Fridays and August.

 Photos from weekly Friday gatherings in our humble abode..

1. Lately life has decided to throw me many unexpected obstacles and hurdles to climb over, and it can be so easy to get side tracked and discouraged - especially if you are a person (like me) who likes to plan and schedule out the days/ months/ even years! These are more lessons and opportunities to master the art of letting go, which is sometimes not one of my strengths.

2. Getting married was truly one of the best decisions I have ever made. It definitely takes work and dedication but the rewards are so incredibly sweet.

3. I start school in a few days and am a ball of excitement and nervousness. A new journey is about to begin!

Lately grammies- July/ August

Lately...

( My handsome husband cleaning up after dinner during our honeymoon. I am such a lucky gal!)

 (M and I discovered the cutest famers market filled with a large variety of goodies that were also reasonably priced! The zuchinni was SO good in a veggie soup M made and the nectarines were so sweet and the perfect texture. It is probably a little ridiculous how happy farmers market fruit and veggies can make me:) )

 ( The day after our wedding with our little baby girl ;) )

(Delicious vegan lunch on Taco Tuesday from the UMD Co-op, AKA my new fav place!)

(Friday night Ruhi! Nothing better than great conversation, with beautiful souls and tea!)

(Woke up and found her like this one morning. She truly knows the way to my heart!)

Lately grammies- July.

I cannot believe it is August already! This summer has truly been one of the best and so much fun! Yesterday was M and I's 1 month anniversary which was spent working all day and then attending the nineteen day Baha'i feast. Lately I have been missing the Holy land so much that it feels like my heart is actually physically hurting. During prayers at feast last night I closed my eyes and took myself right back to some of the most special and incredibly beautiful favorite spots in Akko, Haifa and Bahji' and it felt so incredibly sweet. What an amazing blessing! I have also been deeply missing my amazing soul sisters and brothers that I met there and am feeling so much gratitude for all the amazing gifts that were given to me during that amazing year. Cherish every single moment of life you are given! 

On another note, 2 small personal goals that I am setting for myself for the month of August includes waking up earlier > so that I can be more productive and efficient with my time & taking more photos with my real camera > because taking photos is something I truly enjoy and I love having those little memories to look back on!

(Out with my lovesie!)

 (LOVE going to a cookout with lots of fresh, healthy and delicious vegetarian options!)

 (The most delicious new discovery. Honey made from apple concentrate and beet sugar. Serious Noms and perfect for tea, waffles, desserts...)

(Zipline during our Honeymoon. SO MUCH FUN!)

Focus & a food journal.

(Paper cranes from wedding day. I apologize for all the many more pics I will probably post in the future!)

It can be so easy to get caught up in the crazy swing of life without taking a moment to stop, appreciate, and breathe a little. I often myself needing to be continuously multi-tasking, always have some background noise in the background, and fill my days with non stop to-do's. I need to remind myself to really spend some time enjoying the gift of silence, the company of my own thoughts, and the little things in life that are so sweet but can easily be overlooked. Often we can be much more productive when we take the time to re-center, and re-focus, through reflection and gratitude.

On another note I have decided to keep a food diary in the notes section of my iPhone, inspired by this post here on one of my favorite blogs. I truly believe that how we nourish and what we put into our bodies matters and can have a big impact on our moods and energy levels. And, the first step towards taking care of our bodies is being aware of what we are eating and why. I find it to be so empowering to take control over your own health through making conscious decisions about what you put into your body. 

Married away...

It has been a while blog world! So much has happened yet the past few weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. I got married! And, it was perfect and more wonderful than I could have imagined. Late that night after it was all over I found myself just jumping up and down in excitement (Michel joined in too) and joy over how much fun the day was! I feel so blessed and lucky to have such amazing friends and family who helped make the day possible, and so incredibly beautiful. It is something that I know will stay with me for the rest of my life and I am so thankful for all that they did.

The week after we spent our honeymoon at a resort in west VA ziplining, hiking, swimming, and my all time favourite, riding horses along a mountain trail. I was given a big horse named Butter and Michel was given a teenier horse named Pablo!

All in all, I am so full of happiness and joy to have married a man that I love so much and (I cant say this enough) is truly an inspiration to me through his day to day actions. I love you so much Michel! 

4 days...

I cant wait to marry you...

My bridal shower!

Photo's from yesterday - the most perfect, lovely and adorable day ever! :) Thank you so much to all the special people in my life that helped make it so wonderful. I am a lucky lucky girl!