Don't Cry Because It's Over......

Smile Because It Happened.

Christmas Day ~ 

We met with President Bryan Zaccardi, our Stake President. 

He released us as full-time missionaries for 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church)

This is our plaque that hung on the wall of the Stake offices in the church in Billings Montana 

for the duration of our mission. 

It is a beautiful plaque. Lisa Dickson took our picture at the Halifax Temple that is on the plaque. 

We currently have it in the shop having the August 2016 changed to December 2016. 

These are our Certificates of Release as Ordinance Workers from the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple,  signed by our temple presidency. 

Presidents Veinot, Drennan and Green. 

We only worked with the Veinot's, Drennan's and Green's regularly for a short time, 

but we surely came to love them.
WHY DON'T I HAVE A PICTURE OF US WITH THEM??
I REMEMBER PLANNING TO DO THAT!! 

Our certificates of release from the Halifax Nova Scotia Temple Mission. 

These were signed by President Roy A. Fox. 

He was our President for 20 of the 21 months of our mission. 

The presidency we served most of our mission with:

Roy and Amy Bush (1st Counselor & Assistant Matron)

Roy and Hilda Fox (President and Matron)

Darrell and Charlotte Nelson (2nd Counselor & Assistant Matron)

The Temple Presidency and the Missionaries we were privileged to serve with. 

Elder & Sister Lamoreaux

Elder & Sister Linford 

President & Sister Bush

President & Sister Fox

President & Sister Nelson

Elder & Sister Pitt

The Ladies

Peggy Lamoreaux, Brenda Linford, Amy Bush, Hilda Fox, Charlotte Nelson, Sidney Pitt

The Gents

Ron Linford, Roy Bush, Roy Fox, Laurence Pitt, Darrell Nelson, Bob Lamoreaux

Those that hung out in the office most often......

Roy Bush, Roy Fox, Darrell Nelson, Laurence Pitt

The Leaders we would follow anywhere.....

cuz we know they would always be following the Lord. 

President Roy Bush, President Roy Fox, President Darrell Nelson

This has truly been an amazing experience for us! 

Our gratitude to Our Father in Heaven is deep. 

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Him in His Holy House. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His church on the earth today. 

This last 21 months has made that clearer and clearer to both of us on a daily basis. 

We have been so blessed to be able to serve in the Maritimes. 

The people there are incredible!!

This is my (Sidney) second mission. 

I have been allowed to serve in the best mission in the world each time. 

The people in the Maritimes and the people in the Republic of Ireland 

are the friendliest, kindest people you'll ever meet. 

I almost hesitate to apply for another mission thinking

 I can't continue to get the very best missions each time!! 

What about all the other missionaries who miss out??

However, we'll see what the Lord has in store for us!!

For those curious about our next adventure....

We'll be moving to Nauvoo, Illinois. 

We are excited to make that move. 

We have a lot of work to do on our home there and 

we are excited to become members of the community. 

Our Last Day Exploring

Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market

The oldest Farmer's Market in North America

Sadly, this does not do the crowds justice. 

This is such a fun place to wander. 

We ate a yummy breakfast there. 

Saw all kinds of products, some we were familiar with, some we weren't. 

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

After a fun time at the Farmer's Market, Aisling and I headed to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. 

What a great museum. 

Halifax should be proud of their museums!

The Titanic sank not far from Nova Scotia, many of the casualties from the ship are buried in the Halifax area. 

Lots of interesting material about ships and such through the years. 

Bluenose was a fishing boat/racing schooner, built in 1921. 

You will find the Bluenose on the back of the Canadian dime. 

The locals are very proud of the Bluenose.

I would love to sail on the Bluenose II. 

It sails out of Lunenburg and Halifax on sight seeing tours

throughout the summer. 

Halifax has a lot of sad history. 

The Halifax Explosion has to be one of the saddest. 

Before I came here, I'd never heard of it.

For Christmas I received a book about the explosion. 

Reading that along with visiting the museum and other reading has really broadened my understanding. 

Aisling can be the Captain of the ship anytime!!

Such a fun time we had together!!

At the museum we attended a workshop to make Sailor's Valentine's. 

Sailor's Valentine's were originally thought to be the handiwork of 

sailors as they spent weeks and months at sea. 

It is now known that they were usually made in Barbados and sold to the sailors to take home to their loved ones. 

The top left one is Aisling's

The top right is Sidney's.

The bottom ones were real ones on display in the museum. 

Occasionally I get to be the captain. 

Alas, the time of her departure arrived. 
We miss her a lot, and look forward to her next visit!

May our "little girl" be kept in the hollow of His hand. 

What more can I say? 

We love our life! 

We love serving our Father in Heaven.

We love being in Nova Scotia. 

We love the people here.

We love our family at home. 

Life is good!

Pier 21 ~ Canadian Museum of Immigration

Pier 21 ~ Canadian Museum of Immigration

We took the ferry from Dartmouth to Halifax. 

I still hadn't driven in Halifax and wasn't overly eager to begin on a snowy day. 

It was a c-o-l-d, windy day! 

In front of the piers at the wharf was this great statue 

"The Emigrant"

It is a representation of those who left their homeland to begin a new life in Canada. 

Pier 21 opened in 1928 and served as a passenger terminal for trans-Atlantic ocean liners

from 1928 to 1971. 

The Pier was the primary point of entry for over one million immigrants and refugees. 

It was also a departure point for nearly 500,000 Canadian military during WWII. 

They even built a facility there during the war to move troops from the 

hospital ships to special hospital trains. 

Over 2,000 children came through there as they fled the blitz in England. 

Huge amounts of gold bouillon were secretly brought through on their way out of Europe

to safety in Canadian banks. (The gold was labeled as things such as margarine & peanuts.)

At the end of the war, it continued busy with the welcoming return of the troops, 

followed by the ever welcome War Brides.  

Empress of Ireland ~ Canada's Titanic

The museum has a year-long special exhibit of the Empress of Ireland

The Empress of Ireland was a passenger ship of high regard, sailing between Canada and Great Britain. 

In the early morning of May 29, 1914 as it went up the St. Lawrence River in very foggy conditions

it was hit broadside by a ship carrying coal. 

The ship sank in less than 15 minutes and over 1,000 lives were lost. 

This horrific accident would probably be remembered more except that less than 2 months later, 

War was declared in Europe. 

The exhibit is in Halifax until November 13, 2016 I would recommend it to one and all!

The accident happened on the eastern end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, on this map it is on the far right. 

After our great museum visits, Aisling and I headed for lunch, actually I think it was more like an early dinner. 

We had great food at Stayner's. I had purchased coupons on Groupon, so basically everything was half price. Yay me!! 

We feel so blessed to be here!!

It seems like most of the people here are thinking of us, not themselves. 

We love our mission, we love the Lord!