Family History For Beginners...The Pedigree Chart

Over the past few weeks I've been searching websites about Pedigree charts and starting your family tree.  There are so many websites.  My goal was to decide what website was the easiest for the beginner.  My goal is to help you find the best way to do your family history without feeling overwhelmed. 

First the basic form used to record family history is the Pedigree Chart.
The pedigree chart begins with you and branches out to show your direct line ancestors.  Which are your parents, then grandparents, then great grandparents and so on.
The word pedigree comes from the french word "pied de grue"  or cranes foot, because the lines of the chart resemble the thin leg and foot of a crane.
For someone who is just beginning to do family history I would advise that you print out a free pedigree chart and start by just writing out the information you have.  I would not at this point sign up for any website that is going to cost you money.  Because you don't want to pay for something that you could get for free, and you don't want to pay when you are just beginning to learn.
So the site that I found to be the best and free is About.com Genealogy.  They have free Pedigree charts and they also have a small video that tells you how to fill the pedigree chart out.  It is very basic and easy.
If you are a member of  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints you will at some point need to learn how to use their free family history site.  I would advise that you become comfortable with doing family history before you go to their site.  I went and looked at their site and felt if I was just starting I'd be overwhelmed.  They have too much information for a beginner.  I often hear people talk about being overwhelmed and I can see why. 
So For this week check out About.com genealogy.  Let me know what you think of the site and it's videos.  I actually learned some new stuff while I was checking out Pedigree charts.
If you have any questions on starting please leave a message and I'll answer you.
Here is a Quote about Family History from Elder Russell M. Nelson in May 2010
" Our inborn yearnings for family connections are fulfilled when we are linked to our ancestors through sacred ordinances of the Temple."

My other goal for this year is to live on a very tight budget and learn how to save money.
I have gone one month with out buying any clothing for myself.
I have not bought anything from the break room vending machines.
I have driven less each week for a savings of $10.00 a week.
I also turn down the temperature in the house 4 degree's each night.  It cut my heat bill by $30.00
I'm also not using credit cards this year.  If I don't have the money I don't get the item. 
For March I'm trying to start a grocery price book so I can track the ups and downs in prices of the things we like to eat so I can buy at the lowest price.  I'm also making a very big pantry. 
My goal is to save enough money to go to Arizona in November to visit my brother and parents.  Then to save for a trip out east in 2014.  So if I find any good saving tips I'll pass them on.
Good luck with your family history research.  The other reason I have not written recently is I've found a family line that has not had any work done, and I've been busy putting the names into the Family Search website.
G.G.

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!

My Office Mess....Hopefully soon to be My Organized Familiy History Zone!

Here is the entrance to my messy office...soon to be my super family history zone.  This spot here is my garbage sorting zone.  My small shredder is near the window.  If I had more money I'd buy a bigger shredder.  But this little one has been used greatly in our recent moves.  Perhaps soon the smaller one will be OK anyways, as I've shredded most of my life already.  All the years that we lived in our old house I would gather all the bills and pay stubs from each month and place them in an envelope and put them in our attic.  11 years of bills were shredded in that little shredder.  Mostly by me in the three months before we moved.  Ugh!  So now I really don't have as much shredding to do.  The piles of folders, thats 12 years of family history research.  All the information is now on line at either Ancestry.com or The LDS Family Tree.  So I'm going through everything to find out what I need to keep and what can go.  I also decided not to throw any paper away until both sides are used so I'm sorting and stacking all paper up to reuse.  I'll save money and trees by not buying more printer paper.

The purple tub has my spring and summer clothes in it.  I actually need to put it in the closet next to this room.  Along with the packing bags and sleeping bags.  Ah see there in the front is the handy box of trash bags.  I'll be needing lots of those. So eventually in front of this window I would like to put up the bottom half of the bunk beds we bought, and then put pillows along the window, and show case all the quilts that my mom has made me through all the years.  And when I need a break from family history research I can curl up and read a book.  That's the dream anyways.

Boxes and tubs oh my.  What can possibly be in all these boxes and tubs.  Well most are filled with family history information I've collected, and old family photo's.  Some have scrap booking supplies, others have gifts from our wedding.  I'm not sure what to do with the two place settings of china, the box of silver candle sticks, and crystal vases.  I also collected these angel figurines.  I think way before I had children, as all the angels are carrying babies.  I'm letting my husband sell those on e-bay.  So I have to go through all these boxes.  I want to put all the old family photo's in albums and make sure I have names and dates for future generations to see.  And also scan them all into my computer.  I have a lot of work ahead of me!

I love the big windows in the office.  I hope to transform this one into a garden for my cat.  I keep telling my mom about these windows and she can not picture them.  So now I can show her what my big windows look like.

Here is my $200.00 desk that I got for $32.00.  This is where I'll be working away some day.  Though most of the time I work upstairs on the lap top.

My book case which may actually be moved out to the living room.  Since most of the books are the kids.  One thing I'm doing this year is letting all my magazine subscriptions expire.  Oh my goodness, I get too many magazines.  And I have piles of them everywhere.  They are going!

Here is the view from the desk to the entrance of the office.  Ugh!  A few weeks ago this office was actually pretty neat.  Then I pulled the 18 boxes of Christmas Crap out!  Yes I have 18 tubs of Christmas stuff and that is going to be gone through this winter too.  And while pulling all that out of the closet, I decided to pull all my family history stuff out too.  I need a good winter project.  Finally I can actually go down and work on it and not feel overwhelmed.  I just do a little every day.  Actually I've emptied quiet a few tubs already! But Ugh!

Here is the Closet in the office.  I've put out all my old horses from my childhood.  All my scrap books, and then there is more junk to go through.  Ugh!  Ugh!  One of the angels that I'm keeping.  What a mess.  I hope neatness comes soon.

Here is my helper.  She wants to go out to her soon to be kitty garden.  But it is too cold and there are plants growing out there that I'm not sure she should be nibbling on.  She is not happy with me that I have not let her out.  She likes to sit on anything I am working on.  She is such good company.
Well Mom, now when I tell you I'm off to clean my office you will actually understand why I must do this.  Want to come and help?
G.G.

Kimberly = From the Royal Fortress Meadow

In celebration of my special day I thought I'd put some photo's of me through the years on line.  I also looked up what my name means on those baby name websites.  I like the fact that my name means "From the Royal Forest or From The Royal Fortress Meadow. This First Photo was taken when I was 5 years old.

I never knew what my name meant when growing up.  It wasn't until I was having children of my own that I even learned that names have meaning.  And I never knew until I was twenty five that I was a child of God.  I am a Royal Daughter of God.  And if you are reading this and do not know of your own worth, you too are a spirit child of God.  We are all royal children.  If only we could all know and treat others with the worth that we really have.  This photo was from when I was in 4th grade.

My love as a youth was horses.  Everything was horses.  I was going to grow up and own horses.  Of course that did not happen but I spent many years working with horses and loved every minute of it.  On some of the baby name websites they also give your Soul urge.  I have a Soul Urge Number 5.   They say people with this name have a deep inner desire for travel and adventure, and want to set their own pace in life without being governed by tradition.

My dream job would be to work for a Family History company and travel to places looking for peoples ancestors.  I'd love to go to Scotland and see where my ancestors came from.  I tease my husband that if he dies before me I'll sell all his things and move to Scotland for a year.  I was the only one of our family who was excited to move.  I had been itching to move and be somewhere else.  It has been such an adventure.

One of my favorite Disney princess songs is by Belle in Beauty and the Beast " I want adventure in the great wide somewhere."  In fact I kept singing that to my children and husband as we got ready to move.  While they still miss New Jersey, I have been enjoying the adventure of Utah.  Driving to Arizona was also just great.  I hope that we drive to California at some point too.  This is my new blog photo.  I've finally found a photo that I like of myself.  So I have removed my Meg Ryan "You've Got Mail" Photo.  I still very much feel like Kathleen Kelly in "You've Got Mail."  I love that movie. 

In the next few weeks I hope to get myself more organized and start really getting my Family History information in order.  I've got so much work to do.  I hope you have enjoyed this little post about me.

G.G.  I'm thinking G.G. may mean Genealogy Girl now instead of Garden Girl.  Life is always about change...