The Elf Family

So I know I am behind in posts... I have to finish the wedding, honeymoon, Thanksgiving in Buffalo, etc... but I just HAD to post this first to kick off the Christmas Season!!!

I almost peed myself when I watched it... there are 3 different videos (3 different dances)

So enjoy the Weick/Maunder Family of Elves (oh and Gareth too!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! (early)

DISCO

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CHARLESTON

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BARNYARD BASH

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN - 2008

So this past Saturday Shelley had a Halloween Party! Everyone came out from the OC and even San Diego! The costumes were great!



Mark and I took a chance with our costumes! And yes this was Mark's idea NOT MINE!!!




The effort and true Halloween spirit was there!
PLUG & SOCKET - Mindee & Dickson
STEVE IRWIN - Phil
BALLARINAS - Rachel & Shelley
TWISTER - Behrmo
ARMY GUY - Jason
ZOMBIE (I think) - Charley
SENOR & SENORITA - Jade & MG
DEVIL - Erica
SAILOR - Eric
MAD HATTER & ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Mark & Sarah
CREEPY GUY IN THE TREES - Jon (Jade's friend)




Having too much fun with the Amigos!

Pumpkin Carving

We has Mindee and Dickson over for dinner on Sunday night! I think Mark and I have considered it our first "grown up" dinner... We even used the good napkins.

After we carved pumpkins, had pumpkin muffins & cookies. Tom, Melinda and Darrin joined us as well.


I must say, I think we were all impressed with our pumpkin carving skills.

From left to right...
Spider Web - JULIANNE
Witch & the Calderon - MARK & DICKSON (joint effort)
Scary Face - DARRIN
Happy Face - MELINDA
Wolf Howling at the Moon - TOM
Ghost - MINDEE & DICKSON (join effort)

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

St. Patrick's Day in the states is a huge celebration! Although I do believe it isn't even celebrated in Ireland... how ironic... leave it to the YANKS! We celebrated Hermosa Beach Style!





Myself, Sarah, Rachel and Shelley started at Shelley's new apartment for Margaritas & Bloody Marys at 3:00pm. Shelley made her famous "Shelleyritas" and I broke down and made my weigh watcher version.



We then rode our bikes to HBYC (Hermosa Beach Yacht Club) for one drink. It's a huge dive bar on 1st street. Oh who am I kidding... it's a hole. After that we got back on our bikes and rode to the pier. It was so windy on Saturday. I have never seen it like this before. The sand was pushed all the way up to the curb on Hermosa Avenue, and it was piled pretty deep. The beach looked like desert storm, it was insane. I couldn't get a picture because sand was getting in my hair, eyes and mouth... YUCK! I could feel it grinding in my teeth.



We couldn't get into any Irish Pubs because of lines and they were all at capacity. So we ended up staying at Fat Face Fenner's Fishack... which is a Boston Bar so we settled. Unfortunately the girls MADE me drink butterscotch shots!





The girls came up from the OC, but unfortunately I was extremely tired by the time they got there. We ended the night at 9pm... VERY EARLY!


Sarah was very tired at the end of the night!

It was a very fun time... Another successful party down at the beach!

VALENTINE'S DAY

Since I've been back to work, I've been fighting traffic every day to work... which is something I didn't miss AT ALL! So by the time I get home I'm really tired. It's hard for me to cook as much as I use to cause I don't get home till 8pm, and Mark just can't wait that long.

So yesterday was Valentine's Day and we planned on celebrating on Sunday because I had to work. But that didn't stop Mark. When I got home from work yesterday the entire apartment was spotless and smelled amazing. There were candles lit everywhere and Mark greeted me with a kiss and a glass of wine. WOW!

He cooked a big Weight Watchers meal for me! WOW! He went onto the WW website and got recipes and whipped up an amazing meal.

Chicken Sausage Salad = 5pts
Pasta Cabanara - 5 pts
Chocolate Fudge Frozen Yogurt = 2pts
Chocolate Covered Strawberries = 2pts


It was a little more than I usually eat for dinner... but it was worth every bite! After dessert he brewed me a cup of coffee and we put Godiva Cappuccino Liqueur in it!

How did I get so lucky? That boy makes me fall in love with him more and more everyday.

NEW YEARS EVE

I know it's taken so long to post our New Years in London, so I apologize. On New Years Eve Sinead, Kingsley, Mark and I went to dinner at Frankies in London. We met up with Kingsley and Sinead's friends for a wonderful dinner. There were 26 of us and we were packed into our table and booth like sausages. I didn't know they guy next to me very well, but by the time we had dinner and had a few bottles of wine we became friends and it was less awkward.

After dinner we went to a club called Eclipse. It was very small inside, but it was very nice. Mark and I had a lot of fun! And as long as there is champagne in my presence I'm just fine.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!

And the opening begins... once Mark was off of work.

Mark and I got my dad a digital camcorder. Mark's idea of course. He played with it all morning... unfortunately after he opened our gift, he didn't care to open all the clothes my mom so carefully picked out and wrapped. Typical male!

We got my mom a digital photo frame. It's something she's never seen before. They are really neat... they hold over a hundred pictures, plus music and video if you desire. And of course I always get her a Desperate Housewives calendar and a gift certificate to get her nails done.

I threw Mark off by getting him a few shirts and a pair of slippers. So he was really surprised when he opened an iPod Nano... Mark was VERY excited!

Mark got me a pair of UGG slippers. I absolutely love them. They are the most comfortable thing I've ever put on my feet. And my Aunt got me an extremely soft throw for our new sofa. I've been searching for a chocolate brown blanket everywhere and haven't been able to find the perfect one... but she did! And my parents got me a beautiful coat. It's something I've always wanted and definitely needed for our trip to London. My mom and I actually went shopping for it a few weeks ago... but since it was my xmas gift she had to wrap it and put it under the tree.

For dinner Mark's friend Mark (also from South Africa), my friend Sarah and her sister Ester came over. I was very happy that they were able to spend the holiday with us. All in all it was a great Christmas. Quiet but very nice.

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST

Tradition in the Weick House! My dad always makes us breakfast Christmas morning when we wake up. It always tastes so good. He makes orange rolls every year, but unfortunately they didn't turn out the way he wanted them to. Mark and I devoured them, so they must have not been that bad.

My mom always is very good about detailed holiday decorations. I admire how lovely her table always looks. She always puts out her xmas table cloth that Aunt Stella gave her from Italy "Buone Feste" (Merry Christmas in Italian).

CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas Eve was quiet as usual. We always visit my grandma Weick at the Nazareth House in Los Angeles where she now lives. It's nice to visit with her and hear all of the activities she has been participating in. Just two days ago she won at bingo. She NEVER misses bingo, it's her favorite. "Eat, Sleep and Pray"... is what she says every time we ask her what she's up to.

We then went back to my Aunt Marilyn's house and had xmas eve dinner. Mark watched "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" for the first time. I was just so surprised that he had never seen it before.

Mark and I spent the night at my parent's house. We conked out early in anticipation of Santa Claus! The tree always looks more festive with so many presents under it!

DISNEYLAND @ CHRISTMAS TIME

The girls (Erica, MG, Behrmo & Katie) and I went to Disneyland last Friday. It was a last minuet decision, and well worth it. It was nice just having fun with the girls. The whole park was beautifully decorated for xmas. Main Street look particularly amazing! It was very cold (for So. Cali) but it was fun to get all bundled up and ride our favorite attractions which are...
SPACE MOUNTAIN
THUNDER MOUNTAIN
INDIANA JONES
THE HAUNTED MANSION (which was decorated in the theme... the "nightmare before xmas")

We had a wonderful time, and I can wait to maybe make it an annual tradition!

Christmas Tree

Mark and I finally decorated our xmas tree. We ended up buying a artificial tree, but I think it looks nice. Our apartment is small, but it's nice and quaint.