IT SNOWED!!!!!!!

I am a happy lady today. I got Reuben up and out as soon as I could and, with him looking rather like the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters, we ventured into the snow. It's so beautiful, so so beautiful! He played for a while and then got a bit cold (we haven't got mittens that fit him yet, nor any proper outdoor shoes - shopping trip needed I think, especially as we're off to New Hampshire in a couple of weeks time where there is feet of snow!) so went in. I went for a short walk and just was in snow heaven. I think the fact that we are surrounded too by so many big trees really makes it even more magical.

Today is like a perfect winter day for me: snow outside, warm inside, doing some baking so the house smells good, a friend coming round so the kids could play together, a really chilled out fun time playing with Reubs by myself and now he's in bed so I will do some chores, bake some cookies and do some reading and praying.

I love today!

I am currently watching Bridget Jones on tv. An oldie but still an absolute classic. It's nice to see some Brit comedy! The funniest bit is how the Americans have scrubbed all of the swear words out, which normally make it very funny and very Bridget Jones, and replaced the 'F' word with 'frig'...

A relatively un-eventful week this week, but nice nonetheless:

Reuben was suffering some of the delayed effects of the vaccinations he had and was a bit ill for a few days. It was sad for him but meant that I got lots of cuddles from a normally go-get-'em beautiful kid. It was very nice!

I spent some time with Jesus thinking about life and where I've come from and was reminded of a verse in 2 Corinthians where Paul talks about how when he is weak then he is most strong as Jesus can be so much stronger through him. I don't have to be perfect! I can fail! Lord let it sink into my heart, not just my head.

We saw some new friends for dinner on Sunday and had a great time with them, getting to know them a bit more and eating lots of chicken wings.

Tom has headed off for a youth conference to let them know about Via, to get them interested in discipleship and to hang out with some friends. 

I woke up today and it was -13 outside. That's very cold. Brrrrrr! I want to know where the snow is though. It's very unfair that so many other places have had some but not us.

Tuesday is the presidential inauguration. I'm very excited to be here for such a momentous day and fully plan on relishing it on the TV throughout the day. There is SO much Obama merchandise available. Tom and I were thinking of collecting the tackiest things we could find. I'll see what we can do. At the mo most people are more excited about the Ravens (Baltimore's american football team) game on Sunday in the Superbowl playoffs (another thing I am looking forward to - the final on 1 Feb. It's nice to be able to watch it at a decent hour instead of it being ridiculously late at night).

This afternoon I am taking Reuben to a mums and kids french group to see if we can a. start to practise french and b. meet some other non-church people. I have no idea what it'll be like but anything's worth a go eh!?

Just a couple of other things to add aside from that: 

- Reuben got his 6 1-year old's jabs this week and we experienced the benefits of being some of the very privileged people who have health care here (it was amazing but afterwards made me reflect on how lots don't get it and just get sick or run up immense un-payable bills and thankful that we haven't had any serious illnesses yet. Check out this from a BBC guy today...).

- The book I'm reading is still wowing me - especially the chapter on Jesus and american politics and his time in Iraq. Amazing. Tom and I cried in the kitchen together.

- Tom taught our friend Nazim how to cook spaghetti carbonara last night and it was great

- I am inspired by some beautiful women in our community to keep working through all of my crappy issues

- Reuben, Tom and I danced around the living room this morning worshipping to the Great Big God kids worship CD. It was so much fun. It made me think of our friends in Bristol - the Davis' - who did the same with their girls. We love them for their example!

I have been finally feeling a bit homesick for the first time since we arrived. I have been expecting it to hit at some point and surprised that it hasn't come sooner! 

I am missing hanging out with some friends in Bristol; I am missing being able to walk down the Gloucester Road and browse in cool shops; I am missing Joe's bakery and the bread therein; I am missing bumping into people as I walk around.

But I am feeling weirdly ok. I know that we're here and here is the right place and it gives a strange but wonderful sense of peace. I know that I will make friends to the same depth as I have in Bristol. I know that I can find bread if I need to. I know that God has us in a great place, with great people and that things take time.

The thing that sparked it off: the US government's reaction  to the Israeli attacks on Gaza. It made me feel very sad to be here and not be able to be officially represented or be able to have any influence in any way whereas in the UK at least I could write to someone or vote differently. Maybe there is something I could do here, I just haven't found it yet. I'm a legal alien, feeling very alien, but at home in my new body...

PS I am reading currently a book called Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne. It's very interesting and captures a lot of what I feel about how life should be lived. My question for myself is why am I not therefore doing it. God, what form can Tom and I begin to put this into practise?

We took down our Christmas tree yesterday. I felt quite sad about it - I always feel a bit bad about wasting such a beautiful tree. I think we will try and get it mulched so at least it can carry on doing some good. But it has allowed me to move a plant so that my new pin board can go up in the kitchen and I can at last begin to be a bit more organised!

We have to take our Maryland State driving licenses soon. This isn't as straight forward as you'd think. We have to either complete a 3-hour drug and alcohol seminar or do the facts and some short tests online (which we are doing. much easier.), and then a written test related to this. Then we have to do a highway code test, a sight test and then finally the driving bit. All quite annoying. I think Tom will appreciate getting his license so that he doesn't get rejected from bars when id'd(!)  as they don't take UK driving licenses as proof of age.

Other things to remember as odd:

- priorities at crossroads are given to the person who arrived there first, not necessarily the person to the right/left. this took some getting used to!

- walking 1o minutes to the local shops isn't normal

- the doctor's surgery being like going into a hospital consultants' gathering: pediatricians, gynaecologists, family practice, geriatrics, mammograms, sleep specialists, rheumatologists etc etc all in one building and available to see when you want to! Very odd...