The RootsTech Conference is quickly approaching. Are you considering attending? Wondering what all the hoopla is about? After watching streamed classes for years, I finally attended RootsTech 2016 in person and discovered why people come from all over the world to attend the largest gathering of genealogists and family historians around. The keynote speakers, classes, and expo hall combine to give you an experience of a lifetime. If you’ve never attended, what’s holding you back? If it’s the price of...
Why do some stories stand out in our memories more than other? Is it in the content or is it in the telling? Today I’m sharing a fictionalized account of one of my Dad’s favorite stories. Without fail he would start laughing so hard he could barely get the words out. I think we asked for this story mostly just to see him laugh. Second in my series, The Adventures of Cowboy Bob, enjoy this step...
Today I’m pleased to share a guest post written by Beverly Scott. Bev tells about the mystery of her grandfather’s life, her genealogical journey to uncover the truth about him, and her decision to turn the story into a historical fiction novel. She had always wanted to write her family’s story, but as she researched, she realized that it would be best to write historical fiction. Read a little bit about her decision to write her...
I’m happy to introduce our spotlight today, Clarissa Baxter. She and I met online when she read one of my blog posts about Margaret Ann McCleve, my husband’s 2nd great grandmother and Clarissa’s 3rd great grandmother. We had visited Margaret’s log cabin in Taylor, Arizona which is now a museum. Clarissa tells about a discovery in her family history that brought meaning to her current education goals. Thank you for sharing, Clarissa! To read more about the LDS topics...
What do you when you’re put in charge of the family history part of your family reunion? How do you engage 150 people ages 0 – 87? If you’re my friend, Rischelle, you go to work and come up with some amazing activities. I asked her to share her ideas and photos, so enjoy. Yadon Family Reunion 2016 By Rischelle Mikkelson In June we held a large family reunion inviting all of the descendants of...
I went to a wedding a while back and I decided to make them a “wedding family tree” chart for their home. I’ll share what I made in case you would like to make one. I used PowerPoint, since I don’t have fancy photo editing software. I like PowerPoint because you can change the size of the canvas and then save it as a .png file or .jpg file. Once you’ve done that, you can send it...
Kids Book Club – October “Always remember you are the son of two proud nations, whose roots are as sturdy and deep as this oak tree,” a mother tells her son in Elan, Son of Two Peoples. In this captivating children’s story, which is based on true events, reader’s learn about a 13 year old boy coming of age through the traditions of two different cultures – the Jewish bar mitzvah and Acoma Pueblo manhood ceremony. This post contains affiliate links. If you...
I recently received the following press release for a family history games app for children that we love! I’m so excited to share this news. Little Family Tree, A Genealogy App for Children, Now FREE to Download Herriman, Utah, October 1, 2016Yellow Fork Technologies LLC has just released a major update to their app, Little Family Tree, making it FREE to download through the mobile app stores. Little Family Tree is an app that...
What would you do if out of the blue you discovered that your mother, a self proclaimed “only child,” had a sister? If you were Steve Luxenberg and an investigative reporter, you would start researching your family in earnest. Steve wrote Annie’s Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret to tell the story of his quest that uncovered the truth of Annie’s existence and her life in a mental institution. What would cause his mother to...
Do you have a great family story, one that passes Bruce Feiler’s campfire test with the emotion, the passion, and the pain to endure? Reading and writing about Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls inspired me to try my hand at writing my dad’s stories. Growing up during the depression in Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, and California he had plenty of adventures. My dad found the humor in every story and usually told them with tears running down...
