“Being Mrs. Banks”
When I was a child and young teenager, I was very shy and unsure. In middle school I was introduced to theater classes, and I fell in love. I took classes all through high school and some in college too….
Read more
Tag Archive: husband
All Are Alike unto God
I am a much different person than I was 10-15 years ago. Now, I have always been a kind person who could befriend and love anyone, even if their beliefs or lifestyles were quite different than mine. That’s something that…
Read more
The Worth of Souls is Great
I gave a talk in church yesterday. My husband, who asked me to speak, let me pick my topic. As I thought about what I wanted to speak about, topics like charity, worth, and peacemaking came to my mind. I…
Read more
I Fell in Love with An Unauthorized Immigrant
My name is Mandy Al-Bjaly. I was not born with this last name, but it is a name I chose to take upon myself in March of 2010 when I married Jad Al-Bjaly. I wrote the story of our…
Read more
Reflecting on 2023
Last night before midnight, our family discussed our year and what events were most meaningful to us. It was no contest: Asher’s birth was the most wonderful and memorable event to happen in our 2023. And our lives have never…
Read more
My Buzz about Lightyear
If I had a genie that could grant me three wishes, one of the things I would wish for is that our society would stop making every decision by every individual or entity political. That may sound like a strange…
Read more
Losing Your Life to Find It
Wow. Church today was just about as beautiful as it could be. I personally felt the presence of the Holy Ghost during every congregational hymn, musical number, and talk given. That beautiful spirit, often manifested by involuntary tears, continued into…
Read more
We Didn’t Cry
Eight days ago we moved from our home of 8.25 years into a rental home in the next town over. That night we ate Cook Out on the floor of our empty dining room and played outside together at our…
Read more
Try Something New – Stretch Yourself
I’m turning 36 this year, and I have had some sort of an awakening recently – there are a lot of things I have never done and don’t know how to do that would be super cool to learn about…
Read more
When you start to feel too cool for your parents…
My oldest son, Casey, started high school this year. It hit me not long ago that I only have FOUR MORE YEARS with my first born – with my precious son who made me a mother. I know that time…
Read more