Harry's Blog

I don't believe I've actually shared our wedding photos with you before have I?

Here are some pictures from April 5th 2008 when Jo and I got married, followed by some pictures from our wonderful honeymoon in Cornwall.

And yes the first set is much better than the second - the wedding photos were taken by a pro. The honeymoon ones by me!

Click through to see the slideshows (I've moved them inside the page so as not to slow down the front of the site).

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I'm sure that you're not surprised there's not been much blogging in the last week or so. We've been very busy with the newest addition to our family - little baby Will. Or Baby Woo asd Jo and I continue to call him following Will's big brother's lead.

Last week was tough for all manner of reasons. Firstly there was the obvious addition to our family of a baby. He's pretty easygoing as babies go - sleeping much of the time - but we've had major angst on how to feed him. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth we've settled on a pragmatic rather than dogmatic approach and everyone seems much happier, especially little Will.

Then there are issues of how two toddlers will cope with the little interloper entering their lives. Patrick has been a complete star. His behaviou over the last week has been something to behold, he's fascinated by baby will but also seems to have grown up to fulfil the role of big brother. He's hardly been on the naughty step since Will arrived.

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Well gosh what an action-packed year it has been. Exactly one year ago today I went on my first date with a rather lovely lass from Ealing¹.

As some of you may remember from the time, me going on a date in June 2007 seemed a very odd thing to be doing given recent² events. But I was right wasn't I?

I remember being rather nervous. I went to get a haircut before this monumental event and was rather shocked at the cost. What I really should have done was go out and buy some decent clothes because I was a sartorial disaster of a date.

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The title refers to this being the second version of this post. The first version was a bitter little ramble about gossips, compassion or the lack thereof from certain quarters and general whinging about the place I'm about to leave behind.

But really, given how great things are at the moment who gives a flying fig about such matters? I've finally found a flat and paid the rent and deposit on it today. Tomorrow the removal van is coming to take all our worldly goods westwards to our new parish. Brilliant, really brilliant.

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There's this way people look at me in Shenfield, which I've coined the "poor Harry" look. They don't see a person, they see a tragedy – the poor widowed man left alone with twins. And they don't see much further than that.

I'm sure many do mean well, but they stop me in the street and talk to me like I'm a special needs child – rather than a grown man. To them I am incapable of functioning, cooking myself dinner or heaven forbid – smiling.

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Okay, so you've read all the good news - but now it's time for our happy adventure to become a more private affair. So there won't be as much blogging about RJ and I in the near future as we just get on with life.

The blog will be returning to the usual nonsense of waffling about news stories, music, sport, technology, beer and other rubbish.

Just my luck, Firefox crashed after I'd written some 750 words on the subject of Jesus' healing of Jairus' daughter (which was Sunday's reading in church) and the role of fear in our lives. It was pretty good stuff and I'll no doubt try to remember it all later and post it again - but for the moment I may as well just skip on to the purpose of that discussion.

The general gist was this, sometimes the things we fear are a smaller cause of suffering than the fear itself. Fear can paralyse us. Fear is the opposite of faith, which is belief in the future. Fear attacks us at the centre of our belief - in ourselves, in others and in God.

How is this relevant to a phone call I made this morning? Well because sometimes we have to take big leaps in life and looking over the precipice can fill us with fear. It's not the leap that's scary, it's waiting for your turn to jump.

A few minutes ago I jumped.

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Everybody knows about our engagement now. RJ's boss came back from his vacation on Saturday and told him the happy news.

So as we sat together in the church service on Sunday we were the final item in the parish notices. Vicar S announced we were engaged and the whole congregation burst into a cheer and spontaneous round of applause.

And of course after the service we were the centre of attention - everyone made me feel very welcome and the twins got lots of cuddles too.

Another rather brilliant day.

Yesterday I collected our new car, we've got a 2004 Ford Focus C-Max 1.8 Zetec, it's the newest car I've ever owned and I'm completely delighted with it. The car is big and comfy and it's very easy to get the twins in and out of it – especially as we can leave the car seats in it.

RJ was so pleased with the car that she suffered a total knowing where she was going failure on the way to Black Park where we were taking the twins to a pre-sleepytime walk. This is a park she knows very well, but I think we'll forgive this lapse given she was playing with our new toy. However I do feel rather smug given all the ribbing she's given me this week about buying a satnav system.

Visiting Black Park was great, our first chance to use the new double stroller RJ bought last week, and an opportunity for Patrick and Kitty to see some of the great outdoors. The stroller is an upright uncovered one, so they were able to see the trees, the ducks and the lake.

A lovely evening was had by all even if the twins got to bed an hour later than normal. RJ and I are increasingly finding life with each other to be nothing short of perfect – and this woodland walk with the twins made that even more clear.

Now I've got the new car (which ultimately will be our only car next year) we can put in place our new plan to see us through the eight months until we get married. The plan is that RJ and I will split a lot of the week between our two homes.

That means that really the only days we won't see each other are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Will this plan work? We will see in the coming weeks. One thing that is sure though – we are already finding spending time over in West London joyous and a wonderful taste of our future life together. Which makes it rather hard to part and the twins and I to come back here to Shenfield. Yes we're so sappy that we're not coping very well with even half a day apart from each other. Do feel free to mock.

I have to say I really love it over at RJ's parish, I love her house (which will become our marital home for a year before we move to the next parish) and am even – hold your breath folks – looking forward to tackling the jungle-like garden on Saturday.

Sure we may have entered some kind of domestic bliss, especially now I've bought such a dad car, but amidst what might appear to be mundane is a wonderful fairytale about two people who think the world of each other and can't bear to be apart.

Bloody hell I'm happy.

It's pretty obvious now isn't it, given the last post?

Last Saturday I asked RJ to marry me and she made me the happiest man in the world by saying yes.

But we kept things quiet for a week because we felt that we had to talk to her parents first. I met them for the first time on Thursday and it was a rather magical meeting.

And so since then we've gone pretty much public with family and friends.

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Yes I know you're all waiting for some news, we'll be with you later and update properly.

But I just wanted to say that I met RJ's parents yesterday.

I was very nervous but I needn't have been, both D and W are absolutely lovely and we got on really well.

It was a wonderful afternoon meeting them with RJ for lunch and I was sad to head home, I could have spent a lot longer with them.

Some of you know how nervous I was about meeting them but I can't think of any way the meeting could have gone better.

And that's all I'm going to say for now, we'll have something more exciting to post here together later today.

Kitty has learned another new trick today. She managed to completely roll herself over without using anything else to push against. It's the first time I've seen her do this and coupled with her cot exploring antics it's clear that it is nearly time to put the twins in separate cots.

Last night the twins woke up and were crying at 9pm, entering the room I discovering Kitty trying to climb on top of her brother. That's because they were sleeping in blankets last night because their bags were in the laundry - and it gave Kitty just too much scope to explore. Thankfully the bags are dry and ready for bedtime this evening.

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