HI'm feeling pressured to update my blog. No one is pressuring me, but since I began this blog I feel a sense of responsibility for keeping it going...even when I don't feel like I have anything to say.
But the first two weeks of this month were great. I had a visit from Jari and the girls as well as Daniel and his family. Jari flew into Boise on the 2nd with Charlotte and Hazel. Daniel and Jessica drove to Boise with William and Weston and got here on the 7th. I loved having them all here and the house felt so empty when they were all gone. How I wish all my family lived closer so I could see them all more often. Financial security will never be part of my life and I won't have the ability to go see my family when they are scattered all across the country, but it is a tremendous comfort to know that they all have strong testimonies of the gospel. I wouldn't trade that for anything.
Sunday, Shannon Nickolas (YW president) asked if I would teach a class on family history or some such thing. I will be gone the week she wanted me to do it so we changed the date for the following week. It will be August 14th. Shannon knew I went to the Roots Magic Convention and thought I could give the girls some tips or something. I need to find out exactly what she wants me to teach. I was excited about her asking me to teach the class because I have really slacked in my efforts to do anything concerning genealogy. This will, hopefully, get me started again. Yesterday I was looking for dad's birth certificate. Lorrie wants to borrow it and I can't find it. I should have filed it as soon as I got home with it. The thought of doing that pricked my mind a few times, but I ignored it and now I can't find it when I want it. ALWAYS heed promptings that come to mind! I seriously need to organize what I've done and what needs to be done. And, I should start to go through the writings that we found from Grandma Mildred. Help. I need my kids nearby so they can help me. I feel overwhelmed. Concentrate, Diane. One bite at a time.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Stopping for Wisdom Teeth
Writing a blog is tedious. I much prefer to write in a journal. Guess I'm just old school. I've read blogs that other people have posted and they are fun to read. I don't have the talent for writing enjoyable reading material.
Sheighla has finally got all of her wisdom teeth removed. Greg Davis, in his never-ending kindness, said he would do it for us. He did it to help us in our financial situation. He knows our needs. It didn't turn out as he expected and the first trip was a ten-and-a-half hour marathon that was traumatic for everyone involved. Sheighla's face was swollen to the point that it didn't even look like her. It was that way for three days before it started to subside. Yesterday Greg removed the last half of the last tooth. That took two hours. The teeth were very bony and impacted. An oral surgeon would have charged us a fortune to have it done. For the most part, we are all recovered. Sheighla still has the normal healing and that will probably take about six months. Now she just has some swelling from yesterday's procedure.
So what did we do last week? Sheighla spent the first three days on the couch and, in sympathy, I watched movies and programs with her. I was pretty much worthless as far as doing anything productive. I wish I was able to conclude with something profound from the experience, but my cognitive powers are considerably lacking.
What IS exciting is the fact that Sheighla is one step closer to getting her missionary papers completed!
Sheighla has finally got all of her wisdom teeth removed. Greg Davis, in his never-ending kindness, said he would do it for us. He did it to help us in our financial situation. He knows our needs. It didn't turn out as he expected and the first trip was a ten-and-a-half hour marathon that was traumatic for everyone involved. Sheighla's face was swollen to the point that it didn't even look like her. It was that way for three days before it started to subside. Yesterday Greg removed the last half of the last tooth. That took two hours. The teeth were very bony and impacted. An oral surgeon would have charged us a fortune to have it done. For the most part, we are all recovered. Sheighla still has the normal healing and that will probably take about six months. Now she just has some swelling from yesterday's procedure.
So what did we do last week? Sheighla spent the first three days on the couch and, in sympathy, I watched movies and programs with her. I was pretty much worthless as far as doing anything productive. I wish I was able to conclude with something profound from the experience, but my cognitive powers are considerably lacking.
What IS exciting is the fact that Sheighla is one step closer to getting her missionary papers completed!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Big Time Out
Okay. I took a bit of time off. Let's be honest and own up to the fact that I completely forgot that I had a blog and I was going to write about family history (which has come to a halt). Kaila, Chris, and Aeden came to visit. Chris came for about five days at the first of the month and Kaila just left today with Aeden. It was fun to have them visit and find I am missing them. Aeden is just like Eric at that age without the anger issues. He has two settings: still (when he is asleep) and running. I'm not sure he even knows how to just walk.
I really need to start doing family history again. I need a goal. I just don't know what goal to choose. So much needs to be done and I really don't know where to start. I believe I mentioned at one point that it is overwhelming. Well....that's the truth. I just took about fifteen seconds to think of a goal for this next week. Along with all the other projects I have going, I have decided to contact Terry and find out what he wants to have brought back to him. I'd love to keep some of the original documents in the nifty archive box I now have. But I certainly don't want all the stuff dad had.
But what really scares me, is the box of papers with Grandma's writing. There is absolutely no organization to any of it and I don't know if it should all be scanned and saved, or if part of it is sufficient. What will be interesting to everyone? Or, will anyone even be interested? It would be nice if it would magically arrange itself into a nice, neat notebook. Oh wait....that's my job. I said I would do it, and so I shall. I'll try to start on it tomorrow. And I say tomorrow because currently it is 11:12 pm. I just hope that when I finish with it that someone will appreciate it. One of my kids needs to get bitten by the genealogy bug and take an interest. Right now they are all busy with their families and lives. Been there. I know how it is.
I really need to start doing family history again. I need a goal. I just don't know what goal to choose. So much needs to be done and I really don't know where to start. I believe I mentioned at one point that it is overwhelming. Well....that's the truth. I just took about fifteen seconds to think of a goal for this next week. Along with all the other projects I have going, I have decided to contact Terry and find out what he wants to have brought back to him. I'd love to keep some of the original documents in the nifty archive box I now have. But I certainly don't want all the stuff dad had.
But what really scares me, is the box of papers with Grandma's writing. There is absolutely no organization to any of it and I don't know if it should all be scanned and saved, or if part of it is sufficient. What will be interesting to everyone? Or, will anyone even be interested? It would be nice if it would magically arrange itself into a nice, neat notebook. Oh wait....that's my job. I said I would do it, and so I shall. I'll try to start on it tomorrow. And I say tomorrow because currently it is 11:12 pm. I just hope that when I finish with it that someone will appreciate it. One of my kids needs to get bitten by the genealogy bug and take an interest. Right now they are all busy with their families and lives. Been there. I know how it is.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Some Time to Reflect
What happened to my drive for doing genealogy? Did I do too much all at once and burned out? I am finding it hard to get motivated to start again. I think it is mostly due to the nice weather we are having and all the work that needs to be done outside. There is a lot of inside work that also needs to be done, but that isn't as enjoyable as the outside work.
I've been trying to get the front flower bed weeded (or wedded, as Jari used to say). It is full of grass and it hasn't been trimmed since last year so the grass around it and the grass inside was over a foot tall and all in seed. I've worked on it for two days now. I work until my hands start aching. It is almost done and I'll probably finish it today. There is so much grass it has already filled a large black garbage bag. Once I get the job finished my hands won't ache as much at night. I'm also filling a bag of weeds each day from the never ending supply we have in back.
But yesterday morning I spent three hours outside on the flowerbed. I felt so tired the rest of the day and was moving slowly with everything I did. I was really ready for bed last night. I keep the front door open at night to let in the cooler air. About a quarter after four this morning I heard a man's voice. I thought Larry was talking on the phone with someone. Then I heard another voice and saw a flashlight through the slats in the living room windows. I wondered who was prowling around the house so I went to the door to find out what was happening. There were two police officers coming to the door as I opened it. They said they drove by and saw the door open. I said I leave it open for the air. Then they asked if I had heard any shots fired. I didn't hear anything until they came. I was sleeping very soundly. Apparently the neighbors two houses down and the ones behind reported hearing gunshots fired around three. They wondered if I had heard anything since the door was open. I apologized for not being able to help and they left. I also could not go back to sleep.
So...I thought about the kind of neighborhood we have lived in these last 23 years. There have been shootings, drugs, a meth lab, pedophiles, break-ins, vandalism, etc. We have been relatively free from anything negative. Someone broke into the house when we were gone on vacation one year and did a little damage and stole some minor things. We are pretty sure it was the kid across the street and some of his friends. But for the most part, that is all. We have been very blessed and protected considering the kind of area and what has happened here. I have no doubt the Lord has watched over this family. I am so grateful for that. It has been a request in every prayer and one that has been answered. The Lord hears and answers prayers. No doubt about it.
I've been trying to get the front flower bed weeded (or wedded, as Jari used to say). It is full of grass and it hasn't been trimmed since last year so the grass around it and the grass inside was over a foot tall and all in seed. I've worked on it for two days now. I work until my hands start aching. It is almost done and I'll probably finish it today. There is so much grass it has already filled a large black garbage bag. Once I get the job finished my hands won't ache as much at night. I'm also filling a bag of weeds each day from the never ending supply we have in back.
But yesterday morning I spent three hours outside on the flowerbed. I felt so tired the rest of the day and was moving slowly with everything I did. I was really ready for bed last night. I keep the front door open at night to let in the cooler air. About a quarter after four this morning I heard a man's voice. I thought Larry was talking on the phone with someone. Then I heard another voice and saw a flashlight through the slats in the living room windows. I wondered who was prowling around the house so I went to the door to find out what was happening. There were two police officers coming to the door as I opened it. They said they drove by and saw the door open. I said I leave it open for the air. Then they asked if I had heard any shots fired. I didn't hear anything until they came. I was sleeping very soundly. Apparently the neighbors two houses down and the ones behind reported hearing gunshots fired around three. They wondered if I had heard anything since the door was open. I apologized for not being able to help and they left. I also could not go back to sleep.
So...I thought about the kind of neighborhood we have lived in these last 23 years. There have been shootings, drugs, a meth lab, pedophiles, break-ins, vandalism, etc. We have been relatively free from anything negative. Someone broke into the house when we were gone on vacation one year and did a little damage and stole some minor things. We are pretty sure it was the kid across the street and some of his friends. But for the most part, that is all. We have been very blessed and protected considering the kind of area and what has happened here. I have no doubt the Lord has watched over this family. I am so grateful for that. It has been a request in every prayer and one that has been answered. The Lord hears and answers prayers. No doubt about it.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Redirecting My Focus
I've decided that blogging isn't all that easy to do. I have been fairly busy through the month of April and first week of May and didn't take time to write. I've done no work on family history or genealogy. I did get to visit with Jayna a couple of days this week and had fun with her. The first day she transfered her digital files to my laptop. The second day we went to the antique mall on Overland. Fun.
Now I just want to blog about something special I notice that has happened during the week. I'm more apt to write something. So, for this week the most special thing was spending time with Jayna.
For those who don't know her, she is my younger cousin. Jayna is one of those individuals that draw people to her. She is so fun and loving. She is VERY talented and has a master's degree in art from BYU. I would love to see her house someday and see all the neat stuff she has done. And she is always doing things for people.
Jayna has met with some difficult challenges in her life. She was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis a few years ago and was given up to five years to live. Then about a year and a half ago she was told she had stage four breast cancer and given the same time frame for living. She has had radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other medication which has helped stop the advancement of the fibrosis and right now she has no active cancer cells. That can change quickly, but it enabled us to have a good time together.
Along with the medical challenges, Jayna has challenges with her family. None of her children remained active in the church. And each has brought to the table additional challenges for Jayna. At one time she had four of her adult children (along with spouses and children) living with her (and Steve). I don't know how she managed to stay sane. She was able to do it because of her loving nature and I know the Lord has blessed her for giving so much of herself.
It helps me recognize how greatly I am blessed with the wonderful kids I have and I love them so very much. Our problems are so minor in comparison. Currently all my children are active in the church. I have the most amazing, wonderful grandchildren. Even though I seldom see them, I am crazy about them. They are SO precious to me. Love you all!
Now I just want to blog about something special I notice that has happened during the week. I'm more apt to write something. So, for this week the most special thing was spending time with Jayna.
For those who don't know her, she is my younger cousin. Jayna is one of those individuals that draw people to her. She is so fun and loving. She is VERY talented and has a master's degree in art from BYU. I would love to see her house someday and see all the neat stuff she has done. And she is always doing things for people.
Jayna has met with some difficult challenges in her life. She was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis a few years ago and was given up to five years to live. Then about a year and a half ago she was told she had stage four breast cancer and given the same time frame for living. She has had radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other medication which has helped stop the advancement of the fibrosis and right now she has no active cancer cells. That can change quickly, but it enabled us to have a good time together.
Along with the medical challenges, Jayna has challenges with her family. None of her children remained active in the church. And each has brought to the table additional challenges for Jayna. At one time she had four of her adult children (along with spouses and children) living with her (and Steve). I don't know how she managed to stay sane. She was able to do it because of her loving nature and I know the Lord has blessed her for giving so much of herself.
It helps me recognize how greatly I am blessed with the wonderful kids I have and I love them so very much. Our problems are so minor in comparison. Currently all my children are active in the church. I have the most amazing, wonderful grandchildren. Even though I seldom see them, I am crazy about them. They are SO precious to me. Love you all!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Down Time
I did no work on genealogy this week. I am enjoying some time in Las Vegas with Fred and Jari and Charlotte and Rebecca.
AND, Hazel, who was just born on Thursday. She is beautiful with lots of very dark hair. I've had fun playing with Charlotte and decided that part of family history is creating memories for future generations. Not that Charlotte will remember me playing with her. Afterall, she is only two years old. But she is pretty sharp (as are ALL my grandchildren).
I like to imagine them remembering times I had tea parties with them, played soccer, watched their games and performances, made mud pies, etc. But they all live so very far from me and I don't have the opportunity to engage in those activities with them. Perhaps times have changed a little and the youth of today are more engaged in technology. I'm sunk. Sheighla is very reluctant to let me even use the remote control for the tv because she has to fix everything I do whenever I use it. But I know how to make mud pies. And I can kick a ball. And I know how to have a tea party. And I love to watch games and performances. And etc. Maybe I can have a white-glove tea party with my granddaughters using technology. And William, Weston, and Aeden are welcome to join (as long as they wear white gloves, too).
AND, Hazel, who was just born on Thursday. She is beautiful with lots of very dark hair. I've had fun playing with Charlotte and decided that part of family history is creating memories for future generations. Not that Charlotte will remember me playing with her. Afterall, she is only two years old. But she is pretty sharp (as are ALL my grandchildren).
I like to imagine them remembering times I had tea parties with them, played soccer, watched their games and performances, made mud pies, etc. But they all live so very far from me and I don't have the opportunity to engage in those activities with them. Perhaps times have changed a little and the youth of today are more engaged in technology. I'm sunk. Sheighla is very reluctant to let me even use the remote control for the tv because she has to fix everything I do whenever I use it. But I know how to make mud pies. And I can kick a ball. And I know how to have a tea party. And I love to watch games and performances. And etc. Maybe I can have a white-glove tea party with my granddaughters using technology. And William, Weston, and Aeden are welcome to join (as long as they wear white gloves, too).
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Changing Course
I've jumped into the deep end of a pool and don't know how to swim. Luckily, Lorrie is there to help and steer me to the shallow end. It is much more to my level of skill. We discovered four large boxes of slides that Mom would like to have scanned. Now wouldn't your first thought be shoe boxes? That's what I thought they would be, but NO. They are large boxes that have many shoe boxes inside of them. We looked inside one large box and the smaller boxes inside it had carousels inside them. And they weren't even full of slides. Now the project looks more manageable. But still...it is going to be a job. Lorrie took them all and is going to do them as a Mother's Day gift to Mom this year. All I can say is....Not Fair! What am I going to do now?
As it is, Lorrie and I decided that we just have too much to do to really get into the swing of doing genealogy work. It isn't that our momentum is gone....well, maybe it is. We have agreed that we need more of a plan and last night came to the conclusion that we would narrow our focus. First we need to archive what we already have. That could take us a year to do. And I don't know if I could get all of Debbie's material copied in that amount of time. She has so much. AND, I really need to get comfortable with technology more and be more informed about research.
OH, and guess what I did today. I (yes, me), all by myself, figured out how to move files into a new folder I created. I took a guess how to do it, figuring Anna could fix it if I was wrong, and it worked. My next plan is to inventory everything I have on my drives and cross-check them with Lorrie later to make sure we each have everything from each other. Did that make sense? Then we need to make sure we have a log of what we get done for other family members so we aren't making so many duplicates of everything.
I also want to become more knowledgeable about taking and downloading pictures. I want a smart phone so I can take pictures and share and log information and access other things that are hard for me to even imagine right now. How do I make my brain sharper so I can comprehend better? Is it just a matter of practice? My brain already hurts just to think about it. My brain needs some chocolate. :)
As it is, Lorrie and I decided that we just have too much to do to really get into the swing of doing genealogy work. It isn't that our momentum is gone....well, maybe it is. We have agreed that we need more of a plan and last night came to the conclusion that we would narrow our focus. First we need to archive what we already have. That could take us a year to do. And I don't know if I could get all of Debbie's material copied in that amount of time. She has so much. AND, I really need to get comfortable with technology more and be more informed about research.
OH, and guess what I did today. I (yes, me), all by myself, figured out how to move files into a new folder I created. I took a guess how to do it, figuring Anna could fix it if I was wrong, and it worked. My next plan is to inventory everything I have on my drives and cross-check them with Lorrie later to make sure we each have everything from each other. Did that make sense? Then we need to make sure we have a log of what we get done for other family members so we aren't making so many duplicates of everything.
I also want to become more knowledgeable about taking and downloading pictures. I want a smart phone so I can take pictures and share and log information and access other things that are hard for me to even imagine right now. How do I make my brain sharper so I can comprehend better? Is it just a matter of practice? My brain already hurts just to think about it. My brain needs some chocolate. :)
Friday, March 29, 2013
Eager to Start
Monday - I was still feeling the excitement from the conference and was eager to get supplies to get organized. Lorrie and I went to Office Max because they had a coupon for 20% off the entire purchase. We got a lot of supplies and when I got home and organized them, I discovered I need to get more colored folders. I know I'll need to add to my supplies as I gather more information, but for now I have what I need to start. At least I think I do. It's kind of like that feeling you get when you pack for a long trip. You've made your list and packed everything on it and away you go. You know you have what you need to start but feel like you will have to get what you forgot to put on your list or need to get something you didn't realize you would need or want.
I called Debbie and we made plans to go to her place on Tuesday. Debbie had back surgery a few months back and is home most of the time right now. She sounded excited to see us. I love Debbie and also looked forward to seeing her.
I had some files of scans Jari did last June They were saved in an email I sent to myself and I had to copy them to the hard drive and then on to the flash drive. It took over an hour to do that. Anna helped me when it got too tedious for me. She likes doing that kind of thing. But I was really tired. At 4:30 this morning I awoke with Hobart going over and over in my head. It was a short night.
Tuesday -Early this morning as I was deep asleep, I heard someone say, "Diane". I didn't respond and soon I heard, "Mom" in a louder whisper. I thought it was Anna and looked outside my bedroom for her thinking she was in need of something. There was no one there. I looked at the clock and it was 4:30. It must be a bewitching hour for me. Another short night.
Mom, Lorrie, and I went to Kaysville to visit Debbie. It was a delightful visit. She has drawers full of research she has done. Lorrie copied over some digitalized files from Debbie. She got a lot copied and has made copies for me. Debbie allowed me to take what she has on the Bivins line. I've got a box with files stuffed with information, as well as a file box her daughter set up when she was in school. It is an overwhelming amount of information to me and only a very small fraction of alll that she has done over the years. She is a gold mine. All this information is the "gas" for me to get going on my journey. I wanted to start when I got home but was too tired to comprehend anything. I needed sleep.
Wednesday - Peaceful night. Hooray! Lorrie and I went downtown Salt Lake to the Family History Center. There were two experts that tried to help me find some information on James Hobart. The last that is known of him is that he went away to war and never came back. It was 1812 and there is no record of him joining with any militia in his county (which is they way it was done back then) and there is no record of his death. His life is a mystery at this point. Mom wanted me to find out what happened to him. But all his temple work is done, so we can move on to other lines and try again in ten years to see if anything new has surfaced.
Thursday - Anna, Mom, Lorrie, and I went to the Riverton Family Search Center today. It is much closer to South Jordan. We were there for several hours and the only thing I discovered is that I'm not very good at sleuthing. Actually, that isn't a discovery. I need to learn how and where to research. It would make a world of difference. And I'm discovering that this could be a costly endeavor.
Friday - Anna and I went back to the Riverton Family Search Center today. She helped me do some scanning. We got three booklets done that Mom has on her Freer line. We also started scanning some of the Bivins files. Scanning doesn't cost anything but it will be super expensive when we want to convert the files to hard copies. And truth is, I am feeling a little burned out. Maybe it is due to the little amount of sleep I've been getting. It is better to pace myself but I really could do this all day once I get started. I feel so much out of my league. I feel like someone who has just received their driver's license and is driving in the Indy 500. I want to find something worthwhile!!!! Okay. I'm better now. I know that slow and steady wins the race. It really isn't a race, but it is good to keep in mind the sound advice of pacing.
I called Debbie and we made plans to go to her place on Tuesday. Debbie had back surgery a few months back and is home most of the time right now. She sounded excited to see us. I love Debbie and also looked forward to seeing her.
I had some files of scans Jari did last June They were saved in an email I sent to myself and I had to copy them to the hard drive and then on to the flash drive. It took over an hour to do that. Anna helped me when it got too tedious for me. She likes doing that kind of thing. But I was really tired. At 4:30 this morning I awoke with Hobart going over and over in my head. It was a short night.
Tuesday -Early this morning as I was deep asleep, I heard someone say, "Diane". I didn't respond and soon I heard, "Mom" in a louder whisper. I thought it was Anna and looked outside my bedroom for her thinking she was in need of something. There was no one there. I looked at the clock and it was 4:30. It must be a bewitching hour for me. Another short night.
Mom, Lorrie, and I went to Kaysville to visit Debbie. It was a delightful visit. She has drawers full of research she has done. Lorrie copied over some digitalized files from Debbie. She got a lot copied and has made copies for me. Debbie allowed me to take what she has on the Bivins line. I've got a box with files stuffed with information, as well as a file box her daughter set up when she was in school. It is an overwhelming amount of information to me and only a very small fraction of alll that she has done over the years. She is a gold mine. All this information is the "gas" for me to get going on my journey. I wanted to start when I got home but was too tired to comprehend anything. I needed sleep.
Wednesday - Peaceful night. Hooray! Lorrie and I went downtown Salt Lake to the Family History Center. There were two experts that tried to help me find some information on James Hobart. The last that is known of him is that he went away to war and never came back. It was 1812 and there is no record of him joining with any militia in his county (which is they way it was done back then) and there is no record of his death. His life is a mystery at this point. Mom wanted me to find out what happened to him. But all his temple work is done, so we can move on to other lines and try again in ten years to see if anything new has surfaced.
Thursday - Anna, Mom, Lorrie, and I went to the Riverton Family Search Center today. It is much closer to South Jordan. We were there for several hours and the only thing I discovered is that I'm not very good at sleuthing. Actually, that isn't a discovery. I need to learn how and where to research. It would make a world of difference. And I'm discovering that this could be a costly endeavor.
Friday - Anna and I went back to the Riverton Family Search Center today. She helped me do some scanning. We got three booklets done that Mom has on her Freer line. We also started scanning some of the Bivins files. Scanning doesn't cost anything but it will be super expensive when we want to convert the files to hard copies. And truth is, I am feeling a little burned out. Maybe it is due to the little amount of sleep I've been getting. It is better to pace myself but I really could do this all day once I get started. I feel so much out of my league. I feel like someone who has just received their driver's license and is driving in the Indy 500. I want to find something worthwhile!!!! Okay. I'm better now. I know that slow and steady wins the race. It really isn't a race, but it is good to keep in mind the sound advice of pacing.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
First Things First
I am out of my comfort zone. It has literally taken me 40 minutes to get to this page. First, I had to come up with a title. A title?! What's with that? I don't title my journal entries. Not being creative, I immediately hit a brick wall and nearly gave up before I even started. I finally mastered through the fear and simply went with "My Journey". See.....no creativity. THEN, I couldn't find an address that wasn't already used. There must be a ton of people who blog. I admit that I keep boring journals and it takes more time to write than it does to type. I want to learn to be better acquainted with technology. Hence, my attempt to blog.
First, a little about myself. I don't like change. I fear it. But I live in a world that is changing constantly and I am getting left behind. In itself I don't mind that. I am not ambitious. My idea of fun is sitting and watching the clouds float by. Boring to this fast-paced, technology-based generation of today. But this last weekend I attended RootsTech in Salt Lake City with my sister, Lorrie. It has inspired me to actually do something.
When my dad died, we discovered lots of old pictures. Mostly they consist of ancestors. I have always been interested in ancestors but always seemed to have an excuse not to seek them. With ten children to raise, it was hard to find time to spend on doing genealogy work. It was discouraging to think of spending ten years to find one person and pay 50 dollars for one document to prove that individual to be an ancestor. But that excuse is gone now. The kids are grown and almost all gone from home now. Technology has made finding people so much easier and there are so many more people with whom to collaborate findings and share information. I have collected bits and pieces now and again of family histories and genealogy work, but have never done anything really serious. Time for change. Scary.
At RootsTech we were taught that we need to do four things: 1-Find, 2-Organize, 3-Preserve, 4-Share. There were many classes that gave ideas and tips how to accomplish this. I know that what I get done in the remainder of my lifetime won't be much, but I hope that some of my kids will catch the genealogy bug and pick up where I leave off and take things to a whole new level. My attempt is going to be finding and organizing. Along the way I will share information with family members. My idea of preserving is scanning. But there are so many creative and fun ways to preserve and share. I'll leave that to my creative children and their spouses. I have two daughters-in-law that are super creative and can do amazing things. I have already asked Miranda to scan and fix many pictures and documents. It is a blessing to me that she lives in the same area and can help me. Jessica makes me wonderful calendars with family pictures. They are great treasures and one of the tips that belong to preserving. Boys....you married well!
Now for my journey. When I travel to visit family, I have tried to make it so that I don't travel on Sundays. Many times I have to do that, but I like it better when I don't. So I will do my "traveling" during the week and leave Sunday for blogging. This week then, is the week that I decided to make my journey. One of the fun things about the journey is that I can "travel" with other family members at any time. Lorrie will be going, also. She is addicted to research and I couldn't find a better companion. Her contributions will be obvious. I'm still trying to figure what I can contribute. I love how so many can go in different directions, and by sharing, we all make the same journey. My goal this week is to get my Legacy software onto my laptop and become acquainted with it. This would be a great time to visit my cousin, Debbie Lloyd, who has done a lot of research in the past. I hope I can make a visit to her this week. I should call her today. And this week is the week to get what information Mom has so I can begin to map my journey.
Side note: One of the remarks made by one of the presenters was to ask yourself what it is that you wished your ancestors had left for you. Then ask yourself what it is that you think your descendants will have wished you left for them. Food for thought.
First, a little about myself. I don't like change. I fear it. But I live in a world that is changing constantly and I am getting left behind. In itself I don't mind that. I am not ambitious. My idea of fun is sitting and watching the clouds float by. Boring to this fast-paced, technology-based generation of today. But this last weekend I attended RootsTech in Salt Lake City with my sister, Lorrie. It has inspired me to actually do something.
When my dad died, we discovered lots of old pictures. Mostly they consist of ancestors. I have always been interested in ancestors but always seemed to have an excuse not to seek them. With ten children to raise, it was hard to find time to spend on doing genealogy work. It was discouraging to think of spending ten years to find one person and pay 50 dollars for one document to prove that individual to be an ancestor. But that excuse is gone now. The kids are grown and almost all gone from home now. Technology has made finding people so much easier and there are so many more people with whom to collaborate findings and share information. I have collected bits and pieces now and again of family histories and genealogy work, but have never done anything really serious. Time for change. Scary.
At RootsTech we were taught that we need to do four things: 1-Find, 2-Organize, 3-Preserve, 4-Share. There were many classes that gave ideas and tips how to accomplish this. I know that what I get done in the remainder of my lifetime won't be much, but I hope that some of my kids will catch the genealogy bug and pick up where I leave off and take things to a whole new level. My attempt is going to be finding and organizing. Along the way I will share information with family members. My idea of preserving is scanning. But there are so many creative and fun ways to preserve and share. I'll leave that to my creative children and their spouses. I have two daughters-in-law that are super creative and can do amazing things. I have already asked Miranda to scan and fix many pictures and documents. It is a blessing to me that she lives in the same area and can help me. Jessica makes me wonderful calendars with family pictures. They are great treasures and one of the tips that belong to preserving. Boys....you married well!
Now for my journey. When I travel to visit family, I have tried to make it so that I don't travel on Sundays. Many times I have to do that, but I like it better when I don't. So I will do my "traveling" during the week and leave Sunday for blogging. This week then, is the week that I decided to make my journey. One of the fun things about the journey is that I can "travel" with other family members at any time. Lorrie will be going, also. She is addicted to research and I couldn't find a better companion. Her contributions will be obvious. I'm still trying to figure what I can contribute. I love how so many can go in different directions, and by sharing, we all make the same journey. My goal this week is to get my Legacy software onto my laptop and become acquainted with it. This would be a great time to visit my cousin, Debbie Lloyd, who has done a lot of research in the past. I hope I can make a visit to her this week. I should call her today. And this week is the week to get what information Mom has so I can begin to map my journey.
Side note: One of the remarks made by one of the presenters was to ask yourself what it is that you wished your ancestors had left for you. Then ask yourself what it is that you think your descendants will have wished you left for them. Food for thought.
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