Day to Day Life.

Not much has been happening in my life, just pregnancy and working really. Since being back to work it has totally exhausted me! I was thoroughly enjoying my time off and would definately have taken my maternity leave early if i could have afforded to. But i did sit down with my boss today and booked loads of holiday time off as i have to use them. So it's almost like i am working part time until i go on maternity leave, so i am happy with that. I even have tomorrow off as we could'nt figure out any more days lol. So off to see my nan for a quick visit, do a little shop in Sainsburys and then maybe meet a friend for lunch, or may go and see my little old friend. That would be an old lady i met in the hospital and i keep in touch with her as she does'nt have any children. So i like to have a cuppa with her and give her a call sometimes.
I'm off shopping with a friend for late night shopping tomorrow. She is about 14-15 weeks pregnant, so we are off to buy her her first baby grow :) And i will be doing boring shopping - stuff for the hospital bag and maybe a few Johnsons products for baby.
Friday will be back at work, got alot to do in the morning and then i have an antenatal appointment in the afternoon. I must remember to tell the midwife about my slightly painful hips. They seem to tighten, think they are just widening a little. It is exciting, it means my body is preparing to give birth and it is a nice thought!
Mmmmm, i have'nt weighed myself in a few weeks, wonder if i should chance it lol. I may break the scales or get severely depressed! lol! I have been a real pig this last week and have'nt stopped eating! And it is not because i am hungry, it's just because i am a fat greedy pig hehe.

Salmon Dish

Did a yummy salmon the other day and it turned out really well. Simply diced an onion, sprinkled most of it at the bottom of a pirex dish, along with some garlic, then sliced some lemon and rested a few slices on top of the onion. Placed a couple of salmon fillets on top of this, added salt and pepper, some dill, a little more garlic and the remaining onion and placed a few slices of lemon on top of all this. Had a few mushrooms and spring onions that needed to be used, so sliced those and sprinkled over the top of everything. I put it in the oven on 200 for about 30-40 minutes (depending on thickness of salmon). I made my own sauce to go with this: heat some single cream in a saucepan (be careful not to overheat, as it will curdle), added a little milk, some freshly squessed lemon juice (about half a lemon as was only cooking for 2), some saly/pepper and a sprinkle of dill. Then made some mash and i either do salad with this, broccoli or green beans. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal Above is a picture of it before it went in the oven.

Last week was awful!

As many of you already know, i was in hospital last week for 4 days, it was awful! Blood clot on my lung, which has now gone due to many blood thinning injections! I'm still on the injections, just waiting to hear when i can stop having them.
Had the baby's growth developement scan on Friday and he is just fine, his tummy is back on track with the rest of him. Although he has a wide head! lol. His brain and everything measures just fine, but the sonographer looked at me and my husband and said the baby has his daddy's head, not mine, as mine is more rounded LOL. Due to this and my blood problems, i MAY have to have a C Section birth, but i am having another scan at 36 weeks and we will know more then. I am not sure which is worse, a C section or trying to push out a big baby with a big head! lol. But i would definately prefer a natural birth where possible, as the recovery time is soooo much quicker. Pray for me ladies.....
I have just gotten back from the doctors and she has signed me off from work until next Thursday, which is great. I am really enjoying having some time at home and relaxing. I am just taking everything in my stride and it is doing me the world of good. My feet and legs are'nt as swollen, my feet are'nt burning like before.... just wish the heartburn would go, but Gaviscon definately helps with that!!!! :)
I'm off to read some of your blogs now..... XxX

Today is my Friday.

Today is my Friday, even though it is Thursday really. That is because i have a much needed day off tomorrow. I am meeting a friend for lunch tomorrow and for the evening i am cooking a yummy Thai Soup. This will be my first attempt, so hopefully it will go well! I shall let you now.

I then have the usual Saturday but have the added bonus of my hubby having the day off, so he is taking me for lunch AND for dinner Saturday. Lucky me.... Since we finally got our new car a week ago (i have been without a car for 2.5 months) he has been making up for all the times we have missed out on going out. He is being very sweet really, i even got flowers last night and when i asked what i had done to deserve them, he simply said that i was carrying his baby and he knew how hard a time i have been having with it. . . And that he just wanted to make me smile :) which he definately did.

Sunday we are picking up the baby's pram and taking it to store at my nans. We'll have a cuppa with her and then off to visit one of hubby's friends. Then we are going swimming. We went last weekend and i really enjoyed it! I can't wait to go again, it did me a world of good.

Poland!

I got back on Tuesday evening from 2 nights in Poland, had a lovely time. Think i came back more tired though, as slept in the hardest bed ever!!! It was lovely to get away from the norm for a couple of days, but missed hubby too much as usual. I went with my mum, was nice to actually spend a bit of time together for a change.

The best bit of the trip was meeting my cousins baby daughter who is just 3 weeks old (as shown in the picture.) Holding her made me even more broody and wanting my baby EVEN more than before! We also went on a nice walk on the grounds of what used to be Royalties grounds (pictured above) and then went for some lovely pierogi! Yummy! A typical polish dish....

The worst bit of my break was that my aunt and uncle smoke like troopers and as much as they tried to stay out of my way, i felt/smelt it all around me and it made me stink like them. Smoking is such a foul thing, i can't imagine why i ever did it. Have been a non smoker for 17 months now!

It's home time now, so must wrap things up here before getting off.

Just bad luck.

Im sure everyone has had a run of bad luck in their lives and this is what we are having at the moment, so a prayer or two (dua) would go down a treat.
Ours is mainly financial bad luck. We've paid out alot of money this year, external works on our home that needed doing, then internal works that we have paid for (damage caused from result of problems with external wall before it got fixed) but work not yet started, then our holiday that got cancelled because of XL and now our car has an engine problem. The worst thing is, we have'nt even driven it yet!!!! We bought it from an auction! All of this has cost us many many thousands, it's a joke! None of this is helped by the fact that we have my maternity leave coming up when my pay will decrease dramatically, then baby will be born, not to mention Christmas in December! I'm cathollic, my family celebrate it.
When hubby told me about the car on my lunch break today i was obviously i bit disappointed, but in general i was fine. He was really upset about it, but after repeating several times (as you do with men lol) that it could be so much worse, he relaxed a bit. I told him that we still have a beautiful home, it does'nt matter if we can't move next year. We have good health and insha'allah Baby Z (our name for bump) will be born healthy and luckily we saved and have a baby fund, so we have all we need for baby without struggling. I also mentioned that we have a great and happy marriage that not many people have and that no matter what i won't be going anywhere, money is nothing if you are'nt happy! I told him to think of his friends and quickly take a look at how many of them are unhappy, yet we rarely have huge problems and should count ourselves extremely lucky.
I'll just give him lots of cuddles and wise words tonight and it'll be fine. We'll just have to be careful for a while, tighten our belts a little and make a bit of extra money from somewhere where possible. So it really is'nt that bad afterall :)
Pregnancy sure has mellowed me! lol

Much better now....... Thank you.

Hi ladies..................

Thank you for those who have given me kind words when i needed to hear them. Something happened last night (an ongoing problem i am having with my mother) and it put some things into prospective. Had a good cry on hubbys shoulder this morning and realised that i don't need anything more than i have right now. I have an amazing husband, a job, we are healthy, we eat well and we have a small, but very nice home. I am so much luckier than most and i thank god every day for my blessings. Hopefully our baby will arrive healthy in February and we will have everything we ever wanted in life.
So that silliness i was feeling has almost dispersed and i am looking forward to the simple things, like a nice weekend of no work! :)
Thank you again ladies, your words meant alot.

Feeling quite down.......

This is'nt a post to make people feel sorry for me, i just need to tell people how i feel. This all stems from being pregnant and being pregnant is not something i am enjoying. I am tired All the time, i have swollen feet, ankles and now calves. I need a new pair of boots to fit my new sized feet and i have been to so many shoe shops and have found it impossible to find a pair that fit. This is the bit you may find where you think i am being vain, but i'm not......
Ok, so i know i can't wear heels whilst pregnant, but also don't want to wear ugly flat boots. I thought if i'm ging to spend money on a new pair of boots, i may as well like them right? Could i find any.... nope? So ended up with a cheap pair of small wedges that i feel look awful.
My skin is greasier than usual, i suppose i should be thankful that my hair has stopped falling out (for now!). My clothes are obviously maternity or big clothes, so just in general i feel yukky. I try and look nice for hubby, but just feel ugly and fat all the time. And i won't go into what other feelings i have lost! He says it's fine, that i look great and i can buy lots of nice things when the baby is here and we can go and buy some nice boots then (dh liked my taste in clothes in footwear............)
I found a gorgoeus handbag (expensive one) that i wanted to get, but he made me feel a bit guilty about it, so don't expect i'll be getting that now. Even though it would have come from my wages, we have all the money for baby things and i did'nt ask hubby for a penny towards the bag and purse. I work really hard, so why not treat myself to something, even though it is expensive! It's not like i can buy anything else at the moment! I just wanted something pretty.....
I'm sorry, i am having a real moan and most of you will be reading thinking what a selfish cow i am! But i'm not, i'm just not myself at the moment :(

Eid Mubarek! :)

Eid Mubarek!!!! :)

I would like to wish all Muslims/Muslimahs a Happy Eid. Unfortunately my husband and i could not celebrate together today, we both had to work.
I am proud that my husband has fasted for a whole month, he has done very well and only a few mood swings lol. Fasting is definately something you should all feel good about and proud of ladies (and gents). May you all have a wonderful Eid and celebrate together and be happy...... and eats lots of yummy food and cakes.
I'm not feeling too well today :( Think i am coming down with the flu, it has been very busy at work, so did'nt leave early. Commitment or what!?! Not.... But if i feel like this tomorrow when i wake up, i won't be coming in. When you're pregnant you can't take any of the drugs you might usually take, so i'm stuck with anything natural and fresh orange juice to help get some vitamin C in me.

Happy Eid once again!!! :)

It's a BOY!

We are elated (although we would have been either way lol) that we are having a baby boy :) When it came to the genital area, there was absolutely no denying it was a boy, he was showing it off (typical man eh?!) LOL. We saw the evidence twice on the screen, even the sonographer laughed and said there was no denying we were having a little boy and that she could'nt have hidden it.
Tiny little issue with his tummy, it is a little bigger than the rest of his little body, just by a week. They have assurred me that he is probably just in the middle of a growth spurt or may be a big baby. Insha'allah he will be healthy. We are having another scan in 8 weeks as a precaution.
Other than that, i am happy and can't wait to meet my little man. Hubby and i went out and bought some blue bits that same afternoon :)

Boy or a Girl???

Are we having a boy or a girl? Insha'allah we'll find out tomorrow! :)

XL Update.

Our holiday has officially been cancelled :(
We got the phone call yesterday. Unfortunately all the other airlines have jumped on the wagon and are now charging extreme rates to fly, basically taking advantage of us who have lost out. A ticket with First Choice (the cheapest offered) was going to cost us neary £1200 return to Sharm El Sheikh. I don't think so!!!
So now we are having to go through the process of getting our money back, which can take up to 6 months. So we can't even book elsewhere, as we can't be finding Another £1000 for a holiday. Hubby was upset and ofcourse i just cried for ages. But i am ok now and realise that the most important thing is us, our health and our first new coming baby :) It was destiny and we can't change it. But when that money comes back, we will be clever, put it away and then add some extra and go back to Egypt for 2 weeks rather than one - so i'll just get a better holiday next year, with baby! :)
So i'll get Algeria for 3 weeks next year and Egypt for 2 weeks insha'allah - who can moan at that eh.

XL! Not Impressed!

Woke up this morning in a great mood today thinking yep, it's finally friday! So imagine my shock when hubby comes downstairs (who has been watching tv in bed whilst i'm downstairs) and asks who are we flying with to Egypt and then shows me the news. So i rush upstairs to get the paper work and guess who we were supposed to be flying with? You guessed it.... XL!

So now we are waiting in queue to find out what is happening with our holiday. I believe in destiny, so whatever is meant to be will be. But i must admit, i was desperate for this holiday. It was a present from my husband as he knew i wanted a holiday before the baby was born, as this will be the last 'me and husband' holiday for many many years.

Well, we shall see eh? Time will tell. But definately not going to stress myself over this, not worth it, especially with my baby growing inside me. To be honest, think i'm too tired to stress lol.

Get Widget!

How great is that 'Get Widget'! I love my cool new clock and my baby ticker, now everyone can see how my lil baby is growing! :)

Pregnancy.....

Here i am, pregnant and not feeling myself. I knew all about the symptoms of pregnancy, but feel i am getting them all. Yes, i am having a bit of whinge today..... sorry.
It seems that when one symptom stops, another comes along. At the moment it's swollen feet, which is just great! Apparently this will be the case now until after the birth of our baby and i'm just going to have to get used to it. The tiredness has returned and have been feeling less like a proper wife, which my husband says is ridiculous and that i'm doing just fine. I feel i can't compete with the demands of Ramadan cooking as i work full time and i'm really tired when i get home. Luckily hubby goes out 3 evenings a week during ramadan for Iftar (to break fast) with his muslim friends (i am not muslim). So i at least get a break, but he is very good and also cooks for me. I am having a break this week, but will cook up a storm over the weekend!
Ok, i have had my moan, feeling better now :)

Ramadan.

Ramadhan Mubarek to all the muslims who read my blog :)

As most of you know i am not a muslim, but my husband is and i thoroughly enjoy cooking for him! I have posted a pic of the dates he eats at Iftar and he loves them. They are simply stuffed dates.

I simply cut the pip out of the dates and mix together a paste that consists of almonds, sugar and rose water.

I never measure when i make this, i just guess how much i am using. I grind a handful of chopped almonds (without skins) and about the same amount of castor sugar together. I then make it into a paste with rose water, sometimes mixing the rosewater with water as it is quite strong. Then all i do is stuff a small amount of mixture into the slits i have already made in the dates when removing the pips and viola!

Break your fast with these yummy dates with a glass of milk, lining your tummy after a day of fasting and also giving you a small sugar boost after going without food all day.

New Forest! Amazing!!!

Check out that view eh! This is just one of the scenic walks we took whilst in the New Forest for a couple of nights. We had such an amazing time. We did'nt realise we needed that break as much as we did until we left London behind and breathed out a sigh of relief!

We decided to switch off our mobiles, watched no tv, did'nt access the internet and we talked loads! You don't realise how much you don't Really talk when life is so so busy. But we really did catch up, held hands all the time, went for long walks in gorgeous surroundings (as you can see in the pic above) and ate really yummy food. Oh and we played Scrabble which was amusing, especially as English is my husbands 3rd language! lol

The cottage we stayed in was 300 years old and was well maintained. The people running the B&B were so friendly and they could'nt do enough to make your stay as pleasurable as possible. Would i stay there again? Definately! Infact, we are hoping to go back for a couple of days before the baby is born. This trip truly did me the world of good and it showed. Hubby said i looked totally relaxed and there was a twinkle in my eye within hours of us being there.

Everyone should go to New Forest just once and see how spectacular our country can really be. I was surprised in every way, and in all the good ways surprised for a change lol.

I'm going to upload a pic of the cottage and the grounds it sits in, but bet it goes to the top of the page, when i want it at the bottom really! Maybe someone can advise what i am doing wrong?

New Forest here we come!

It is Friday afternoon, i'm sitting at work with a pounding headache, i'm exhausted, pregnant and can't focus on anything for long! But hubby and i are off to New Forest for a couple of days on Sunday and i just can't wait and neither can he. We have been so busy with work, my tiredness has returned and i'm finding it difficult at times. I'm only 16 weeks pregnant, yet struggling again these past few days.
My boss said i can leave work at 4.30pm today, but i'll have to make up the hour next week :(
I feel so yuk that i am not going to Sainsburys after work, but going straight home to run a nice bath and just relax to ease the stress a bit and my headache.

I'm not sure if anyone even reads this blog anymore, may stop writing here.

Problems at work!

I have never had any problems at work, until now. It is all very complicated and would take far too long to explain.
I feel i have also been stabbed in the back by the opposites team, which i am now dealing with and thankfully have a very good boss who is standing by me.
My report on the whole incident was long, detailed and direct. In no uncertain terms i have explained that they will not be getting away with this and that i will take this to the Human Resources dept if necessary!
It has stressed me a bit and hubby is very angry with a couple of the girls here at work who have caused this. But i am just trying to relax and get on with my life, i have a baby to think about now.
But on the upside, i booked a week in Egypt for hubby and i to go in October, so i'm excited about that! :)

My 1st Baby Scan!

No amount of words can describe how i felt when i was watching my baby on the screen, it was amazing in every sense of the word! My hubby was dazed and his eyes would'nt leave the screen, he just kept saying Subhallah. It was a real joy to see his face, now the pregnancy is more real to him :)

I was stunned at how developed the baby really was, at how you could already count his/her little toes and fingers, the heartbeat, nose, mouth and eyes!
The baby was pretty chilled at the begining, probably having a nap and had it's right hand on it's cheek, just how hubby sleeps!!!! Was so cute. But after a while baby got fed up and kept giving us it's back and bum, was amusing to watch.

Hamdulillah everything with the baby appears fine and all is well so far.
Unfortunately i am still feeling sick, not at all feeling great today, but at least i can picture my baby now and oh yeah.... the shopping can begin!!!! LOL....

Clothes feeling a little tight now, so i have the perfect excuse to get some new trousers, especially for work. Must be sensible though, as alot of clothes will only be used for a while.

Have been feeling a little fed up this week, not helped by feeling tired alot. I'm exhausted, i would really love a break. Unfortunately we will not be going on a 'just me and hubby' holiday this summer, but we're off to Algeria in September. But would love a peaceful few days just me and him, away from everything, so we are hoping to go away end of August somewhere in the beautiful English countryside or to St Ives in Cornwall which looks stunning. Its just a matter of finding a cheap b&b that is still quite nice.

Roll on 5.30pm when it's home time eh! :)

The weekend is here.... at last!

Wow, what a week at work, it has or at least feels like the longest week i've ever had! It's a mixture of doing a full week at work when i have been off alot lately and obviously pregnancy makes me tired. I am so looking forward to the weekend. Hubby has taken tomorrow off again so that we can spend some time together. We're doing the food shop together tonight, then the only chore will be cleaning tomorrow, but with the 2 of us it won't take long.
Going to attempt to make Paella for the first time over the weekend, hopefully it will go well and taste yummy.

We have the baby's first official scan on Tuesday morning and we're excited. The morning sickness is getting a little easier, so i am starting to feel some excitement for my coming baby :)

We also have Algeria to look forward to, we should be booking the tickets in the next 3-4 weeks insha'allah. Will be nice to be able to relax and let my sisiter in laws do everything for me. Its great! lol

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and i'll touch base again next week after my scan.

Just life in general....

Hello to all you lovely people who may read my blog, even if it is a little boring!
My story is still the same, still got morning sickness and wishing for it to go away. It is better than it was before, but life at home is suffering due to the huge change in me.
My hubby is feeling left out as i kicked him into the spare room well over a month ago and i am miserable alot of the time because of feeling sick. Obviously this is effecting my husband, but what can i do. This is how i feel and i cannot change it... the pregnancy has taken over for the wrong reasons i'm afraid. I'm hoping this will change soon, as i miss being 'me' too.

We do however have our first official scan next Tuesday, so that should hopefully make me feel a little better about the whole thing Insha'allah. I'd like to be excited about my pregnancy for a change.

I hardly write on here anymore because as you can see, i have nothing of interest to write about!

Shahada :(

I am embaressed to say that i was supposed to do my Shahada on Sunday and i bottled it. I don't know what happened or why i could'nt do it, but i just got this scared feeling and have no answer as to why.
Pregnancy has changed me and not for the better, i miss my old self, as does my husband. When will i come back? I have little life in me these days, feel numb, have no excitement for this pregnancy that i have longed for and don't feel much towards my own dear loving husband. What is going on with me!!!!

I was so ready spiritually to become a Muslimah, yet since becoming pregnant i feel none of this anymore. I have always loved my husband to bits, but since the pregnancy i don't feel much. Don't get me wrong, i don't Hate Islam or my Husband, i just don't feel much towards either.

Insha'allah i am going to try and slowly learn to pray and maybe this will help me :) I hope it does anyway.......

Morning Sickness!

What an awful time i am having with this pregnancy! I cannot describe how horrid i feel, although i am sure there are many women who can understand this.
Last week it got so bad that hubby took me to hospital and they admitted me. They pumped me with fluids, vitamins and anti sickness drugs. Hamdulillah it worked and it did make me feel a bit better. I am now taking quite alot of tablets to help keep the sickness away, although i am still being sick everyday, it is much less than before. If only the tablests would take the Feeling sick away! But we can't have everything eh?!
I must admit and was feeling a bit ashamed of this at first, but i hate being pregnant so far. I am numb to it all and feel no excitement. I never ever thought that this is how i would feel. I am sure that i will feel very differently once insha'allah this sickness passes, or when i hold my baby in my arms.

I have also stopped studying Islam as i cannot concentrate on anything and just feel nothing. Is'nt this so awful? Friends keep telling me to stop worrying, things will return to normal.... Insha'allah!

There is my moan, sorry for boring you :(

I am pregnant!!!!

So i just found yesterday that i am pregnant and to be honest i am still in shock over it. It did'nt take us as long as we thought it might.
It explains why i have been feeling tired, i had just put it down to my new job as it is more demanding than my last job. Also, have been hungry alot and there is no way i would have thought that could be connected to pregnancy at such an early stage. Maybe that is just a coincidence.
Anyway, threw a sickie at work thinking i would go and see the doctor this morning, but when i rang, the woman said you see the nurse at between 6-8 weeks, so i am going next friday morning. I thought it was weird, but then what would i know, this is my first baby.
I am meeting with my lovely friend Rachael tomorrow who is over the moon for me. She said we'd window shop for baby things, to help it all sink in. Neither hubby or i can quite believe it yet. I checked the two pregnancy tests that i did at least 30 times yesterday, comparing the pictures on the leaflet and box and re-reading it all over and over again LOL.

As much as i am happy with my news, i feel even more so for my friends who are still trying for their baby but have had no luck so far. Insha'allah they will be blessed with a baby soon.

So now after wanting this so badly, i am going to take it easy, not over work myself and not go crazy on the cleaning like i usually do, but maybe break it up a little to help ease that. Hubby is great though, he helps alot anyway, so he will probably be helping out more now :)

My Faith

Here we have a blog that is quite a sensitive area for me and may sound a little strange to others.
Since being in Algeria and returning, i seem to have backed away from Islam a little, rather than embrace it. I thought i would feel more spiritual being there, but had mixed feelings. 1 feeling was feeling left out, as i have not converted and cannot pray, yet the second feeling when i returned was that i did'nt feel that spiritual connection and i actually got quite upset.
I spoke to a couple of other sisters about this and they said not to worry and it even happened to one sister i know. I have been back from Algeria just over a week and i am starting to feel better al hamdulillah. I am also meeting up with a good sister friend of mine on Saturday for the day and i will have a good talk with her about this. I know she will help put this in perspective for me.

I have always said that i felt spiritually ready for Islam, but not knowledgeable enough. But after talking with one sister not so long ago, she said to make it (Shahada) and learn after. She said, what if you died today? It was a little scary in a way and made me realise i would'nt end up with my beloved hubby if i died right now. So what to do now....?
It is all a little confusing for me and sometimes feel a bit lost with it all. I think i may have tried to take a little too much on all at once.

Algeria part 2!

Here we go, it has taken me several days to write the second part to this, i have just be overly busy and so tired this week, don't know what's wrong with me....

Anyway, yes, our Islamic wedding. It was'nt what i expected at all.....
Firstly, i thought we'd at least be in the same roon lol. But we were in ajoining rooms with a curtain to seperate us. Women in one room and men in the other. Hubby had to come in a couple of times to translate. It is custom that a member of of my family should 'give me away' (kinda like a church wedding, where the dad gives the bride away), but as i did'nt have anyone, Youcef asked for my permission to allow his cousin to give me to Youcef, which i obviously agreed with.
The prayers and blessing continued, then he came back in and asked what Dowry (have forgotten the arabic word for it, it's something like 'maher'). So we have agreed on a bracelet. I felt under pressure to decide, even though i knew it was coming, i had'nt given it much thought.
After all was done, the Imam wished us a long and happy blessing and lots of healthy babies Incha'allah.
It's nice to be halal now and i feel that now God will help us have that baby we want :)
Hubby is so happy that all is done now :)

I am supposed to be writing about places i have visited, but i just can't remember. We went to Kasbah, walked throught the markets, bought a couple of bits, saw the really old beautiful Mosque.
Went to another market with my sister in law for a few hours, which was far too crowded!

Cheraga was my favourite place, so quiet and peaceful macha'allah. I believe it is one of the better area's, no heavy lorries allowed in the back streets etc.... It's where one of sister in laws lives and i spent a happy day there, was also nice to sit on her terrace and drink yummy peppermint tea.

With regards to the language barrier Ammena, it just did'nt seem to get in the way much. I know a few word in Algerian, a couple of them knew a few words in English and we just kind of managed. Like when i went to the market with my sister in law, she knew the word 'expensive', but not the word 'cheap', so instead she was saying 'mini money'. It was quite amusing.

I'm going to leave it there as have to go pick my friend up from the station soon. Luckily she was running late so i could afford the time to come and write this. Although i really do hate lateness, one of my pet hates!

Algeria!

Macha'allah i had a wonderful time! I have posted a long story of my time there on the forum, so most of you will comment on there, if you can be bothered to read it, i know it is rather long.... sorry. There was just so much to tell.

Think rather than doing that all now, i 'll do it over a couple of posts on here and concentrate on just a couple of things at a time. So today, i'll concentrate on the trip and my family out there:

The trip was long, as we had to be up early, plus i was panicky on and off! Nerves! Heathrow T5 helped a little as lots of shops to look around and dream about buying some of those lovely handbags and matching handbags (small obsession i have there....)
Too many screaming children on the way there and even more on the way back. I would'nt mind, but the adults were'nt even attemptng to stop them and just let scream, have temper tantrums or be naughty. I remember my child days and my siblings and i just knew where to draw the line, mum was boss, end of! These kids were just plain spoilt really. I understand the young ones who cry during take off and landing, they don't understand what is going on, but that's about it really. When i child of about 7 is constantly kicking your chair, after your husband had asked his dad to make him stop and it continues, then i have seriously had enough. Then the kid infront was having constant tantrums when being told no for something (even before we got on the plane) and the parents were letting him scream, then i had had enough. None of this was helped by the fact that i have been ill all week and i am still trying to recover. I know kids play up, my point is that there did'nt seem to be any discipline from the adults and no consideration for fellow passengers. Ok, i have moaned, i will stop now.

My family are just fab! They were all so welcoming and wonderful and fell in love with me immediately al hamdulillah! My biggest fear was the language barrier, but we managed fine and just got on with it. Each of his sisters helped to nurse me whilst i was ill, hubby was great and rarely left me, did'nt go anywhere when i got a temperature and lost my voice. He was the best and is the best :)
I got on fabulously with 2 of my nephews who called me their sister rather then their auntie as i was young (their words) They are 20 and 23. Their mum (hubby's sister) is dead and their dad does'nt have anything to do with them and they live in the family home with my sister in law. I was protective of them when my hubby told them off and i stuck up for them. One of them even had tears in his eyes when we left and they both told hubby how much they would miss me. They are truly sweet, will miss the giggles with them.
My sister in laws all have different qualities and each are great in different ways. All good cooks too! I did'nt have to lift a finger whilst there, so i may have moaned that i did'nt get to sunbathe a bit, but everything was done for me, which was really nice :)

I am going t leave it there and next time i will write about our Nikah and the places we visited incha'allah.

10 things I Hope For

1. I hope to make my Shahada this year Incha'allah.
2. I hope to be a mother.
3. I hope to be with my husband until the day i die.
4. I hope to end up in Paradise next to my husband and may my children follow much later on.
5. I hope to meet my in-laws there too, as i did'nt get the chance whilst alive.
6. I hope to one day raise charity for an orphanage when i have more time to dedicate to one.
7. I hope to be a good Muslima one day.
8. I hope my husband will follow in my footsteps of number 7 and be a good muslim.
9. I hope one day there is more peace in this world we live in.
10. I hope to always remember all the blessings i have and not be ungrateful.

I'm sorry, i did'nt know how to tag etc.... But these are my hopes Incha'allah.

Hot hot hot... The weather that is lol

It has taken me half an hour to cool down after running around on my lunch break! It is HOT out there!

I scoffed my lunch and then went to Next to buy a couple of baby grows for one of hubby's friends whose wife had a baby. I bought a bag, even though i was'nt sure whether to get it (as thought it would be too small.) I then passed Oasis on the way back to the office and found the perfect bag! (I have been looking for a black bag for Algeria, that is bigger than what i would usually buy, to fit a couple of books in, my stitching, purse etc....) So bought the bag then ran back to Next to take the first one back only to find a queue of approx 8 people with only 2 people serving.... typical! So ran back to office (melting i might add) with 2 new handbags and baby grows! I'll take the other bag back tomorrow incha'allah.

Spent several hours in the park yesterday with hubby, had a great relaxing time. We did'nt talk much, we just enjoyed the peace, the sun and eachothers (quiet) company. He listened to the ipod, i stitched... was nice. But was disappointed that i did'nt get to read the Qua'ran, as i brought it out especially. Unfortunately, at the time i wanted to read, a group of youngsters (check me out, like i'm old or something!) came and sat near us and were swearing too much. So reading the Qua'ran just did'nt seem appropriate. Incha'allah i will have time in Algeria :)

I am reading such a great version of the Qua'ran, check it out above: by Muhammed Abdel Haleem.

Fi Amanallah

Yay!

I just added a picture of Regents Park Mosque! I'm so proud of myself! I'm easily pleased as you can see lol!

An up and down day!

I can't say i've been overly impressed with my day! It started off nice with bright sunshine and lots of cuddles with Youcef. Got into work and it all started! I'll cut a long story short shall i: Tonight is a leaving do for one of the Directors in our company and everyone is going out for drinks. I am not going, instead i am going round to a new friends for a cuppa. My boss is going to this event and actually had the audacity to ask me to come in early so that he could come in later! At first i kind of agreed, but i got so angry inside that i brought it up and said it was'nt fair just because they all wanted to go out and drink etc.... And that it was'nt like he had a doctor's appointment or anything serious for me to get out of bef at 6.15am. He said i was right and he is now coming in at his usual time. Why should i have to come in early to cover him whilst he gets over a hangover?!
But on a brighter note, i did meet with a friend for lunch and we sat in the sunshine for half an hour and ate our sandwiches. It was lovely to be out in the sun and have a chat. Think i'll pack a packed lunch on Sunday and get down to Dulwich Park if it is nice incha'allah.
I want to go home, i want to get out of this office. The weather is too nice today. I am going to quickly get the car washed, cook some pasta then off to Merika's for coffee and no doubt some of her lovely cake! :)

Bank Holiday Weekend

What a lovely Bank Holiday weekend mashallah! I don't know where to start....
I caught up with a sister from the forum on Saturday, she came round for a cuppa and brought along her youngest little boy, he's gorgeous! (yet another broody moment....)
She left and my neighbour then came round for a catch up as have'nt seen her in ages. Time flew too quickly and she was gone :( So put my flip flops on and walked round to my mums (she just move literally 2 min walk from me) and convinced her to come shopping with me. So we walked into town and i bought a couple of tops, although not really the type i wanted. I was looking for more tunic type tops, but could i find any... NO! I know i am fussy, but this was ridiculous. I did find a couple, but in Monsoon at around £50 each..... No thanks at that price!
Youcef and i went out to dinner in Clapham to a Morrocan restuarant. We were'nt that impressed with the food or service particularly, but the comapny was great, so we were happy.
Sunday i went to visit my nan and had a cuppa with her (i've had alot of tea this weekend lol). I picked Youcef up from the gym on my way back and we went to Bromely for lunch which was very yummy! We also bought some new towels. We invited one of his friends over for dinner as he just recently got married in Algeria and he wanted to show us his pictures. He brought another of my hubby's friends with him, so the four of us sat down to a very nice roast dinner cooked by moi! :)
Monday was my favourite day.... It was a beautiful day and went for a run (my new thing....) We had eggs for breakfast, got ready and headed to Regents Park Mosque. It was lovely. Hubby bought me an Islamic book i had been looking for called The Natural Way, then we went to Edgware Road for a Shawarma then Hyde Park for an ice-cream and some chill-out time. I read a little of the Qua'ran, was a really nice day. We had such a busy day that we literally flaked out last night out of exhaustion.
We have spent far too much money in the last week on going out, so no more until next month now. We are off to Algeria next Sunday, so that is our excitement now. Plus this weekend i'll be busy getting things ready, as i am working all of next week.
It is another beautiful day today so i walked into work. I thought i had charged my ipod, but realised i had'nt after setting off, so i had no company on my walk in. I leave work in an hour and can't wait to walk out in the sunshine again.
Chillie con Carne for dinner tonight........ I'm hungry already!

Mosques and Meetings

The week draws to an end and it has been an emotional one, mainly for good reasons too mashallah. On Monday i visited a Mosque for the first time and hamdulillah it felt right. I was worried it would'nt, but i felt this nice calmness. I did'nt phsyc myself up and think it was going to be a life changing experience, as the religion in itself is getting me there and the Mosque is a part of that journey of changing my life. I can't wait to get back to the mosque :)
On Tuesday i went with sarah to Luton to meet some sisters from the forum and it was a really great day out. I came back home full of life, full of questions and incredibly broody after being around so many wonderful children mashallah. All the ladies were great and the children wonderful. Inchallah it will be me one day.

Yesterday hubby sent me a huge bouquet of flowers to work, how romantic. It was kind of an anniversary for us, but i did'nt think he was making a big deal of it. I wanted to because i'm a chick and that's just how i am. So i went out at lunch, bought him flowers, arranged to take him out for dinner and when i came back from lunch i got flowers! Great minds think alike eh! lol...

It is 15 minutes until i leave work and i can't wait for this bank holiday weekend to begin. I intend to catch up with family and spend some time at home for a change. Plus it's just 16 days (not that i'm counting) until Algeria and i can't wait for that either! Need to start getting prepared....

Oh and i also told my mum i am studying Islam to see what her reaction would be and she seemed fine. So that has made me feel good too hamdulillah :)

Feeling Better....

I am feeling much better about my previous situation. Today is a Saturday and be it far from relaxing, maybe tomorrow will be. I have been helping my mum move home today and cooked dinner for everyone. Tonight was all about hoovering (ooooh the excitment). Then ate peanut M&M's (naughty, not supposed to eat naughty food until Sunday). Now i am sitting here blogging and watching Greys Anatomy (Yay). Hubby is out, so peace in the house and the remote control is under my complete control for once hehehe :)
So tomorrow is a little more of helping my mum, but also getting my nails done (nice) and doing a little shopping hopefully. May even go and get a house plant.

That was my boring and short blog, i am almost sure i will have more to tell next week ;)

Not a great day

Last night i had a discussion with my husband about religion, as i had upset a girl at work a little by talking about God, along with a Christian girl who works here who is a big believer in God and really practices her religion, which is really nice to see these days. The other girl is a complete non-believer and unfortunately took some of things we said a bit out of context, but hamdulillah she is fine now.
But i was telling hubby the full story and we somehow ended up talking about hypocrits (as you do....) To cut a long story short, i said he was a hypocrit as he does'nt follow his religion too well and how it is such a shame as he is very knowledgable. Also, he obviously wants our children inshallah to be brought up as Muslims, but he if he is'nt practising, that makes him a hypocrit. Ok, so he did'nt like it, but we did'nt argue, we just put our points accross and he even agreed with me.
But the whole thing has made me feel a bit down, as i am new to Islam and a keen learner and was hoping he would want to go more into his religion than he does. Hamdulillah he has given up on all alcohol since we met, but what about the rest?
Maybe i am over-reacting, but it has left me feeling a little deflated and a little sad. I feel disappointed. :(

Mosque

This is just a really quick post. I have had such a strong feeling for a while now to go to a Mosque, but have never had a woman to go with to hold my hand (thearetically). Hamdulillah i have found someone now and i am going on Monday evening for my first visit. I have been studing Islam for a few months now, bit by bit. But if i am honest, i always feel i have something to do and rarely feel relaxed enough to get my mind set spiritually. What i want to do is visit the Mosque at least 1 evening a week and just sit and read with peace around me Inshallah. It is something i have been wanting to do for a while and i am so happy i am going. It is a step closer and i will feel closer to God this way Inshallah.

Algeria

It's funny, Algeria has been on my mind today in a serious way. It seems that an awful lot of people are making the move out there, English ladies who have converted to Islam.
As my husband and i are planning to have a family, we have discussed where we would like to buy our next place. We currently live in Croydon, which suits us for now, but we are fed up with all the trashy people around us. London is the worst place for that. We went an hour out of London on Sunday and what i difference! No scum, cleaner streets etc... Mashallah it was so nice there. My husband mentioned it again today and said that maybe not straight away, but maybe in a few years he would like to move out a bit, for the sake of our children. Inshallah we will have some.
I have heard several women say that they are moving to Algeria for a better life for their children and i praise them for moving to a different culture, many do not speak the language and they are sacrificing many things. This is what you do when you have children though right? You just want what is best for them....?

Salam to you all! What a week last week.... It was crazy busy and has been pretty busy this week so far, but have got it all under control.
Met up with a friend for lunch last Thursday, was really nice to catch up. I was telling her how bored a feel in the evenings (i seem to get up and keep finding things to do because i can't just sit and watch tv) and she told me she had started cross-stitching and loved it. I had thought of this before, so went to the pound shop where they do cheapy ones and have started and guess what.... I'm loving it! My boss said i've turned into a granny lol, but my husband is happy because i'm not running around like a lunatic some evenings, now i just chill next to him after the evening chores. You'd think i'd enjoy sitting down and relaxing by 7.30pm after working all day and then cooking etc... Not me, i'm too much of a 'get up and go' kinda person. I guess that will all change when we have kids inshallah.
That was another disappointment, when that time of month appeared. My poor hubbie was more disappointed than me. But we've only just started, so i've told him to relax!

The weekend was a little mixed. I spent all of Saturday cleaning etc (no baking this time). Then we did the sainsbury's shop and visited my nan, hamdulillah she is well. But on Sunday we went to West Sussex for the afternoon and it was fab! It is so beautiful there. We went for lunch and then a long walk through woodland. Our Timberlands were filthy afterwards, but well worth it! I felt to invigorated afterwards, i would highly recommend a change of scenery for all, even if it's just for a few hours. It does you a world of good.

I ordered my first Arabic learning CD set today from Linguaphone (oh... and Greys Anatomy 3) LOL. I could'nt help it, i love the programme.
But can't wait for the Arabic, it comes with four 1 hour cd's and a book. Inshallah i will learn quickly, i don't seem to be doing too bad picking up Algerian from my husband :)

I'm off to a friends for dinner, so nice that i don't have to cook! Ok, so my husband is one of the good ones and he does help and cook, but it is mainly me.

I promise i will try and write something of interest sometime soon :)

A complicated weekend....

What a weekend! I spent all of Saturday cleaning and baking which was fine. I baked shortbread that tasted yummy and then baked banana and rasberry muffins. Here's the thing though: after i had put the mixture in the muffin baking tray (in all the sections) i realised that i had forgotten to add the sugar! How stupid am i! So there i was with a teaspoon, adding half a spoon of sugar into each muffin mix and stirring them each seperately. They looked beautiful ma'ashallah, i was really proud of them. But they Did need a little more sugar, i won't forget next time! LOL
We went out on Saturday night for dinner with our wedding witnesses and had a really lovely time. It was so nice to get out of the area for a few hours, catch up with friends and have a laugh. The time just flew by.
Sunday i was woken up by my hubby with a cup of tea and telling me it was snowing. Ofcourse i did'nt believe him, so he made me climb on the bed (we have sky lights in our bedroom which are too high for me) whilst i was still half asleep. But what a beautiful site to wake up to.
We took our time in the morning, then went out for lunch and coffee.

The evening was just a different story. I checked my facebook and had an email from an unknown person and it was'nt a nice email. We both think we know who it is as this person has attempted to cause trouble for me before. This person is jealous and vindictive and basically needs to grow up! I won't talk about it too much as it makes me mad. But what comes around goes around. This person means nothing to us. My husband emailed them back and said how dare they email his wife and if they are so clever then to call him. Obviously we have heard nothing back. Inshallah that will be the last of it.

I am starting work early tomorrow (8am) and doing an extra hour as over-time, so won't be leaving until 6.30pm. It will be a long day, but i'd like to get start getting into the habit of doing over-time and maybe saving a bit of money. I may as well before we have children.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and that you have a good week.

PS: I put some words in colour in my last post, but they did'nt show :(

It's Friday!

Yippeeee it's Friday!
Ok, so it's not quite home time yet, but it will be in 2 hours :) It has'nt been such a bad week, i just have'nt really wanted to be at work this week. But have been in a great mood today. I am looking forward to the weekend. The usual cleaning routine tomorrow, but then i actually get a little me time before Youcef (my gorgeous husband) get's home. And yes, i do miss having me time, so i will make the most of my time alone tomorrow and do a face pack and maybe even a hair pack.
As you can see, i am feeling a little colourful today, i just have a good mood on me today. No apparent reason, just think it'll be a great weekend. I've been feeling even more in love with my husband than usual these last few days and really lovey dovey. He's probably had enough of all the kisses and cuddle, actually he probably is'nt, he's revelling in it! lol
We're meeting up with the witnesses of our wedding tomorrow night for a meal, will be really nice to catch up with them.
Unfortunately we were let down on some footie tickets for my brothers birthday today and he is disappointed :( But we will make it up to him and get him the brand new Arsenal top with his name and new age on it inshallah.

So, to anyone who has read this, you are probably bored and can't wait for the ending. So here it is...

The End :)

My first blog!

Hi all who read this. This is my first blog, i thought it would help keep me busy and seeing as i have nothing to hide in life, i thought i would share a little of my life with others.
I recently started on a new path in life, as a married woman. To date, this is the best thing i have ever done and would'nt change my life for anything now.

I live in London (Croydon) in a lovely 2 bedroom flat which i (we) own, but we are hoping to put it on the market in a couple of months and buy a little 2 bedroom house with a little garden.

I work in Croydon as a receptionist and have been working there for approximately 4 months. I wish i did'nt work full time, as i would like to dedicate a little more time at home. I consider myself to be a good housewife, i keep our home clean and i cook pretty much everyday, but i can't branch out and learn more in the kitchen department as i would like, would also love to learn arabic, i just can't find the time to do anything :( I am also trying to study Islam, but i find a rarely have a peaceful moment.

Inshallah when i fall pregnant and give up work, i will be able to concentrate on my home life 100%.

Ok, that's it for now, i will write again soon.