Saturday, December 18, 2010

A Snowy Day in Londontown...

The Kipphuts should be buckling their seat belts and settling in for the hop across the pond... However, London weather had another plan. About 2 hours of snow left us with mass chaos at the airports, train stations and roads. Runways are closed and the Kipphuts' flight has been cancelled... the good news is that they are rebooked to arrive on Tuesday. Finger crossed :-)


We dealt with our disappointment with a frolic in the snow... which ended in a snowball fight!
I guess it is not all bad!!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Happy Birthday Party Day to ME!!!

After getting a taste of karaoke at the Marshski wedding in August I am officially hooked. So when CK and I saw a sign for karaoke at our local pub it started the wheels turning... I asked CK to plan a birthday party for me before all our friends disperse across the world for the holidays. Thus Jen's 28th (yep I am officially going in reverse now) Birthday Party Day Celebration was born!

The gang at the Grand Union in Islington post dinner (which included a very loud birthday serenade and table dancing). The gang had a very lovely addition of Michelle from Atlanta who happened to be in town for work.

Getting the party started in our private karaoke room at Lucky Voice with a little Amy Winehouse. Good thing for you this blog doesn't have sound!

 Charles and Bethany sporting the lovely hates provided in our prop box!

 Steven and Chris wearing their own wigs... just kidding, those were in the prop box as well.

These are the only pics we have at the minute but I will try to beg others off the rest of the singers... err I mean friends ;-)

And now I have seen it all...

A man, sitting on a toilet, reading a paper on Westminster Bridge next to Parliament...

Fancy Dress Fun in the S-J-Dub

After a year of threatening to do a pub crawl from our place in St John's Wood to the Marshki's in Kilburn... we finally got it together in October. And since it was October, the only way to do it was in costume. And if you're going to put on a costume, it should be an 80's themed get up... And if it is 80's themed and Chris is involved... well... then it is obviously going to be...

He Man and his once long lost sister She Ra... the sister bit was strange... CK in a blonde wig was stranger!


The Marshki's did it up with Beetlejuice and Lydia.
The whole gang at our favorite local, The Ordinance.
Alex and Oli drove down from Stoke for the festivities. Oli made a brilliant Axel Rose!

 Tim rocking the Canadian tuxedo with Laura proving metallic animal print leggings are hot!


 Anthony won a prize for best costume at the last pub we visited... and believe it or not CK won for best dancer! If only I had taken video of his Gray Skull shuffle!

I am afraid this is where the pictures end... following this last photo there was a bus journey with zombies and a cowgirl, a walk through Camden that included several random stranger photos, the aforementioned dancing contest, a long wait at a bus stop in the cold, an attempt to secure a taxi and finally a walk through Primrose Hill to get home! It is a good thing the camera was safely tucked away and forgotten about! No need to worry; everyone made it home safe and sound! 

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Where to start...

After months of promising myself that I would update the blog... as well as months of request that I get it together and start posting... I am back! I have given up on the idea that I will update the last 6 months of happenings in order. Let's face it... it simply would never happen. I will do my best to catch up with posts about Poland, Berlin, The Kipphuts' visit in September, our Halloween pub crawl (including CK's best dancer prize), our first footie match, Birthday Party Day celebration, many Sunday roasts and a few other visitors! It has been an amazing year but it isn't over yet... still to come a long weekend in Bath and the Kipphuts for Christmas.

Santa Run 2010

Nothing like a jog around the park with 2000 peeps dressed like Father Christmas!



Post warm up... getting ready for the start.

Chris and I ready to get our run on.

Ho ho ho!

Chris contemplating the meaning of Christmas...

Florida Girl returns...

After a very long winter and a rather dull London summer, we headed to Rosemary Beach for Labor Day. My dad and Lori drove over from Jacksonville for a night before heading north to Tennessee. Michelle, Matt and trey came down from Atlanta for the end of the week. We had a week of sunshine and amazing heat... which I am dearly missing at this moment! Chris and I were on the beach every single day and if I look closely enough I can still see faint tan lines over 4 months later!

 Me, Chris, Laurie, Mike, Michelle, Trey and Matt

 Our first day on the beach... HEAVEN!

Lori, me and my dad.

Christopher and his toes...

Chris, me and Trey... after a week in the sun.
Trey sporting his Polska t-shirt. 

 I'm at the beach... Woo Hoo!!!

The trick is to jump a little but bend your knees a lot! 

House of Lords

Chris and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary this year. We decided that our gift to one another would be attending a charity event at the House of Lords. The evening included entry into Westminster Palace via the Sovereign's Gate, cocktails and canapes on the Thames River, and a tour of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

 Chris and I on the Thames River terrace.

View of Westminster just after sunset.