What do you get when you pair genealogy giant Ancestry.com with your network of living relatives on Facebook? Possibly a lot of good family history information. Ancestry.com has added a new feature that enables users to add information from Facebook to their Ancestry.com family tree quickly and easily. It is a common misconception that genealogists are only interested in researching people who are deceased. Living family members are important not only for keeping family relationships strong, but also for sharing family history information as well as recording it for future generations. It is this connection between your extended family and … Continue reading →

When a new baby arrives, it is interesting to see what different family members say about the ways in which the baby seems to resemble others in the family. This weekend, my boys and I spent some time with my in – laws. Blake is now six months old, and his personality is blossoming. Dylan will be three in November, and his personality is very much evident as well. Over the course of the weekend, my mother – in – law was able to make some observations about the boys. She noticed that Blake has a widow’s peak hairline, like … Continue reading →

Today, many genealogists have created online blogs that they use to talk about their research, post family photos, and share family stories. I have a suggestion for a topic that will give you a lot of material to work with. Ask your family members where they were when a significant event happened, and write down their stories. There are certain events that are so shocking, and so tragic, that they cannot be forgotten. Sometimes, those events affect an entire nation, (if not the entire world). People remember exactly where they were, and what they were doing, right before they found … Continue reading →

Does someone in your family have a milestone birthday coming up? Whether the birthday boy, girl, man, or woman is celebrating their sweet sixteen, turning eighteen, twenty one, forty, fifty, or any other significant number there is a fun family history project that makes a great gift. If you have access to old pictures from the birthday person’s past birthdays, why not turn them into a Birthday Book. A Birthday Book is a great family keepsake because it keeps pictures of one particular person all together and shows how they look at different times in their life. You could make … Continue reading →

The heirlooms that pass from one generation to the next vary greatly between families. One family may cherish a clock, some china, and a set of silver while another may have an antique dining room set and some framed portraits that have been handed down over the years. Some families pass an even more complex legacy on to their children – a family business. Family businesses can be a wonderful asset to present and future generations. They can also be the source of much distress, if no one in the family seems interested in continuing the business or of there … Continue reading →

Yesterday, my family and I went to Connecticut for a gathering of my mother in law’s family. It was a beautiful day for a drive, and the kids did pretty well in the car for the long ride there and back. There were a couple of familiar faces there, and I did meet some relations that I had not yet met. One of the most important things about this family reunion is that, as sad as it is, it could possibly be the last time that everyone is able to see the last remaining member of the oldest living generation. … Continue reading →

With our trip to Connecticut just two days away, I am getting really excited about attending the family reunion for my mother – in – law’s family. I love meeting new people, and there will be plenty of unfamiliar faces there for me to become acquainted with. There will also be people there that I have met, and whose company I enjoy. I am also excited about the fact that there will be plenty of other children there for Dylan to meet. He may not understand the details of how all of the people that we meet are connected, but … Continue reading →

When a family member is affected by Alzheimer’s disease, it can be devastating for everyone. Did you know that genealogy and family history stories can be very comforting to those who are becoming more and more confused as their memory deteriorates? When a family member shares a family story or looks through old photographs with a person who is affected by Alzheimer’s, they often recognize that what they are hearing or seeing is familiar. Interestingly enough, when someone is affected by Alzheimer’s disease, memories that were formed most recently are lost first and those formed long ago last the longest. … Continue reading →

In a little less than a month, I will be attending the first family reunion that I have attended in a long time. It is definitely the first one that I will attend with my two boys. I am excited about making the trip to Connecticut to see my mother – in – law’s family. That is the group of people who are reuniting. My mother – in – law’s maiden name is Blake, so it is the Blake family reunion. Interestingly enough, the two youngest attendees at this reunion have the family name incorporated into their names. My husband’s … Continue reading →

Many genealogists spend a lot of time and effort on their research. That is all well and good, but if you are one of those genealogists, wouldn’t it be nice if other people in your family were able to appreciate some of the work that you have done to document their ancestry? If you would like to share your findings with your family but you are at a loss for how to do so, here are some ideas. Genealogy makes a great gift. Actually, it can make several wonderful types of gifts which can be adapted for various occasions. Summer … Continue reading →