Today is my husband’s, Jad Al-Bjaly’s, 34th birthday. He will probably tell you he is only 33 or 32. That is a joke that never gets old in our house, at least to him, haha.
Since it is his birthday, and since I have never done so before, I want to write a post that will honor him. I want the reader to get to know Jad from the inside out. I want my husband to know how wonderful I think he is, but most of all, I want him to know that he is wonderful. Sometimes I don’t think he realizes it, even when people tell him so.
Jad is from Amman, Jordan, so his first language is Arabic. When he came to the United States for the first time, he could barely speak any English. But, he immersed himself in it and learned little by little. He has continued to perfect his grammar since I met him in 2009. I hope everyone will think in their minds how difficult it is to learn another language. My husband has a strong accent and his spelling isn’t the best, but I admire him so much because he is bi-lingual. He knows two extremely difficult languages. It always makes me smile when he meets someone else on the phone or in person who speaks Arabic. They both seem to light up and become instant friends as they engage in the language of their birth.
My husband has one older brother, Tawfeeq. His father left his family when he was only seven, so he was mostly raised by his mother, Salma, with the help of his grandmother and aunts and uncles. His family was very poor. I am humbled every time he tells me about how often they bathed (or didn’t), how they had to conserve water, how they didn’t have air conditioning, how a huge amount of people lived in one small house with one bathroom and mattresses strewn all over the floor to sleep on. Sometimes Jad would even sleep under the stars on the balcony. I think having grown up with such hardship helped refine Jad into a self-reliant, giving, thankful, person who is determined to be a good father, husband, brother and son.
Jad loves the heat and the outdoors. Rock climbing, zip lining, running, playing soccer, camping (to name a few) are all loves of his. Unfortunately for him, I don’t like doing any of that, but he never complains. He has sons he will, and has experienced, these things with.
Most people that know Jad even a little, know he is a wonderful cook. Interestingly, though, he didn’t used to be. The first time he tried to make spaghetti, he didn’t realize he had to boil the noodles. He just had the dry noodles in a pot and kept adding sauce, hoping the noodles would cook. We always laugh at that story. To think that he learned how to cook mostly over the phone from his dear mother, Salma, is just amazing! Our family and friends simply love eating Jad’s cooking. He can whip anything up. He chops vegetables faster than anyone I know, and he knows just how to season anything from meat to pasta. He is so comfortable in the kitchen, and uses his talents to bless others’ lives. And he even cleans up his messes, which can be many. He can’t bake but that is okay. We make that my job, and joke at his expense about his baking capabilities (don’t worry, he laughs too).
He is not musically talented per se (we will call that my talent), but he still proudly sings in church meetings and with our children. He is wonderful at Arabic dancing, and finds so much joy in teaching our sons to do the same. Some of his favorite music is from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He is constantly listening to beautiful music while he cleans or does projects around the house.
Jad is a very hard worker. When he gets started on a project, he just keeps going for hours on end, never tiring. From landscaping, to gardening, to painting, to organizing, to building, he puts his all into it. This work ethic continues into his job and education. He is someone who wants to continue to progress throughout his life. He is currently studying for his CCNA certification. It is extremely difficult. He studies two nights a week on average (after having worked a full day at his job), and has a plan to achieve this certification by the Fall. He wants to support our family so that we have everything we need. He never stops learning. At work, his colleagues and superiors can count on him to find an answer when there isn’t one, or to volunteer for something that nobody else has ever attempted to do, like organize the server room (have you ever seen a server room? It can be scary).
He is also a very spiritual man. I am amazed at his knowledge of the gospel of Christ even after just eight years of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (I was impressed when I first met him before his 1-year mark). Today is his baptism anniversary. He is a wonderful spiritual leader in our home. Together, we make sure we study scriptures as a family, as a couple and individually daily. We pray together, do our family home evenings each week, share spiritual messages on social media often, do service as often as we can, go to the temple every month we can, and strive to set a righteous example for our children in word and in deed.
My kids have the best dad in the world. Casey is not Jad’s biological son, but he has raised him from the age of four. He loves Casey as his own, and teaches him how to be a good person.
No matter how tired Jad is after work, he will play with our kids until they get tired (which is usually never). His smile and laughter are just as precious as those of our children. He is such a fun dad in every way, and he takes his responsibility as a father incredibly seriously. He plays with them, teaches them, disciplines them, and most importantly, loves them. He gives as many kisses, provides as many snuggles, and says “I love you” as much as I do. The boys have no doubt that their daddy cherishes them. And soon, he will be able to raise his very own little girl. He is more excited about it than even I know.
Jad is also a wonderful husband. Sometimes I don’t see the big picture, and that is usually when we have quarreled in some way. Jad and I are both stubborn and sensitive. That doesn’t always work when there are feelings hurt or buttons pushed. But, I can’t imagine spending my eternity with anyone else. All the reasons above should be enough reasons, but he is so good to me. When he comes home and not everything is done, I usually am apologetic or annoyed at myself. But he always tells me that it’s okay, and gives me a kiss. He knows that I work hard every day, and he immediately offers to help me finish all that needs to be done. If I need a nap or need to get out of the house, he says, “Go ahead, honey.” He never accuses me of laziness or of making excuses. He knows that I am not that way, and he is completely understanding. He trusts me completely with our finances and with planning our weeks and months. He trusts my judgment on things. If he has concerns, he will express them, but ultimately trusts me because he knows that I make my decisions thoughtfully and prayerfully. He supports me in my endeavors, from starting (or quitting) a business to participating in a musical. We make big decisions together as a couple, and he never tries to be in charge of me or tell me what to do. He sees me as an equal partner, and we work together with God to do what is best for our family. He also does nice things for me and makes me feel special. He has made so many beautiful things for me with his hands, things I will cherish forever. He genuinely loves me, appreciates me, and thinks I am beautiful. We have also endured some scary trials and witnessed beautiful miracles together that have increased our faith.
I didn’t have to think very hard to write all this, and as I wrote from my heart, tears have streamed down my face the whole time. I am not creative like my husband, but I can write the words of my heart. He would never talk about himself the way I have just spoken about him. He is too humble and doesn’t see himself as more than ordinary. But, to me, he is extraordinary and the perfect father and husband to our family.
I love you, Jad, and I hope this birthday is your most precious yet.
As many of you know, I have three sons, ages 11, 5 and 3. Ever since getting pregnant with my fourth child, my friends and family have cheerily and optimistically expressed that they hope I have a girl this time. Usually in conversations like this, I admit that I would love to have a daughter, but that I will be happy either way.
I have tried so hard this pregnancy to leave my heart and mind open to having a fourth boy. We talk about girl and boy names, and pray for our baby to healthy and strong no matter what the gender. I also thought of a cute way to reveal the baby’s gender to Casey, who is still in Utah and will not be home to enjoy the moment with us. I took just as much care choosing the boy package as the girl package, and truly want both choices to be exciting to Casey, and to all of us.
Late last week I decided that for this week’s Family Home Evening, I wanted to discuss with my family why it is good to have a baby brother, and why it is good to have a baby sister. We did this family night on Sunday evening (July 10) just before bed.
Kamren didn’t have anything to say, but Rigel, Jad and I had a lovely conversation. Later on the phone, I also asked Casey’s opinion. Here is what we came up with.
Why it is good to have a baby brother:
Rigel – I will play with him and be sweet to him. I will want to play with him outside on the trampoline, swing on swings with him, push him on the swing, and eat with him.
Daddy – The baby will help me be a better dad, helping me be more responsible, and diligent in giving the kids responsibilities. I will want to be a better priesthood holder and example if we have another boy. I believe that if God wants us to have a boy, there is a reason. I will be motivated to lose weight to keep up with all those moving boys. The boys will have fun playing with their brother, and Kamren will have an opportunity to be a big brother to a boy.
Mommy – We will not need to go shopping for boy stuff because we have what we need. The boys will have another automatic best friend. The kids will have a lot in common and will play together well. We will have another future worthy priesthood holder in our home. I will have another boy to cuddle with me, and to motivate me to do sports. God gives us who we need, so a boy will be wonderful.
Casey – I will have someone to play with and be a friend to, who I can help learn and grow.
Why it is good to have a baby sister:
Rigel – I will play with her in my room, play outside with her, push her on the swing, and jump on trampoline with her. I will rock in the rocking chair with her, be gentle with her, and have fun with her outside with Mommy.
Daddy – I will be protective of her as her Dad. Having a girl will help me to watch what I say more. It will be a great feeling to have a girl, and will be a new experience for me. I will get to do her hair and do girl things with her, like make up games, playing with barbies, and teaching her how to sew and cook (two things I am good at).
Mommy – She is a girl so it would be nice to have another girl in the house. It would be so fun to dress a girl, and have girl stuff in the house, like dolls, ponies, princess movies and books, tea sets, etc. We will be able to do the Young Women’s program and Girls’ Camp together, and talk about girl stuff with each other. I can tell her what I know from my experiences too. Hopefully the boys will calm down a little with a sister, and be protective of her and gentle with her.
Casey – There will be someone for Mom to play with. It will be nice to learn how to have a sister, and to be gentle with her. She will be someone to play with and be a friend to.
Having this conversation really brought me peace. It was interesting to me that Casey and Rigel generally had the same reasons why having a baby brother or sister would be good. I had no doubt my boys would be happy either way. Jad and I had more complex, and differing reasons as to why having a son or daughter would be good, but we had plenty of good reasons for both.
When I found out Casey was a boy, I was overjoyed because just the idea of having a baby was amazing. With Rigel, I was surprised he was a boy because I was convinced he was a girl, but I wasn’t sad. But when I saw that little boyhood in my third ultrasound, with Kamren, I admit I was upset and had to get the pizza buffet at Pizza Hut to recuperate. That afternoon, when I told Casey that my third was a boy, he was really upset. That forced me to think of the blessing having another brother would be, and Kamren has truly been such a cherished blessing in our home.
All three of my boys are precious to me, and I can’t imagine my life without them. I truly believe that God gives us the children we are meant to raise.
I woke up this morning (July 12) excited, but nervous. On the way to UNC Hospital, I told Jad I was more nervous than I was before going on stage for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang because this knowledge will help change the direction of our lives.
We got to our appointment a little early, and everything went very smoothly. It was only minutes until I was sitting in the chair, having warm goo put on my tummy.
Rigel, Kamren, Jad and I looked at the screen, and got to hear the baby’s strong heartbeat. After some measuring and looking around at vital organs, I knew the gender reveal was coming up.
I never took my eyes from the screen, and then as I saw the camera go between the legs, I heard the ultrasound tech say the word “boy.”
Confusion came over me as I looked again. I said, “I don’t see a penis,” right as she started typing “Girl” on the screen.
“It’s a girl!” I exclaimed, my voice breaking as tears started streaming down my face. She had been asking if my oldest was a boy, not telling me I was having a boy.
Jad got emotional too, staring at our baby girl in wonder. I could see his excitement as he thought of the possibilities of being the Daddy of a little girl.
We were both so happy, it was overwhelming. The rest of the ultrasound was dedicated to the health of our baby, with some cute pictures here and there. I loved how the tech talked about “her” feet and “her” stomach, helping us really live in the moment.
Rigel really enjoyed the ultrasound, and could recognize a lot of the body parts. I really think he will go into medicine someday. Kamren’s behavior consisted of moving around in boredom, and occasionally making sure I was okay (he is very protective of me.)
We had to wait for a few minutes for the tech to show the photos and information to the OBGYN on duty. While we waited, and noticed the boys acting crazy as usual, Jad talked to them about having a sister and about how they need to be gentle with her.
When the doctor came in to see us, she optimistically informed us that our baby is growing well and is healthy.
Knowing our baby is healthy is even more wonderful than knowing she is a girl. We beamed all the way out to the car.
Jad suggested that we say a prayer before leaving the hospital. I said it, and I thanked Heavenly Father with pure gratitude for the ability to have the technology to know the gender of our baby. I couldn’t control my emotions as I thanked Him whole-heartedly for the opportunity to raise a little girl. It was a sweet, Spirit-filled moment in our minivan.
We spent some more time together as a family before Jad went back to work. It was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A, so we took the opportunity to get free breakfast.
All the while, I anxiously awaited to hear Casey’s reaction to opening package A. I finally heard from him just before 10AM. He was quite tired, having just woken up in California, but expressed his excitement over having a little sister.
I had sent him two DVDs. In the Girl package (labeled A), was a triple feature of The Swan Princess 1, 2, and 3. I thought it would be cool to send a princess movie for a girl, and a prince movie for a boy. I sent The Swan Princess specifically because one time I suggested the boys watch it and Casey said, “Do we have to watch princess movies?” My reply was that someday he may have a sister, and then he will definitely be watching plenty of them.
On the back of the DVD was a little note card for Casey to write his feelings. He wrote: I am so happy to have a sister to play and be a friend to.
After talking to Casey, I was able to message the rest of my and Jad’s family with the good news. I have loved reading their responses.
My mom said: I knew it! I am sooooo excited! Congrats my daughter!
And she did call it. She told me before that she knew it was a girl because she had had a dream about her. I must admit that last night and this morning, I had a feeling in my heart that I would be having a daughter too. I love the way the Lord speaks to us.
My cousin, Lisa’s, reaction very closely reflected my own: …Even if it was a boy I would have been ecstatic!…She’s got 3 big brothers who’ll watch over her and protect her…I am so happy and excited to get a girl cousin! I am close to tears…
I love every person in my family, and I know that having the first granddaughter on both sides, and our first daughter, will be a great blessing to all of us. My heart is full today!
Casey, you are 11 years old now, and as I have observed your actions lately with admiration, I wish to honor you with a tribute.
Are you always the perfect son? No, but I am not always the perfect mother, and nobody’s perfect. You and I both know where we need to improve, but that isn’t what a tribute is for. I wish to highlight and acknowledge your deeds and accomplishments so I can show you my gratitude, admiration and love.
One thing that I love about you, Casey, is that if I need you, you are there. You don’t complain when I ask you to help with your brothers, or with cleaning, or with dinner. You do it, and you do it the best way you know how. I can’t express to you how much I need this from you, and appreciate it.
I am not a perfect mother, Casey. You know that, but whether it is picking you up from school late because I forgot it was early release day, or raising my voice when I shouldn’t, or getting overly irritated with you, you love me anyway. You don’t scold me or get angry with me. You are understanding, and express that you know I have a lot on my plate, or that you understand that being a parent it hard. Thank you for loving me.
You are a service-oriented boy too. When I suggest you write a note to someone, or make a craft, you do it willingly, and from the heart. As of late, you have even written me cards as an apology for something you did, or as a way to cheer me up. I cherish those cards, and will always keep them. You are willing to use your own money to buy gifts for family members too, and you carefully choose those gifts. What a thoughtful boy you are.
I love seeing you develop your talents, skills and interests. I can’t tell you how much it pleases me to see how much you love what I love – instruments, singing, baking, acting. The first few months of the year, we worked on our second musical together, and you asked me to help you learn the ensemble songs so you could sing in the background. You were responsible and made sure you were on stage at the right time, and you did your best with your parts.
You took part in a theater club this year too, and as one of your teachers, I was always impressed with your willingness to try anything. You gave your all to everything, from games, to improvisations, to singing. At our performance showcase, you sang “Out There” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame beautifully. It isn’t an easy song, but you made sure to analyze your character and try to show what he was feeling. Tears came to my eyes when you sang.
This year as you learned a new instrument, the trombone, you always wanted to play songs for me, and you impressed me with your skills at your band concert.
You also did your best to memorize and perform “The Star Spangled Banner” for a group number at a recent Durham Bulls game. It made me smile to hear you practicing around the house, and I loved helping you practice too. Just a few days ago, you wanted to help me bake your birthday cake – you always want to help me bake. And going back to your service-oriented heart, you melted mine when you told me you set out the ingredients for me to make the icing. When I came downstairs later, I saw the ingredients lovingly laid out, and I smiled with adoration.
Your spirituality strengthens my testimony. I always tear up when you bear your testimony in church. When your teachers tell me how much you know about the scriptures, I am so proud of you, and I know it is true. Each night when we read together as family, you have comments and questions. You pay attention and want to learn. I can’t tell you how proud I have been of you lately as you have also begun to do personal scripture study before bed. I love it when you come to me and report what you have read. You will be a wonderful missionary someday – no, you already are.
School has always been a place you have excelled. I haven’t had to get on you about doing your homework or projects. You have your weaknesses in school, but overall, you are a good friend, someone your teachers love to have in class, and a really hard worker. Your final report card and EOG scores impressed me so much. You are a smart boy, but it isn’t just smarts that bring good grades. Dedication, motivation, high standards for yourself, team work, honesty, and humility are key elements too.
On the last day of school, you presented a project on homelessness in North Carolina at the Orange County Library. You clearly did your research, and your concern for the homeless was evident. You really want to help them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkgZ10uq_gU
After school when you told me you want to help in soup kitchens, and really hold true to your word to help, you brought tears to my eyes. And when you said you wanted to use the money you would have received for your good grades to help the homeless, I was once again in awe of the goodness of your heart.
How wonderful is it that you love projects too, especially when you get to spend time with your dad or me. I love how you want to help in the garden, paint, or assist with other projects. Just this past Saturday, you jumped at the chance to help me build a bathroom cabinet. It was such a fun experience to spend time together, make mistakes together, and then fix them together. You have an eye for building, and your observations were right on. The finished product was awesome, and it is because you were building it with me.
And finally, Casey, you are one affectionate young man. Your hugs, kisses and soft words can really calm a person. You know what gentleness brings peace, something that many people do not realize.
Casey, I am so blessed to be your mother. Heavenly Father knew I needed you when I needed you, and you will always be one of the most special people in my life. I love you, my dear son.
Remember how we won a trip to Disney World? Well, February 29-March 6, 2016 was the week we got to visit the Happiest Place on Earth. Here is how it all went down:
Monday – Traveling to Orlando!
Riding the shuttle to the airport.
The magic started early – right after we checked our bags, in fact. As we turned around to ride the escalator to security, we saw my Dad taking a walk. He had no idea when we would be at the airport, and normally did not walk that part of the airport while at work. It was a very special and tender surprise to be able to see him before we left.
We all passed through security without a second glance, except our dear diaper bag. It had to be investigated. Upon a thorough inspection, it was clear to go to our gate.
While we waited to board, we wondered who else in the crowd was also going on an all-expense paid trip through My Computer Career.
When we finally boarded the plane, we decided that Casey would sit next to Rigel, and Jad, Kamren and I , would sit in the row behind. It seemed like a good idea, until Jad and I got sad that we couldn’t see Rigel’s reaction when he flew for the first time. I squeezed his hand through the seat and asked how he was. “I’m fine, Mom,” he reassured me. No fear whatsoever.
Rigel drew a picture of the plane.
Orlando, FL Airport
The flight wasn’t long, and for the most part, everyone was good. The Florida airport was huge. Our next stop was to take the Magical Disney bus to our resort – Disney Boardwalk Inn.
Even the ride there was fun for the kids. Kamren was running all around the bus, and Rigel and Casey liked looking out the window. I got into a conversation with the other family who won the video contest from Raleigh. They gave us some nice tips.
We finally got to our resort, and it was gorgeous. I was so excited to go in. My mouth opened wide when I saw the fabulous couch and carousel model when we first walked in. How gorgeous.
It took us a while to find our room, but when we did, the kids found solace in the soft beds. They were tired. Our bags weren’t delivered yet, so we decided to go get our first snacks on our meal plan and explore before the scheduled dinner that night.
The snacks were fab. Look at that rice krispie treat. We sat happily outside, overlooking the lake. Then we decided to walk the boardwalk. Casey thought it was boring, until we spotted a pair of mallard ducks. It was so fun to be so close to them. Another male mallard flew in, and started to fight with the other – over the girl, perhaps? It was fun to speculate.
After a little more exploring, we relaxed for a while, and then got freshened up to eat dinner. We met in a large ballroom where there were gorgeous tables set up. I was amazed at how many families were on this MyCC trip throughout the country. Tony Galati, the CEO of MyCC, and his daughter, Melanie, were delightful. It amazes me how down to earth all of the executives of MyCC were.
We had a very nice meal that night. Unfortunately, the kids barely ate a roll each, and found it very difficult to sit still. But, it was worth it. We got a packet of info for our trip, and also a surprise $200 gift card to spend at Disney. You should have seen our faces light up.
After the dinner was over, we had to take the kids to get food. We found a pizza place on the Boardwalk. It was really yummy, actually. Jad even fed a duck:
After watching a fun street performer, who made kazoo noises instead of spoke, we retired to our room to unpack and get ready for bed. We were really excited for Epcot the next day.
Tuesday
One thing that was really cool about our resort is that it was within walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Even cooler is that we could also ride a ferry yacht to the parks. So, that morning, around 9, we took our first ride on the water. The kids loved it.
We arrived at Epcot and had no idea how to get around. Luckily, we recognized some people from MyCC, and followed them to our character breakfast at the Garden Grill. We had to wait a little bit to get in, but it was worth it! The food was amazing. They brought us drinks first (I got a pomegranate lemonade –nom), and then this moist, delicious pan of cinnamon rolls. Next, we got a platter of American breakfast food, like bacon, eggs, ham, and the best breakfast potatoes I have ever had. We left that restaurant full, and with pictures of us with Mickey, Pluto, and Chip.
Our first ride at Epcot, and at Disney World, was Living with the Land. It wasn’t particularly exciting, but it was interesting. The crops grown were absolutely gorgeous, and I wanted to eat some fruits and vegetables right then.
We did a few rides that morning, such as Mission: Space, which was Rigel’s favorite ride of the trip. I rode the more intense version with Casey (I couldn’t breathe), and Rigel with the less intense with Jad. If you have to do the swap thing with kids, this ride is perfect for that, because as you exit the ride, there is an Advanced Training Lab, that Casey did, and a little indoor playground, which kept Kamren occupied. Win win!
By noon, we had to walk really fast back to our hotel to do a “Tell Us Your Story” video interview. I was a little apprehensive about being videotaped after sweating, I mean glistening, all morning. I also figured the kids would be crazy, and they were. There was yelling, and slamming, and licking of mirrors. But, the interviewer and videographer were really down to earth and kind. It was a fun experience to hear Jad get excited about answering questions about his school experience and life, and also to answer questions myself.
After that was over, we quickly walked back to Epcot to catch our lunch reservation at Teppan Edo. It is a Japanese restaurant where the food is cooked in an entertaining way right in front of you. I had heard it was a great restaurant for kids. Yeah, it wasn’t. The kids didn’t like the food. Jad and I did like the food a lot, but I would not recommend it for picky children. The silver lining was that the vanilla ice cream was to die for.
We shopped at a Japanese store after eating, where Rigel got his first souvenir – a Sonic the Hedgehog toy. He was insistent. I thought of my Nana when there, so I called her and asked her what she might like. She wanted a hanky.
We tried to browse the rest of the countries after that, amidst the kids’ complaining. We got some cute pictures, and even went to a German Werthers shop to get some rich caramel treats. Kamren had requested popcorn, and got it.
There weren’t many rides in the World Showcase, but we did find one: Gran Fiesta Tour. It was a pretty cool boat ride and fun. The best part was riding on the water next to a huge volcano. I had tried earlier to get a reservation at the restaurant with the volcano, but couldn’t. I was thrilled there was a ride that brought me to the same location.
Since the kids weren’t too impressed with the countries, we went back to Future World.
Look at these adorable pictures at the large fountain that sprayed water. I think that may have been the cutest part of the day for me.
My very favorite ride at Epcot, and one of my favorite rides of the whole trip, was Spaceship Earth. That ride takes you up inside the Epcot geosphere. You are taken through time to explore the history of communication. The ride made me cry. I could feel God’s hand in all aspects of history that we passed through, and I felt so grateful to be a part of this wonderful world.
Other rides/attractions we did were:
Journey into Imagination with Figment – It wasn’t that great – air did blow in our faces once…
Innoventions – There were a few cool things to do in there, like the Sum of all Thrills ride. Casey and I waited in line to do that. Casey took charge, and chose the intensity and movements we would experience when sitting in a machine closed over our bodies. It actually wasn’t that fun, so really, if you skip the Innoventions building, you won’t be missing anything.
Ellen’s Energy Adventure – This was funny because Ellen DeGeneres was in it, but it definitely more of an educational experience – better for older kids.
Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival – This is a must see. The videos were either hilarious or touching, and the 3D effects were phenomenal.
After the film festival attraction, we rushed back to the World Showcase to get some food and watch Illuminations, the nighttime firework, water and light show at Epcot. We got a fabulous meal at La Cantina de San Angel in Mexico. The food was authentic, and Jad was super impressed. Kamren slept through it.
The light show began while we were still getting our food. We couldn’t see the whole thing, but from what we could see, it was lovely. The music was entrancing, and the colors were spell-binding. It was really well done.
After the show, we walked back, caught a glimpse of Baymax on the way, and got excited for our next day!!!
Wednesday – Magic Kingdom
We got up super early Wednesday morning to catch the bus to Magic Kingdom. We arrived before the 8:30AM opening ceremonies. While we waited, we were able to talk to people from MyComputerCareer. It was nice getting to know others in our group.
Finally, the opening ceremonies began. When the train came in that held so many beloved Disney characters, I got teary-eyed. Disney has a way of doing that to you.
Once it was over, we waited a while to get a group pic with the rest of our group, and then we entered the Magic Kingdom! My first thought when entering was, “Wow!”
Cinderella’s castle was breathtakingly gorgeous, and the whole place was charming and beautiful. We were greeted by people all along the sidewalks. I knew I was going to love this place.
Our first stop was the Crystal Palace, where I made a last minute breakfast reservation. I am so glad we went. The buffet was incredible. Everything you could ever want for breakfast was there, from healthy to super sweet. Not only that, the kids got to meet characters from Winnie the Pooh. What an enjoyable meal!!!
One thing I loved about Magic Kingdom was how there were several lands, and all we easy to get to. We started out at Frontierland. The first thing we did was ride a raft to go to Tom Sawyer Island. That was actually really cute, and the kids loved running around and exploring.
Next was Splash Mountain. I will be honest – some of it was fun (the parts where we got wet), but a lot of the ride we were floating slowly in our boat, looking at scenes with Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear. I rode it first with Casey and Rigel, and then Jad rode it with them. Unfortunately, Kamren ended up being too short. It was so cute – he got in originally, but as we approached the ride, the attendant asked that he be measured again. Kamren stepped on his tippy toes to read the wood. It was adorable.
He was so good while we waited for Jad and the other kids. He liked to experiment with the magic band by scanning pictures.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was fun (I rode with Rigel, and Jad rode with Casey after). Rigel was a little scared, but it was a pretty mild roller coaster, actually.
We shopped at one of the gift shops (it was huge and had tons of stuff), and then hopped on the train. Kamren was super excited to ride the “Choo Choo,” so we rode it for him. We met an LDS family from Texas on that train ride. They were delightful people.
After we rode around the park on the train, we headed to Liberty Square. The riverboat was beautiful, but we didn’t ride it. Instead, we got in line for The Haunted Mansion. The line was fairly long, but that was okay because the closer you got to the mansion, the more stuff there was to touch and look at. The kids loved it – I would actually say the line went too fast for us to enjoy it fully. Unfortunately, when we got inside the mansion, we ended up standing really close to everyone in a hot room, waiting forever to get on the ride because it wasn’t working. When we got to a point where we all thought we would die, the ride finally started up again.
I must say, the Haunted Mansion was super cool. Rigel was my partner, and he was freaked out the whole time, but it was a silly kind of scary. It was very well done!
We headed over to Fantasyland after that to grab some lunch at Pinocchio’s Haus. The food was good, and it was a cute little set up.
After lunch, we had a little mishap. Kamren punched Rigel and he got a bloody nose. That was fun to clean up. He was fine, but wow, it was bloody.
There was tons to do in Fantasyland, and we wish we could have done it all. We didn’t stand in line to see any of the characters, but we did see glimpses of some.
And other than catching a small part of a parade, here is what we did do, not necessarily in order:
Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid – This was my favorite thing in Fantasyland. Seeing Eric’s castle up close, and then riding in a clam shell, reliving Ariel’s experiences, was breathtaking. For some reason, this one wasn’t just a slow boat ride for me. It brought back happy memories from my childhood.
Prince Charming Regal Carousel – This was just like any carousel, but it is always fun. Kamren didn’t want to get off.
Mickey’s Philhar Magic – This was so much fun! It was a 3D video and was hilarious. Some of my favorite attractions in all the parks were the 3D videos because cool things happen like water raining on you, or air blowing in your face. They are really interactive and fun.
We took a detour to Tomorrowland, and did the Tomorrowland Speedway, which was so much fun. I rode with Kamren and let him drive (don’t worry – you can’t veer off course), and it was a little crazy moving back and forth all the time. He had a blast, though. Jad let Rigel drive, and he kept bumping us. Casey rode on his own, and was thrilled.
Mad Tea Party – This was the traditional tea cup ride. My kids loved it, and Kamren didn’t want to get off.
It’s a Small World – This was one of my favorite rides because, even though it was yet another slow boat ride, it highlighted different people and cultures from around the world. I loved looking for Arabic people because it made me feel closer to Jad. It just helped me appreciate and have a greater love for the beauty and wonder each country of the world brings.
Peter Pan’s Flight – This was like all the rest of the boat rides, except you were suspended in the air on a slow ride. It was pretty cool. It takes you through the story of Peter Pan through life-like mannequins. I was so impressed by all the moving mannequins at Disney World. They were so lifelike.
After Fantasyland, we went back to Tomorrowland, and this is what we did:
Astro Orbiter – So, we were really excited about this one because you ride up an elevator, and get in these spaceships that fly in a circle high above the park. Casey got his own, Jad rode with Kamren, and I rode with Rigel, Let me tell you, I was scared to death. There is one big seat belt that holds both of you in (the littlest person rides in front of the bigger person). There is nothing to hold on to if you are the one in the back. Rigel was “steering,” and nearly the whole ride, we were slanted down right. I felt like I was going to fall out! I was so glad to be back on the ground when it was done. The kids loved it, though!
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – This ride was really fun. You have guns and you are supposed to shoot the aliens in different rooms. You can spin your seats around whenever you want, and the colors and sounds are exciting.
Monster, Inc. Laugh Floor – This show was a riot. A large part of it is done live. Mike is there, and different monsters are supposed to help make us laugh enough to fill this huge canister. Well, the other monsters were computer animated on screen, but were acted by live people, and random audience members were chosen to do certain things, like dance. It was hilarious. I am kind of glad I wasn’t chosen, but appreciated those who were and had fun with it.
We also got to see Buzz Lightyear from a distance, and saw Mr. and Mrs. Incredible at a dance party right by Space Mountain (we didn’t ride that because of the lines and a bad attitude from our 10-year-old).
For dinner, we got hot dogs for the little ones at a little place by the Astro Orbiter. (After we got back that night, Jad went to a restaurant on the Boardwalk called ESPN Club, and got food for the rest of us. It was fab.)
I think the most magical part of our day at Magic Kingdom was the Celebrate the Magic show. Cinderella’s castle was lit up with Disney characters while lovely music played. I got teary-eyed during the Frozen part. Gosh, I don’t even like that movie much – why does it make me cry? 😉
After the show was over, it was really hard to get out of there, but we finally did, and caught the bus home.
Kamren was wiped out by the time we got back! What a fun day at Magic Kingdom!!!
Thursday – Hollywood Studios
We didn’t have to rush out that morning, so we were a little lazier, and ordered room service. The food was good, but not the best ever. Kamren took some of my food, so I took his. Our biggest memory of that breakfast will always be how much butter they gave us. I think they gave us an entire stick. Not sure what we needed all that for!
After breakfast, we walked over to Hollywood Studios. It was a little bit of a ways out, but we made it. My first reaction to it, was that it wasn’t very pretty. It looked old and outdated in its faded baby blue paint. It was quite disappointing in comparison to Magic Kingdom. Luckily, the rides and attractions were 1000 times better than the looks of the park would suggest.
Our first stop was the For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. Casey and Rigel complained about being there, and I explained to them that some things are for Mommy to enjoy. Well, by the end, those kids were all completely mesmerized. Don’t judge me when I say that was my favorite show of the entire week at Disney World. It wasn’t just a sing-along. It was a hilarious retelling of the story by two Arendelle historians. They were perfect in every way, and Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa were all in it. Elsa came out at the end, and we all sang a fabulous reprise of Let it Go. As we sang, snow fell onto our heads. I am pretty sure I cried. It must be that song!
It was the perfect start to a wonderful day. Hollywood Studios is a smaller park, so we got to do a lot of it! Here is what else we did:
Star Wars: Path of the Jedi – This was fun because it took you through all the movies, even the newest, to tell the story of the Jedi. I loved it, and the kids definitely did. There is something so nostalgic about Star Wars.
A costume from Brigadoon. So cool!
The Great Movie Ride – This ride made me happy. Even while waiting in line, we had fun because they were playing scenes from old movies. And even though it was another slow ride, it was so amazing to see sets and moving mannequin characters from movies I grew up with, like Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz. There was even a real person dressed as a gangster who took over our ride. It was pretty cool.
Indiana Jones: Epic Stunt Spectacular – This was so cool! They asked for people to volunteer to be extras in the beginning. I didn’t volunteer, and I was sad I didn’t, because they got to interact with the stunt actors as they did three major scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark. This was so fun to watch, and some of the stunts are awesome!
Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show – This was another really cool show. We sat towards the back and could still see fine. Seeing cars do incredible stunts was more fun for Jad and Casey, but I still thought it was cool. They even had a car that was built to look like it was driving backwards, but it was really driving forwards.
Muppet Vision 3D – This was not my favorite 3D show. It was almost too cheesy, but it was cool to have the old sarcastic men up in a balcony laughing at the Muppets. The gift shop outside of it was also cool – worth going to if you love Muppets stuff.
Toy Story Midway Mania – This is the most popular ride at Hollywood Studios. After riding it, though, I say it isn’t worth the line. We had fast passes, and still had a long line. It wasn’t any better than the Buzz Lightyear ride at Magic Kingdom. In fact, the Buzz ride as more fun. Skip this ride – it really isn’t that fun. It is basically a life-size video game.
While we waited for Daddy and Casey to ride the same ride, Rigel and I walked around. He was mesmerized by this poster.
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue – This ride was awesome!! Rigel and Jad rode it together first, and while I waited with the other boys, we viewed a light saber show with kids right next to it. Then, I went to the restaurant next door to grab some food for hungry Kamren. By the time I got the food, and Jad and Rigel got out of the ride, it was time to meet our group for the Fantasmic show and dessert party. Casey and I rode it after the show was over. C3PO is with us as we go on a mission in space that he wasn’t expecting to go on. The ride was really bumpy with really cool graphics. It was almost like were in Space.
And just walking around Hollywood Studio was fun!
Now, let me tell you about the food we had that day before I tell you about Fantasmic.
For lunch, we went to a place called 50s Prime Time Café. It was set up, obviously, like a 50s home. The waiters were all supposed to act moody, and impatient, finding pleasure in yelling at guests.
We had the best waiter. He had this really nasally voice, and when he yelled, we couldn’t help but giggle. Jad ate this up, and deliberately did things to get yelled at for.
The food was really good. If you like home cooking, this restaurant is for you. I don’t like fried chicken much, but they had the best fried chicken ever! All the food was good, and they served huge milkshakes. Mine was raspberry white chocolate, and was a special, so it wasn’t quite as big, but boy was it amazingly tasty.
After we ate, a lady let the kids play with hula hoops outside the restaurant.
For dinner, as I said, we ate at a restaurant right next to Star Tours. Let me rephrase that – we wolfed down as much of our dinner as possible before running to our meeting place for Fantasmic.
A guide took us this weird Employees Only back way to the outdoor auditorium. We felt a little naughty going that way. We sat at a table, and even though we were stuffed from dinner, we got ice cream, punch and cookies.
The show finally started, and it was pretty good. It wasn’t my favorite light/music/fireworks show, but it has a lot of Disney characters in it. The first part was Pocahontas and the song Savages. Towards the end of the show, there were images of Disney villains in the water. The dragon from Sleeping Beauty was also there. It really was a pretty cool show.
After Fantasmic was over, and after we got free t-shirts from the school, Casey and I ran to Star Tours, while Jad took the little boys to the huge gift shop next to it. The kids all got something. Casey really wanted to build a light saber, so he did. Then Kamren also wanted one, so Casey helped him build one – it ended up being a double light saber. Rigel had gotten a large Storm Trooper toy, but after I reminded him of another toy he had seen at another gift shop – Mickey and friends dressed up as Star Wars characters – he decided to return it and wait to get that toy.
Unfortunately, the gift shop with that toy was closed, so we walked around to other shops. We couldn’t find it, and I was getting frustrated I couldn’t find anything for myself. I figured out of all parks, this park would be the place to buy something. Oh well.
At least the boys had fun playing with light sabers in the street.
We took the ferry yacht back to the resort.
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When we were walking back to our room, we saw a street performer on the Boardwalk and had to stop. Casey got to help him. It was hilarious!
Friday – Animal Kingdom
This was our last park, and though we were excited, the kids were pretty tired. The bus ride felt long, and when we first got there, the kids were ready to be carried. We prayed that the kids would be good!
Our first stop was breakfast at the Rainforest Café. If you ever go there, realize that it is located before you enter the park. We didn’t realize that, so we entered the park and promptly exited. It was a pretty cool restaurant. There were moving elephant mannequins. The ceiling had hanging vines. There were fish tanks in the back. Every few minutes, there would be a thunderstorm and monkeys would make noises. The food was not the best I had ever had, but it was good nonetheless. The gift shop was really neat too.
Animal Kingdom doesn’t stay open as long as the other parks, but that ended up being okay because it is also a smaller park. We did almost everything.
When you first walk in, you see a huge tree, called the tree of life. It was breathtaking.
Much of the park consisted of trails and animal sightings, like a zoo. Here is what we did:
Discovery Island Trails – The lemurs were the kids’ favorite.
Pangani Forest Exploration Trail – Of note, we saw meercats and gorillas.
Kilimanjaro Safaris – This was the coolest part of Animal Kingdom by far, and can’t be missed. You ride in a safari truck through a setting that looks exactly like Africa, and you continuously come across beloved African animals. We had a blast.
Festival of the Lion King – I was disappointed in this show. I expected it to be a retelling of the movie, but it wasn’t. It was a performance that the animals were putting on for King Simba. Only Timon was “real.” The rest of the animals were puppets. There were really talented acrobats, which was the only cool part. Skip this one if you don’t have time to do it.
Maharajah Jungle Trek – This was the Asian portion of the park. It was beautiful. There were humongous fruit bats, and even a tiger.
Expedition Everest (Roller coaster) – This was the scariest, most exciting roller coaster we rode in Disney World. If you love a thrill, this is it! Rigel was scared, but enjoyed it.
Finding Nemo – The Musical – This was my favorite part of the day. It was a mini-musical, so wasn’t overly long for children. The kids and I were mesmerized. The acting, music, set, and props were wonderful. I highly recommend this.
TriceraTop Spin – This was a little kid ride. Both Kamren and Rigel loved it.
Primeval Whirl – Only Casey and I rode this one. It was fun, but not scary at all. You got whirled and jerked around, and were sometimes high up. It was worth doing with a short line.
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Dinosaur – This ride was really fun. Jad and Rigel rode it together, and then Casey and I did. Jad didn’t love it, and Rigel was scared of it. I personally thought it was awesome, and so did Casey. The concept was really cool, and you could feel the urgency and the adrenaline pumping.
Before we left Animal Kingdom, we went to a nice gift shop and found that Mickey Star Wars set Rigel had really wanted at Hollywood Studios.
We left the park right when it closed, and we were hot and tired. The wait for the bus seemed long, and we were glad to get back to the resort.
But, we had found out at Animal Kingdom earlier that day that we were about out of meals for our meal plan, so we had to discuss the issue with the front desk. It turns out that Kamren wasn’t put on our meal plan at all, so any meal he got counted against the rest. As a courtesy, we were given plenty of extra meals to tide us over. We appreciated that kind gesture.
After that experience, the kids wanted to swim, and there was a cool pool at the resort. I wasn’t interested in swimming, and needed to go to Hollywood Studios to replace a broken lightsaber, so I took the ferry there while the boys took a dip in the pool.
I thought I would love being alone, but I honestly didn’t enjoy it very much. It felt weird riding on that crowded ferry with no one to talk to. I got to Hollywood Studios, promptly replaced the lightsaber, and then thought I would shop a little more. I really wanted to find myself a nice souvenir from Disney World.
But, I still couldn’t find anything! I had really wanted something that was reminiscent of The Great Movie ride, but an attendant told me there was no such store. So, instead, I bought the kids a Star Wars book that was written as if Darth Vader had raised Luke. It was cute. I also got them a CD of A New Hope.
When I got back to the Boardwalk, I went in the gift shop there to take one last look to find myself something. I still found nothing. So, I started walking to find myself something to eat. It was nearly 8, and I figured the kids had already eaten.
Surprisingly, I saw Jad on the Boardwalk. He was getting a pizza for the kids. They still hadn’t eaten. So, we ate together. Not long after, we crashed into bed, knowing we needed to get up early to pack up.
Saturday – Blizzard Beach and home
The original plan for Saturday was to go back to a park that we didn’t get a chance to get through. But later, we got a surprise – a free admission to one of four attractions. We chose the water park – Blizzard Beach.
We had to get up early Saturday to pack and get ready to fly home.
First, we had our final breakfast – this time at the Boardwalk’s restaurant Trattorio al Forno. Jad loved his breakfast, and ended up eating a lot of mine because I didn’t like it. The food was a little too fancy for me.
After our early breakfast, we finished packing. Luckily, instead of dragging all of our stuff with us all day, we got to check our suit cases, and have our carry ons held by the resort until we came back to take the bus to the airport that afternoon.
We took a shuttle to Blizzard Beach, and arrived not long after it opened. It wasn’t a huge park – we could tell from the beginning, but it ended up being one of the favorites. Why? Because it was a relaxed atmosphere. There weren’t that many people there, and everyone could go at their own pace.
Jad and Casey were really excited about the big, scary water slides. That definitely isn’t my thing, so I took the little ones to the kids’ water section. It was actually pretty cool. There were three slides, and plenty of splashing areas. Kam and Rigel went on the slides over and over, and had a wonderful time.
Later on, Jad relieved me so I could do a couple medium intensity slides with Casey. I really don’t like water slides, so it wasn’t much more fun than watching the little ones.
But then, we found a family tube ride, called Teamboat Springs. We all loved it. We got on a large tube as a family, and descended down a huge large slide, while turning and curving and getting splashed. It was perfect for all of us, and we rode it multiple times.
We really liked being at Blizzard Beach because we could do the slides as many times as we wanted, and there was no pressure to rush around. We finally left a little after 2 PM, so we could get to the shuttle bus in time.
But, first, we had to cash in all of our snacks at the gift shop. With a meal plan, you don’t want to leave any of your points behind. So, we stocked up on candy and other snacks.
We got to the resort in plenty of time to collect our stuff. Jad even went to one of the shops at the Boardwalk to collect nice free water bottles we didn’t know about until that day. And then it was time to get on the bus to go to the airport.
It was sad to say goodbye to our trip, but we were also happy to be going home. As we rode to the airport, we reflected on the blessing of Jad attending MyComputerCareer, winning the video contest, and being able to go on this once-in-a-lifetime trip. We were also so grateful for our hosts. Melanie, the CEO’s daughter, had placed this card by our door the night before.
We got to the airport in plenty of time, so got to shop around, and eat dinner leisurely.
We ate a lot of food at Disney World, but Jad and I both remarked that our food at the airport may have been our favorite. It was Italian food. The boys, however, got good old McDonald’s.
Kamren slept during much of our airport time, until not long before we boarded. He was so tuckered out from a week of nearly no naps.
We got to the airport late that night, and drove home, happy to get back to our routine.
Adjusting back to home life
Other than the endless laundry, we were all content to be home. And really, we realized that the happiest place on earth is really just wherever we are together.
We enjoyed eating and sharing our final snack spoils, and the boys quickly utilized their light sabers in the open space of our living room.
Later we talked about our overall favorites/least favorite things about Disney World:
Jad –
Favorite Park – Hollywood Studios
Favorite rides/attractions – Mission Space, car stunt show, family tube ride at the water park, the safari, 50s Prime Time Cafe, and running at the Boardwalk
Least favorite rides/attractions – Finding Nemo, Dinosaur, Fantasmic
Mandy –
Favorite Park – Hollywood Studios
Favorite rides/attractions – Spaceship Earth, Great Movie Ride, Frozen, Magic Kingdom light show, Star Tours, Everest coaster, Ariel ride, Laugh Floor, Pixar shorts, and Mickey’s Philmar
Least favorite rides/attractions – Lion King, Splash Mountain, Toy Story Mania, Astrospace, and all the whining and crying the kids did all week
Casey –
Favorite park – Hollywood Studios
Favorite rides/attractions – Indiana Jones show*, Magic Kingdom light show, Everest coaster, Splash Mountain, Mission: Space, car stunt show, Star Tours, 50’s Prime Time Cafe, Fantasmic, family tube ride at water park
Least favorite rides/attractions – Waiting in line and countries at Epcot
Rigel –
Favorite park – Blizzard Beach
Favorite rides/attractions – Mission: Space*, Finding Nemo, AstroSpace, water park (really tall slide), Star Tours, Pinocchio Haus mac and cheese, 50s Prime Time Cafe, and Star Wars toys
Least favorite rides/attractions – Everest coaster, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain (only because he was afraid of them, though ironically, he couldn’t stop talking about Haunted Mansion later)
Kamren –
Favorite park – Blizzard Beach
Favorite rides/attractions – kids’ slides at water park, hotel slide, tea cup ride, carousel
Last favorite rides/attractions – countries at Epcot, rushing around
We will never forget our time at Walt Disney World 2016!
This past Saturday, ended a time of my life that was most precious – my time rehearsing for and performing in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with the Durham Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I wouldn’t trade that time for the world. There is something incredibly unique about participating in a musical. The experiences you have can’t be found in their entirety in any other way.
I have loved musicals since I was 13. The first musical I ever heard was The Phantom of the Opera, in my 8th grade Drama class. Throughout my entire adolescence, I drank in as many musicals as I could. I would sing them as loudly as I could in my room, and play them on the piano (while also singing). I felt like I could be anybody when I sang from these musicals, and as I sang, I felt I was them.
In high school, I had the pleasure of playing Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof my Sophomore Year, and then Catherine in Pippin my Senior year.
A couple years ago, I was able to perform in another musical by my Stake called Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales. That was a special experience because I got to perform with my son, Casey, for the first time, and also work with people of many different ages.
Now, after this performance of Chitty, I know that my love of musicals will always run through my veins, and I want to share with you now why I think everyone should be in a musical sometime in their lives:
You get to go through the audition process!
You might be thinking, “Isn’t that the least exciting, and scariest part?” Actually, to me, it is a huge motivator. Once I know what show is being done, I do my research. If I don’t know what the show is about already, I find out. I listen to the music. Then, I determine which role/roles I want to be considered for. Once I do that, I very carefully choose a song and monologue to showcase how I perceive the character.
For Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I knew without a doubt I wanted to play the Baroness. I knew her role would be challenging because she has to have impeccable comedic timing, she has to be noticed at all times, and she has to be a likable character while also portraying clearly that she hates/fears children.
It took me a long time to decide what song I wanted to audition with, but I finally chose “Let’s Go to the Movies” from Annie. With this song, I could move, be a little sassy, and show the richness of my voice. A monologue wasn’t required for the auditions, but I wanted to go above and beyond. I knew easily that I wanted to portray Helga Pataki from my favorite childhood show, Hey Arnold. She is one who has a cruel exterior, but a mushy heart for her true love. She is incredibly animated, and her voice goes quite high pitched, like how I imagined the Baroness speaking.
Auditions were really fun. I loved having Casey with me for that. He chose to sing ”Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins because it was a song he loved and was comfortable doing. That was perfect for him.
I was thrilled to receive a callback for the Baroness. We were given songs to practice and a couple scenes to go over. You better believe I practiced and practiced, and practiced some more. I asked my high school theater teacher, Carol Halbert, for advice, and she said to perform so that the director sees nobody else but me. I took that to heart, and erased all fear and reservations.
For example, instead of just crawling around half-heartedly during a scene where the Baroness freaks out about children coming to Vulgaria, I thought out how a small child throws a tantrum, and did that myself – kicking, screaming, and rolling around.
Everyone laughed their heads off, and I was pleased. By the same token, I also had a blast watching other people’s interpretations of the Baron, Baroness, and the Spies. Everyone was hilarious in their own ways, that it was really hard to guess who would be cast. I honestly would have been happy for anyone. I could see from that day that I was going to make some great friendships in the show.
I truly believe that the audition and call back process is a premium way for you to get your head in the game, be completely committed, and to enter the realm of the musical.
You can forget everything else about your life when you are at rehearsal.
There aren’t that many places you can go where you can completely focus on something else, and let the rest of the world pass you by. Theater is one avenue you can do that, because you literally are in another place, and you are portraying another person other than yourself. Even though rehearsing is very hard work, it is also relaxing in that you can leave the rest of your cares behind for a couple hours.
You get to wear clothes, and do your hair and makeup in a way you never would otherwise.
I am not the type of person who would wear silky pajamas with a red feathery robe, or a soft pink night gown in public. I wouldn’t wear a skin tight dress that sparkles so much, it hurts your eyes either. But, I did in the musical, and rather than cause me embarrassment, it enhanced the character of the Baroness.
And the last night I wore that gold dress, my co-Baroness even told me I looked “hot.” It sure gave me the confidence to get on stage and do the “Bombie Samba” one last time.
I have a cool story about one of my costumes. In Chitty, I played Baroness Bomburst two out of the four nights, but the other nights I played a small part called Miss Phillips. She was a cold, biting, humorless woman, who was unwilling to help Caractacus Potts in any way. I was having the hardest time finding a costume that felt right for her. Well, something told me to look around my closet one more time, and I remembered a khaki dress I had. Yeah, I don’t wear khaki, but the dress was given to me, and I always felt I shouldn’t get rid of it. Well, I felt that this was the reason – I needed it for Miss Phillips. (Ironically, nobody took a picture of me in this costume.)
I must give a special thank you to my sister, Mariah, for providing most of my big, blingy jewelry for the show. I can’t tell you how many times I got compliments on my earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces for the show. It’s nice to have a sister who loves bling!
I felt I definitely learned some new makeup skills from this show. It is funny – when I first started putting on the makeup for dress rehearsals, I was so embarrassed about it because it was so bright, but by the time the show was over, I thought that my normal amount of makeup was too light.
I asked a friend of mine, Sarah Jarvis, to do my hair for the Baroness because she is amazing with hair. I loved spending time with her as she did this act of service for me.
The kids in the show, who played Vulgarian children, took their hair and makeup very seriously as they rubbed brown all over their faces, and teased their hair up so much that I feared they would never be able to brush it again.
Choosing your costumes, and doing your hair and makeup right for a show takes creativity and artistic talent. It is so much fun to do!
You have so much fun together, you form beautiful friendships and even feel like family.
My church is huge, and I definitely don’t know all the church members in my area. Some people started out being acquaintances, and ended up being close friends. Others, who I had never met, became people who I will always feel comfortable with and will smile at in the future. I got to make friends with men, women, teens, and children. I just love youth so much, and bonding with them made me feel young and relevant.
The cast really had so much fun together. One example is that while backstage before the “Bombie Samba,” all the Vulgarians would pretend to be the Baron and Baroness as they spoke and sang. It was extra funny and poignant to me because I knew that two nights of the four, they were doing that to my voice.
My greatest friendship formed from Chitty was a result of giving rides to neighbors who were in the show. Katie Ricks, who is 16, is a young lady that I now call a close friend. She and I went to many rehearsals with just the two of us, and we had such fun, and sometimes, deep conversations, about important things like boys. I am grateful for her friendship!
It was so evident to me just how much the cast had become my family on closing night. Before the show started, the cast sang “Families Can Be Together Forever,” and as tears streamed down my face, I thought of how we really were like a family, and how I would cherish these memories and experiences for the rest of my life. That whole night, I kept tearing up because I knew it was the last time we could sing “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” together, help each other with hair and makeup, or talk with our Vulgarian or British accents.
I was so grateful to members of the cast during the show that night too. My son, Casey, came down with a bad earache, and so many people helped him, either by offering medicine, consoling him, or giving him direction to lie down and let his ear drain. Because these people cared about my son, they helped him and gave him the ability to continue on and finish out the show.
You have to put your trust in others.
The first type of trust I am thinking of is trust in one’s safety. In the show, I had to trust a lot of people when I was the Baroness. I had to trust Christian, who played the Baron, that he wouldn’t drop me when dipping me low to the ground, or that he wouldn’t hurt me right after that as he threw me on the stage. I had to trust that when I fainted into teenage girls and rolled across all of them, that they would hold me up, and not send me crashing down. I had to then trust the Baron to catch me right after that. I had to trust people to help the Baron and I get down the stage steps safely while we were tied together.
The hardest thing for me was to trust a group of men to pick me up, as I fainted to the side, and carry me to the center of the stage. The first time I realized I had to do that, I freaked out a little, but I learned to trust them.
I also had to trust that those I acted with would work hard, learn their lines, and desire for us to do our best. I had to trust that those who gave me advice were helping me look and sound even better. Thankfully, with this fine group of people, that wasn’t hard to do at all.
One of the best pieces of advice I got had to do with the lift in the Samba, actually. Lisa, the stage manager, told me to fall to the side with one leg raised. After the men lifted me, I would then cross my other leg over. That piece of advice immediately changed everything – I was no longer afraid of the lift – in fact, I looked forward to it. I am grateful for all the advice I got from my director, the producer, and the music directors.
You have to be disciplined and focused.
If you have never acted, sung or danced in front of others, you may take for granted how difficult that really is. You can work for hours and weeks on a scene or song, and still not be satisfied with it. It takes repetition, analysis of scenes and characters, accepting and applying of feedback, and consistent effort to get good enough to perform. If you don’t believe it, the audience won’t. To be successful in theater, you must also stay focused on your character. No matter what happens on stage – a mistake in a line, the forgetting of a line, or even an unexpected trip or fall, you must stay in character, or else the audience will stop believing.
The last Friday I played the Baroness, the little Vulgarian children tied us up really tight in the Happy Birthday banner. They had to pull us to downstage right, and that night they pulled us too hard and the Baron and I both tumbled to the ground. We could have gasped, or laughed, or cried out in pain, but we stayed in character. What made it even harder to stay in character, was the adorable kids on stage who worriedly asked us if we were okay and extended loving arms to lift us up. Seeing as how they were playing characters who hated us, and I was playing a character who feared them, it was interesting to make that work. I accepted their help hesitantly, but out of necessity, all the while pretending like it was disgusting to have them touch me. And It wasn’t until after we got off stage that I burst out in uncontrollable laughter, and then realized my knee hurt.
Speaking of the Baron, Christian was the definition of focused and disciplined. Sometimes I almost thought he was too focused on rehearsing. He liked to take every spare moment to run a song or lines. I came to really value that quality, though. Had he not done that, I am not sure our scenes would have been as polished.
I have to tell a story of a tender mercy, too. There were times during the duration of the show that I was insanely busy and felt I was drowning. I was certainly focused and disciplined, but I just didn’t have the time to memorize all my lines by the date Taunja requested it. So, I did the best I could by memorizing only what I thought we would be rehearsing on a given night. Well, one rehearsal (the first off-book rehearsal, in fact), we were supposed to only go over the “Choochie Face” scene. I memorized that and practiced it quite a bit. But, because some other things got done more quickly than expected, Taunja wanted us to go over several other scenes. I nearly panicked. I said a little prayer, and asked Bethany if she could do the scenes before me. Well, with God’s help, I was able to memorize the lines to each scene in the few minutes while Bethany went over each one. I am not that fast of a memorizer – I know God helped me, and I believe He did because He knew my heart. He knew I was dedicated, but that I needed a little extra help. I find that is true in my life in general – when I do the best I can, God makes up the difference.
You learn to be humble and work as a team, rather than competitors.
No matter what, there will be someone who sees something you don’t, or has an idea you didn’t come up with, or does something better than you, or receives more praise than you. I have seen actors in the past, with lead roles, that are kind of snobby towards others because of it. They do themselves a disservice in doing so. I never felt that anyone was that way in Chitty, but rather took the opportunity to seek advice from others, and realize that alone, nobody can perform perfectly.
I was the Baroness only half the time, and spent much of my time rehearsing alongside Bethany, the other Baroness. For the first couple months of rehearsal, we didn’t work together much, though, other than with learning songs. She and I both had a different Baron. Then, one day, we started sharing our Baron, and though it was hard at first, we made it work. We didn’t get jealous of each other, and Christian was so good to both of us.
Rather than be competitive with each other, and try to prove that we were the better actress, we worked together. We helped each other, and gave each other tips. We accepted those tips graciously. It was a lovely partnership.
One example of a victory that came from us working together, was when the three of us started researching tantrum videos for toddlers. We weren’t getting the tantrum scene just right, and wanted inspiration. Well, we found a video of a kid who was hitting irrationally, and we had an Aha moment. We spent quite a while taking turns trying new ways to do our tantrum, and by the end, we felt so much better about it! It ended up being one of the most fun and hilarious scenes of the show (maybe we are biased, but my friend, Kimberly, did say she was laughing so hard, she cried, when she saw that scene).
You rejoice in the success of others.
I think this goes along with humility. In a musical, you can choose to only focus on yourself and how well you are doing, or you can take the time to observe others around you and appreciate their grand performances. It always meant so much to me when someone would smile at me and tell me I did a great job on a song I sang, or a tantrum I did. It really helped motivate me to continue on and do my best. I also tried to do that for the rest of my cast. I truly did admire everyone for their hard work, poise, professionalism, can-do attitudes, helping hands, and cheerful demeanors. We sure had a cast full of hilarity, awesome dance moves, and angelic singing voices.
I remember a few times while watching the show from the sidelines (either during rehearsals or performances) that I felt just how wonderful people were. Some examples were:
Hearing the audience cheer as they saw the tiny blimp carry Grandpa’s tiny laboratory across the sky (Lisa, our stage manager, spent many hours perfecting it, and it was perfect).
Watching the bamboo dancers do acrobatics I could never do, and cheerfully too!
Seeing our new turkey farmer for the first time do his scene, and how he did it perfectly.
Hearing how Anjuli perfected her accent for Violet.
Listening to the angelic music of “Hushabye Mountain” or “Lovely, Lonely Man.”
Laughing hysterically at the inventors, or at the spies as they moved across the stage.
Watching Bethany do the tantrum so perfectly, I laughed like I had never seen it before.
Hearing Taunja excitedly praise the puppies for being so adorable, and the kids for making her cry when singing “Teamwork.”
You understand that each and every person plays an essential part in the success of the show.
It would be a mistake to assume that the lead actors are the most important part of a musical, or that really any one group of people (cast or crew) is more important. All of us make those wheels turn, from the person who opens and closes the curtain, to the people who move the props, to the sound and light technicians, to anyone and everyone. We are all crucial to believability and enjoyability of the musical.
Someone who cannot be missed is President Hansen, who not only played an inventor in the show, but also introduced the show each night, and gave the opening prayer. On opening night, when he gave the prayer, I felt a sudden calm and peace come over me. I knew that everything would be okay. Even if I, or anyone in my beloved cast, didn’t perform everything perfectly, the audience would still love the show. Because of his prayer, and the prayers of others, we were successful each and every night of the show.
I hope nobody in Chitty every felt insignificant. I got to be on two sides of the acting spectrum, being a lead on two nights, and being ensemble, with a small speaking role, the other two nights. I may not have had as much to do on stage on my ensemble nights, but I sang my heart out on side stage, I was there for Bethany to help her change her clothes and make sure she had her props, I owned my little speaking part, and I reacted as much as possible when in the Vulgarian scenes. Were those little parts important? Of course! And every single person in the show who did anything, played an essential role.
You realize that the show isn’t about you.
Our director, Taunja Ingram, helped us always remember that we were doing this show for God and for the benefit of our community. Through our performance, we would be lifting others’ spirits, and helping them feel God’s love. Our performance was for God, and it was for His children. It wasn’t for our own fame or accolades, but it could nourish our souls as we nourished others. I think the show meant so much more to us because of that.
Before one of the shows we did, Taunja read this scripture, which touched us all:
But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that they performance may be for the welfare of thy soul (2 Nephi 32:9).’
It filled my heart with gladness when I saw the smiles on the faces of my family, friends, and people of the community after each show Their joy was evident and I am grateful that this cast and crew was able to bring laughter and love to each of them.
The music becomes a part of you forever.
This goes for the actors, crew, and the audience. My children have not stopped singing the songs since they first saw it. My son, Rigel, will sing “Me Ol’Bamboo” almost all day long.
Driving in the car to and from rehearsals and performances, Casey, Annika, Katie and I would have a blast singing the songs at the top of our lungs in our accents.
I always would light up hearing children in the cast sing “The Bombie Samba” or “Choochie Face.” They would have so much light in their eyes as they imitated these fun songs. (As a side note, the first time I heard “The Bombie Samba,” I thought it was really dumb. Now, I know it will never leave my mind and heart as long as I live).
As a cast, we would sing “Teamwork” before each performance, and then chant “Oh yes! Go Go!” It really did bring us together and pump us up for the show.
You get to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
I played a few characters in the show. Pulling from that, and also from past shows I have done, I have to say that I feel most satisfied with my performances when I am no longer pretending to be a character, but when I have stepped directly in that character’s shoes and become her. When I am on stage, I am not Mandy, and the actors around me are not known by their names. No, we are our characters. It makes all the difference in delivery. If you believe, the audience will believe. This is not easy to do. It takes so much preparation.
This also includes learning their accents, and finding the intonation of voice that makes the most sense for them in different situations. I got to learn the Vulgarian accent, and also use the British accent on my off nights. Zometimes I find myself speaking in Vulgarian in mein head, and it delights me because it means I haven’t completely removed her shoes from my feet.
I always like to have heart to hearts with my characters and ask them their back stories, and why they feel the way they feel. Why are they compelled to do what they are going to do, or have done? Who do they love? Who do they hate? What do they fear? What do they love and loathe about themselves? What habits do they have and why?
You can do this as a lead character or an ensemble member, and it will change you as a person as you build this empathy.
You are the most honest version of yourself.
Some people equate actors with being good liars. I don’t think that is true at all. I think actors are the most honest people there are. They are vulnerable and fearless. They portray emotions that others hide inside. It could be true love, irrational fears, insanity, childishness, sexy confidence, uncertainty, tenderness, utter hatred, and so much more. Actors have to find a way to dig deep inside themselves to find a memory, or a thought that will help them show the audience exactly what their character is thinking, feeling, or doing. This is hard, and it takes complete honesty.
You can do things on stage people would think you were crazy for in real life.
I chuckle as I think about some of the stuff I did as the Baroness. I am pretty sure if my face were that animated, my voice that high pitched, my singing notes that off, my movements that exaggerated, my vanity so apparent, that people would never talk to me or come around me again. That is one thing I absolutely love about theater. You can be completely over the top and nobody will get freaked out. Your movements, diction, and facial expressions are supposed to be more deliberate and expressive. As you learn to do this, it can be intimidating at first, but oh, how it enlivens you.
Now, I won’t do everything on stage. For example, Christian and I played husband and wife, but we knew without talking about it we wouldn’t kiss onstage because we were both happily married. We were still able to give a believable husband/wife relationship without kissing, which was a fun challenge to conquer.
You gain a tremendous amount of confidence.
I realized this early on in my life. I used to be so shy, and really uncomfortable in my own skin. But, once I started taking acting classes, and being challenged to do things I had never done before, I transformed. I no longer have anxiety about singing, speaking, or acting in public. I can do it. I can do humorous, tender, flirty, angry or devastated improvisations any time now because I have taught myself how to, and am not afraid to be vulnerable.
If you work hard, and really own everything you do in theater, you will overcome shyness, and you will realize that you can do anything if you believe in yourself. I love not caring about what everyone thinks about me all the time. Theater helps with that. You just are you, and that is wonderful!
The confidence also comes because if you are given a task in a show, you do it. You may be a little scared, but you take on the challenge, and practice it until you get it right. For the longest time, I was so nervous about dancing “The Bombie Samba” choreography. There was one part I didn’t get right for the longest time. A week or two before dress rehearsal, I finally got it because I kept asking for help. I didn’t give up. I also never thought I could sing and dance at the same time, but by performance time, I could do it, and I did, because I didn’t give up. I practiced and practiced, and had faith that if I was given the task, it was because I could accomplish it.
My heart lit up after my final Baroness performance when Taunja excitedly told me that she thought my Samba was perfect that night. She said I owned it, and that it was mine. The one scene that always scared me I did perfectly? I thanked God for that blessing.
You may wonder how one can be humble and also confident in theater. It is possible, and I can assure you, if that gets hard, God will have a sense of humor and help keep you humble. The same night I felt I did super well, I actually had burning, watery eyes all night. I had a fake lash blunder, so all night my eyes were swollen, and my eyes leaking. It kept me humble, but also gave me an opportunity to stay in character and continue to be confident no matter what. I thank God for that opportunity.
Are 15 reasons enough to convince you to try musical theater someday? I know I could come up with more, but these are at the forefront of my heart and mind.
I will cherish my time with the cast and crew of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the rest of my life. I will never forget my love for the Baroness. She is a part of me now. I know her completely.
The people I worked with I will always admire and be grateful for. I am grateful for their talents, their advice, their encouragement, their smiles and laughter, their dedication, and their hearts. We were a good team. I am also so grateful for my family, who was a huge part of my team – especially my husband. With his support, I was able to consistently go to my rehearsals, that took up much of my time. And I am grateful for all who came to see the show – without an audience, the dream can’t be realized. Much love to you all!
Teamwork, can make a dream work, if we all pitch in and try.
Teamwork can make a dream work, and no mountain is too high!
If the same great dream is beating in each heart,
There’s no stopping what a fighting team can start.
For, all together, a team can weather, any storm they may go through.
Yes, teamwork, can make a dream work, can make the greatest dreams come true.
We never win anything – well, we never did, until January 27, 2016.
See, last November, Jad’s school, MyComputerCareer, sent an email out about a video contest. In three minutes or less, Jad was asked to describe or illustrate his experience with MyComputerCareer – what he loved about the school, how the school has helped him change his life, and how it has impacted those close to him.
We, of course, waited until the last minute to do the contest, but felt it was important to at least give it a shot. What did we have to lose? I wrote a script, and Jad had the insight to ask me to be a part of the video. A few edits, and three takes later, we uploaded our video on December 7 around 11:30PM, just 30 minutes shy of the deadline.
We went about our normal lives, every once in a while wondering if we would win. Then, on January 27, Jad got an email saying that we won! We were so excited.
We had to contact a few people and make a few arrangements, but we knew we would accept the prize. It was too fabulous not to.
Jad wanted to think of some special way to tell the kids about our grand prize. We didn’t really think of anything exciting, but on February 2 we decided to do something they had been asking to do for a while – make a fire in the fire pit and have hot dogs and s’mores. Jad even went and got a bunch of wood that night.
We had a lot of fun just being together outside. We ate more marshmallows then we’d like to admit, and we all had sticky faces.
At that point, we still didn’t have a great idea for the big announcement, but I had a little one that would be just right. We had the kids go put their pajamas on, and told them they could watch a movie. While they were getting ready, I brought some particular stuffed animals downstairs and arranged them on the furniture. Then, I turned on a very specific movie (The Lion King) so we could watch a very specific commercial.
I’ll just let you watch the commercial and our subsequent exciting announcement here:
So, surprise! We won a trip to Disney World. We have never ever been, and feel so entirely spoiled about the whole thing. It is a six day/five night trip. We will be staying at the Boardwalk Inn Resort right by Epcot. They are flying us there, and paying for all of our meals, as well as two snacks a day. We got MagicBands that include Park hopping and Fast Passes, and also are getting a Memory Maker. The school leaders have also planned fun activities with us, that we can’t wait for, like a character breakfast and a dessert party.
At some point early in the trip, they are going to be professionally filming us telling our story. They are also going to take action shots of us having the time of our lives at Disney World.
As I have pondered this trip, I have seen God’s hand in this. We really need this time as a family. Our plates are way too full, and this will be a much needed respite. The leap of faith we took to have Jad start IT school has been nothing but tender mercy after tender mercy. We thank God for helping Jad and our family all along the way.
I planned our daily itinerary today, and the excitement is building. I can’t wait to tell you all how it goes!
Casey, Rigel, and Kamren, you mean more to me than I could ever express to you. You are the boys that Heavenly Father saw fit to send to me. You made me a mother, and I want you to know that I am your biggest fan, and that I see the divine worth and potential in each of you. When you were little, I gave each of you a term of endearment. I hope to show you there is more to these than just a name, and I pray that you will use the attributes of your special names to become good and righteous men:
Bumblebee
My first born, Casey, you are my Bumblebee. This name came from a yellow sleeper you wore when you were an infant. It was my favorite outfit of yours as it brought out your shining eyes and sweet smile. I knew it would characterize you perfectly.
I wish for you to be as your namesake – peaceful and unaggressive. Bumblebees do not harm others, unless they are defending themselves. I pray that you will be one who will defend righteous causes, but at the same time, desire peace and understanding with everyone around you.
I wish for you to focus on what matters most, and labor diligently to bring forth much good fruit.
You may not know, but one third all of all human food requires bee pollination. Without the bee, humans could not survive.
The crops bumblebees provide for humans, and the flowers they provide for other animals, bring them nourishment to live their lives to the fullest. I pray you will, through your good deeds and kind words, nourish the souls of those you meet and love.
Bumblebees have tiny wings, and shouldn’t be able to fly, but they do it anyway, and they do it so well. I admonish you to never allow anyone to tell you that you can’t do something. You can do anything. You are a child of the most High, and if you follow His counsel, and the counsel of your parents, you can fulfill all of your righteous and worthy desires.
I love you, my Bumblebee.
Shining Star
My second born, Rigel, you are my Shining Star. You are so named because yours is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Orion. A peace comes to my heart each time we look at your star in the night sky together.
I told you one night not long ago why you are my shining star. It is because of the light you bring to others through your good humor, your kindness, and your fun, friendly disposition. You are a friend to all.
Remember the most important and most brilliant star ever to shine was the Star of Bethlehem. This star represented the light of Christ. It was a sign of His birth, and led the wise men to Him.
You, through your words and deeds, can also lead others to Christ. I pray that you share the gospel every day of your life.
Never hide your light, my son. Always let it shine and do good works.
I love you, my Shining Star.
Angel
My third born, Kamren, you are my Angel. I call you this because I believe angels helped bring you to this earth.
Looking like an angel at 9 months old.
There are many accounts in the scriptures of angels. God has used them throughout time for many reasons – to show love, concern and mercy, to bring messages of great importance, to warn, or to provide guidance.
You may not be one of these angels, but as Jeffrey R. Holland, Apostle in the LDS church, said, “…not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with … Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind.”
My Kamren, I pray that you will be kind, good and pure your whole life. You are already so sweet, affectionate and giving.
Angels on earth also use their words, my son. Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, spoke of speaking with a new tongue – the tongue of angels, after being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. He said, “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ (2 Nephi 32:2-3).”
Kamren, how interesting it is that you do not speak many words now. However, the Spirit has testified to me, that someday, your voice will be strong and will ring with the Truth of Christ.
Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity…With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail.”
My Kamren, I know that you will bring hope, comfort, and peace to others as you exhibit these angelic qualities throughout your life.
Casey, Rigel, and Kamren – even if I do not always call you by these terms of endearment, these names and these hopes for you are always in my heart. I love you all with my whole soul, always and forever!
I am 100% sure I am missing things, but I did my best! Here is how 2015 went for the Al-Bjaly family!
School:
On April 17, Casey got to go on a big field trip to the beach. His favorite part was being at the beach. 😉
Casey graduated from fourth grade June 12 and got many awards that made me proud. He started fifth grade on August 3 at a fairly new charter school called The Expedition School. He has really loved it. He is taking band, learning the trombone. He also did a science fair on October 1 using paper airplanes. We really enjoyed working on it together.
Rigel started preschool at Mum’s Weekday School on August 31. He loves it. His best friend is Avarie. He also did a really lovely Christmas program on December 17.
Jad graduated from MyComputerCareer on May 28. He got the most certifications of anyone in his class (8/10).
Church:
Rigel transitioned from Nursery to Sunbeams in January. I may have gotten a little teary-eyed, and been way too excited and proud at the same time.
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, came to North Carolina. Jad and I went with our friends, the Newtons, to a completely full couples’ conference with him, his wife, and other leaders of our church on Feb 19. He also spoke at a special Stake conference that Sunday. Jad was so excited to see him and meet him.
March 28, we had our ward Christ-centered Easter activity. With the Primary Presidency, I helped plan and put that on. I loved helping facilitate our charades of Christ’s parables.
After two years of teaching Institute, my favorite calling ever, I was released. My last official day of teaching was April 21.
I spent my first full year as Primary Secretary. I love working with the presidency, and I love working with the kids, especially by teaching sharing time.
After more than four years of serving as Ward Executive Secretary, Jad was released. He was promptly called to be the Elders Quorum Secretary. Jad really enjoys working with the EQ presidency.
I had the privilege of teaching a large chunk of the Cooking Merit Badge to the boy scouts in our ward over the course of two evenings in September and October. It was a really fun experience, and I learned a lot.
On December 4, our church participated in the Mebane Christmas Parade. I had such a sweet experience riding on the float with Casey, Rigel, and many other children, youth and parents.
December 12, I participated in our ward’s second-annual multi-faith Christmas concert. I loved being in the choir with my mom, and many of my ward members. It was so special to make conversation with people of other faiths, as well as hear them sing praises. We strengthened each other.
Scouts:
I helped plan and put on our Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet on February 28. Casey earned his Bear badge that night too!
Casey went to Cub Scout Day Camp June 15-19. It was his first time attending. I was there for the last three days helping with the toddlers. I was able to be with Rigel, Kamren, and other adorable kids all day.
Casey and Jad went to his first 11-year-old Boy Scout camp at Camp Cherokee September 25-26.
Blog:
I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my blog on March 24.
Not long after, I decided it was time to expand my blog and make a more professional-looking site. With the help of my friend, Kirk, I was able to migrate my blog to WordPress. I launched May 29. I have been so happy with my new blog.
While I was working on migration, I thought it would be nice to start writing for other sites to expand my reach. From April to July, I wrote a lot for familyshare.com. My experience was often frustrating because some editors would change my posts too much, and I didn’t feel I had the freedom to write what was in my heart. I rarely write for the site now. My most popular post was my first.
From June-August, I participated in a four-part blogger round-up meant to celebrate the Family Proclamation. My first post in the round-up went viral, and I am very pleased with the reaction to it.
At the beginning of September, I started doing book reviews for Cedar Fort Publishing. It has been a really fun experience to read books from often first-time authors. Some of the books I have read have been stellar. From September to December, I did 18 book reviews (a couple weren’t Cedar Fort). Luckily, Casey read three of them and helped me do the reviews. Still, it got very overwhelming in December, when I did five book reviews. I also did one CD review this year.
Work:
Jad worked for HCL for a few months, starting March 30, as a Senior Analyst. He didn’t really like it because he wasn’t using his skills, and it was really far away. We were thrilled and felt so blessed when he got the position of Network Specialist with Alamance County. His first day of work was September 9, and it has been fabulous having him so close to home.
On October 19, I started my own business with It Works. My direct upline is one of my good friends from middle school, Amber Tretick. I got to see her when she did my launch party November 21. She is such a great mentor and friend, and I hope to be the same for all who join my team. My website is matchingmyinside.itworks.com.
Travel:
May 2, my parents treated us to the Discovery Place in Charlotte. It was so fun! And you can’t go to Charlotte without going to Ikea and getting cinnamon rolls. We did that too!
Casey went on a month-long trip to Utah from June 30-July 29. He went to Las Vegas, Lagoon, Yellowstone National Park. Zion National Park, attended a cousin’s wedding reception, saw tons of family at a family reunion, went swimming a lot, and spent a lot of quality time with his family. I was so happy when he came home!
We surprised the kids with a trip to Myrtle Beach on Labor Day weekend this year. We had a wonderful time together. The kids love the ocean. It was also really nice to see Jad’s brother, Tawfeeq, and his family.
Social/Community:
I joined my neighborhood’s Community Relations Committee. I helped plan and put on our Easter Egg Hunt (March), and our neighborhood barbeque, even though I was too sick to attend (August). Both went really well, and I gained a very dear friend, Fatima, from the connections.
Three of my good friends – Ashley, Cecilia and Kerry – moved away this year. I miss them dearly, but I am grateful for the new friends I have made as new people keep moving into our community.
We attended three wedding receptions/vow renewals of our friends this year. We are so happy for these couples!
Jad and I planned and executed some of our own events too. Jad and I both did girls/guys nights, and I did a baby shower for my friend, Kimberly (Feb 8), and a bridal shower for my friend, Cecilia(Aug 22)
Performing:
Casey and I auditioned for our church’s stake musical of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on October 10. I was overjoyed to be given the opportunity to do a call back for the part of the Baroness, the part I wanted more than anything. I talked to my high school drama teacher, Carol Halbert, for advice, and she said that I want them to remember only my performance. Alright, no holding back. And I didn’t. (Thanks, Casey, for rehearsing with me.) Guess what? I got the role for 2/4 performances!!!! I can’t wait to start rehearsal soon with my sweet Casey, and so many other friends and talented folks.
In November, I started planning a theater enrichment club for Casey’s school. Next quarter, I will be teaching this club with Lucas, a faculty member at TES. I cannot be more excited!
On December 6, I sang in Handel’s Messiah for the first time in my life with the Mebane Community Choir. I plan to do this every year!
Birthdays:
Rigel turned 4 on January 25. On January 24, he had a humongous super hero party – we had 17 kids filling our downstairs!
Kamren turned 2 on May 5. He got a birthday doughnut, got a haircut, went to the children’s museum, and had a small Big Hero 6 party with family and our friend, Ashley. He got a Barney blanket that night, and he still sleeps with it every night.
Casey turned 10 on June 14. He had a big water party with friends on the 12th. He was so excited to get his first tablet this year!
I turned 31 on June 21, and got to celebrate my birthday the same day as Father’s Day! My favorite part of my birthday was discussing the details of my birth with my parents.
Jad turned 33 on July 22, though, if you ask him, he will deny it. I got him a suit for his birthday, and surprised him with it early so he could use it for his second interview with Alamance County. We did Golden Corral as a family that night, and then a week later celebrated with family. He made his own birthday meal of wings, shawarmas, and veggies. I made him a cinnamon roll cake.
Health and Wellness:
I won an 8-week weight loss challenge from August-October, and got $200, which helped me start my business!
Jad got his wisdom teeth removed October 29.
Jad and I both joined Planet Fitness this year. We are loving it, especially when we have our work out buddies with us.
Extended Family:
My aunt Betsy, my father’s youngest sister, passed away unexpectedly on January 8, just over one week after we saw her. We had a memorial service for her with family on April 18.
Jad’s cousin, Christeen, had twin a boy and girl on April 2. We got to visit them in the hospital the following day. I loved cuddling them! We were sad when they all went back to Jordan in June. We will miss them, and Christeen’s sweet little daughter, Sarah.
Jad’s mother Salma, and his aunt Rania received their U.S. citizenships on May 22. We were happy to be able to witness that special occasion.
Jad’s uncle Hani and his cousin Husam also received their S. citizenships this year!
In July, my beloved Nana moved to Hillsborough, NC. She lives really close to my parents, and we love seeing her every week.
My brother, Aaron, got into Peabody Conservatory. He moved to Baltimore this August. He is doing great there on his double major of vocal accompanying and opera.
Kamren moved from his crib into a toddler bed in June.
Fun Times:
***We had way too many to talk about and show pictures for here, but we are members of two museums now and go often. We went to a lot of fun community and library events throughout the year. Jad’s and my favorite event we went to was seeing The Illusionists at DPAC in November.
The Kids’ Personalities:
Casey is really into Legos, Star Wars, paper airplanes, and reading. He also likes playing the Wii and playing with friends. He is very social and bright, and loves talking about the scriptures and other things he is learning. He is overall very helpful around the house. We can tell he is heading towards adolescence, and hope it won’t be too hard. 😉
Rigel is obsessed with super heroes. Most of the year it was Superman, but towards the end of the year, everything has become about Batman. He is a social butterfly, asks a lot of questions, and loves quesadillas. He loves singing too, and his favorite things to sing are Angels We Have Heard on High and the Star Wars Theme Song. He really wants a Batman guitar, but we can’t find one.
Kamren is very tough, a super fast runner, an excellent climber, a lover of TV and sweets, sneaky beyond belief, and quite destructive actually. We often find horrid messes in his wake. He is still our baby, and our angel, though. We love cuddling with him. He doesn’t speak much, but is a whiz with technology. He also melts our hearts every time he shares toys or food with others, even strangers.
We had a great year, and we feel so incredibly blessed. We are grateful for each of you, too. Happy New Year!
Jad and I were very worried about Rigel Tuesday morning. He had a lot of swelling, discoloration, and pain on a sensitive part of his body. We strongly felt that we needed to take him to the doctor.
When we got there, I was unpleasantly surprised to find that I had to pay $100 for the visit, since our coinsurance didn’t kick in until after the deductible was met. That wasn’t fun, but I paid it knowing that my son would receive a sound diagnosis and treatment for his condition.
We love our pediatrician. She examined Rigel gently yet thoroughly, and surprisingly to me, didn’t see any cause for concern. She said most likely the cause was a bug bite, and that with some Benadryl, he would be fine.
I left the office with my little boys, suckers and stickers in hand. When I sat in the car after buckling them in, I sighed in distaste.
It was time to call Jad, who I knew was worried sick. Well, wait until he hears what a waste of time that was, I thought to myself.
Exasperated, I told him how much money I had to spend, and that there was nothing wrong with Rigel. All he needed was Benadryl. I sighed, and said I would be getting him his medicine. We got off the phone both annoyed at our new insurance.
The whole rest of the day, I found myself doubting the doctor. It must be something else – I mean, his condition just isn’t normal.
But, it hit me that night that my attitude had been all wrong. It was almost as if I wanted something to be wrong with Rigel to justify the doctor’s trip and the large bill. I had been feeling that my time and money wasn’t worth it because he was actually fine.
I am ashamed at how I acted! I should have been praising God that there was nothing to be worried about! Had the swelling been for a more serious reason, he likely would have needed surgery.
I should have been thanking people who prayed for him, and thanking my Heavenly Father for hearing my own prayers.
I should have hugged and kissed my child, and told him how much I loved him, and how happy I was that he was going to be alright.
My pride got the better of me that day, and someone didn’t want me to see the Lord’s hand, be grateful, or focus on what matters most.
Rigel is all better now. The swelling did go down with one dose of Benadryl.
Just as the doctor knows what medicines heal us physically, Heavenly Father knows what will heal us spiritually. He healed my hardened heart through the whisperings of the Spirit. I am eternally grateful for my renewed perspective, and for the safety and health of my precious Rigel.
There once was a teenage boy who was kind, friendly, funny, and very musically talented. He spent most of his social time with girls because they were nice to him. When around boys his age, though, he smiled less, and wished to be alone. So, he often took refuge at the piano.
Most who saw him probably never knew that when he went off alone, he was actually crying out for understanding, crying out for acceptance, crying out for compassion, crying out for acknowledgement, and crying out for friendship.
This time of life was extremely painful for him because he didn’t fit the mold of his leaders’ and peers’ definitions of “manly” and “masculine.”
Most of his peers were “tough” boys, who thought it was fun to prank others, and shove and push them around. Swirlies, wedgies, and wet willies were hilarious, and no big deal, even to the adults. But this boy wouldn’t do those things because he thought they were mean-spirited.
The boys were often obnoxious or demeaning to the girls their age, but he wanted to be their friends.
Basketball was the activity of choice, but for him, it was too ruthless, and he didn’t like playing.
To be fair, the boys were all friendly when alone, but most of them became “scoundrels” in group social settings. They ganged up on those who were different, and bullied them.
My friend took the bullying really hard, but what was even worse than that, was the lack of recognition from his leaders. They didn’t see how he was being victimized, because they thought that type of behavior was a normal use of masculinity – the “boys will be boys” complex.
He didn’t feel like he could talk to his leaders about his fears, because crying, expressing frustration or sadness, was seen as a form of emotional weakness. Boys were supposed to be strong and manly. Anyone who couldn’t be strong was a “sissy.” He knew he would be told to “man up” if he came forward, instead of being met with the compassion he needed.
Most of the male leaders focused on sports and being tough, and because that wasn’t his forte, it was really hard to bond with anyone. He did enjoy being a Boy Scout, but he was stressed about how anything he would say or do would be judged.
It was a really isolating experience to feel that he didn’t have anyone to talk to. He really felt that something was wrong with him because he didn’t fit in with others’ expectations. He thought he was flawed and limited because he just wasn’t like the other boys, and could feel himself being judged with the unspoken, but clear, masculine standard.
Women and girls were easier to bond with because they didn’t normally recognize the masculine ideology. Older men were also very kind and sweet to him. They had lived long enough to become wiser, and see more clearly.
But even with the kindness of these groups of people, he still wished things could have been different with the men and boys in his life. Perhaps his teenage years and early adult years would have been happier.
When I spoke to this young man about his experiences, I became worried. I have three boys of my own, and I have already witnessed some of the stereotypes given to boys. I have also heard many accounts of bullying from my oldest, all of which break my heart. How can I prevent this? How can I spread the word that this isn’t right?
It is clear what the problems were in my friend’s life, which problems still often exist today:
Ranking masculine above the feminine. It is misogynistic to say that boys are “sissies” for showing any type of “femininity.”
Stereotyping what a boy and girl should be. Saying boys should be tough and hold back emotion is incredibly damaging.
Invalidating the feelings of a boy who is hurt or upset, saying he needs to “be a man.”
Using pejorative terms for boys who don’t follow the gender stereotype. “Sissy” is a bad word. The correlating terms for girls, “tomboy,” normally is not, though both bring pressure to conform. Why use these terms at all?
Giving implicit approval to mean-spirited behaviors because “boys will be boys.”
Dismissing qualities that don’t fit the mold of what boys should be interested and excel in.
Not paying attention to or trying to understand boys who are different, who are struggling, and who are crying out for help.
Correcting or punishing a kid for being “different.”
Implementing these unfair gender standards, lead the victims to feel that they have to conform or not belong, or bully to not be bullied.
My friend gave me some very thoughtful and profound suggestions of what adult male teachers, leaders, and even parents, can do to be an advocate for all boys, not just those that fit the “norm”:
Celebrate and acknowledge each boy’s talents and gifts. Give him a chance to demonstrate his qualities and talents. When my friend was growing up, he felt that only two men in his life were proud of him. It should have been much more than two. Everyone deserves to feel that those who love them and hold stewardship over them are proud of them.
Do a variety of activities. Sports are good sometimes, but what about talent shows, science experiments, or music lessons? Not every boy likes or is good at sports, believe it or not!
Get to know each kid personally. Be curious about what makes him tick, so you can know how to best minister to him. Desire to love and understand him.
Be careful of the words and behaviors that you use. If you want boys to be respectful and kind, you must also be that way. Bullies beget bullies.
Should you be tempted to call a boy a “sissy,” stop yourself from being judgmental by trying to see his perspective. Give him the benefit of the doubt, and strive to make sense of his actions. Answer to his experience, rather than to your perception. After all, you can’t say that you love him if you don’t stretch your mind to seek where he is coming from.
Perhaps the most important change should be the way men and boys define what it is to be a “man.” Where should we look to find the qualities of a man to be admired – a man to be emulated?
My friend surprised me, and humbled me, when he looked to Jesus Christ as an example of a real man.
He said that Jesus never avoided those who were different, or who didn’t live the way he felt they should. No, he spent time with everyone – the prostitutes, the lepers, the poor – everyone. He was compassionate and merciful. He showed that there is no need to fear someone who is different.
The Jews were looking for a powerful man to deliver them, to save them from Roman power, and bring them national prosperity. But, Jesus, who was the true Messiah, came as a lamb, not a lion.
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (St. John 1:29).
It would be unfair to say that every man who is guilty of these words and behaviors is far away from Christ. Most men likely have good intentions, but they, as do everyone else, have blind spots. Sometimes people don’t see how their behavior works against their goals of being affirming, kind, and even Christ-like.
Should you know any men who fit the character of these teachers and leaders my friend had growing up, please share this message with them. Help them see that though they may have good intentions, they could be psychologically damaging a boy who just needs their acceptance and love.
Thankfully, this boy, now man, still plays the piano, and has since become confident that he is special, smart, and that his talents are indeed worthy of admiration. I thank him for sharing his experiences with me, to help other boys like him.
