Today, Alyssa and her gymnastics team attended the 2018 Spring Fling in Elmira. I have to congratulate her and her team. First of all she achieved a new all around personal best of 35.975. Second of all her team came in first place! Way to go STGA! Here she is glowing after winning 2nd place on her floor routine. Here's a video of her floor routine. I was sitting in an enclosed observation area so unfortunately, there's no sound.  Bars routine Her loot. 2nd place floor 5th place bars 6th place vault 4th place all around

If you are not familiar with the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Blog Prompt Series hosted by fellow blogger Amy Johnson Crow, please take a moment and check out the link here:   https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/ Week 9: Where There's a Will I've been asked if this theme means a will (as in the probate document) or will (as in being determined or strong minded). My answer is: Yes. :-) Use this prompt however you are inspired to. Maybe you've come across an interesting will. Explain it like you would to a non-genealogist. What story does it reveal? You could write about an ancestor who was determined to do something. (Or maybe you have an ancestor named Will!) I am taking a break from going through some of my father's things to share something from another branch of my family tree. Robert Ellison was my maternal 3rd great grand uncle. His sister, Caroline Ellison Bryant, was my 3rd great grandmother. For a clearer picture of how I am connected t

If you are not familiar with the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Blog Prompt Series hosted by fellow blogger Amy Johnson Crow, please take a moment and check out the link here:  https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/ First of all, I have to say whoops!  I know this post is late and also out of order in the 52 weeks series. I noticed I forgot the prompt for week 7 after I had written my post for week 8. I'll get it together at some point here, so please bear with me.  Week 7: Valentine Is there a love story in your family tree? Maybe a couple was married on Valentine's Day or you have a valentine that one ancestor gave to another. Maybe you have an ancestor named Valentine. I wanted to shine a light on my father's parents for this prompt. I have been going through a ton of pictures that I recently inherited from my father. Here are a few of from a vacation that Ethel Smith Murrell and Harold Murrell Sr. went on in 1971. I am not sure of the location. I

If you are not familiar with the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Blog Prompt Series hosted by fellow blogger Amy Johnson Crow, please take a moment and check out the link here:  https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/ Week 8: Heirloom Is there a special item that's been passed down in your family? Pictured above are pieces from a set of china I received upon my grandmother Mary Bryant Harrison Horton's passing. I love this set! It is decorated with beautiful pink carnations and gold trim. If I am having a family gathering, I try to use this set. It's a way for us to share the occasion with my sweet grandma.  Another heirloom I treasure that once stood atop the piano at grandma Mary's house is a statue of two hands holding a dove. I featured a picture of it on this blog before in this post, Sentimental Sunday: These Artifacts Are My Time Machines. In the same post, I also wrote about two cat figurines that used to belong to my grand