Assalamu Alaikum,
Wow. More than an entire year has gone by! I can't believe I haven't posted in so long. Well, a quick summary of the second half of 2007...
In May, J went to Moscow for a week. It was our first time apart, so tough, yet manageable since I spent the whole time with my mom, sisters, and N (who was already living with us full-time at this point).
The summer was pretty much event less, from what I can remember. In August, we went on an unforgettable vacation to the little house in Wimberley. That was quite an experience; my first time in such a small town.
The rest of the year pretty much revolved around TDC. Yes, a whole six to eight months. It was a constant for so long that when it ended it felt like a piece of our lives was gone. Yes, unfortunately, it was that crazy. In mid-December the FIL finally bought a house; after weeks of J, me, and him going house-shopping.
At the end of the year, N, my best friend, got married. And, moved all the way to Canada.
And, now for 2008, one of the most eventful and memorable years of my life. The beginning was like any other; apart from the hectic month of January. J and I barely had free time. Day and night we worked on the house. After everyone else would leave, we would still be there, painting, patching, and sanding. Not necessarily in that order. He felt that after all his dad had done for him, it was a way to repay him in a way. Maybe that was what prompted him to ask us to move in. Apart from the obvious reasons he mentioned; I could help around the house, since I already was cooking for them most of the time, and N most likely could not live without us. So, in April, when our lease ended, we moved in. Moving is the single most stressful thing ever. Maybe it wouldn't be so had we prepared a little better. Don't get me wrong; I was packing for days.
I just didn't have the help I needed.
So, we moved to BG. I kind of became a mother to N (which I already was) and O. Or maybe more of a big sister, since I'm only 8 years older than one and 10 the other.
Life went on, with a routine that was getting pretty mundane after some time..and then one night, J came home with an idea/proposal. How would I like to go to Umrah in June.
At first, I was skeptical about going with a random group of people that I did not know too well. But, fortunately, I said yes. WOW. It was THE BEST two weeks of my life. Describing all my experiences would take days, but lets just say I will never forget them. I made friends that, in sha'Allah, I will likely keep for the rest of my life.
In August, we went to Orlando with J's siblings and S (bil's wife). An interesting vacation, but something we both agreed to never do again. In the end, the three of us left early and returned home. J left for OK and then Canada the very next day. He returned after 4 days, during which N and I hung out.
In September, we went to Norway, Ireland, and London (even if for a day). I absolutely fell in love with Norway. We were in a small city called Stavanger, and it was so different from life at home. It was a really nice trip and we had a lot of fun. I learned a bunch of phrases in Norske and managed to have a good time even with J working Monday- Thursday. One of the days, J's manager in Norway took us on a ride in his boat. It was a really awesome experience, even though on the way out, every bounce made you feel like your bones were rattling. I saw some of the bluest, cleanest water ever. And, the mountains and fjords were breathtaking. SubhanAllah.
We even managed to see Pulpit Rock from way down in the ocean. Apart from the fact that Norway is one of the most expensive places in the world, we had a good time.
The next week, we headed to Ireland. Belfast to be exact. It was fun, but the first 2 days were very rainy and wet. We went to the harbor where they built the Titanic, but didn't do the tour. We also visited the Odyssey Center, which is a shopping mall and theater and arcade all together. We took pictures in front of all the famous landmarks, including the Albert Clock Tower..also known as the mini Big Ben.
After that, we stopped in London for a day. We went to visit a cousin of mine that was living as an expat there, and we talked all night. Other than that, I did not really find London that interesting.
During this trip, Hurricane Ike happened to hit Houston. Although we were not home during the devastating hurricane, all we could think about was our family. We were pretty relieved when we managed to get in contact and hear that everyone was doing well. When I returned, things were still destroyed and you could tell the city had been through a lot. Even now, 4 months later, some places have not been able to rebuild completely. And, of course, the government once again, did practically nothing to help. It was not as bad as Katrina in NO, but they could have done so much more.
After that, was Eid, which was a lot of fun. Z, my sister from SC came down with her baby, and the family went out a lot. In November, J left for Scotland. He stayed in Inverurie for two weeks, and then headed to Saudi Arabia. He returned to Scotland, where it had snowed and everything was beautifully blanketed in the soft whiteness. He came back to Houston at the end of November, right after my farewell party. The next few weeks were spent preparing for our move and spending time with friends and family.
In the next post, I will talk about the rest of the year..and the beginning of 2009.
Peace.
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