Monday, February 13, 2012

The Holidays

Although winter time in Atlantic Canada is cold for the most part, we have a few warm memories left over from our holiday activities.

Thanksgiving:

Our Thanksgiving this year was filled with interesting people and delicious food. We were invited with the other senior couples except for the two couples in Newfoundland to the Mission Home for a Seniors' Conference that started on Wednesday evening and went through Thursday. Wednesday evening we had a delicious dinner and an enjoyable discussion around the dinner table. We don't get a chance to see the other missionaries often because most are some distance away from the mission headquarters. Therefore, it was really good to be able to share experiences and ideas. Our group consisted of temple missionaries, CES missionaries and us office missionaries. The leader and member support missionaries work in small branches trying to help strengthen them and they are having great success. President and Sister Robinson of the Halifax Temple also joined us on Thanksgiving.



Front row: Baures, Duncans, Simpsons, Sister Baines
Back row: Piersons, Lindquists, Foleys, Hunters, Nelsons, Robinsons, Elder Baines

There was lots of good visiting and lots of good food!


Elders Baines, Foley and President Robinson


Elder and Sister Lindquist


Awaiting the feast


Awaiting the food
Christmas:

For Christmas Eve we were invited back to the mission home to spend the evening with the young missionaries assigned to the Halifax metro area. The Simpsons' son and daughter-in-law and their three daughters were visiting from Cincinnati. It was refreshing to be around children at Christmas time.


Simpson Granddaughters


President and Sister Simpson


Let the games begin!!


Who wants that gift?


A captive audience

For Christmas Day we attended an inspirational church service and then had a few of the missionaries over for food and visiting. It was very relaxing and very enjoyable. President Simpson had given us a reading schedule of scriptures about Christ that we were to read each night during the Christmas season. It was an appropriate way to draw close to Christmas and to reflect upon the true meaning of the season with the young missionaries.

A lovely gift we received at Christmas


Our cute little tree


All that's left is dessert


Boxing Day:

This day is celebrated the day after Christmas. We were invited to a Family Home Evening group held by some members in our Ward. We joined them for a tasty prime rib dinner and some stimulating conversation. It is always interesting to have some of the long time members tell us their conversion stories. Many of the members in this area joined the church in the late 1960's and early 1970's. They have gone on to raise their children in the Church and now are seeing grandchildren also raised in the gospel.


A wonderful prime rib dinner with lovely people

New Year's Eve:

And last but not least New Year's Eve. We were invited to President and Sister Robinson's home for a night full of food, games and a movie. We had such a good time and a lot of laughs. We even made it to midnight. That was quite an accomplishment for us old timers. It was a great way to start a new year.

The Lindquists and a tempting meal


Lindquists, Baures and Foleys

Our love and prayers for a Happy New Year to All!!