don't be an island

last week we had cheng, anna, taylor, peyton, and leng over for dinner. it was great spending time talking and catching up! i made dinner all by myself and it turned out okay surprisingly! haha. i made curry with potatoes for the FIRST time, stir fry shrimp & peppers, and egg rolls. i dont know how it tasted for everyone, but i do know the curry was pretty spicy. lol. sorry! cheng took one bite and almost choked. hahaha. i guess i shouldn't have used the whole can.

anyways, here are the pics you guys are most excited to see. look at how big the twins are! (this was when they were getting ready to go home.) they slept the whole time they were with us pretty much. they probably kept cheng & anna up all nite after they left our house! hehe.



here's little taylor. doesn't he look like he's got his hands in his pockets or something? hehe.



and here's little peyton. i love his chubby cheeks!



i have to say that cheng and anna are AMAZING you guys. their world has been flipped upside down with twins and they are taking it all in stride. they are such wonderful parents. they tend to their child's every little whimper and cry. i really have to give them a hand because their lives have changed so much, but they have the best attitude about life. you always see smiles on their faces and it is such a blessing to have them in our lives as friends. =) we're so happy for you guys! you've got such beautiful boys!

well last weekend we went to madison for my aunt's graduation party that she threw for her 3 kids. 2 graduated from college, and then 1 graduated from high school. it was a really good time spent with close family. we dont really get to visit them too much in wisconsin, and its sad because she's my mom's only sister. i feel like we should definitely see them more often because my mom's side of the family is much smaller compared to my dad's side of the family. anyhow heres a picture of my mom and her side of the family. she has 2 brothers, 1 sister, and her mom, plus all the grandkids!



my aunt's speech at the party brought tears to everyone's eyes. shes a single mother of 7 kids. as a recent divorcee, life has been anything BUT easy....with her children as her strength and a couple close friends/neighbors as her encouragement, she's been able to provide for her children working multiple jobs and continue striving in life! she is definitely a force to be reckoned with. im immensely proud of her!

during her speech she brought out a bag. one-by-one she took out all the things she used to have to pack for her 7 kids: diapers, bottles, silverware, plates, tissue, kleenex....these were all the items she used to lug around everywhere in order to be prepared for anything a mother of 7 kids would encounter. once she was done pulling out all the things from her bag, she said that now that all of her kids are grown she won't have to carry those things around anymore.

it truly demonstrated a mother's love. a mother's love is like no other on this earth. it was really touching because when her oldest son gave his speech he placed all the items back into the bag and said that the children would use those things to care for their mother as she grows older. such a touching moment...*sigh*

on sunday joel hanson sang this amazing song. joel testifed that this song really helped him during difficult times when he felt like he was the desperate man in the song. read the lyrics and let it encourage you. so often i am one to isolate myself because it makes me feel better....but sometimes i just need to allow Him to rescue me.

DESPERATE MAN
by Andy Gullahorn

I know I just display my foolish pride
When I try to be an island to myself
You must be tired of all the stuff that I still hide
Because I just can't seem to trust anyone else
It's a lonely way to live
Such a lonely way to live

I'm a desperate man
I'm in desperate need
Of your saving hand
To come and rescue me

You've been more than patient all this time
If it were me I would have given up long ago
The first time that you pulled me from the mire
And I brushed you off to dig another hole
It's a sad way to live
Such a sad, sad way to live

I'm a desperate man
I'm in desperate need
Of your saving hand
To come and rescue me

I used to be the strong one
The self-sufficient fool
I thought I needed no one
But the plain and simple truth
Is I'm a desperate man

I'm a desperate man
I'm in desperate need
Of your saving hand
To come and rescue me