on top of the world

how do you sum up the many moments that stand out from a trip?

the 1,200 pictures taken.
the songs sung in the car that have become the soundtrack of our vacation.
the chickens found in the strangest places all over town.
the unforgettable moment watching the sunset.
the impressive views along the na pali coast.
the laughter.
the fun of watching jurassic park with andrew.
the discovery of going to a bon dance.
the joy of watching the boys surf.
the pain of getting eaten alive by mosquitos.
the cups of salt water swallowed while playing in the ocean.
the breathtaking waterfalls.
the sunburns and rainbows and tropical breezes.

in our house we make a movie.

have a great weekend.

awesome and a dare

i had a dream about a blog post i was going to write today. something that would inspire, something honest and emotional.

i sat down at the computer this morning to write it.  but as i do every morning, i checked ali's site first and found this video.  this video that made me laugh, cry and breath deep.

this says it better than i ever could. and it's too wonderful not to share, especially now.

dare #5
do something that will make today awesome.  in a big way or small. for you or for someone else.  be "gooder than that". i dare you.

check out ali's post today.  the other video she has on there is pretty inspirational as well. (that one had me crying too.) we have more in common than differences.  let's remember and appreciate that.

have an incredible weekend.

i want to remember

eta: i added a better version of the video.

-stating up late writing my speech.
-not being able to sleep the night before just thinking about the wedding day.
-how calm she was the entire time.
-getting ready together in the bathroom, like we did when we were younger.
-drinking mimosas to calm the nerves.
-riding to the church in the car and holding my sister's hand.
-seeing all of the girls in their pretty dresses.
-how good i felt in mine.

-these crazy kids.
-hanging out in the bridal room at the church.
-walking down the aisle.
-seeing gaby walk down the aisle.

-going to mcdonald's for a drink and some fries after the ceremony.
-taking family pictures at the reception.
-how hot everyone was when we were taking pictures.

-the girls kicking off their heels.
-gaby and jessie's first dance.
-the emotion came flooding out.
-sitting with my parents, brothers and sister-in-laws for dinner.
-dancing.
-laughing with friends.
-listening to my nephew chris play and sing "marry me" by train.

-drinking 2 cosmos to get over the nerves of saying my speech.
-crying as soon as i started to speak.
-hanging out with my cousins.
-my time with shay, it was so special to me.
-seeing my dad dance with my sister.
-the grease remix.
-dancing to every single song.
-the love in the room.

it was a beautiful day  and we are so happy for them.

here's a slide show with my pictures from the day.

Untitled from Gioconda Mitas on Vimeo.

memories of 2010

i wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from 2010.  i wanted to make a video ala tara whitney.  but the best way to share our memories from 2010 is with this video that bobby made for his family at christmas.

i know the song is overused for videos like this but he had a number theme going and this song was the perfect fit.

celebrating a great year and looking forward to what 2011 has in store.