Down Home

Well, it's been awhile since I sat down to write a blog post, I'm falling behind. Perhaps I'll have more time in future as now every weekend will be a long weekend. I'm starting my transition to retirement this weekend; for the next two years I'll only work four days a week.

Any way last month, my sister, brother-in-law and I went to to Halifax, well Dartmouth actually, for a family weekend.  My youngest niece was getting married on the 12th of May. She and her family are Mormons so we were not be able to attend the ceremony itself, we decided to see if my mother's brother and his wife were available to spend some time with us while we were in town.  Not only were they available but they invited us to spend the weekend at their house. Had they not been available I doubt we would have gone.

We flew down on Thursday getting in around 9:30 pm.  We had a great time sitting up and chatting with my Aunt and Uncle who we hadn't seen since my father passed away. We were able to sleep in the next day as the wedding ceremony wasn't until the afternoon.  By the time we arrived at the Temple, my sister, her family and the bride and groom had already gone in. We waited with other guests in the waiting room for their sealing ceremony to be completed. The bouquet had one of my mother's brooches on it so that in a way she could be there too. Afterwards many many photos were taken before we headed off to a restaurant for the wedding dinner.

First Kiss

The bouquet

The dip

Karen, Keaton, Kayla and Kevin, the bride and groom with Kayla's parents

The restaurant was small but we had the whole upper loft area for our group. My youngest sister and her husband who have been travelling the US this past year had worked their way back to Canada and joined us for dinner. The dinner was very nice. There was a choice of  four dinner entrees along with cakes for dessert. It was the first time we had met our youngest great-nephew Haig Arthur the 4th.

Maureen, Steve and Aunt Helen

Juanita, Joe and Baby Haig Arthur

Saturday, we headed over to Halifax, we took the ferry over.  I was born in Halifax and went back there to go to university but this was the first time I ever took the ferry from Dartmouth to Halifax.  We walked along the waterfront to Pier 21 which is now a museum to immigration in Canada. In the 20's and 30's it was a large immigration centre for people who came to Canada by ship. After taking a tour of the museum we had lunch then headed back along the waterfront to meet Maureen and Steve at the Lower Deck pub.

On the ferry

Halifax Harbour

Waterfront walk

Citadel Hill

Local Brew

After a beer with Maureen and Steve we headed back to Helen and Terence's where we had the classic East Coast lobster supper, a little less expensive to have at home than at a restaurant.

Sunday afternoon, some of my cousins, two of my mother's brothers and her youngest sister came over along with other members of the family. We had a lovely pot luck supper.  It was great to see everyone. I'm sure I hadn't seen  my cousins' children since the kids were little now most of them are adults.

My sisters and me with our Aunt Helen

Uncle Terence

We flew back home on Monday. Hopefully it won't be as long until we see them again.