fridays, family, and friends

these are things that have been on my mind this week:





-my brothers. this week my brother hoxav turned 14. wow. i still remember taking care of him when he was born. he's grown into such a handsome young man. man, hes going to break so many girls hearts! haha.

my little brother taying also told me that he likes a girl in his kindergarten class. her name is isabella. gosh i dont remember liking anyone when i was that young! he's so darn cute.

-ignorant, racist people. there's a show on on mtv rite now called "my life as liz." johan likes catching it whenever he can. i wondered if he liked her, but he said, "no, she reminds me of me when i was in high school." there was a clip of liz at a party and the most popular girl in high school asked liz to go home because no one wanted her there.

liz is ur typical nerdy outcast girl who doesn't fit in. she has guy friends who are super nerdy that play that one game...you know where they say: "MAGIC MISSILE! MAGIC MISSILE!" i can't remember wat its called lol.

johan told me that once he showed up to a party with his friends and the guy who was throwing it told him to "go home cuz chinks werent allowed." UGH! makes me so angry cuz my heart goes out to johan. i didnt go thru things like that in high school because i didn't avail myself to those kinds of situations. you see, johan was really popular in high school because he played in a band, but since he lived in a meeka town, there was still a lot of racism. last johan heard about that guy who told him to leave the party, he was arrested for something lame like driving his tractor on the highway or something! ha!

-the house i grew up in when i was little. yesterday i heard a plane fly above the apartment building and it triggered this vivid memory in me...my brothers and sisters and i out playing in our backyard and on the side of the house by our neighbors, bob & mary. it was a chilly spring afternoon. the grass was still yellow from winter, but we were happy to be outside. feeling the cool breeze and not having a care in the world. just feeling soo happy...



-good friends. last nite my dropped off some dinner that she cooked for me since i've been studying so hard for the bar. (haha. i hope im deserving of it!) it was homemade hmong food, yunno pork with cauliflower. im so excited to eat it for dinner. my and maisue, you guys are the most supportive friends one could ask for. thanks for your thoughtfulness.

-family. yesterday i spent some time with my sisters and nephew. it was so good to take a break. mentally, i needed it. i kept thinking about how much i needed to study, but as i was driving home, i thought about how these kinds of moments will pass by if you dont take advantage of them. and school and studying will always be there, but spending time with your loved ones can never be replaced.

xuying has gotten so much bigger and smarter. he talks so much now. adorable i tell u. so adorable! he brings so much joy to my heart. johan really missed out on seeing him yesterday. =)

i leave you with this prayer i found on carlos whittaker's blog:

My Lord God
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean
that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that my desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this
you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
- Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

Amen…


-p