We are with the ones we love <3

We are in Pakistan, surrounded by family and good food and lots of gupshup. Our little girl is happier than ever, getting endless hugs and kisses. And dadi, nani, khala, phupo, phupo, bhai are becoming every day words for our little girl. Just another reminder, that there is nothing in the world like being with your loved ones.

Watching cartoons with her little khala

Early morning tea parties with her nani

As kids, I remember how it felt with our nani and nana. With them we always felt more special than we had ever felt with anyone else. They loved us with all of their hearts and there wasn’t a second that we didn’t feel it.

And now I see Anya surrounded by love like that. Our baby is lucky enough to experience that same intensity from all around! Her nani, dadi, taya, khalas, phupos etc love her like she’s theirs and my heart swells at the sight of it. We are lucky, our baby is lucky. To experience love like this as a child, it grounds you, it makes you want to go back again and again to experience it. She is blessed and so are we.

 

visiting her great nani and nana

It tells more about these people than anything else.Through the difficulties that have crossed our paths and through the tears we have cried, we have been together. These are the ones that have cried with us, these are the ones that have helped us stand up. And these are the ones we come back to.

Even though we do not have the luxury to be with them every chance we get, I want my little one to know their importance in our lives. Our biggest investments are in our family and the ones we love and that is something we need to be reminded of again and again specially today.

Busy exploring her taya’s beautiful house.

Hope you will excuse my irregular posting in the coming weeks. We are a little caught up with these lovely people. But I have many exciting posts brewing. Be back soon :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

FYI: Gupshup: chit chat. Nani: maternal grandmother, Dadi: paternal grandmother, Khala: mom’s sister, Phupo: dad’s sister, Taya: dad’s elder brother, Bhai: elder brother/cousin, Apa: elder sister/cousin. Urdu is a beautiful language in the sense that is has specific words for all our relations.

Oh sunshine

Oh sunshine, streaming through the house, you used to be nice. We quite miss you!



I love natural light and first thing I do when I get out of bed is open all the blinds/curtains. I get that from my mom who used to try to choose her houses based on the views from the windows.

So for me the best thing about our little rambler has always been the amount of natural light we get. Whenever we get some sun, late afternoons are just so cozy in the house. Sunlight streaming all around, and it is just perfect for some couch time. Now when sunny days are scarce, I cant help but miss those days. BUT like I said, I have a plan:p and I wont let it get to me.

Doesn’t mean I am not waiting for those sunny days to return. Because I am :)



Also sharing these pictures reminded me of another thing, have you noticed how different a room can look at different times of the day? Every room has a time of day when it looks its best. When taking pictures of your house, make sure you notice this slight detail because it makes a world of difference!  Beautiful light makes for beautiful subjects. Both people and places:)



Thanks so much for stopping by!

PS: I just noticed something on the floor infront of the front door in the first picture. Probably Anya's doing in her escapades around the house:p. It never is perfect i guess. hehe

A little peek

Remember when I shared Anya’s room and how it looked like in the first few months of her life? And how I said I would share her room soon? Yes, sigh. I still haven’t gotten round to that because I have a few projects to finish before I want to do that.

But I thought I could at least let you guys have a peek. Here is a glimpse of the two art walls, probably my favorite parts:) (Those of you who follow my facebook have probably seen some of these).

Thank you guys for stopping by.

To embrace it

With cozy boots and patterned leggings and lots of new sweaters, with photo shoots in the rain with friends trying to convince our toddlers to pose, with neighborhood walks with a baby on my hip under a see-through umbrella, with Anya’s outstretched hands trying to touch the pani every time we are outside in the rain, with walks on trails surrounded by fall, with impromptu coffee plans with friends, with windy day drives through leaves just floating all around - we are trying to make the most of this season!

After six years in Seattle, I think I have finally found a cure for the rainy winter blues. To embrace the weather! Yes, that is my new plan! With colorful rain boots and jackets and umbrellas. With the right gear and the right frame of mind. With good friends always ready to meet up on short notice . With not staying at home when you feel the blues coming. With lots of plans (diy/décor/other) to get through.

Because, what follows after these rainy months? Is what makes it all worthwhile! The endless pinks and whites of spring, followed by the most perfect summer you can imagine. It is all worth it. And I have to remember that on those never-seem-to-end rainy days.

How do you plan to spend your winters?

Thanks for stopping by!

PS: Will have to tell you in a few months how the plan is working, haha!

Celebrating Eid

Hey you guys. So glad you guys enjoyed posts by the beautiful people I had guest post for Eid. I wanted to answer the same questions I had asked them but its been a bit busy in our house the past week or so. I thought I’d share some pictures from our Eid instead. This time we celebrated all three days because of the weekend that followed and it was lovely.

Here are some little glimpses into what it was like.

Anya enjoyed the growing bangle collection she has thanks to our family.

I did manage to put up some last minute decorations. Haven’t been feeling too creative lately because of lots going on, but wanted to put something up at least!

A beautiful dinner with friends on Eid day with yummy food, lots of stair climbing for Anya (her favorite kind of activity) and Eid gifts for all the kiddies thanks to this new tradition some of our friends have started (I love the idea).

A visit from an old friend who was in town. We were meeting after more than 10 years! It was nostalgic and lovely to say the least!

A darling little handmade Eid card for Anya along with her very own abacus, sitting in Anya’s room thanks to some lovely friends!

And our Eid celebrations ended with a cozy dinner with some beautiful friends!

Perfect mA!

How was your Eid like? Hope it was extra special. Will be back to posting very soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Guest Post: Nabila on celebrating eid

Hey you all, hope your week is going lovely. Today I’d like to introduce one of my closest friends here in Seattle. A talented photographer, awesome cook, and a dedicated wife/mom, besides working a full time job, Nabila is as close to super-woman as can be! She is one of those genuinely good people that we don’t run into very often these days! She and her husband welcomed their little guy earlier this year who makes the perfect little addition to their adventurous little family (mA)!

Here is what she had to say about her Eids.

---------------

Tell us about yourself and your family

We are a small family of 3. I am a very proud mother to an adorable 8 month old who makes my life complete.

What does Eid mean to you?

Eid for me has always been about people. The people you spend it with, the people you have to call every year, and the people you miss because they are so far away. It is when the lines are erased between family and friends. I have not had too many of the traditional Eids that most Pakistanis have, but that is okay. I think I have come to cherish my-not-so-typical Eid, where we make our own traditions.

Tell us about any Eid traditions at your parents house when you were growing up

When I was growing up, most of our family was at least 8/9 hour drive away, my parents worked and we couldn’t always take a day off from school. Because nothing was constant we came to appreciate the little details that made our Eid Complete.

Some of my fondest memories are of us waiting for the package to come from Pakistan with our Eid clothes. Hoping it will arrive on time! I loved opened these packages because they were packed with love and smelled like Pakistan. The clothes would still have little pins in them that had your measurements on that you made sure you had to remove before you tried them on but every year the excitement of new clothes always made me forget.
Of my parents, and later my brothers making sure we go out the night before Eid to get me bangles and shoes that match my clothes. For some reason this was always a last minute thing at our house. We aren't known for planning. Of my mom getting up early in the morning to make kheer which made the whole house smell like a mix of cardamom, sugar and rose water. Of my dad waiting for all of us at the base of the stairs, rushing us, so we don't miss the Eid Nimaz.

The days would always end with us running around in our Eid clothes at a friends house getting the clothes we were so excited to wear, dirty, the bangles that were supposed to match,broken, and my hair clips missing.

Does you new little family (now that you are married/have children) have any of its own traditions?

As a working mom, I always have this guilt hanging over me that only other moms can understand. I want my son to have beautiful memories of Eid. I might not be able to give him the perfect Eid, but I hope he comes to love this slightly altered version of Eid like I have.

We make sure we put up lights outside the night before Eid. I make Kheer or Sheer Khorma that we give out to our neighbors. We go to the mosque in the morning and end up at someone's place surrounded by delicious food and friends who have become my family.

What do you want your kids to remember about Eid at 'their parents' house?

I want him to remember the magic and warmth of Eid and the people he spends it with. I feel like the holidays take us out of our routine and make us feel more special, more alive. Jokes are funnier, Kheer tastes better, friends are closer. We want to wear our nicest clothes and decorate our houses. Holidays freeze time and make us appreciate what we have.

No matter what our traditions are or how they change, I always want him to see the specialness in it. That no matter where he is in the world, or how old he is, my home and my heart will be open for him. He can always come home to the traditions he has come to treasure, where time will slow down, and life will be simpler.

all pictures taken by Nabila herself

----------------

Thanks girl for sharing those beautiful memories/thoughts and pictures from your Eid. Hope your little family makes many many more of them in the years to come.

To view more from this series go here.

And thank you guys for stopping by!