How Did I Get Here? My Amazing Genealogy Journey

This smiling giant is now in the 9th grade.  This is what 14 looks like.  I have to measure him but I believe he's about 6' 1" now. This young lady is now in 7th grade. She added swimming and  diving practice into her already busy schedule.   If anyone can handle it, I know she can. 

Although you aren't here physically, I can definitely feel your presence, dad. You would be pleased to know that your grandson is a chip off the old block. He's built like you when you were young. He has broad shoulders and muscle. Even mom commented on how Noah has your calves. He's about six feet tall now. You would be pleased to know that your watch fits him perfectly now.  Happy Birthday In Heaven, Dad! Miss you.

It's that time of the year again. That's right, Spring concerts. Both kids demonstrated their viola playing skills in concert. They have come a long way since the days of playing songs like "Hot Cross Buns." Sometimes, I just can't get over how much they've grown up.

LOL! Yup, I did it again. That's three years in a row I've forgotten my blogiversary.. That's all right. Life has been beautifully busy. You probably have noticed that I haven't posted in a while. I decided that I needed to take a break from posting to just live. You know what it's been a blessing. I feel refreshed. I began this blog on May 30, 2011 to document my genealogy findings regarding my family. So many stories and people I have discovered along the way. Every story has taught me something. My first post, Okay...Here We Go! LOL  was an example of me taking a leap of faith. Trying something new can be incredibly scary. A journey however begins by taking a single step and so I began.  So many steps later, here I stand. I may not write as often but believe me, I am still researching and making discoveries. I love genealogy and that will always be a part of me.  What's great about a blog is that you can go back and revisit the places you've bee...

Well, I've fallen off keeping up with my blog again. What's different this time is that I am not going to beat myself up for it. Life is about living and I've been doing a lot of that lately. I've been spending a lot of quality time with the family. The kids have doing wonderfully in their individual sports. After a busy season of games and competitions, the hubby, kids, and I are now enjoying some sun, fun and most importantly relaxation in Anna Maria Island, Florida. This is some much needed downtime. Here are some pictures from our vacation.

Pictured from left to right:  Rosa Jones, Ophelia Bryant, Mary Horton, Brenda Murrell, Andrea Kelleher and my kids Noah and Alyssa. I am still playing catch up on the 52 Ancestors In 52 Weeks Challenge. If you are new to it, be sure to check out Amy Johnson Crow's website for more information. Here's the link:   https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/  Week 7: Love Valentine's Day is this week, but that doesn't mean you have to focus on romantic love. Besides the ancestral love stories, you could share an ancestor who you love to research. Are there any "love" names in the family tree, like Lovie or Valentine? (Come to think of it, "Amy" is based in Latin meaning "beloved"... )  I decided to take this week's prompt and put my own spin on it. I created a piece of art using family photos and an image I found online at Pixabay and I absolutely love the result. I used the online photo editor PicMonkey to make t...

Yesterday, it was a year since my father's funeral. Last night, my husband and I attended my son's high school orientation. Feels like time is on overdrive these days. Live each day to it's fullest. Tell your family that you love them. Time stops for no one, so live your life y'all! :) I don't know what other folks believe in but I believe that sometimes while we are living our lives we get little visitations from those who have passed on. People show up in dreams. You may all of the sudden feel their presence while doing day to day activities. You'll see a mannerism or expression in your kids that reminds you of something your departed loved one would do. When these moments happen to me, I make it a special point now to acknowledge them. I say thank you. It's like a special nod or wink from someone on the other side. Anyway, a couple of months ago I had a visitation while I was painting. I am not a trained artist. I enjoy dabbling with paints and seeing...

This little baby turned into  .... ...this handsome young man who is now taller than his father. Happy Birthday Noah! Love you to the moon and back.

Thankfully, the Winter weather held off long enough for my daughter and I to make it to Mt. Pocono, PA this past weekend. No problems getting there on Saturday. Coming back, I was very thankful that I was among a caravan of folks traveling on I-81N behind a salt truck. Thank you Mr. Salt Truck for allowing us to make it home safely. How did ladybug do? She had a real solid performance and she even made a new personal best in vault of 9.450! Woohoo! Looking a little worried. Cheer up ladybug, you got this.  5th place on beam. Awesome job! Here's another sweet picture. This was for all around. Alyssa tied for 9th place with one of her teammates while another teammate came in 7th on her left. Her scores: Vault: 9.450   Bars:  8.800   Beam:  8.800 Floor:  9.000 All around:  36.050 Awesome job, sweetie :)

Results: Bars:  8.850 --7th place Vault:  8.8 --9th place Beam:  9.0 --3rd place Floor Exercise:  9.6 --1st place All Around:  36.25 --3rd place (New personal best!) I was so happy that I was able to capture a picture of her winning 1st place on floor exercise.  She was beaming! Here's a video of her floor routine. Congratulations to all the Level 3 ladies of STGA as well. They took 2nd place in the team competition.