the destruction.

Time Warp...Back to New Year's Eve 2005

[Alicia] It was a magical night - New Year's Eve at the grandparents in Gulfport, MS. I hadn't been back for that occasion in some time and Brian had not been at all. As much as was possible throughout the misty night, we sent fireworks soaring into the night sky (usually beyond our vision) that was most anything but clear and we danced and we laughed and we ate good food and played silly games like Mafia and Black Magic (They sound very sinister but are really rather fun and harmless.). It was amazing how much more room we all take up now that we are grown. Many of us couldn't really stay up all night and then when midnight came...we were so engrossed in the games we all only half-muttered a "Happy New Year" to each other and quickly went back to the silliness. Gatherings at the grandparents are always times to remember!