Good tears to cry

Mrs Hope and I just sat down and watched a slideshow of our various pictures from Reuben's first year.

A lot of memories and emotions stirred up, but it is good to look back and cry.

Thanks be to you, Jesus, for all that has come our way in 2008; help us be thankful for 2009.

Pic update

This is from Portugal, a trip we undertook just before coming out to the States.

Oh, and Reubs is walking now.

Cold today

Low 20s this morning, but the wind is making it feel even colder. The bird bath is, most wonderfully, frozen solid. I shall see if I can find time to nip outside and snap a picture.

I feel a bit of a wuss saying this (especially when the northern states are even colder...) but I am used to the west of England, constantly warmed by the Gulf Stream.

Mince pies anyone?

When we lived at our old house, one of the ways we got to know people was through our lovely neighbours, the Coles. (Actually, at that stage they were more properly our 'pre-neighbours', as we hadn't arranged a lease with the landlords of our old house.)

But Tim and Jules threw their usual Christmas party for their street: mulled wine and mince pies all round. We met our old landlords and the rest is history.

So when we moved into our new digs here in the heart of suburbia, we decided to follow in their footsteps and throw a house-warming/Christmas party for our new neighbours.

And so Mrs Hope baked all Saturday and produced 60 (delicious) mini mince pies, and then mulled and spiced wine and fruit juice respectively this afternoon. Having made and delivered our invitations two weeks earlier, our lovely neighbours turned up promptly at three this afternoon and tactfully left as Reuben tucked into his tea at five.

I can probably only remembered half a dozen names, as our sitting room was packed; there were kids playing pool downstairs and shouting through the intercom system or messing around with Reuben's toys and we ran out of both glasses and mugs. All in all it was a great afternoon.

But we've got still got half the mince pies left...

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

My wife: the pizza-crust-mouse

Image posted with LifeCast
[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

iBlog too

So this is from another app - sorry for the rather dull technical interludes.

Although I probably shouldn't get into the habit of blogging just before we go to bed, another thing Mrs Hope forgot to mention in her list is the credit/debit dialogue that you go through whenever we use our checking (Brit. 'debit') cards. Apparently 'debit' let's you get cashback and you validate with your PIN, while 'credit' doesn't allow cashback and you have to sign to validate.

Oh, and on the bank cards we now have, the images on opposite sides of a card are inverted (i.e. if you rotate it on the vertical axis, the card image is upside-down). It is the small things that get to me, like I said earlier.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Testing Times

This is my first post from my phone, to see if this app (LifeCast) works or not. Part of me is idly wondering why I'm even toying with the idea of blogging from my phone, as my blogging has been rather sporadic (at best!) lately. Still, I am a chap who enjoys gadgets, and my phone is definitely a gadget and a half.

Today I was asked if there were any "major" differences between living here in the US and living in the UK. I actually think the smallest differences can be the most unsettling: they tend to creep up ok you when you're unaware, and occur more frequently than the 'big shocks'. For me, the subtle changes in vocabulary has been what has caused the most disorientation. To whit, a conversation I had tonight with Reuben and Rachel, a friend of his:

Me: Hey, Reubs, you've found a fireman's helmet!

Reuben: ...

Rachel: No, it's a firefighter's helmet.

Me: Oh, yeah, that's what I meant Reuben, a firefighter's helmet.

Reuben: ...

Posted with LifeCast

Ever painted a snail?

Well, we did at our street party this summer. And we raced 'em too.

I have finally got round to uploading some pictures on Flickr (been having trouble with the latest uploader, so went back to the old one and it works).

Now I need to go and make my birthday boy some tea. Hurray Reubs - happy birthday!