The Khan Family of Five, Two Cats, and a Dog: Cruel joke?

Safa

My first born, and probably the easiest of the three, (so far at least), a beautiful child inside and out. Of all her characteristics the one I love and admire the most has to be her sensitivity, compassion and empathy towards others. She is a bright, friendly graduate student, who is both intelligent and fun-loving. Her current interests aside from school include Karate, she is a second degree black belt, and plays the guitar, both acoustic and electric. Although playing the guitar doesn't come naturally to her she does enjoy it, and we are hoping that the determination and tenacity she expresses in other areas of her life will soon rub off onto her guitar playing. She also enjoys debate, and writing poetry.

Hamza

He was the youngest child for nearly eight years, and it wasn't easy for him to give up that position. But he is a cool big brother who has taught Bilal 'the ropes', such as how to jump off furniture and how to wield a light saber. Hamza is a bright, energetic young man who needs to be constantly challenged to keep him out of trouble. He is a bit of a math wiz, and can often solve math problems in his head quicker than Safa can with a calculator. He is a third degree black belt holder in Heiwado karate and also loves to be outdoors, playing ultimate frisbee. He is a college Sophomore at Auburn

Bilal

The baby of the family, he gets away with a lot just by turning on that cute little smile of his. Today he is the picture of health with his rosy cheeks and bright eyes, but it wasn't always that way. Bilal was born with a broken heart, tetralogy of fallot, to be precise, which is a cluster of four unique heart defects. He underwent open heart surgery at the young age of 8 weeks, and made an amazing recovery. The same fighting spirit that helped him heal so rapidly is reflected in his personality. We are constantly challenged to channel and soften that spirit, without crushing it. It is a part of who he is. This summer he celebrated his eleventh birthday.

Thursday, September 1, 2011