Live Living: June 2009

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Movies, oh how I love you.

I love movies.

Yes I do.

Probably more than I should.

But who wouldn't love the idea of escaping for just those short 2-3 hours and being part of a whole other world?

I love all kinds of movies.

Romance

Action

Thriller

Drama

They're all so great.

I love it when a movie makes me cry, because that movie did more for me than just entertain for a short time. It moved me. It made me feel something more.

Extreme happiness.

Sadness

Perhaps it brought back memories of a situation I've been in.

Maybe it inspired me.

Movies like this are always put close to the top, if not at the top, of my list of favorites. Movies such as

Braveheart (my all time favorite)

Gladiator

The Last Samurai

La Vita É Bella

La Vie En Rose

The Secret Life of Bees

Hotel Rwanda

And then there are those films that just make you want to fall in love and smile or just get up and dance. Movies such as

Pride and Prejudice

The Notebook

Return to Me

Singin' in the Rain

Calamity Jane

And then there are those that you may not cry in, or you may not get that warm fuzzy feeling, but they are just plain great. Such as

Forrest Gump

Charlotte Gray

Man From Snowy River

V for Vendetta

Blood Diamond

Get Smart

My Fair Lady

In honor of all the great movies out there (because there are so many more than just those that I have listed) I have written this post. And with it (because I think that a huge reason that movies can be so great is because of the music in them), have found songs and quotes from as many great movies as I could find.

The Magic of Movies.

Let's hope they stay magic, inspiring, uplifting, and just plain awesome, and hope they don't sink along with the values of those that tend to make them! :)

My Movie Greats Playlist that you are now hearing:

1. "The Braveheart Theme"

2. The Freedom Speech from Braveheart

3. "Now We are Free" from Gladiator

4. Music from the "Honor Him" scene in Gladiator (I cry every time...)

5. "My name is Gladiator" from Gladiator

6. "Main Title" from The Notebook

7. "I'll Be Seeing You" by Billie Holiday. From the road dancing scene in The Notebook

8. "Top of the World" from Pride and Prejudice

9. "Darcy's Letter" from Pride and Prejudice

10. "Mrs. Darcy" from Pride and Prejudice

11. The theme song of La Vita É Bella

12. Music from The Last Samurai

13. "Singin' in the Rain" by Gene Kelly

14. "Secret Love" by Doris Day in Calamity Jane

15. "Black Hills of Dakota" from Calamity Jane

16. "The Power of Ideas" quote from V for Vendetta

17. "Jessica's Theme" from Man From Snowy River

18. "Non, Je ne Regrette Rien" from La Vie en Rose

19. "Forrest Gump Theme"

Part two of two: The Wedding

The wedding of my brother and Ashley was so great. It was such a great day. I love my sisters! And it is so great to have another one! Colin and Ashley are one of the cutest couples ever and they go perfectly together. Aren't weddings just great! My pictures are a little out of order, but here are all my best ones of the marvelous day!

Me and Chloe at the end of the reception. She loved having her own special dress. :)

Nat and Niah (AKA Nat and her "mini-me") at the luncheon. :)

Too bad you can't see their faces. I don't know how to work that setting on my camera. ha. But here is the bride and groom at the luncheon.

Kaitie Bug and Preslee waitin' outside the temple. It was quite windy up there.

The Cantafio family! It was awesome to have them in town from California.

The girls hangin' out outside the temple. Preslee posed very well for this picture. :) I think they had a lot of fun with Kaitie and Melissa while waiting for the ceremony. Meanwhile, I was pushing the cute baby Jones around so he'd go to sleep. It was such a beautiful day. :)

The three girlies playing in the backyard.

My lovely, beautiful sister Tam. :)

Another one of my beautiful, lovely sisters Nat! We all played outside forever the night before the wedding.

I absolutely loved having all of my family here! It's hard when it becomes a rare occurrence like it has. When we all get together we have the time of our lives, and this day was no exception. :) Congrats to the newlyweds Col and Ash! Can't wait til you guys get home!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Part one of two: Cali

I know, I know, it's been a while.

And I have a lot to blog about.

Hence, these next two posts.

I decided to do them separately because they are both big events in the life and times of

McKell.

So now for part one:

I went to Newport Beach, CA and stayed in a beach house.

and it was just FABulous!

I love the beach. I wish I lived near a beach. We played on the beach just about every day. It was great.

I love California. I wish I lived in California (sometimes). The things California has to offer!:

Theme Parks.

Shopping.

The Beach.

Sunshine...

It is a great place to be.

Among our activities that we participated in:

Beach lounging.

Bike riding.

Walking on the boardwalk.

Breakfast at Ruby's on the pier.

Angel's game!!!

More beach lounging.

Watching dolphins play off the shore.

Watching So You Think You Can Dance.

Playing pool.

Playing foosball.

Playing whiffle ball on the beach.

Even more beach lounging.

Swimming in the ocean (The water was quite cold so this was a slightly rare occurrence)

Playing with Aunt Jen and her kids.

Knott's Berry Farm.

Shopping at Downtown Disney.

Shopping at Huntington Beach.

Shopping everywhere.

Even MORE beach lounging.

And much much more!

It was a very relaxing, invigorating vacay. I enjoyed it quite a bit! I can't wait to go back when I get engaged! (since it has become a Forbes family tradition to take the engaged couple to stay at a beach house in Newport. Awesome.) Ha!

Some pictures:

Me, Melissa, and Bug on Huntington Beach Pier after breakfast at Ruby's