From Family of 3, to Family of 4 :)

It has been a billion years since I last posted, but it's a been a wild ride since then!

I had my beautiful second son - Javaid Ibrahim Nelson - on the 20th of September 2007 @ St. John of God Murdoch Hospital :)) He came at 11.48am that morning and weighed in at 3.2 kgs. It was, what I call, a dream labour - over in 3 hours with no doctors assistence at all (in fact I was able to walk from the labour ward to my hospital room a few hours later)! When they placed him on my belly, that overwhelming feeling of immediate devotion & love came over me, and I was flying over the moon! Another child...another son! :)

Now, 3 months later, Javaid is the most well behaved little guy! Much better and easier to take care of than his big bro was hehe He feeds well, self-settles well, sleeps well, hardly cries, and is just this adorable, carefree baby who is happy to be where ever, whenever! hehe

Xavier is taking to him soooo well. Matt & I were worried at first that perhaps he would be overly jealous but he is in fact quite protective of his baby brother! He doesnt like people he doesnt know holding the baby! He gets upset and cries, and points at the person as to say, "Give him back!!" It's really cute actually :)

It's a wonderful feeling being a mummy. Hearing my firstborn call "Mama! Mama" and hearing my second born coo & chuckle when he sees my face. I cant wait to have more children :)

Family pet dog kills two week old baby...

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=38651

I cant get the story out of my head :(

Maybe because it was so close to home (Willetton & Canning Vale even share the same post code). Maybe because I'm less than 5 weeks due with my own baby. Maybe because Siberian Huskies have always been my favourite breed of dog.

I cannot imagine what the parents must be going thru right now. Especially with Fathers Day coming up this weekend...

I dont want to judge the parents, but keeping the dog away from the family for a week was not the best move in the world. I mean, the animal had only arrived home hours prior to the attack. Can you imagine what went through this dog's mind when he saw the baby for the first time in HIS house with HIS family? Talk about stranger danger, the animal probably did what he thought was the right thing - protect and defend his family.

And then there's the whole issue of why the dog was in the house to begin with. The parents said they both thought the pet was outside. Then the news report says that the couples had 4 other sons (youngest is eight) who were also in the house. Is it possible one of the kids let the dog in? Maybe left a sliding door open ajar? We will never know.

The fact that this was the couple's first child together...and the first daughter for both of them also made it extra sad. I just cannot imagine how I would cope if anything like this happened to me.

My thoughts & prayers go out to this family...:(

Whats New & Improved...& Same Ol'.

According to my records, the last post I blogged was on 6th June 2007! Yikes! Sorry for the long delay in getting another post in :)

Anyways so much has happened since then, it would be easier to list them as bullet points (I know, I'm lazy - sue me! =)

• Matt & I's second child is due at the end of September and what at first was overwhelming emotions of anxiety spawned from the undeniable fact that I'll have two children under the age of two and a husband that works away from home eight days a fortnight, has metamorphed itself into overpowering feelings of genuine excitement and liveliness! Another baby in the house - woohoo! Another mini-Matt-n-me - woohoo! A permanent playmate & lifelong friend for Xavier - woohoo! More laundry for me to do - woohoo! :)

• Xavier is almost 21 months years old & not a single day goes by where sometimes I just find myself staring at him - playing, sleeping, eating dinner, eatching ABCKids etc - with the most extreme awe and tenderness. This child of mine, whom I've lovingly called 'the rugrat' & 'chicken little' since the day he was born, is now this walking, half-running, half-talking little person who continues to grow - physically, mentally, emotionally, intellecturally & soulfully - right before my eyes. I remember when he was no more longer than the space between my wrist & inner elbow....now his head reaches my butt & I always have to watch out he's not suddenly standing behind me when I swiftly turn around. =) I cant believe how much he's grown...how much he's developed. It just pulls all the chords in my heart!

• While we're on the topic of the chicken, I'm just fascinated with how many words he picks up and how eager he is to have a conversation with you, even tho 95% of the time it's nothing but baby babbling! hehe His vocabulary, so far, includes the words: hello; bye bye(always accompanied by a wave of his hand); banana (altho he often forgets the 'ba' part and just says 'nana while pointing at the fruit impatiently); drink (which sounds more like 'jink'); milk (which sounds more like melk); ball; apple (which sounds more like 'ah-pull'); ta; mama; dud (ie. dad) and his latest word is clock but which sounds more like 'cuck' but I definitely know its clock, coz he'll run around the house pointing to all the clocks in the house and shouting "Cuck! Cuck!". :) Oh yeah, and if you sing, "Old MacDonald had a farm..." he'll be bound to reply with "e-i-e-i-o". And when u sing "Twinkle twinkle little star", he does all the correct hand gestures including making a diamond with his fingers! Super cute! =)

• Matt is still @ Minara Resources, almost two years now. Surprisingly, I never would've thought I would adapt to my husband working away from home for this long, but I'm managed quite well! The routine is quite easy to slip into, and often when I seriously think about it, I prefer it this way...as opposed to having Matt working 9-5 (which means having to be in bed by 11...getting up at 7ish each morning...gettng home by 6ish...and only having two days off a week for quality family time). I've said it before, and I'll say it again, having ur life partner away from you for 8 days a fortnight teachs you a thing or two about appreciation and not taking loved ones for granted. Not to mention, absence makes the heart grow fonder! Each time I pick up Matt from the airport, I feel like I'm meeting him for the first time all over again! Its a wonderful feeling :)

• I'm thinking about returning to my studies next year! I have even already applied thru TISC & all, and want to see if I can do it externally or at the very least, part time (with two kids, there's no away I could do a full time course!). I want to continue with my studies for many reasons...a) to finally finish what I started many many years ago!!!, b) to show my children that a woman can have a university degree and still CHOOSE to be a housemum, c) to have the option to work IF I choose to do so much later in life (at this point, Matt & I have both agreed its not necessary for me to work but its a nice thought to know I have that choice), d) to shut my parents up, e) to find another important interest in life to dedicate to apart from my family...and many other good excuses! :)

• Natasha (Sjahrir daughter #3) is returning home to Australia after almost 9 months of travelling overseas!!! She went to India, China, Russia, Peru, Spain & many other countries. I'm really excited about seeing her again...nobody can appreciate a good Arthouse movie with me like good ol' Tashie, and heaven knows how many Arthouse movies I've had to pass up @ Luna coz nobody wanted to see them with me :(

• Speaking of travel, my whole family (folks, sisters n all) recently returned from a 3 week stint in Indonesia where we got reaquainted with family & old friends, and got to show off the rugrat (who mind u was super popular with the ladies!). The best thing I learnt from my experience overseas is how blessed I am to be living the way I am here in Perth. I had a cousin tell me how she struggled to come up with the funds to get her daughter immunised after she was born...something that Xavier - and all future children I have - gets for free here in Australia. It really p*sses me off when I hear people complain about really stupid things going on in their lives...like not being afford a certain materialistic object, or not having another 'leftover cashflow' in the bank etc when there are so many people out there who struggle day in and day out. I've always taken a very light-hearted approach to life, trying not to complain too much about what I dont have; not wasting money, resources etc...but anybody who hasnt seen how poverty really lives in another country should go & live with them for a week or two - it'll really open your eyes!!!!

Sorry to bombard you with such talk but I wanted to sum it all up as best I could! Other things I havent mentioned is that with just over a month to go before our family of three becomes a family of four, I've been hungrily soaking up every precious moment I have left with just Xavier. The poor little tyke has no idea he will soon have to share his mum and dad! So I've been cherishing every day with him without over spoiling. I mean, this is a big change for me too - I'm about to be a mummy of not a child, but childREN! The very idea bedazzles me! :)

But overall, I'm really happy with the direction my life is going - honestly & truthfully. Of course its not PERFECT but based on what I remember hoping my life would be like when I was 18 years old, about 90%+ of it has happened...I am very grateful and thankful everyday for what I have. And I can feel it in my heart, the next coming years will just get better! :)

And the kicks begin....

The last few weeks I've been feeling those little kicks and bumps inside!

For some reason though I'm feeling them more when I'm standing against the sink washing dishes...bub will give me a little kick and I'm forced to stand with my belly away from the counter, which isnt easy to do when ur washing dishes and have an active toddler crawling between ur legs playing peek-a-boo! *_*

It's a wonderful feeling! :)

I Will Be...

...the mother of two sons :)))

Matt & I found out last week that Xavier is going to have himself a little baby brother :) It was definitely exciting news all over again - however I was really disappointed that nobody told us in advance that we could bring a VHS tape to the ultrasound so that we could record the little bubba in 3D action! So we had to settle for photos printouts instead, oh well! ;))

To be completely honest, we had some hopes that it would be a girl, so I wasnt as prepared as I thought I would be when the doc told us it was another baby boy. After we got over the shock however we couldnt stop talking about it! Imagine, two sons!!! :) hehe Talk about all the preparation we DONT have to do - we have all the boy clothes, toys, colour schemes set out already! hehe I'm proud of the thought - after living in a household of daughters only - to be the deliverer of grandsons for my parents hehe Matt is keen on the idea of teaching his sons martial arts too *rolls eyes* He also likes the fact that in later years when the kids get older, he knows that if he ever has to leave on a business trip or something, he has TWO teenage sons to look after the house and family :) Not to mention that in the off chance I never get to go on Hajj with Matt, I have two sons I can go with :)

Because Xavier and bub #2 are close in age (23 months apart it will be approximately), Matt & I are hoping that they'll be good friends growing up. That they will look out for each other, confide in one another, be there for each other...just like my sisters and I were growing up. I hope that there will be not THAT many disagreements between the two when they're teenagers (boys fight differently to girls!!!) and I swear on my life I'm going to make sure that they arent going to be hoons and want stupid sport cars coz they think it's cool when they get older! *rolls eyes*

But what I especially like the idea of having sons is that being their mother I can shape them and raise them to treat women with respect, love and tenderness. I can teach them as many of the best qualities I can teach them about being the best husband and father one day in their future. Matt and I have high ambitions to teach them well about Islam so that one day our sons, inshallah, be influential & respected young men who can lead the way for others too. It's not easy being Moslem youth growing up in a Western society, however Matt and I firmly believe that because we have that experience, we can inshallah and with the guide of God, raise them to better people than we could ever be!

I'm really really REALLY looking forward to it :)))

Brother or sister for Xavy???

On Friday 25th May, Matt & I will learn the gender of our baby....

...this is more exciting than the first time around! hehehe ;)

Happy Birthday To Me :)

Well acorrding to my clock it is exactly midnight - my birthday :) I'm 28 years old today! *Arggghhh!* Thats 2 years shy of 30! *Double argghhh!*

I still remember being 18 and pondering about what life would be like 10 years later...

...well it's 10 years later now, and I'm very happy with the way things turned out. I'm happily married, with one gorgeous little boy...and another bubba on the way :) We live in a nice big house in a nice safe neighbourhood. My husband has a fantastic job & I've seen many parts of the world. I've had my share of sad, tragic times...and my taste of disappointing, embarrassing mistakes...but they always made me stronger & tougher. I'm happier, healthier & wiser than I was 10 years ago :)

The only thing I think I wanted when I was 18 was to be working full time as a teacher. Looking at it now, I wouldnt WANT to be working full time and miss out on all the wonderful moments & memories I've gained from being a stay at home mummy. You only have one real go at raising your children up right, and they are only little once. Imagine how much I would miss out on if I was gone five days a week, eight hours - or more - a day? Besides, my husband has insisted that I dont have to work if I dont want to, so why argue? hehehe ;)

Twenty-eight years old...wow *_*

Thank you God for giving me all that I have, and making me the person I've become today :) I can feel it's only going to get better!!! :))

Life without children...

It is without a doubt that life changes tremendously when you have children.

When Matt & I were not yet married we were limited to many things (as a result of religious beliefs, cultural upbringing, my parents being heavily involved in my life etc), however we were still free to make decisions that could generate heaps of fun.

The fun really began when we got married. Suddenly all those restrictions & limitations we were previously bound to disappeared. We could go out on the spur of the moment if we wanted, without needing to inform my parents of my intentions. We could stay out as late we wanted to, without having to fret about what time I had to be home. We could spend the night in the city if we wantd to, without a care in the world.

In a way, I appreciated that my parents raised me to be the type of daughter who actually had a guilty conscious when I knew I was doing something that God would not approve of - who had to ask for permission to go out, who had a curfew, who couldnt even allow boys being IN my bedroom at all! Because when I finally got married & moved out of home, I TRULY enjoyed the luxury of being able to do what I wanted at will because I never had a taste of it before.

Our life...before we had children...was definitely heaps of fun. That freedom & flexiability to make decisions was undoubtly a luxury that is priceless.

Thennnn....we had Xavier :)

I can wholeheartedly confess that we were 100% ready to have children. We were pretty much trying from the word go and both agreed that we wanted to have a family as soon as we could, for many reasons:

1. Matt & I were definitely not getting any younger (and I definitely wanted to finish having all my babies before I was 30 - 31 the latest if God permits!).
2. We had already both individually travelled to many parts of the globe & agreed that any future holidays would be more fun as a family (ie. Disneyland, Hollywood etc).
3. We were financially & physically capable of having children.
4. Religiously we felt we had a duty to God to have children - especially because of point 3. I mean, it's one thing if you cant AFFORD to have children, but if u can, we both believed it would be a sin to put off having a family for the sake of materialistic/worldy things (eg. buy a house, a car etc). Can you imagine buying a house first over having children...and then ur husband dies the next day? I'd regret it more that I never had a child with him than buying a stupid house with him.

So when I fell pregnant with Xavier, we were both thrilled beyond belief because our 5 year plan was coming together quite nicely.

Okay...so I admit that when our chicken little was born we were faced with some of the biggest challenges in our lives, but it was all worth it & definitely part of the deal that we were prepared for. Having a baby is a bigger milestone - in my opinion - then getting married. Especially for a woman, you are tested emotionally, mentally & physically in ways you never thought possible. You will never know what a torn heart is truly like until you hear ur child crying out for you. For a woman, I believe you never EVER become just one person again when you have a baby - I believe that until death do you part, your son or daughter is eternally bounded to your living essence. Even your husband will never EVER attach itself to your soul the way a child you carry for 9 months inside your body will. It is the best experience I have ever had.

But....it comes with catches. And I'm not talking about sleep deprivation or physical exhaustion. I'm not referring to the times you get peed on, pooped on, vomited on & dribbled on. Nor am I talking about toys ending up in the toilet; food being thrown on the walls & carpet; valuable items being pulled of shelves & broken, scraped knees, bee stings, ear infections - all of that. I'm talking about the other thing that changes - the relationship you have with your partner.

I was prepared for all the stuff that came with having a baby, except maybe I confess a little that I was not exactly prepared for the time I would no longer have with my other special man - my husband. I guess it was a teeny tiny harder that he landed his Engineering job at the mines when Xavier was only 2 months old, because it meant that unlike other wives that had their spouses return home to them every evening, I was on my own 24 hours a day for 8 days straight. So unlike other mothers who were about to reach the end of the tether by 5pm from taking care of the house & looking after the kids, at least they were provided some comfort with the idea & thought that their darling husbands would be coming home soon to give them a hand & offer some support. I, on the other hand, didnt have that luxury.

Dont get me wrong, the fact that my husband is home for six whole days (as opposed to other husbands who only have two whole days off) is definitely a blessing which I definitely appreciate. I know for a fact that Matt gets to spend more genuine, quality time with his family than an average dad who works 9-5. When he's home, I no longer bear the burden of taking care of the rugrat on my own as I now can share the responsibility. And as much as we enjoy family outings to the park, the city, Harbour Town, the zoo, the beach etc, I cannot deny the fact that it's not the same as being able to say to Matt, "Lets go to that new restaraunt for dinner tonight, and check out that new movie after" or "Wanna spend the weekend in Melbourne tomorrow?" as I could once upon a time. I also cannot deny the fact that sometimes I miss it.

I have to remind myself though that this is only temporary. While our children are still little, it will mean cutting back on a lot of the stuff we were once able to do without a second thought. Every parent (with the exception of those who choose to hire nannies etc) experiences it. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that while I will never regret having children, there is a part of my heart that will always miss the freedom & flexiability I once had when it was just my husband & me. Oh well - like I said before - comes with the package :)

My Second Born's First Photos!

Sorry I havent posted anything for awhile - alot has happened but I just could never get my act together to write it all up!

Today I had my first ultrasound for the pregnancy :) You know, as the nurse was about to put the baby monitor on my belly, for half a second it crossed my mind, "Oh my gawd, what if all this time I'm NOT pregnant! What if all the symptoms I've been having are just in my head". I suddenly had this panic image of the nurse turning the baby monitor on and saying, "Um...I dont see anything - are u sure ur pregnant?" Eeeep! But when she put it on my belly, there was my little angel wriggling around on the screen in front of me! hehehe Huge relief!

Being pregnant second time around is sure as hell different to the first time! I remember the first time Xavier popped up on the ultrasound screen I just burst into tears (couldnt help myself!). Now this time seeing my second child on the monitor, I didn't cry, I started laughing! It was a feeling of elation and sheer joy. I remember thinking, as I watched bub moving around on screen, "Hey you! Nice to finally see ya!" hehehe So far, she/he is only 7 cms long from head to rump - thats so tiny!!!!! We located two moving arms, and two moving legs. There was a strong beating heart at around 165 beats per minute - I heard it on the monitor, and that feeling of pure happiness swept over me again. :)

Just from the ultrasound, everything looks healthy, happy & normal thank God. My next appointment isn't til the 18-20 week mark (I'm currently 13 weeks), which is when the option of finding out the gender of the baby is possible. I'm still not sure yet if I want to know this time around - although Matt has insisted that he wants to know whether I want to or not! Apart of me likes the idea of being surprised right up til the end, another part of me - the organised part of me - NEEDS to know so I can prepare for the arrival of my second son or first daughter! I have at least a month to think about whether I wanna know or not for this pregnancy! hehe

Anyways here are some photos my second born :) Not the best pix, but pix nonetheless!

Our Family Trip to Albany

Over the long weekend Matt, Xavier and I spent it down south in Albany to visit Matt's dad again. The last time we bought the bub there he was about 5 months old, so we thought it'd be a good idea to bring him again now thats he's a bit older and is toddling around. Also, Matt's dad is planning on going to England for 3 months on March 15th, so it was another reason we wanted to go down and see him, as we don't get to see him often.

The trip down there was good coz Xavy slept most of the way. We stayed at Jenny's house (Matt's dad's girlfren) which was nice of her. The first day there we didn't do much because we were quite tired from the drive, but later that afternoon we took Xavier to a local park where he had some fun =)

The next day was Labour Day, and it was quite warm so we all thought we'd head out to Emu Point Beach. Jenny's grandkids (Johnny 4 & Ella 2)were being babysat by her that day, so they all tagged along. This was Xavier's second time to a beach, and he loved it! He especially liked being floated on his back :)

"Look Ma! A shark!"

Beach baby @ Emu Point, Albany

After all the kids had a swim, we had fish & chips for lunch. I dont know what it is about the beach, but you always feel like eating something salty!!!! After lunch, and after everybody's tummies had settled, we took the kids to the nearby beach park where Xavier was particularly fond of the slides! He just kept wanting to go on it, and cried when we took him off! hehe We will probably have to get a slide at home now! haha

Xavier, Johnny & Ella enjoy their lunch =)

"Wheeee!"

Needless to say, after most adventures to the beach, the trip home was exhausting! Xavier fell asleep on my lap under a tree before we even hit the car! Later that nite after Johnny & Ella were picked up by their parents, the rest of us (minus Xavy who was snoring in the bedroom) all just rented DVD's and had pizza for dinner. Just a quiet, relaxing evening at home!

The next day we packed up early and headed back up to Perth. I have to tell u, the trip back up was NOT fun because our son woke up about 2 hours to go and was restless and squirmy and whinging allll the way back! I sat with him at the back and tried to comfort him, but he...just...would...not...settle. Poor little tyke! I tell ya - there is nothing more frustrating & tiring than sitting with a crying/half screaming 15 month old on a 2 hour road trip whilst at the same time feeling nausea from being 2 months pregnant! *_*

Oh well...it's not often we go on these trips! And despite the small downside on the drive back home, it was a worthwhile vacation spending it with Matt's dad who we don't get to see often.

Not sure if we'll be going on any long roadtrips in the near future tho...hehehe ;)

My Big Secret Revealed =))

Wellll....I've been keeping it in the closet for almost two months now...but its time to reveal my big secret - Matt and I are expecting baby number two!!! =))) It was all planned, and happened just when I was hoping :) Its due around September God willing, and this time we'd like to keep the gender discovery a surprise :) I wasn't planning on telling anyone just yet, but my parents (as proud as any parent who's about to have grandCHILDREN would be) have already begun spreading the joyous news! hehe :))

I'm really excited and nervous at the same time. I'm excited, for obvious reasons, but nervous too coz now I'll have CHILDREN! Having one rugrat on your hands is one thing, having TWO is another thing! But the overall sensation is that of elation :) I dont mind what the gender is this time, because there are good points for both!

I remember when I first told Matt, he didn't believe me! haha To tell the truth, I couldn't believe it at first when I found out...but now, with the morning sickness starting to kick in again and the hunger pangs, it's definintely setting in that I'm about to have another baby :) I cant wait! We've already slowly begun to introduce Xavier to the fact that he's about to become a big brother by showing him how to caress my belly and saying 'ade' at the same time in a loving way (ade means 'little brother or sister' in Indonesian). Not sure if he gets the picture yet tho hehe

So far, the only problems I've had are the nausea and the hunger pangs. Mannn I'm so hungry these days! I'll eat something big, and then two hours later my stomach is literally making noises. But this time around, my nose is extra sensitive to certain smells...just one whiff of something not so aromatic, will turn my stomach *_* Not the nicest feeling in the world!

But anyways, it's all part of the journey! And I'll be sure to keep everyone apart of it so be sure to pop in here every now and then for updates!! =))

Btw, big thanx to everyone who have already sent their congratulations! *hugs & kisses*

Xavier's First Steps!

So proud, so proud, so proud!

A few days ago I watched Xavier take his first few steps on his own! I was with Livvy too, so there was a witness, not just my imagination hehe For awhile now Xavy's been able to stand on his own two feet unassisted, and walk along aside you with only one hand held, but we were all waiting for that day when he took that step all by himself...I was a bit nervous because he's almost 15 months and it was slightly intimidating knowing other babies of frens who had walked well before their first year (one girlfriend of mine's daughter started walking when she was 9.5 months old!) but everyone kept saying that he'll do it at his own pace. Not to mention, when kids start walking its a whole new kettle for fish!

But when he took that little toddle (about 2-3 steps forward) I couldn't help being so proud! Now he's doing it all the time - for his daddy, for his grandparents hehe Won't be long now before he'll be running and everything!

...and I'll probably miss the days when all he could do is crawl!! hehehe =)

An Inconvenient Truth

I have come across many outstanding documentary pieces before (Bowling for Columbine, March of the Penguins, to name a few). However if there was ever ONE documentary movie you HAVE to watch in your life, it would have to be An Inconvenient Truth.

It's about our dying Earth and how mankind is responsible for it. In another lifetime I would have NEVER been interested in issues like global warming, environmental science and so forth, but in this documentary I listened to facts & statistics, and saw photographs that shocked the crap out of me! I had NO idea how much trouble we as mankind will be in if we continue living the way we do. It has facts, figures, graphs, charts, startling images and many more.

You would have to be a souless monster not to feel something about the issues after watching it!

Certainly you can spare one hour or so of your life to watch a VERY important documentary! It is not a long movie and its relatively easy to understand.

But its certainly one of the most terrifying films you will ever see! I would RECOMMEND everyone to watch it...NOW!

Xavy's First Visit to the Perth Zoo!

On Wednesday Matt and I decided to treat our lil ratbag to an outing he'd probably enjoy more than us, so we took him to the Perth Zoo in South Perth =) We packed a small picnic lunch, lathered on plenty of sunscreen and bought our hats along as it was predicted to be fairly warm that day.

I was really looking forward to showing him the lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) but alas, because of the weather - not to mention the time we came, which was about noonish - it was ceista time for many of the animals! All the big puddy tats were fast asleep when we got to their grounds (despite Xavy banging on the glass windows), and we didn't see a SINGLE bear (but we got a nice shot of Xavier and a statue of a bear, which made him happy nonetheless hehe - see pix below).

We did get to see many other great animals including the nocturnal house where we saw bats and bugs and spiders (ewwwwwww!). I think for the most part our boy was quite excited and interested...but after awhile - as kids do - he got bored and cranky so we decided to head home. We didn't even get to see the reptiles like snakes, crocodiles etc

Oh well! Definitely next time! =))

On our trip we saw...

Pretty birdies in cages...

Orang Utans snoozing in their houses...

Big butted elephants...

A cute statue of a bear..."I've got your nose!"...

Dirty Rhino's having their lunch...

Zebra's grazing...

Giraffes minding their own business...

& slow, lazy tortoises :)

Matt's Journey to Saudi Arabia (pix only)

Some pix taken from Matt's Hajj photos (sorry there's no blog entry - Matt hasn't gotten around to it yet! At least the pix tell a story of their own :)

The Kabbah in Mecca - the first temple built by Prophet Abraham to worship the One God (p.s. we DO not worship it or believe it has magical powers in case u were wondering. :)

Gorgeous Perfume Store in Mecca - where u can make your own unique scent right then and there

Being interviewed for Discovery Channel