Dear Mom and Dad please send me some Cross Country ski's (our first Utah snow storm!)

Sorry about the detour away from family history today, probably why my blog is very unsuccessful in money making.  Not that I'm really trying.  But this is a little blog for my parents and friends back east.  Here is the view from our front door looking out across the street.  See all the snow.  It has been snowing constantly since Sunday night.  In fact I sat in comfort Sunday night looking out the back window thanking God I was not working.  The sad thing that happened after work on Sunday was one of my bosses fell on her walk home banged her head and ended up with a concussion.  She was talking on her cell phone to her husband at the time which was a blessing as once she fell she could not get up.  One thing I'm learning is things don't shut down for snow in Utah.

Here is the view of the front walk from the drive way.  See the snow plow, I mean shovel.  See the high snow bank.  Yes Mom and Dad your wimpy daughter has done all the shoveling at the house.  Because school does not close in Utah for snow.  So my young shoveler is off at school.  My arms are so sore!

Here is the drive way all plowed.... I mean shoveled.  Yes I shoveled all this snow.  The nice thing about Utah snow is it is very light... This was also my third round of shoveling since the storm began. So as I was shoveling I was thinking I wish I had Cross Country ski's.. This snow would be perfect to ski in.  So Mom and Dad, send me some of your old ski's please.

Another shot of the house from the street.  All those snow banks, yep thats right I made them.

Here is another view of the house from the side walk.  We live on a corner lot.  And guess what that gives us a big side walk.... that has to be shoveled.  And I also have to keep the fire hydrant accessible too.

This is a view of the corner of the street to the the back of the house.  You can just see the fire hydrant to the right.  I shoveled the whole walk to the road.  3 times now.    Still wishing for cross country ski's !

This is looking at the road from the side walk at the back of our house.  I think they may have plowed this road, but they have not plowed and will not plow the road that goes to our house.  I love the view of the horse field across the back of the house.

This is our view from the back of the house.  Some where out there are some really big mountains, but when it snows you don't even see them.  I want to take some sunrise photo's because it is beautiful. Hopefully we will see the sun soon.

Kitty would like to come out and play in the snow too.  Can you send her some ski's too?  I have learned one thing if you keep your house during the day at 63 degree's, going out and shoveling snow makes 63 feel really warm when you get back in.  Hot coco also is a great treat too.
Hope you enjoyed this little blog on our first snow storm.  Maybe when I have money someday I'll buy a snow blower, but hey I got some good exercise!
G.G.

Family History for the Beginner

This year my ward's goal is to have everyone learn how to do family history and to take one of their ancestors names to the Temple.  This past month every talk during Sacrament meeting has been about doing family history and Temple work.  I have been asked by the bishop in our ward to help members of the ward start learning how to do family history.  As I have thought about Family History research I have felt that something I could do to help others is blog about and share what I know about family history. 
I hope to write a few blogs a week on how to start your family history research, and give you tips on how to do family history with just a little time each week, and for as little money as possible, I also want to help find ways to get youth and teens interested in family history too.  I hope that if people read this they will ask questions that I can help them find the answers for.
I hear a lot of people who say these things when they start family history,
I feel very overwhelmed, I don't know where to begin.
I feel like I don't have the time to do family history.
You don't need to feel this way.  And I hope through out this year I can help you feel like you can do family history research and that it won't be overwhelming and time consuming.

The first step to starting family history is starting with yourself.  You might want to get a binder and put some photo's of yourself from different times in your life and write about those times and why you like the photos.  You also want to get a copy of your birth certificate and if you are married your marriage certificate.    Now you have begun to collect your family history. 
This is a photo of me on my wedding day with my husbands grandmother.  I loved and hated my wedding dress.  It was so pretty, but I could barely breath in it when I sat down which was not fun!
Well I hope you enjoy my new focus for the year.

G.G.

DNA Test Two.... His Genetic Ethnicity is more interesting than mine !

Here is the Ancestry.com DNA test 2...  I finally got time to have my husband sit down and give his spit!

Do you think he looks excited?  Well he really wasn't that enthused to do this for me, but he did.

Kitty wanted to help.  You know you can spend $200.00 and have your Cat's DNA analysed too.  Hummm.... No I don't think I'll be doing that.

I have to do what?  Spit in this tube.... Yuck!

Look, I did it.  Hope you are happy.
So we found out that my husbands genetic ethnicity is 
49% Eastern European
36% British Isles
9% Scandinavian
6% Finnish/ Volga-Ural.
The Finnish/Volga-Ural is parts of Western Russia.
So much more interesting than me.  As Ancestry.com continues to update their DNA website they add new and interesting information.  They have a map that they put little pin points on for where all your ancestors were born.  I've been enjoying finding more information.
I would like to learn more and feel like I could say "Yes, I'm a Genealogist, but really with all I do I don't have the time, and I don't have the money to pay for classes.  I am so busy with the families I'm working on that I feel content at this time to just be a good researcher.  I find about 10 new names everyday.    I'm hoping to teach my daughter and hope that she catches the family history bug, perhaps she could become the next great genealogist.  I could learn with her when she goes to college.
Well I've almost gone a month without buying any clothing or items for myself.  It is so tempting as the new spring clothes are in the store and they are so cute.  But I am determined to pay down my credit cards and be debt free.  One card will be paid off next month, and then hopefully another in two months.  I'm using the snow ball approach of paying off the lowest balance first and then going to the next card and so on.  I am also paying a small payment every week to two of my cards which helps lower the amount of interest charged.  This for me is the year of really figuring out a better budget.  Perhaps as I go along I'll pass on some good tips.
All is well for our family.  I'm feeling more at home in our house.  I love all the sun light that comes in during the day. 
Enjoy your week.
G.G.

Happy new year.... Time to buckle down and face some tough resolutions

For some reason I'm unable to put photo's in my blog, but I wanted to wish you all a happy new year.  This year I have some tough resolutions to try out. 
Resolution 1: I'm not buying anything for myself unless I need it.  So that means no clothing, and no gardening this year.  I figure I have way more clothes than I need and I'll just visit the temples to get my garden fixes. 
Resolution 2:  No buying from the store vending machine.  My diet needs to change, no more chips and soda every time I work.  The money I save will go to paying down my bills.
Resolution 3:  Go to an employment center and get help finding a new job.  Yes I'd like to see what else I can do.
Resolution 4:  Continue to do my Family history research, help others and get my family to the temple once a month.  And I need to be going on my own at least once a week. 
I hope to share some family history books, tips, and stories with you this year.  Since I can't buy anything this year I'll be home working a lot.
Resolution 5:  Get my book written.  I've got two chapters done.  And lots of ideas.  Wish I was a better writer.
Resolution 6: Find my inner core again. ( you have to see the movie Rise of the Guardians to understand.)  My inner core is sweetness and the stress of the last two years took some of that away and I really need to find that again.  My husband hasn't lost his can you guess what his is?  We call him Jack Frost now.  Everytime I have frost on my window at night I call him and say " Jack you really love me!"

Heres to an interesting new year!