FINE DINING
Checking another blog the other day and came across this fantastic story of eating out in "Norn Iron". It's called, "Are youse gettin?" and it's in the blog of someone called "Chemical". To read the story click here . So let's hear your stories of eating out or shopping in this part of the world.

What Difference a Year Makes.

Here's Ben at two hours old, trying to make sense of his new and noisy world.

And here's Caleb at 12 months. He creates his own noisy world!

A STAR IS BORN
Reuben Joseph Allen (Ben) arrived today (8lb 9oz) at 12.27 pm in the Ulster Hospital, Belfast. Here he is at 2 hours old.

Mum and baby doing well.

BBC broadcast "Morning Service" from the church (Carrickfergus Baptist Church) this week. We got fairly short notice but managed to pull it together on time. Thanks to everyone who took part and to all of those who worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen. Sermon was on Zacchaeus and the hymns fitted in well. A good morning and because it was a live broadcast we started at 10.15 and it was all over by 11.00am for coffee.

Happy Birthday to our daughter-in-law Stacey in Medicine Hat whose birthday was this week! She gets more beautiful every year!

Hard to find a picture of Stacey without Caleb at the minute so here they both are.

Happy Birthday to Yousens!

Happy Birthday to our Daughter-in-law, Katie in Greyabbey, Co. Down!

And also to our Grandson, Caleb in Medicine Hat, Canada, (who is 1 today) We celebrated Caleb's birthday over the webcam. Isn't technology wonderful!

A couple of photos of our grandson Caleb, who will be one year old in a few days time!

Nae barrer tae me! ("No bother to me!" for you English speakers). On Saturday afternoon I successfully assembled a flat pack bedside cabinet completely unaided (despite what Rick may try to tell you!)

Quite a successful weekend actually having stuffed the rest of the family at "Hotel" the previous night! I obviously missed my true calling as a holtelier and property developer!

Admittendly Katie has an excuse as she has her mind (and tummy) on other things right now. "Beanie" is due sometime soon.

Still had our friends from Texas with us, and the weather wasn't great, (surprisingly for the end of December!) so we took them to the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra.

It was a bit of a ghost town with very few visitors and nothing much happening but we had a look round the village and some of the cottages and they seemed to enjoy it.

The day after Boxing day, our friends Dave and Syd arrived from Laredo, Texas with their son Matt and his friend Lucy. This was their first time in Ireland so despite the fact that it was freezing we took them up the Antrim Coast Road.

Stopped and had a picnic at the "Madman's Window" outside Glenarm.

The sun came out in the late afternoon and we explored around Cushendall and Layde Old Church, before heading up to Torr Head and home via Ballycastle.

Boxing day. Down to Carl and Mavis' house in Donaghadee for the traditional Boxing Night party. Great food and company again and ended the night with "Mafia!" Told Carl my old lawnmower had broken and so he gave me one of his. What are friends for if you can't exploit them!

Christmas morning! Guess who got a set of headphones from Santa?

Church and then Christmas dinner!

Afterwards Rick and Katie headed up to Katie's folks in Ballymena.

Christmas has been so busy that I'm only now getting a chance to bring this up to date.

Borrowed my neighbour George's lawnmower, as mine had given up the ghost and cut the grass on the Saturday before Christmas.

Had the Youth Fellowship up that evening, (they usually come on Christmas Eve but that wasn't going to work this year) and we played the usual games. (A Day at the Races is the big favourite!)

On Christmas Eve we had church in the morning and then a carol service in the evening. Rick and Katie arrived after church and slept over.