Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Genealogy

In the last few days the kids and I have been working on a photo book to have printed for Jeff's Father's Day. So we have frantically been looking up old photos and having each person write a letter to him and tell some of their favorite things about him also. As I have read the letters from the kids, I realized what a great genealogy gift this will be to our grand-kids some day. I love the memories and funny things the kids had to say. I love looking at the photos and how everyone has grown. We laughed at the style of clothing the kids used to have, or Jeff and I used to have. I laughed at some of the funny things the kids remembered about Jeff. Each photo seemed to trigger a favorite memory, so we are excited to give this SECRET gift to him soon!

My grandmother was big into genealogy and Jeff has done quite a bit with his family but I really haven't done much of it ( at least traditionally speaking ) yet. I always tease Jeff if he stays at the computer too long doing genealogy and we haven't had much time with him that day,  "Jeff, remember you need to spend time with the LIVE ONES too!" These photo books are amazing and so much easier and faster than the old traditional scrapbooks ( I am not knocking those, I have many of those I have done too!).  I did one for Jeff and I's 25th wedding anniversary. Then the kids and Jeff did one for me, for my 50 birthday last year. What a treasure that is. As we were going through the photos we realized that we need to do a photo memory book for each family member. We have ordered ours from Shutterfly, there are other companies out there, but that is the only one we have used so far and we have been more than impressed with them. It is all done through the computer (thanks to Amy) and then printed into a hard bound book, they really are quite a keepsake.

So tonight I realized there are many ways to do genealogy but the important thing is that we do it, because we all have a legacy to preserve. Remember you are never to  young to start searching and studying about your family tree!

"Genealogy  is the study of one's family, the study of our ancestors -their birth, their childhood, their dreams, their marriages, their occupations, their children, their deaths, and because these things in the past all have an impact on the present, in a very real sense, genealogy is a study of ones self."

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."     ~Jane Howard

"Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present and future."          ~ Gail Lumet Buckley

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