To Allah We Belong & To Allah We Return.

It's been 1 week since my grandfather died.

It was one of the most hardest things......that filtered through my ears and into my thoughts. Approximately he died around 4pm Indonesian time - which is 8pm AEST. But I received the call from my mum @ 8.30pm.

I can never forget that night. I was waiting for my parents to drop off Abdurrahman after spending the sunday together. Mum said she'd drop him off around 8:00-8:30pm, but it was nearing 8:30pm and I had a gut feeling that something was wrong. The phone rang and I had an instinct to pick it up. Usually when it's just Robbie & I at home and the phone rings, we get indecisive on who should answer it. But it was different that night. I had the instinct to grab the phone as soon as it rang. It was my mum on the other line. That feeling came again - telling me that she was going to tell me dreadful news.

*Phone rings at 8:30pm on Sunday 9.11.08*
Me: "Hello."
Mum: "Hello, assalaamu'alaikum."
Me: "Wa'alaikumussalaam."

Silence....

Mum: "Ezy..."
Me: "Iya..."(yes)
Mum *on the verge of tears*: "Buya meninggal zy..."(Buya passed away).
Me: "Apa??"(What??).
Mum: "Buya meninggal."
Me: "Meninggal?? Kapan?!" (Passed away?? When?!).
Mum: "Barusan tadi.."(Just then).
*at this point I was sobbing and in disbelief*
And then Mum asked to speak to Robbie.

When he hung up the phone I was still on the couch crying. I was in shock (as you would be) and decided to go to Mum's place.

When I got there the first thing I did as soon as I passed the front door was hug my mum. We were all there gathered, reading 'Yaa-siin' from the Qur'an.

I went home at 11:30pm and placed my weary head on the pillow. Alhamdulillah, I awoke the next morning. But only to find that Buya's death wasn't a dream (plus, I had my stupid exam) but a reality I have to face for the rest of my life.

To Allah we belong and to Allah we shall return.

It's All About Bella & Edward.......

The Cullens

From L-R (i think):Emmet, Rosalie, Esme, Edward, Carlisle, Alice & Jasper.

From the author Stephenie Meyer comes a brilliant saga: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse & Breaking Dawn. I LOVE THESE BOOKS!!

My cousin was going on and on about this author's books and how she thinks that i'd get hooked into reading them too (the same way she got me into reading Virginia Andrew's books). Turns out she was right!! I LOVE IT! THEY'RE AWESOME! I'd love to have some of that vampire lovin'......rreeoowww!

I started reading Twilight toward the end of Ramadhan (due to some monthly "visitors" - ladies, you know what i'm talking about) and finished it in 4-5 days. After Eid I started reading New Moon and finished it 3 days ago and now on to reading Eclipse. I tell ya, it's getting intense!

If you've got some time to kill and you're bothered, start getting into them!

~Peace.

On the 12th day of Ramadhan ........

and we've received our biggest test of our lives.

Last Friday, my FIL was admitted to Bankstown Hospital's ED after having a VERY LOW blood pressure (systole around 65) during dialysis. He wasn't responding to anybody calling his name. He had a CT scan revealing that he's had a stroke (again). His last stroke occured 6 years ago, which definitely shocked the family. This time around it affected his speech; but who knows, Allah might return his ability to talk.

In that moment, we gathered around to hear what the Doctor's findings were. The Dr. seemed too eager to give up and said "there's nothing left we can do for him except to let him die with dignity" - my MIL strongly rejected this suggestion and pushed for the Dr's to try and keep him alive. Eventually he was moved to ICU, on life support for 5 days. We took each day as it came and prayed to Allah Almighty to give him one more chance of life, if it His Will. They took him off life support on Wednesday 10am-ish and ALHAMDULILLAH he's able to breathe on his own, even now.

Alhamdulillah they've moved him into a ward last night. Just seeing him out of ICU makes me a little teary. Last Friday, I could NOT hold my tears back. For Robbie and his mum, it's the second stroke episode they've had to deal with. It was my first experience in having someone close to me having their 2nd stroke - of course it shocked me.

The mood's lightened up a little knowing that Allah has given him another chance with us.......but until how long......Allah knows best.

So, if you're reading this please include Masli Mansjur in your prayers and ask Allah Almighty to extend his life, if it is His Will. If it is not, then we are at His Mercy. Aamiin.

~Peace.

Tomorrow is........

The last day of our Clinical Practicum.........YAAAAAAAAAAAY! We were all counting down to it.

Overall, this surgical-orthopaedic ward is excellent. I loved it. I wouldn't mind working in there as a new graduate. There were around 3-4 RNs that I really enjoyed working with. There was one RN who would take extra long break - a bludger. My colleague agreed with me on that when she was working with that RN today.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be a breeze - like it is for every morning shift.

~Peace.

Clinical Placement Day 1

Well.........it was a pleasant start to the day but I arrived just in time with the Facilitator still standing in the main entrance with a group of students.

'Twas a hektik start to the day with an awakening for Sahur @ 5am (i've got 4 more fasting days to do before Ramadhan begins in September '08). Afterwards, had to pray, get dressed, get Robbie's shirts ready, made Robbie's lunch, packed Abdurrahman's stuff to stay @ his Ummi's house while i'm out on clinical, and lastly a visit to the toilet before actually heading off. It takes 30 minutes to get there.....and I left the house @ 6:40am.

As soon as I got there it took a while for me to find free parking on the streets, alhamdulillah finally found one and raced to the main entrance to catch the group. I've never run so hard that I fell and skinned my knee and tore my trouser a little; even now it still stings.

Overall, got placed in a surgical-orthopaedic ward. We can't do any medications on the first day. The only things we could do was do the observations (checking blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiration rate), showers, make beds & BSLs (checking blood sugar levels). Alhamdulillah, I was teamed up with an excellent RN; she explained everything and anything that I had questions about. Definitely tomorrow will be 10x more hektik with LOADS of patients to shower in the morning..........personally I'd prefer to work the AM shift than the PM shift. With the PM shift the afternoon drags on as you anticipate to go home.

We'll see how tomorrow goes. I'll keep you posted.

~Peace.

I'm Avatar Obsessed!

Who watches or follows Avatar: The Last Airbender? Ever since I heard it about I've always wondered what it's about. Well, while I was in Indonesia and there are HEAPS of shops that sell (cheap, copied or real) dvd's of any sorts; movies, tv series, you name it and they have it.

So, I decided I wanted to get into watching the Avatar and I bought 1 dvd which had all 3 complete seasons of Avatar............turns out it wasn't complete after all - just found this out last week. Not a big deal though, because I only spent Rp.5,000 on it which is like AUD63cents.

I went to THIS TORRENT WEBSITE to look and download the rest of Avatar Book 3. I was reading some comments and discovered that I could WATCH IT ONLINE HERE!! It's awesome!! Ever since that discovery I want to finish watching it before uni starts!

Oh by the way, GO HEREto download some EXCELLENT quality movies.

'Till next time,

~Peace.

*In Prostration*.............I PASSED!!

ALLAHU AKBAR!! (ALLAH IS GREAT!!)

Passed both of my subjects: Nursing Context 5 - 63 & Bugs and Drugs - 50....just passed that one!! I am SOOOOO glad I don't have to do NC5 again - HATED it with a passion!!

Now I can continue my time off uni with less things to worry about - phew!

Have a good one peepz, inshaAllah!

~Peace.

Freeeezing!!

HEY, WAT UP?? Got some updates for ya:

Got us a kitten. Found her in front of my cousin's house. Asked around and nobody owned her; so instead of leaving her in the streets waiting for cars to run her over, we took her home. I leave her free around the backyard when i'm home, but put her in the garage with her food, bed & kitty litter while we're out or at night. I did leave her loose at the backyard for 2 days and 2 nights but then had to rethink the idea when she snooped out the side gate and came to the front door "meoowing" until I let her in. Back in the garage she goes!

........here's a video of Abdurrahman singing his first single:

~Peace.

Four Things About Me‏

Four Places I Go To Over And Over:
My house
Mum's house
In-law's house
Grocery shops

Four Of My Favourite Foods:
Sate Padang
Mie Ayam pangsit
Bakso
Mum's cooking

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now
With bubs & hubby
With relos in Indo
Out in the city
@ home

Four Places I Have Lived:
Ernest st (lakemba)
Willeroo st (lakemba)
wangee rd (lakemba)
and, greenacre.

Four TV Shows I Watch:
CSI
Grey's anatomy
Lost
Smallville
Desperate Housewives
House
Hell's Kitchen
How I Met Your Mother
Supernatural
...........couldnt' narrow it down to 4, too many!!

Some Hilarious Pics...

We were over @ our cousin's house one night and decided we explore her laptop webcam. Here are the results:

Latest videos uploaded on Youtube

NO PORK AT ALL!!

Updates....

• Alhamdulillah, we've finally occupied our house; meaning we've slept, lived in it. It feels soOoOOoOO LIBERATING!! If we kept asking Robbie's dad for permission to move into the house he'll keep saying "no". For the mean time if he's asking where Robbie or Abdurrahman is, his wife will just simply reply "he's sleeping" or "he hasn't woken up yet". Alhamdulillah it's all simple really. Since Robbie starts work @ 12noon, he goes by his parents' house in the morning and then Abdurrahman & I go by around 10am (Abs sleeps in sometimes, so I have to wait for him to wake up). And after work, Robbie swings by his parents' house, to see his dad, before coming home. Allah has built a path for us to make it all work. As long as we're not upsetting my FIL's feelings.
• Thinking of continuing work through my nursing agency, to help with our financial status; a little extra mulah doesn't hurt, right? Quite nervous to work again, especially leaving my son behind.
• It feels SO GOOD to have ur own places, doesn't it!??! Subhanallah, i'm over the moon! Usually when i'm cleaning the house I like to turn up the stereo to a good lecture, qur'an, or a little music. It feels awesome to do that in the comfort of your own home!
• Allahu Akbar. Allah is Great!

~Peace.

• STILL haven't moved into our house yet...............


• My brother left for Indonesia last Thursday to pick up his wife and bring her here. Was on the way to the airport to see him off but didn't make it 'cuz of the frikkin' traffic; and it was time for him to board the plane.....so I bid him farewell through phone (hopefully not for the last time). Anticipating their return inshaAllah.


• My nephew had his 1st bday three Sundays ago and my little cousin had his 1st bday today. Had a family/friend gathering @ Bicentennial Park.

3 years and counting (inshaAllah)

Yesterday t'was the day of our (Robbie & I) 3rd year anniversary. Forgot to post it yesterday so i'm making time to post it today. Three years!! Who would've thought we'd be married for this long, let alone me. Quite a roller-coaster ride too, might I add.

At uni at the moment emailing some journal articles to my hotmail for a research proposal we (me & a partner from class) have to get done in 10 days............well, the first part of it anyhow. You can say this whole thing is picking my brain.

In short, HAPPY BELATED 3-YEAR ANNIVERSARY habib! I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far ;) hehehehe..............hehhee.

~Peace.

Nobody Told Me....

That moving would be so much work!! I mean, I expected alot.........but not THIS MUCH! From Monday it's been delivery after delivery.

Monday: had the Locksmith to change the locks on all the doors & had the fridge and microwave delivered. Tuesday: had Abdurrahman's bed set delivered early in the morning & the lounge suite delivered as well as the coffee table. Today, Wednesday: we'll be awaiting for the roller shutter guys to come and give us a quote. Saturday morning we'll have new carpets installed, inshallah.

What I've observed: the bigger your house; the more you spend. And vice versa. Alhamdulillah, our house is standard........but still it's pulling mulah out of our a****. Pardon my French. Especially when you're not working & just studying, I feel poor sometimes. Our plan is to stay on the budget for a few months and spend wisely. Aldi, all the way!!

This is the busiest week I've had since I can remember. SoOoo tired. Take care people.

~Peace.

It's Official!

Alhamdulillah! We've got the keys to the house!! My MIL picked it up from the agent yesterday.

And Abdurrahman started Day Care yesterday also. Honestly, I was soooooOOooOOo nervous for him; didn't know how he was going to handle it. This place is run by Muslims and they have programs to teach kids educational things to help them get into private Islamic schools such as Malik Fahd and others. Alhamdulillah, he handled it quite well. He was a little clingy when we entered; following me to put away his bag and everywhere. Finally after I gave him his car to play with I got him to sit at a table nearby where there were puzzles to do and other kids were sitting down too. I thought this was the cue for me to leave; because I had a class that day and was running a wee bit late. Thank God he didn't see me leave.

Now that we've got the keys, there's loads of work to do. Oh btw, there's a good site to download PSP games if you're intrested or you know anybody who has a PSP. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FREE PSP GAMES

INSHALLAH............

There'll be no more delays in moving into our new house. T'was delayed for a week because the tennants weren't able to find a new place on their own so the agent had to help 'em out; which caused a little bit of a drama. Nevertheless, inshallah we'll get the by this Friday and start cleaning the place during the weekend and .........inshaAllah.......start moving in by next week.

I'm excited.


Our own house.


My kitchen.


My lounge room.


I can walk around the house with undies or no undies!


Oh yeah, I never got around to post some photos of my brother's wedding here. But here a few:
My family

The parents

My other sis-in-law & her son

My man in his cream suit

Muhammad & his wife and also with my cousin + her kids

~Peace.

'Tis The Day I Turn 24.......

All praises due to Allah Almighty! I've been alive for 24 years now..........if you wanna get technical, I don't turn 24 until 5pm or 6pm.

My biggest bet is that my mum, brother, & some cousins will come over with a cake that my mum made or something. They've done that since Abdurrahman was born. Alhamdulillah i've shared 3 birthdays with my son & hubby and inshallah there'll be more in the future.

Well, I don't know what else to put in here except: It's my birthday :D

Have a pleasant day........Allah-Willing I will :)

~Peace.

It's heart-breaking to see your children cry, for any reason. Or unless you MADE them cry.

Tonight, Robbie & I tried a maneouvre to help Abdurrahman sleep on his own instead of watching 'Cars' dvd until 11.30pm. We ALWAYS have to go to war when it comes to his bedtime. And so, we turned the lights off, left him standing in the cot crying and crying and crying on & off for a maximum of 25 minutes. That was so hard for either of us! We've never had to do it before because he wouldn't have any trouble going to sleep........until recently.

While we were lying side-by-side, staring into darkness, his cries feeding our ears; I was BEGGING Allah to help him go to sleep. Alhamdulillah it was answered.

On a lighter note, went bowling yesterday night for the first time in my life. And you know what? I got one strike! Yeehhhh!! We had 2 games and overall I hit 59 pins. I reckon that ain't bad for a beginner!

Time to sleep and hopefully wake again for 2mro.....inshallah. Take care.

~Peace.

Freedom Is 2 Weeks Away + Turning 24 (Inshallah)

Long title, isn't it? Hey all!~ There are some things I need to keep you updated.

1. Hubby is visiting his sick aunt in Indonesia- at the moment in Jakarta having a blast without me. Well......it's only fair, 'cuz I did the same thing last month.
2. Alhamdulillah we've found a house around the Greenacre area..........and will be moving into it in two weeks- Allah-Willing.
3. I'm turning 24 in two weeks also; which is a big SMACK in the head!
4. Starting Uni soon; either at the end of February or beginning of March. I've gotta pick my classes on the 11th Feb...which is on Monday.

I am SOO PSYCHED about moving out!! Inshallah this is our chance to have our own little oasis. Except I HATE IT when other people (besides Robbie & I) are trying to have their input counted on what type of furniture we should have. We already know what we want - which is NOT A $10 000 ITALIAN FLASHY LOUNGE SUITE!!

When are these people going to get it through their heads?! I never had things the way I t liked them. For instance; when we were looking to hire a photographer for our wedding. They also offered me to wear free "last season" gowns at the wedding. I was like: "HELL NO! I'd rather wear the dress my mum made for me!" Then what did she do?? She kept insisting that I take on their free offer - because it was free - when she knew that I won't! I couldn't take her pestering anymore and walked out of there and cried while waiting by the car; whereby I had to give her a lift afterwards. WHAT A PAIN IN THE ASS!!! And i'm not talking about my mother here.

I ask Allah to smooth this process, if it is meant to be ours.

Have patience.

~Peace.

Beauty Tips 4 Sisters

My dear sisters in Islam, Assalamu Alaikum w.w. please take a look at this advice, so that you can stay attractive and beautiful for the rest of your life.

1- To beautify your eyes, lower your gaze towards strange men, thiswill make your eyes pure and shiny.

2- To beautify your face and make it shiny, keep doing wudu minimum five times a day.

3- To have attractive lips, always mention Allah and remember to speak the truth.

4- As for blush and rouge, "Modesty" (Haya') is one of the best brandsand it can be found in any of the Islamic centers.

5- To remove impurities from your face and body, use a soap called"Istighfaar".(seeking forgiveness of Allah) this soap will remove any bad deeds.

6- Now about your hair, if any of you has a problem of hair split ends, then I suggest "Islamic Hijab" which will protect your hair from damage.

7- As for jewelry, beautify your hands with humbleness and let your hands be generous and give charity to the poor.

8- To avoid heart disease, forgive people who hurt your feelings.

9- Your necklace should be a sign to pardon your fellow brothers and sisters.

If you follow these advices given to you by the Creator, you will have a beautiful and attractive inner and outer appearance.

~Peace.

A Little Jet-Lagged

Hey~ How's it going? I got back from Indonesia on the 9/01/08, yesterday. Abdurrahman & I, my parents, my two brothers, my SIL and her baby, all went overseas for my brother's wedding. Alhamdulillah it was a great success and a lovely wedding. I'm very happy for my brother and his wife. I look at them and i'm reminded of my own self with my hubby when we were newlyweds. I left for Indonesia on the 23/12/07 plus a short stop-over @ Denpasar, Bali and arrived in Jakarta @ 11pm AEDT.

The Nikah was held on 28/12/07. They had two wedding ceremonies; on 29/12/07 @ our house in Bukittinggi and another one @ the bride's house on 30/12/07. Photos turned out awesome and i'll put some up here when I get the time.

Overall, Alhamdulillah my dad, abdurrahman & I arrived safely. But it's always a sad departure from your relatives, whom you only see once every 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 years.