Looking for a kick start writing your family stories?

Ready to write your own personal history?

Can’t wait to share juicy tidbits you’ve discovered about ancestors?

Eager to post stories and discoveries for your family to read?

Needing to get all the research you’ve conducted in a readable/consumable format?

Wanting to be part of a community working on writing/sharing/saving family stories, too?

Join me for #NaGenWriMo starting November 1st. What does NaGenWriMo stand for? National Genealogy Writing Month. Okay, so we aren’t officially national …. YET! But that won’t stop us from making it a thing!

What It Is:

#NaGenWriMo is a collaborative, community effort to write down, save, and share family stories and research.

You Are Invited To:

1. Write every day! Whether it is a little or A LOT!

2. Save your work. Post it to a blog if you have one. If it’s polished and ready – upload it to Family Search! Print it out and put it in a binder. Whatever your saving method – make sure it is accessible and readable for future generations!

3. Share! Let’s light up social media with genealogy and family history. My family doesn’t always love reading big ole’ binders and books (like I do – ha!), but put it in an Instagram or Facebook post and they are hooked! Use #NaGenWriMo so we can follow each other. Tag @KeepMovingForwardWithMe on Instagram/Facebook or @KeepMovingTara on Twitter if you would like me to reshare!

Join Us

Let’s do this! There are family stories waiting to be told! Who will you write about? Is there a one-place study you’ve been itching to do? Does your one-name study need a little more work? Do you want to start sharing your own stories from your childhood? #NaGenWriMo is perfect for all of these scenarios! The important thing is to get writing!

Tell me more about what you want to write about this November in the comments!

The post #NaGenWriMo: It’s time to share your story! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

I’m going back to school! Extremely excited and honored to be taking the Intermediate Foundations course with the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) as an ambassador this fall.

It’s the perfect next step in my family history journey! My baby is starting kindergarten and I’m ready to put my self-taught family history skills to the test. Time to see how they measure up against genealogical standards. I’m also eager to strengthen my knowledge base and add to my tool bag of tricks – lots of brick walls to break down still!

Why now? Let me explain with a little background.

How I got started with family history

My formal genealogy training consists of two family history courses for religion credit from Ricks College in the early 2000s. From there I became the most passionate do-it-yourself learner. I found myself a mentor in my great aunt who tasked me with searches for photos and newspaper articles. Read more about those early days here.

Always moving forward, I have learned on the go – gathering resources from RootsTech, books, webinars, family history libraries, and anyone who would answer my questions.

“My family tree has been my classroom, and my brick walls are my syllabi.”

Leaning into my strengths – social media and journalistic research – has served me well! I have a Bachelor’s in Communication and completed coursework for a Master’s in Marriage Family Human Development. These definitely gave me a tremendous head start with my research skills!

Over the past five years, I’ve established myself as a resource for social media-based family history and every-day family history. Both topics I love and teach/share often about. But I am always looking at what is next in my genealogy journey. What skills do I need to develop/polish as I continue discovering and sharing family history?

What’s Next for My Family History Journey

Lately, I’ve felt the call to dig deeper and formalize my genealogy training. I’ve been learning as much as I can get my hands on – it’s time to put my DIY research methods to the test and see how they measure up to industry standards! That’s where the Intermediate Foundations course with Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) comes in! It’s part of SLIG Fall Virtual 2022.

When I read the course description, I knew it was my next step:

“Students who select this course already have some experience in genealogy, either self-taught or from a beginner’s course. They’re looking to enhance their research skills from home around their busy schedule but still receive an in-depth, institute-intense course, and build on their existing knowledge and experience. The course will expand their ability to find and analyze intermediate record types such as local and federal land, military, immigration, and naturalization, and find the underlying laws. They’ll also learn how to conduct research using best practices and following genealogical standards.”

Here’s what I am excited about:

• The class meets once a week virtually via Zoom while my children are in school. Get myself some snacks and treat myself to a weekly afternoon of family history learning? Yes, please!
• I’ve scratched the surface of looking at military, immigration, and naturalization records, but I haven’t even touched local and federal land records. I’m currently stuck on a Roser ancestor in New York and have some records I’d like to look at more critically. This will be an ideal opportunity to learn/polish skills to help me do that.
• The course is hands-on. I’ll get to practice my skills on original records.
• There’s professional feedback and networking opportunities in class and the private Facebook group. Often in my research, if I get stuck on a question – I go to social media Facebook groups or Twitter chats and cross my fingers for help. No need to cross fingers for this course! Help is provided!

Speaking of help and teachers, I am looking forward to learning from all of these experts during the Intermediate Foundations course.

• Annette Burke Lyttle, MA
• Angie Bush, MS
• Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA
• Nancy A. Peters, CG, CGL
• Gena Philibert-Ortega, MA, MAR
• Kimberly T. Powell
• Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL
• Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA
• Michael L. Strauss, AG
• Rich Venezia

Classes start September 8th so there is still time to register! As of August 1st, there are still seats available for SLIG Fall Virtual for the following courses: Intermediate Foundations, Advanced Hispanic Research, Overcoming Record Loss, and Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum. Registration is available here.

I am excited to share this next family history adventure with you! I love that I will be able to learn from the comfort of my own home and further my own family history research at the same time. It’s all about taking that next step forward!

As part of the class, I get to choose a personal family history project to apply my new skills to. Stay tuned for more on that! Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for monthly updates.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear about your recent family history adventures in the comments or on this social media post! What discoveries have you made lately? Are there tools/educational opportunities that have helped you? And if you have attended SLIG, any tips for this first-timer?!?

The post Going back to school with the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Congrats on starting your community project! Now how to get the word out? I’m sharing tips from my experience spearheading the communication and marketing for the 21 Day Family Connections Experiment. Here’s what worked for us!

Be Social

Meet your audience where they are at! Our project started at the beginning of the pandemic – so we went online. Our founder, Olivia Jewell, reached out to like-minded friends and colleagues via her own contacts and family history related Facebook groups.

You can join the RootsTech Connect: Let’s Do Good Together Facebook Group. It’s a fantastic place to find service opportunities, share your projects, and collaborate with others!

Once we had created our project, we went to social media to share it. We set up social media channels/groups on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. This was a fun way to get the word out! Don’t worry – you don’t need to do it all at once. We are still curating and trying new strategies with our social media accounts to encourage connection!

Start your own hashtag and utilize popular hashtags in your niche. This helps you to get seen on social media by people who are interested in projects like yours!

Get Organized

Something I spent a lot of time on for our first experiment was crafting pitch letters and press releases. Our design team also created a beautiful media kit with graphics that we could share with the press. This gave us something professional to share with news outlets and influencers.

What is a pitch letter? It is a short, personalized letter that outlines the value of a story and why it should be published. I created a basic pitch letter that I then personalized to each of the news outlets I sent it to.

The pitch letter is how you get your foot in the door. You can include your longer press release and your media kit as attachments if they would like more information. Now to the fun part … personalizing it!

Personalize It

People want to know your “why.” Share the human-interest element of your project. What personal experiences have individuals had with your project?

Here’s how it looked for our experiment. One example – I pitched our story (emailed news outlets) to the university newspapers/radio/public relations offices where our interns attended. I highlighted our interns’ roles in the project and included quotes from them in press release. This made it easy for the outlets to see how it was relevant to their publication.

When I pitched the project to our local news station, I focused on how the founders where from our hometown. Similarly, when I pitched a storytelling podcast, I highlighted how learning my own ancestor’s stories during the pandemic helped my mental health.

People relate to people. Know the stories in your organization!

Make It Current/Relevant

Hitch your wagon to something already popular well-established/popular. For us, it was family history month! We choose to host our second experiment in October precisely because it was family history month. This made our experiment newsworthy again because it was a way to celebrate something that was already established.

This is important to remember when you are pitching your project to the media. Producers/writers are looking for a way to tap into what their audience currently cares about. If it’s National Grandparents Day and your project is about interviewing seniors – that’s a great fit!

Where possible, try to contact writers/producers as much notice as possible. Many have their content calendar planned out months in advance.

Give Them Options

Especially when working with television, podcasts, and radio stations – give them options in your pitch letter. I like to include 3 short possible segment ideas. Remember to use the ideas I mentioned above! Make the ideas relevant, current, and human interest!

I hope these ideas have helped you in thinking about ways to promote your community project. It’s meant to be a basic introduction. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like further information!

Check out more of my RootsTech content here.

The post Tips for promoting your community project appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Share your story, even if your voice shakes.

Seven years ago, my friend/social media colleague, Janet, invited me to be a RootsTech ambassador. Share about family history on social media? I’m in!

The first few years as an ambassador, I battled self-imposed imposter syndrome. What was a lifestyle blogger/former journalist doing in the media hub? I’d sign up for every interview opportunity and scribble quotes in my notebook as fast as I could while others asked their questions. But who was I to speak up? My equipment wasn’t as high-tech, my experience in the industry was as small as the ribbons on my name tag.

But the pull of family discoveries, family connections was too strong. I slowly began to find my voice, my people. I started asking more questions and finding more intersections with my areas of expertise and family history.

Before RootsTech, I claimed to be a lifestyle/travel blogger. Family history slowly edged itself in, but could that be a thing? I remember the first few times I said I was a family history blogger at blogging conferences. I said it hesitantly, but then the magic started to happen. People began to open up about their family history, too!

In 2019, I thought – maybe I have something to share? I submitted a proposal to speak about Using Facebook Groups for Family History with two of my Season for Family friends. Thrilled, terrified – I loved speaking at 2020 RootsTech and the friendships/connections multiplied faster than my nerves could. And then the pandemic hit.

Another ambassador, Olivia, reached out about doing a 21 Day Experiment to help share positivity and the mental health benefits of family history – why not? With the experiment, came the opportunity to do live interviews. I’ve clung to the written word by my fingernails for so long. My house isn’t nice enough, there’s a gap in my teeth, I need to lose weight, what if I stuttered like I did when I was a kid, what if I didn’t have the right answers … I came up with a lot of reasons to hand over the opportunities to others. But the call of stories spoke louder and I faced those doubts/fears. Did I make mistakes? You bet.

When RootsTech 2021 was entirely virtual and I filmed four classes from my home – the doubts and insecurities crept back in. I’m not a video editor. I need to take more public speaking classes. But I did it with sheer grit and lots of my mom’s prayers. I shared my story! And the more I shared, the more I discovered. Photos, connections, stories, extended cousins, friends have literally flooded into my life bringing me immense amounts of joy. People who I was once intimidated to approach have become dear friends.

And now this year I was given the opportunity to conduct a one-on-one interview with Jen Allen, the director of events for Family Search and RootsTech. What is this charmed life? I wish I could go back and tell the young mom shrinking into those white interview couches in the media hub what was in her future. What was going to happen when she worked through her fears and embraced the power of making and sharing family connections.

That’s what happened when I signed up for RootsTech for the first time. I’ve never missed a conference since (I’m counting the year I watched from the hospital when Emmalyn was born). I went from possibly the shyest person in the Salt Palace to interviewing the RootsTech elite. But that’s not the biggest change. In discovering more about my family, my capacity to love, to forgive, to communicate, to heal has increased exponentially. And oh the stories I can tell now! In searching for their stories, I discovered important details about my own. I found my voice and the strength to share my story. What could happen in the next seven years for you if you attended Rootstech? Enjoy this sneak peek into RootsTech 2022 and sign up!

Want more tips on connecting with your family and making the most discoveries at Rootstech? Read this!

The post My Road to RootsTech + Interview with Jen Allen! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Though it may seem odd, one of my favorite first family history-related memories took place in a swimming pool while my mom, Grandma Kimball, and her sisters and cousin were doing water aerobics.

I didn’t know it yet, but gliding in and out of their conversations, hearing bits and pieces as I splashed with my siblings – started me on a life-long path of searching out and sharing family stories.

Why did their stories intrigue me? Because these were my people! I loved my Grandma Kimball and her sisters. They always seemed so wonderful to me (then and now!) I figured if they were sharing stories about these “ancestors” they must be wonderful, too! You can read more about family stories that have helped me here and here.

I was a voracious reader as a child and read every family story I could go my hands on. My mother’s family names of Ashby, Kimball, Watkins, and Stromberg were all well-documented and provided ample reading. Stories of heroes on the Sweetwater River, cowboys on Antelope Island, and musical Swedes in mountainous Huntsville.

My Great-Aunt Lynne traditionally gave my Grandma Kimball a family story to add to their Watkins/Stromgberg family binders for Christmas. I have many fond Christmas morning memories curled up by the fire reading these stories.

I’ve also always loved pedigree charts and family group sheets. While other 7th graders were playing MASH, I was creating family group sheets for the fictional characters in my stories and my own future family. And I’ve always been obsessed with baby names and meanings/origins. Baby name books were regularly on my my library book card list.

I had an off again/on again journal throughout my childhood, but for the most part I absorbed family history in whatever form I could get it in.

It was in college when I got my first taste of family history research. My Great-Aunt Lynne wrote me a letter – which I loved. Getting mail always made my day in college. She asked me to look up a newspaper article in the college catalog regarding her father in law who had been a professor at Ricks.

It was so fun for me to find this photo and newspaper article for her (photo below). I was majoring in journalism so combing through microfiche and old newspapers was right up my alley. I’ll never forget that thrill of discovery.

My time in Rexburg, Idaho, made me curious about my Idaho/German roots on my Dad’s side of the family. I knew my Grandpa Trost had grown up so I was eager to learn anything I could. You can read more about my discoveries in Rexburg here.

I dabbled in family history here and there until I was invited to attend Rootstech as a social media/blog ambassador. Attending Rootstech blew out all four walls of the box I had put family history in. I had no idea the possibilities! I went from thinking my family history was “done” to spending time every day doing family history.

My definition of “doing” family history changed as well. Now I travel to my ancestoral hometowns, search newspapers for pictures, chat online with cousins overseas, crowdsource information in Twitter parties, teach Rootstech classes and more!

I channeled my areas of expertise – journalism and social media – into doing genealogy in new and fun ways. It has been quite the journey, but I love that I can do genealogy in my own way that I love! During the pandemic, I helped to start the 21 Day Family Connections Experiment – an experiment exploring the psychological benefits of doing daily, fun family-history based activities.

Through this all, I’ve discovered that more I seek to connect, the more family connections come to me. My heart has expanded to love not only my ancestors, but also my living family members who have I come to know better.

I would love to hear about your experience with discovering your family history? What gets you excited? What discoveries have you made lately?

The post My Genealogy Story: How I Started appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Post on social media about how you are giving back. Use the hashtags #RTLetsDoGoodTogether and #Rootstech. Tag @KeepMovingForwardWithMe on Instagram and Facebook or @KeepMovingTara on Twitter if you would like me to share them!

Ways to Give Back Close to Home

1. Improve places names on the Family Tree app. You can help by associating a user-entered place with a standard place found on a map. This helps improve the accuracy of the shared family tree.

2. Do reverse indexing with the BYU Record Linking Lab.

3. Upload and tag a photo or document on Family Search or Ancestry.

4. Go through the photos of your ancestors on Family Search and make sure everyone is tagged.

5. Say “Thank You!” Thank an indexer or someone who has uploaded a photo/document to Family Search/Ancestry. Thank the person who completed your photo request on Find a Grave.

Online Ways to Give Back in Family History

1. Index on Family Search. This tutorial will help you get started!

2. Photo Angels – help reunite photos and/or heirlooms with descendants. From Shrubs to Trees: A Genealogy Pay it Forward Genealogy Group is a fantastic Facebook Group to do this in. Summer Owens from the All Abound Together blog is another great example of how reunite ephemera with descendants. Check out Grete from Photos Without Families on Instagram for examples of how to share/reunite found photos on social media, too.

3. Family Search Research Wiki – many places need details.

4. Wikitree. Help with the Germany Project (wikitree.com)! Add German records to the tree to help make them more accessible to those looking for their German ancestors. You can also participate with other projects.

5. Answer questions in online forums such as Facebook Groups and Rootschat.

6. Index with Crowd Sourced Indexing: https://csindexing.com/. You can choose a project already created or create one of your own. Projects in a variety of languages.

7. Help the Church History Library identify missionaries in historic photos! This project is exciting to me. If you have ancestors who served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early 1900s you will want to check it out.

8. Translate records from other languages to English. I love the Genealogical Translations group on Facebook. Volunteer translators have helped me break through several family history brick walls!

Ways to Help Within Your Own Family

1. Help family members digitize and upload their photos/documents.

2. Interview family members and preserve their stories.

Ways to Give Back in the Community

1. Teach family history classes at the library or family history center.

2. Interview and preserve memories for seniors at local senior citizen centers.

3. Teach youth groups about genealogy.

4. Take photos for Find a Grave or Billion Graves. Add GPS to gravesites.

7. Volunteer for a genealogy or lineage society.

8. Donate time or money to a museum for family history.

The post Let’s Do Good Together: Big and Little Ways to Give Back in Family History appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Let’s keep the fun going! Post how you do #FiveMinuteFamilyHistory on social media! Use the hashtag #FiveMinuteFamilyHistory, #RootstechConnect, and #21DayExperiment so we can all see! Tag me @Keepmovingforwardwithme on Instagram/Facebook or @KeepMovingTara on Twitter.

Here are a few of my favorite Five Minute Family History Ideas and tutorials. The list is not meant to be static! I will be adding more regularly. Feel free to comment with an idea of your own if you would like me to add it!

Check out the  21 Day Family Connections Experiment Idea Generator. –  dozens of quick, easy, and techie family history ideas that can be done on the go! 

Save family memories on Family Search.

Learn More About Your Ancestors through Stories and Photos.

Colorize/Animate a photo with MyHeritage.

• Create a family history meme to share on social media using these fun and free templates. 
• See what ancestors you look like with Compare a Face on Family Search .
• Reverse index with the BYU Record Linking Lab.
• Look up family members in the yearbook collection on Ancestry.com.
• Standardize place names with Family Search.
• Request photos, take photos and add GPS coordinates for Find a Grave or Billion Graves. 
• Upload and tag a photo to Family Search. 
• Lookup a family address on Google Maps. 
• Share family stories at bedtime. 
• Download the Family Tree, Ancestry, or MyHeritage App. 
• Use the Interview Question Generator at dinner time. 
• Interview a family member with the Speed Interview game. 
• Use the Map My Ancestor feature on the Family Tree app. 
• Make a family recipe for a meal. 
• Share a family story on Marco Polo or Whatsapp. 
• Share a photo or story to social media. 
• Say “thank you” to someone who uploaded a family photo to one of your ancestors. 
• Play a family history game like Geneopardy. 
• Record a story on the Family Tree app. 

The post No Time? Try Five Minute Family History Ideas! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

One of my favorite memories of my grandparents is when they came to Rexburg for my Grandpa Bert Trost’s Madison High School reunion. They picked me up from my Royalcrest college apartment and took me on a tour of my Grandpa’s Rexburg. I scribbled notes in my reporter’s notebook (boy do I wish I remembered which box that was in now!) and I thoroughly enjoyed the one-on-one time with my grandparents.

Driving to the outskirts of town, he guessed where their family farm might have been. We even located their house in town which now has an easy-to-remember name! But that’s a story for another post! I remember driving past the Jacob Spori Building and Grandpa talking about how he and his brothers would deliver newspapers there. My Grandpa never attended Ricks, but he mentioned that his brothers did.

I knew I had Rexburg roots, but lacked many of the details then. During this past year, I have discovered detail after precious detail to fill in many of the blanks. From quotes to photos to journals – it has truly been wonderful!

My 2xs Great Grandfather Christian Trost, the Farmer & Builder

Through Relatives at Rootstech, I was able to connect with other descendants of my 2xs Great Grandfather Christian Trost. Christian, his wife Caroline, and their small family immigrated to Rexburg, Idaho, from Oberstenfeld, Germany in the late 1800s.

He later divorced my 2xs Great-Grandmother Caroline and married a third wife. Lucky for me, his stepdaughter was a prolific journal writer. Her descendants were kind enough to share excerpts with me.

According to his stepdaughter Hildegard, Christian helped “to build the first 2 buildings for Ricks Academy, the LDS Tabernacle, and the 3rd Ward Church. He also assisted in building the Burton Ward Chapel. He also put in every day he could get away from crop & farm duties, besides contributing generously his finances.”

As far as I know, the first two buildings for Ricks Academy included the Jacob Spori Building – a building that I was very familiar with! It housed the Communication Department at Ricks College/BYU-Idaho. As a journalism student, I toured almost every inch of that building from the basement to the attic. I spent many hours doing homework in window seats and hanging out in the art gallery as a freshman. Our newspaper office was on the first floor and was my second home. I was lucky enough to be able to buy original tiles from the building – who knew they were actually family history relics from a building my ancestor helped build?!?!

My Great-Grandfather William Trost, the Valedictorian

While my great-grandmother Eda wasn’t able to attend Ricks College, her husband William Trost did! He was the valedictorian of his class and graduated in 1918 just before leaving to fight in World War I. As luck would have it, I discovered this page from the Student Rays, the student newspaper for Ricks Academy. It also served as a yearbook of sorts, it appears.

My Great-Grandaunt Caroline Trost, the Journalist

Another fun discovery was that William’s sister Caroline also attended Ricks Academy. Even better, she was a reporter for the school newspaper! This is so fun to me as the student newspaper is what brought me to Ricks College! Again, digging through the online digital archives, I was able to find this yearbook photo of Caroline! The very first photo of her that I had seen – what a treat to share it and upload it to Family Search for others. That dark curly hair definitely was passed down through the generations!

My Great-Uncle Arlo, the Journalist and Family Historian

Important to note, there was an additional newspaperman in the family. My Great-Uncle Arlo also worked on the student newspaper, The Scroll, as I recently discovered. Who knew I came from generations of Scrollies, a term we used to describe ourselves. Arlo also had a love of family history and was responsible for much of the research done for the Trost family. Who knew I was following in his footsteps?

Much of this information I was able to discover through digitalized student newspapers and student yearbooks. I can’t believe it took me until this year to search them online! In my defense, they may have only recently become available. Thank goodness for technology.

While I know general stories before, these details have made all the difference to me. I’ve been able to put faces to names. Places to memories. My own memories of Rexburg feel a little richer now with the deeper family history context beneath them.

I feel there is still so much to discover! I am a member of several Rexburg historical Facebook groups. It’s fun to see old photos and others’ memories pop up in my Facebook feed. Perhaps social media will be part of my next Rexburg discovery!

Tell me – are there places that are special to you from your family history? I would love to hear what discoveries you have made!

This post is part of #NaGenWriMo! Don’t forget to link up your genealogy posts/stories this month!

The post Ricks College/Ricks Academy Connections with the Trost Family appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Every now and then a piece of art speaks to me and strikes a chord in my heart. That’s how I feel about this beautifully-inspiring artwork by Jenedy Paige. It’s titled, Coming Full Circle.

The artist describes it as:

That moment when the pathway clears, the questions answered, the problems solved, and circumstances understood. Everything comes full circle and your heart swells with gratitude. In that moment of joy and thanks, our hearts connect with Heaven, as we recognize God’s hand in our life. Look for circles in life and you will find them.

Even before I read the description, I knew I had to have this piece for the family-history-inspired gallery I am working on. It’s going to be my central piece due to the miraculous ways family connections tend to come full circle for me in my genealogy research and family relationships (more about this later!)

Until I finish gathering all my pieces for the gallery wall, I am loving having the print on my work desk aka my Zoom background. It’s a stunning backdrop for all my work/volunteer/religious meetings and a great conversation starter! Who knew that in 2020/2021 curating a Zoom background would be a thing?

Giveaway and Special Discount Code!

Looking for a special piece for your own gallery wall or Zoom background? I’ve teamed up with Havenlight and we are giving away a $200 Gift Certificate!

Click Here to Enter to Win!

Havenlight has also been kind enough to give me a 20% off discount code for my followers – KEEPMOVINGFORWARD.

Order now to get a jump start on your Christmas shopping! Besides the framed artwork, they even after puzzles, memory games, and books. I have my eye on the itsy bitsy puzzles for Easter!

Coming Full Circle Through Family History

Now let me tell you why this painting means so much to me. Knowing and sharing my family history has been key to my mental health during the pandemic. In essence, because my ancestors endured and preserved through hard times, I know that I can, too. (I talk more about this in my interview with Hi 5 Live here).

Learning about their hopes, dreams, and hardships helps me to reframe my own perspective, too. This week I’ve been writing about my Great-Grandmother Eda for #NaGenWriMo. One thing I learned about her was her desire to be educated. In her life history, it reads,

“Eda continued her schooling and graduated from the eighth grade in Rexburg. She had a desire to attend Ricks Academy, later known as
Ricks College, and then in 2002 it became BYU Idaho. She started three different times, but each time she had to quit. The first time because of a flu epidemic, the second time she contracted smallpox, and the third time she enrolled, she attended only a few months and had to quit because of lack of funds.”

Ricks College/BYU-Idaho happens to be my alma mater. While I knew that my grandpa had grown up in Rexburg, I did not know how my family’s lives intertwined with Ricks Academy. I thought my closest association was my Grandpa/his brothers delivering newspapers to the Spori Building as teens on their paper route. Little did I know that my great-grandmother probably gazed longingly at the building that became my second home as a journalism student. When I graduated in 2003 with my bachelor’s degree, I was quite literally fulfilling her dream three generations later. What a blessing that I appreciate even more deeply now.

Gratitude for Education – Opportunities Coming Full Circle

It would have been the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic that first dashed her academic dreams. Knowing her story makes me even more grateful for the educational opportunities my daughter has had during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even with schools closed, we had virtual access to teachers and programs. Because we are privileged to have Internet access and with my husband and I both working from home, none of my children experienced a lapse in their educations as my Great-Grandma Eda did. That’s definitely a silver lining and something to be grateful for.

More Ties with Rexburg/Ricks College

While my great-grandmother Eda wasn’t able to attend Ricks College, her husband William Trost did! You can read more about his family’s ties with Ricks Academy here. William and his sister, Caroline, both attended in the early 1900s. Caroline was even a reporter for the student newspaper like I was! William and Eda’s son Arlo, my great-uncle, was also an editor for the student newspaper like me. Who knew I came from multiple generations of journalists!

Can you see the connections? My family’s love of education and telling stories has truly come full circle. Many of us found our voices through writing. I feel closer to my Great-Grandmother Eda. Her experiences have given me a greater appreciation for my own opportunities and for my daughters’ opportunities as well. In the midst of the past year’s trials, there are silver linings. My ancestors’ stories are intertwined with my own – as I learn from the past, I can do better in the future.

I’m grateful that I have this beautiful painting by Jenedy Paige to remind me of this powerful principle. Today I’ve shared one story, but I have countless others of questions/searches/discoveries coming full circle.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway and use the discount code for your own inspirational artwork! There are some beautiful ones of the Savior that would be perfect for holiday decor.

Please enjoy the following, too! Here is Jenedy Paige’s bio. I love what she has to say about connections. Her artwork has definitely struck a chord in my heart!

Jenedy Paige Bio

I am a realist in every sense of the word. I paint things as they exist, in the representational tradition, but also in the concepts behind my work. I am a truth teller. I love the classical approach to painting and its ability to so easily invite the viewer in. However, I also know the value of abstraction, and the power it has to express things that realism cannot, and so I try to include both in my paintings. There is nothing I love more than a delicate and detailed figure on an expressive background.

My paintings begin in a journal. I record my frustrations, sorrows, joys, ambitions, hopes and then I transform those words into images. I guess you could say I very literally draw from life experience. I try to be as honest as I can in the telling, I don’t mince words. I then release the story to the canvas, and as I paint I am enabled to process the experience in a new way and to learn from it. I’m not fast, I take my time with the painting, and the lesson in it. Layer by layer I work, carefully revealing the wisdom inside.

When it comes to creating images I believe that simplicity is key. The more concise you can say something, the more powerful it is. So although my writing is usually lengthy, I look for symbols I can use, and try to condense my thoughts into a concise visual statement. I strive to find a shortcut right to the heart of the viewer, something that will strike them at first glance.

When I have taken the painting as far as I can, I return to writing. And just when I think I have dissected a particular idea, when I have learned all I could, writing usually takes it one step further. Words then become the final layer to the piece. The work and the text are then offered up together to others. I then find my experiences are not all that original, as the work strikes a familiar cord in the viewer. People often place themselves inside my work, and add their story to mine, and thus my heart and the heart of my audience connect over the canvas.

Looking for more inspiration?

See more inspiring artwork from Jenedy Paige and Dan Wilson as part of Havenlight’s Let Art Be Your Voice Blog Tour!

See why Camille Walker from My Mommy Style fell in love with Jenedy Paige’s Room to Grow artwork.

Author Michael Young chose a piece that spoke to a special time for his growing family.

The post Let Art Be Your Voice + $200 Havenlight Giveaway! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

For me, today I set a timer and decided to write as much as I could about Great-Grandma Eda. This is what resulted! There is already a wonderful life history on Family Search written by her son, Arlo, so this post is more about how I have come to know Eda and tidbits I enjoy learning about her. So here we go!

I feel a special connection with Eda because we look so much alike! A few years ago I created an ancestor bingo tutorial and a friend commented about how similar Eda and I looked.

As you can see the Compare a Face feature on Family Search agrees! (PS – if you haven’t tried this fun activity – you’ve got to do it! Simply take a selfie or upload a photo and Family Search does the work! It compares your photo to your ancestor’s! My kids love this! Fun Thanksgiving activity for sure!)

Let’s learn about Eda! Her life summary on Family Search reads:

“When Eda Virgil Smith was born on 8 November 1902, in Fairview, Oneida, Idaho Territory, United States, her father, Frederick Smith, was 23 and her mother, Martha Malena Cole, was 22. She married William Lawrence Trost on 7 November 1923, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons (my note – and one daughter who is still living). She lived in Independence, Madison, Idaho, United States in 1930 and Rexburg, Madison, Idaho, United States for about 5 years. She died on 24 November 1980, in Taylorsville, Salt Lake, Utah, United States, at the age of 78, and was buried in Rexburg Cemetery, Rexburg, Madison, Idaho, United States.”

I’ve always known these facts about Eda and had a single photo of her. For years, this photo was the only photo of her on Family Search. My Grandpa Bert gave it to us for Christmas one year as well. But these are facts? What of Eda’s story?!?!

My Grandpa Bert is her youngest son – the young man with the fantastic smirk and arm around his mother in the photo.

I’ve been hoping to discover younger photos of Eda for years. This year my wish came true! My Dad’s cousin, Jane, posted multiple photos to Family Search of Eda as a child. This next one is my favorite! The tallest boy is Eda’s older brother Leo. Eda is tagged as the girl on the goat, but the next picture makes me wonder if she is the girl in the black dress? Either way, I ADORE this picture. Wouldn’t it be fun to know the context? What goat holds still long enough for a picture? Definitely not your everyday photo!

Eda was born in Fairview – a remote farming town in southern Idaho. This website gives an insightful description of the town and includes references to Eda’s grandmother – Celia Malinda Woodland Cole. The Coles are listed as among the founding families of the town.

Legacy of a Life History

According to her life history on Family Search, Eda’s family moved north to Lyman, Idaho, when she was four years old. Perhaps the photos are from here?

The rest of her childhood was spent in and around Rexburg, Idaho. A town especially dear to my heart! Imagine my surprise when I read this passage from her life history,

“Eda continued her schooling and graduated from the eighth grade in Rexburg. She had a desire to attend Ricks Academy, later known as
Ricks College, and then in 2002 it became BYU Idaho. She started three different times, but each time she had to quit. The first time because of a flu epidemic, the second time she contracted small pox, and the third time she enrolled, she attended only a few months and had to quit because of lack of funds.”

Knowing this about my great-grandmother makes me even more grateful that I was able to attend and graduate from Ricks College/BYU-Idaho. Can you believe that – I literally lived the dream of my ancestor and I don’t take that for granted.

I am so grateful to have this life history of Eda! I love how it came into my life. As mentioned before, my first cousin 1x removed, Jane, posted the above photos to Family Search. I happily shared them to Facebook so more of my family could see them. I tagged her to thank her because it truly made my day – younger photos of Eda!

In the Facebook post, I mused that I would love to know more about Eda’s life and her story. Imagine my excitement when Jane said that she not only had Eda’s life story but also life stories for more family members! It has been so fun to work with Jane to get them uploaded to Family Search. What a treat to get to know Jane better, too.

Let’s Go Digital!

Isn’t that a fun part of family history/genealogy for our generation? So many life histories, stories, etc. have been prepared and saved – it’s time for them to be shared! It’s a digital world now and so easy to share on social media and through tree-sharing sites like Family Search and Ancestry.

Another first cousin 1x removed posted this photo of Eda in her later years. The others in the photo are my Grandpa Bert Trost (love his 70s outfit) and my aunts. It’s truly wonderful that we each hold parts of each other’s history that we haven’t seen before! Grateful to my family members who have posted on Family Search and shared!

Over the years, I have been doing my best to share my family history puzzles pieces, too! Like this photo of Eda with her second husband, David Fisher. That darling young couple with them are my grandparents, Bert and Lois! How fun to see them as newlyweds!

I still have more uploading of photos to do! Perhaps I will come across more Eda treasures. Wouldn’t I love to see photos of her as a young bride or young mother? School pictures would be amazing as well! I am part of several historical Rexburg Facebook groups so I am crossing my fingers.

And just like that my timer is up! Compiling these photos and thinking about my own research/family connections has been fun! Perhaps someday I will put together something in a more formal context, but for now – I hope you enjoy these connections with Eda as much as I do. A lady who loved reading and was eager to learn, who grew up in one of my favorite places (despite the cold), and who was brave enough to ride a goat!

Who are you writing about this month? Where have you found pieces of your family history puzzle?

The post Connecting with my great-grandmother Eda Virgil Smith (aka Eda Trost, Eda Fisher, Eda Jackson) appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Need a kick start writing your family stories?

Ready to write your own personal history?

Can’t wait to share juicy tidbits you’ve discovered about ancestors?

Eager to post stories and discoveries for your family to read?

Needing to get all the research you’ve conducted in a readable/consumable format?

Wanting to be part of a community working on writing/sharing/saving family stories, too?

Join me for #NaGenWriMo starting November 1st. What does NaGenWriMo stand for? National Genealogy Writing Month. Okay, so we aren’t officially national …. YET! But that won’t stop us from making it a thing!

What It Is:

#NaGenWriMo is a collaborative, community effort to write down, save, and share family stories and research.

You Are Invited To:

1. Write every day! Whether it is a little or A LOT!

2. Save your work. Post it to a blog if you have one. If it’s polished and ready – upload it to Family Search! Print it out and put it in a binder. Whatever your saving method – make sure it is accessible and readable for future generations!

3. Share! Let’s light up social media with genealogy and family history. My family doesn’t always love reading big ole’ binders and books (like I do – ha!), but put it in an Instagram or Facebook post and they are hooked! Use #NaGenWriMo so we can follow each other. Tag @KeepMovingForwardWithMe on Instagram/Facebook or @KeepMovingTara on Twitter if you would like me to reshare!

4. Link up. I’m all about accountability! I will have link-up posts on this blog (including this post!) for us to share our blog posts. Please link up new stories/content that you are currently working on.

Join Us

Let’s do this! There are family stories waiting to be told! Who will you write about? Is there a one-place study you’ve been itching to do? Does your one-name study need a little more work? Do you just want to start sharing your own stories from your childhood? #NaGenWriMo is perfect for all of these scenarios! Each Sunday I will post a new link up! Feel free to add multiple links. These can be blog posts, social media posts, etc. The important thing is to get writing!

The post Join me for #NaGenWriMo starting November 1st! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Why use hashtags?

• Hashtags organize and categorize posts and videos.
• Hashtags connect you with other people interested in the same content.  

Tips for using hashtags:

• Hashtags only work on public accounts because they are searchable.
• Do not use spaces or special characters.
• You can use numbers. 
• Stay on topic. Only use hashtags relative to your posts so people can find what they are looking for.

The following are some of my favorite genealogy-related hashtags to use on Instagram. This list is not all-inclusive. Leave your favorite hashtags in the comments and I will add them in!

You can also use more specific hashtags. I like to use family hashtags like #ZacherFamily #AshbyFamily etc. I will also use place hashtags when I talk about where my ancestors lived ie #WeimarGermany #PaysonUtah.

Popular Genealogy Related Hashtags for Instagram

Conference Hashtags: Follow along with and use these hashtags during the conference to connect with other attendees.

#Rootstech #RootstechConnect #NGS2021 (National Genealogical Society) #SLIGInstitute (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy)

Business Hashtags: Connect with genealogy businesses. Use hashtags when you are posting about their products.

#FamilySearch #Ancestry #MyHeritage

Generic Family History Hashtags: Search and use these widely used hashtags in the family history industry

#FamilyHistory #Genealogy  #FamilyTree #Ancestors #Heritage #FamilyStories #FamilyHistoryResearch #FamilyHistorian #GenSocieties

Family History Challenges: Join in these fun challenges and use their hashtag when you participate. Check out the hashtags for ideas!

#GenealogyPhotoaDay #21DayExperiment #SaveFamilyPhotos #ModernGenealogyChallenge

Want to know more? Check out this video for more tips and tricks for doing family history on Instagram.

The post Popular Family History Hashtags on Instagram appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Don’t see your favorite account? Leave it in a comment or fill out this form:

Genealogy Challenge Accounts

@21DayConnect – A 21 Day Experiment exploring the daily benefits of connections with family. #21DayExperiment

@GenealogyPhotoADay – A fun way to share your #genealogy photos! Join the fun with #GenealogyPhotoADay

@GenealogyTwins – Inspiration, tips and fun genealogy challenges.

Family History Accounts:

@keepmovingforwardwithme – Family history enthusiast and speaker. Sharing tips for everyday family history. Founding member of the 21 Day Family Connections Experiment.

@thepolynesiangenealogist – Want to learn about your family? I’ll help you discover your Oceania ancestors.

@StacyJulian – Rootstech speaker and story coach.

@MsHeatherMurphy – Improve your mental health and resilience through mindful family history research with Resilience in Your Roots. Host of @storiesinourroots podcast

@TheModernGenealogist: Genealogist • Historian • Educator • Story Teller • Optimist • Jack of All Trades

@Treasured_Families – Ditch the guilt around #familyhistory & embrace the fun!

@FillYourRoots: Fiona|The Family History Boss Genealogy : Hints, Tips & How To’s Creator of the “Ancestor Scratchpad”

@FamilyHistorianMom – Stories, discoveries, connections.

@TheMommyGenealogist: Founding member of @21DayConnect. Sharing ways to inspire your children and your family.

@WildeBranches: Family History
Graduated from BYU-Idaho, December 2019- degree in Family History Research.

@TwistedHistories – Musings on twisted & tangled family histories & genealogy. Know your people, know yourself. Make connections to feel connected.

@WhyFamilyHistory: I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love family history. 

Family History Photo Accounts

@FromShrubstoTreesGenealogy: Gifting “lost” memorabilia back to family. From Shrubs To Trees: A Pay-It-Forward Genealogy Group or The Nameless Bunch, both on FB. www.facebook.com/groups/1650356598425996

@PhotosWithoutFamilies: I’m Grete, nice to meet you! I identify family members in lost and found photos in my collection. Large collection of German photos.

@SaveFamilyPhotos – On a mission to save & share family stories, one photo at a time. #savefamilyphotos

Historical Accounts

@TheHistoryGirlNJ – Highlighting US history and architecture. Preserving the past and finding new ways to #SpreadTheHistory.

@TheCemeteryClub – Cemeteries = Museum of People! Tours, talks & photos celebrating those who’ve gone before us. Posts by@londonsalmon

Rootstech Connect 2021 Presenters

@Keepmovingforwardwithme – Family history tips and inspiration #FamilyHistoryForEveryone

@CristaCowan – I work for @ancestry. They call me The Barefoot Genealogist.

@Elizabeth_oneal – Helping you find creative, time-saving, low-cost ways to discover your ancestors and make the past a part of your present

@finlaymelissa – Research Associate at Legacy Tree Genealogists. Sharing family history stories & photo

@CarolinaGirlGenealogy – Genealogist, Speaker, Instructor, Writer.
Helping You Climb Your Family Tree

@moderngenealogy – LDS genealogist helping YOU get started with your family history work without the overwhelm!

@laura_hedgecock – Author speaker and blogger. Helping others tell their own and family stories. @Treasurechestofmemories.com #storytelling #familyhistory

@Livstreehouse – Techie, family history guru, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints member, national park lover, pta member, all around busy, happy, crazy momma!

@amyjohnsoncrow – Modern genealogy made easy. Find your ancestors without the overwhelm. Host of Generations Cafe podcast

@genealogyliteracy – Genealogy Librarian, author, speaker, cat lady, teaaholic, &Bibliophile! Welcome to the bourbon scented, crinkled pages of my somewhat southern life.

@iamthomreed – Deputy Chief Genealogical Officer @FamilySearch || Bishop of the Eastlake 3rd Ward of @churchofjesuschrist.

@thesingleleaf – The Single Leaf: researching individuals of the past in the context of #family, #community, and #social #history

@celebrateyourancestors

@bloodandfrogs – B&F provides info to assist those researching their Jewish Genealogy, including the 25,000 resources in the B&F Compendium for Jewish Genealogy.

@genealogyjustask – Robin Foster – Genealogy presenter, Certified HubSpot Inbound Marketer

@TheGenealogyKids – Visit our website at www.TheGenealogyKids.com and follow our Pinterest board: pin.it/j54b3umqb6y3sd

@EvalogueLife – Storytelling that inspires. Let us write your story for your business, nonprofit, family or yourself.

@familylinesandstories –

@inspirefamilyhistory – We provide ideas, resources, and tools for inspiring children of all ages to love family history!

@DiahanSouthard – At #yourDNAguide, we help turn DNA test results into meaningful family connections. #geneticgenealogy

@gwolf75 – Entrepreneur #genealogy #DNAtest #DesignThinking #ServiceDesign

@KatherineSchober – German genealogy

@genKracke – Timo Kracke Ganderkesee | DE | Blogger, Podcaster, Geocacher, Vater und ein bisschen Familienforschung verrückt. #familie#kids#ahnenforschung#geocaching

@ItalianAncestors – Leading resource in genealogy, based in Italy.

@FamilyCherished – International Speaker, Pro Genealogist & Historian, Author & eCourse creator 

@thefhguide – We make everyone’s family history journey easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable!

@GRIPittsburgh – Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh is offering 2 virtual sessions in the summer of 2021. Visit our website for details!

Genealogy Conference Accounts

@RootsTechOfficial -The world’s largest family history and technology conference. #RootsTech #RootsTechConnect 

@NGSGenealogy – National Genealogical Society. For generations: past, present, and future.

@SLIGInstitute – Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. #SLIG is an in-depth, week-long learning experience, held annually within walking distance of the renowned Family History Library. #Genealogy

Genealogy Businesses:

@Branches.art – Ancestor and traditional family trees.

@FamilySearch – Celebrating personal and family stories of past and present. Come discover your story with us!

@Ancestry – Connect with your family stories.

The post Family History Instagram Accounts to Follow appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Welcome to a directory for many of the best genealogy and family history hashtags on Twitter!

Ready to dive in and discover the best hashtags to use for family history when you Tweet? You are in the right place! Keep reading for a list of my favorites!

But first, here’s what you need to know about Twitter hashtags.

Getting the most out of genealogical hashtags

First – what is a hashtag?

Hashtag: A word or phrase preceded by a hash or pound sign used to identify messages on a specific topic i.e. #RootstechConnect 

Hashtags are searchable on Twitter and a way to connect with others who have the same interests. They are used in Twitter parties, for various initiatives, and to group tweets pertaining to the same topic together. 

Popular genealogy hashtags on Twitter

Popular for general use: I use #familyhistory or #genealogy in many of my posts! They are generic and commonly used among genealogists and hobbyists. Using those hashtags groups your tweet with similar hashtags.

Here are additional popular genealogy related hashtags:  #Ancestors #CousinBait #TwitterStorian #Ancestry #FamilyTree #History #Family #DNA #Genealogia #Heritage #genealogist #genetics #genealogyresearch #familyhistoryresearch #dnatestkit #familytree #genealogie #oralhistory 

Hashtags associated with businesses/events/shows: Businesses, events, and conferences often have their own hashtags. For example, it’s fun to follow all the tweets using #RootstechConnect throughout the three-day conference to see what other attendees are learning and doing!

#FamilySearch #Ancestry #AncestryDNA #Rootstech #RootstechConnect #MyHeritage #FindMyPast #RelativeRae

Hashtags associated with specific Twitter parties: Hashtags are essential for Twitter parties! Visit this post to see some of my favorites. 

#21DayExperiment #AncestryHour #ANZAncestryTime #OnePlaceStudies #OnePlaceWednesday  #OurAncestors #AncestryHour #GenChat #TimeTravelTalk #HouseHistoryHour #HistoryHuddle, #HistoriansCollaborate

Hashtags for specific topics: Hashtags are used for specific topics and initiatives as well.  

#AncestralTravel #IamNextGen#GenealogyShoutOut #StreetStudy #52Ancestors   #52Documents #GenealogyPhotoaDay

Tips for using hashtags on Twitter

• Hashtags make your Tweet more searchable. 
• Twitter recommends using no more than two hashtags per tweet. 
• Don’t use spaces in a hashtag.
• Don’t put punctuation in a hashtag. 
• Stay on topic. 

What are your favorite hashtags to use on Twitter for genealogy and historical topics?

Want to learn more about Twitter? Check out this list of genealogy and historical Twitter parties! 

The post Popular Twitter Hashtags for Genealogists and Family Historians appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Looking to connect with other genealogists and people interested in family history on Twitter? This Twitter party directory is for you!

From historians, to genealogists, to hobbyists – these Twitter parties are a great place for anyone looking to crowdsource historical information on Twitter. Whether you want to share a discovery or ask a question, Twitter parties give you the opportunity to network and chat with other family history enthusiasts.

Know of a Twitter Party that should be added to the list? Fill out this form and I will get it added! 

You can follow all the parties below via this Twitter Party list on the Twitter platform. 

Twitter Parties

21 Day Family Connections Experiment –  #21DayExperiment  https://twitter.com/21DayConnect. Join us every fourth Friday at 12 pm MT to chat about #familyhistory and connecting with family! Each month has a different theme.

Ancestry Hour – #AncestryHour https://twitter.com/ancestryhour. Use #AncestryHour in your Tweets to support & promote #genealogy, #familyhistory & all things #ancestry, Tuesdays 7.00pm GMT. Brought to you by @BordersAncestry

Gen Chat – https://twitter.com/_genchat. Satisfying #genealogy addictions since 2013.  Held twice monthly. Schedule here: https://www.genchatgenealogy.com/schedule.html.  Hosted by @leprchaunrabbit and @geneapleau

One Place Studies – #OnePlaceStudies https://twitter.com/OnePlaceStudies. This Twitter party takes place all day every Wednesday focusing on where family history and local history unite. Each month focuses on a different theme (ie #OnePlaceWednesday #OnePlaceLandmarks, #OnePlaceMaps, etc.)

Historians Collaborate – #HistoriansCollaborate We are a voluntary group of historians from all different types of disciplines, with a broad range of interests, experiences and skills. Join Wednesdays 8 pm GMT. More info available at: https://historianscollaborate.com/

T.W.I.G. Chat – #TwigChat https://twitter.com/TWIG_Chat The chat debating current genealogy topics and talking about the happenings of the week in history. Hosted by @DanielGenealogy &@Whoamiftr. All day every Wednesday.

America Ancestors – #OurAncestors – Join the genealogists of American Ancestors on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. EST for a live Q&A on Twitter. All you need to do is follow @AncestorExperts on Twitter. Check out our hashtag #OurAncestors.

GenChatDe – #genchatDE –  https://twitter.com/genchatDE Der TwitterChat rund um die Themen Genealogie, Ahnenforschung, Heraldik, Familienforschung und Geschichte #GenChatDE.  English Translation: The TwitterChat about genealogy, genealogy, heraldry, family research and history #GenChatDE

GenChat DNA – #genchatDNA –  Monthly chat group (next session TBA) for anyone wondering where to start when testing their DNA. Host: @leprchaunrabbit

Ancestry Time Australia New Zeland –  #ANZAncestryTime AncestryTime for Australia & New Zealand hosted by @sharnwhite, @travelgenee, @cassmob. Tuesdays 7pm to 8pm AEST #ANZAncestryTime.

Black Pro Gen #BlackProGen – #CREWChat – Genealogy, with seasoning. Speakin on it since 2013. Multigenerational C.R.E.W. Watch us LIVE on Tues & Wed. #BlackProGen #CREWChat. 

Time Travel Talks – #TimeTravelTalks https://twitter.com/TimeTravelTalks We are a monthly Twitter #history chat focused on generating discussion on history. Founded by @KaraDiDomizio & @lelahistory

House History Hour – Use #HouseHistoryHour in tweets to discuss, share & pose questions about #HouseHistory, Thursdays 19.00 GMT. Co-hosted by leading house historians.  https://twitter.com/HouseHistoryHr

What is a Twitter Party?

A Twitter Party is a live chat using the Twitter social media platform and the hashtag search feature to connect participants to the conversation stream.  It is moderated by a host/hosts and typically lasts for an hour, though some are for a day/weekend. 

There may be a theme and questions. For example: 

Q1: What is your preferred method of journaling #21DayExperiment

You would answer: 

A1: I prefer using paper/pen when journaling #21DayExperiment  

A Twitter Party is a great place to …

• Celebrate discoveries 
• Ask questions 
• Discover new resources 
• Network with people around the globe 
• Share expertise 
• Crowdsource 

Tips for your first Twitter Party

• Know the date and/or time. 

• Follow the Twitter party hosts. 

• Know and use the party hashtag. Every Twitter party has a designated hashtag i.e. #21DayExperiment #AncestryHour. Make sure to use the hashtag in every tweet you post or it won’t show up in the party conversation. 

• Stay on topic.

The post Twitter Parties for Genealogists appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Welcome! I hope you are enjoying RootsTech Connect 2022 as much as I am! This post is jam-packed with all the links and resources I talked about in my presentations and on social media. Enjoy and please comment with any questions!

Interview with Jen Allen + My Personal Road to RootsTech 

Helpful Tips/Resources

Don’t miss out on FREE Virtual Genealogy Consultations from the Family History Library! If you have attended RootsTech in the past, these are similar to the Coaches Corner. Sign up for a time to work one-on-one with a researcher via Zoom. You can sign up for one consultation a week now through March 20th. How exciting is that? 

My Classes/Handouts

Let’s Do Good Together: Big and Little Ways to Give Back Through Family History 

Watch: Let’s Do Good Together! 

Got five minutes? Or loads of spare time? Check out this list of Family History Service Opportunities.

Five Minute Family History Ideas

Watch: Five Minute Family History Ideas. 

No time? Try one of the 5-minute family history ideas from this list! 

Try out snacks from around the world with fun subscription boxes like MunchPak and International Yum Box.  Click on either of the links for $5 off your first box! 

Making the Most of Crowdsourcing on Twitter

Watch the class: Making the most of Crowdsourcing on Twitter

Directory of Genealogy and Historical Twitter Parties 

Best Hashtags for Genealogists on Twitter

Family History Resources for Homeschoolers

21 Day Experiment for Homeschoolers

Virtual Field Trips

40 Family History Activities for Children and Teens

Four Ways to Involve Children in Family History 

Family Tree Matching Game For Children

Free Resources for Creating Your Own Family Tree

Ideas for Creating Your Own Name Art 

Additional Units and Family History Activities 

Finding Your Cousins on Instagram

Family History Instagram Accounts to Follow

Best Hashtags for Genealogists on Instagram

The Power of the Post: Making Connections on Social Media

This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products my family loves! Thank you for helping support our family history journey!

The post Rootstech appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

How do I get my kids excited about family history? That’s a question I hear a lot! I’ve tried many different ideas over the years and I keep coming back to these four simple statements: Meet them where they are at. Meet them where it matters. Meet them at the mileposts. Meet them in the moment.

When it comes to family history for children, a sprinkle is more effective than a firehose. Plant the seeds with stories, fun activities, and memorable moments. Here’s what I mean:

Compare a Face on Family Search

1. Meet your children where they’re at.

When we hear the words, “family history,” we may think of our ancestors, but family history actually begins with us as individuals! Children love learning all about themselves – what their name means, what they were like as babies, etc. Go to the activities page on Family Search and let your children discover all about themselves! Upload a selfie so they can see which ancestors they look the most like. See what was happening the year they were born. Family history starts with learning more about ourselves, then our parents, then our grandparents, then the rest of our ancestors!

 

Whether it is meeting your child in the moment or meeting them where it matters to them – I hope you find a way to connect in a way that is meaningful to you! I would love to hear in the comments below your family’s favorite way to do family history together!

The post Four Ways to Involve Your Children in Family History appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

It’s true!  Research indicates that children who know more about their family tree are more resilient in the face of life’s challenges. You can read more about the study from Emory University in 2010 here.

With more time together at home, I am looking forward to drawing my family closer together. My friends and I have created 28-pages of EASY family history activities. Designed by the Kindred Press, it is chock-full of printables and simple activities. I am excited to do these with my own children.

In addition, I will be updating this post with more of our family’s favorite ways to make family history part of our day to day life at home. Let me know if there is an idea you want to hear more about and I will do a separate post!

Exploring your family tree at meal time

I’ll never forget this easy tip I learned in a parenting class. If you want to make a habit stick, attach it to something you are already doing everyday. That’s meal time! Especially with self-isolation happening around the world, family meals are an ideal time to connect and draw closer to our families. Here are a few of my favorite family history at meal time ideas.

Question Jar

It can be as simple as a mason jar with strips of paper! Write down or print out questions about your family or your ancestors. It may be fun to make a custom jar just for family history! You can use the same tutorial I used for this jar – easy for anyone to do! Or – if you want something already done for you – this Table Talks game is fun! We played a similar game at an extended family dinner. We were laughing forever over the question of who would play each of us in a movie.

Ancestor Birthday Dinners

If you have a Family Search account set up, you can access all your ancestor’s important dates in a calendar here when you are logged in. Don’t have a Family Search account yet? Go to Family Search and sign up for one – it’s free! Check out who has a birthday this month and celebrate them. Get out the birthday candles, balloons, and cake and share stories about the ancestor.

Family Recipes

What are you favorite family recipes from when you were a child? Were there meals you had for holidays or special occasions. Make that meal together and share your memories. Call Grandma and Grandpa and ask about their favorite recipes, too.

Special Place Mats/Table Cloth

Where does your family spend a lot of their time? At the kitchen table! Why not make it double as a learning center. All you need are a clear plastic table cloth and paper learning materials. Print out timelines, pictures, stories, maps – the possibilities are endless. This way, while your children are eating their cereal in the morning, they are also learning about their family. Win/win!

Family History at Bed Time

Chatbooks

Do you have any scrapbooks or chatbooks? (If not, perfect time to start making them! Chatbooks is very use to use!) Children love hearing about their own history and looking at pictures of themselves. I am using this downtime to create several more chatbooks with my kids.

Family Stories

Every night by boys beg for stories! Lately, they have been wanting to hear stories about when my husband served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Costa Rica. Share stories about your own life and ancestor stories, too!

Family Songs

Are there songs that have special meaning to your family? I remember my Grandma Kimball singing Skidamarink to me as a child. It’s a fun and silly song that I sing to my kids now, too. Reach back to your childhood and share some of those favorite songs as you put your kids to bed.

Tuck-in Time

One on one time is so important with our children. We have instituted Tuck-in Time at our house. Each child has a different day of the week when they get their “night.” On their night, they get to stay up later and do an activity with mom and/or dad. This can be reading more books, playing a game, etc.

Story Quilt

I love this quilt that my grandfather handed down to me. It is a story quilt! It has photos from his childhood. It also has squares that represent holidays, memories, etc. Each one is meant to prompt a question. What was Christmas like when you were a child? Did you go to football games? What did you do for the 4th of July? Beautiful family heirloom and great for snuggling up and telling stories!

Family History in the Home

Journal Time

Have you been journaling during the Covid social distancing? We are literally writing the history our descendants will be reading! Right now we are loving the Loom Connection Journals. My daughter and I take turns writing in the journal. It’s a great way for us to connect. The journal is full of prompts to get us started!

Ancestor Wall

Do you have pictures of your ancestors hanging in your home? Drop me a link in the comments – I would love to see! When our children see these people regularly, they are bound to ask questions about who they are and what their lives are like! I have a friend who rotates her ancestor pictures based on holidays. Veterans at the 4th of the July, women for Mother’s Day, men for Father’s Day.

Quote Board

Lately I have been going through the Memories pages on Family Search to find quotes from my ancestors. What are the inspiring things they have said that may inspire my family?

Temple Pictures

We love having pictures of temples around our home. Family Search has a page dedicated to finding out what temples your ancestors attended if they were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is fun to explore with the kids!

Stay tuned for our favorite family history tech and games! What are your favorite ways to do family history with your children and teens?

The post Family tree exploration activities for children and teens – Part 1 appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

(Thank you for reading this sponsored post! While I was compensated for this post, I love sharing products that my family uses every day! Hope it helps ward off the holiday sickies for you, too!)

It’s the holiday season and keeping them family healthy is at the top of my Christmas list! We’ve got Christmas concerts, family parties, service opportunities … no time to be sick!

After a less than ideal end to our Thanksgiving festivities (a puking two year old and six hour car ride home from Las Vegas), this mama declared war against germs and holiday sickies. Our family goes back to the basics when a family member gets sick in hopes the rest of us can avoid it!

Here’s our battle plan for the uninfected: fluids, rest, vitamins/supplements, and some extra love and care. Very similar to if you are already sick. Doesn’t hurt to give your immune system extra boosts! I’ll walk you through the low down!

Ways to support your immune system during the holidays!

Vitamins/Supplements

Have you heard of elderberries? It is our secret weapon this year! Some day I will be crunchy enough to make my own elderberry juice, but until then it is Amazon Prime to the rescue. This holiday season we are taking Vita Miracle Elderberry Gummies for immune support.  It has Vitamin C and Zinc with no artificial sweeteners or colors. Best part? They taste good! My kids ask to take to them. I love that I can get a discounted price with Subscribe and Save on Amazon, too!

Fluids

I revert back to tracking water when sickness hits.  It’s so easy to get dehydrated without realizing it. Plus, I want to be hydrated at my best if the flu hits me! I also order a bag of lemons (Smiths Grocery Pickup/Delivery to the rescue) to squeeze into my water. Gives me a little more Vitamin C and helps to detox any of the bad stuff!

Rest

Bring on the naps! You are less likely to get sick if you are well-rested. And if you do get sick – you will heal more quickly if you are getting enough sleep! I wash all our bedding (get rid of those germs, right?) and make up our beds as cozy as we can. And if the sickness includes vomit – that includes a throne of sheets and towels! Much easier to toss a layer in the washing machine than remake an entire bed.

Healthy, Healing Food and Grocery Pick Up

While we were making our long car ride back from Las Vegas and my two year old was thankfully sleeping, I was shopping on the Smith’s Grocery Pick Up App as fast as my fingers would go. Sometimes we do delivery, but since my husband was home, we selected pick up and had an arsenal of gatorade, pedialyte, saltines, oranges, probiotics, kefir, yogurt, bananas, applesauce, etc. awaiting us by the time we got home. Bless, bless, bless grocery pick up and delivery! It’s nice to be fully stocked up with supplies without spending an hour in the grocery store.

Humidifier

I run humidifiers in several rooms in our home when sickness hits. I’ll add oils like lavender and OnGuard to give immune support.

Thankfully, only my 2 year old was hit with this barf bug over Thanksgiving. Crossing my fingers that all of our immune system supporting habits will keep us feeling good during the holidays!

What are your family’s healthy tips for the holidays?

The post Keeping Healthy for the Holidays appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

A visit to the Mormon Battalion Historic Site is an absolute must for your trip to San Diego, California. After a whirlwind week of amusement parks, I know that my family is ready to move at a slower pace, but still have fun and be entertained.

The interpretive and interactive center commemorates what happened with the Mormon Battalion during the Mexican-American War. The visitors center was extensively renovated in 2010 including the addition of new technological enhancements that your kids will love. My mom had been to an early version of the center in the 1990s and she was beyond impressed with the updates!

Everyone from Grandma to my 7 year old son enjoyed the high-tech step back in time. There’s just enough entertainment value for your kids to not even realize that they are learning about history.

Volunteers dressed in period clothing take you from room to room or rather experience to experience! If your kids like the moving pictures in Harry Potter, they are going to like this exhibit! The characters in the pictures guide you through what life was like for several hundred Mormon volunteers who marched from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then on to California for a one-year United States Army enlistment. You get to hear the perspectives and stories from men, women, and children in the camp.

One of my favorite parts of the center was being able to discover our connections to the Mormon Battalion. We didn’t have any direct relations, but it was cool to discover some distant cousins like Lyman Stevens!

My kids love seeing how they are connected! It makes the experience come to life a little more for them.

At the revamped center, you can pan for gold, make bricks and wear replica period clothing. Authentic artifacts are on display, including muskets, bricks from the foundation of the Old Town courthouse and a cannon that the battalion rolled across the United States.

I loved that we ended our visit with time in the tower. The views were incredible!

The tower has binoculars and a map showing Old Town San Diego

I hope that this updated visitor’s center is taste of what all the similar centers will soon be. It reminded me some of the fun features at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City. We can’t wait to visit more historical sites!

What other historical museums and centers should be on our bucket list? What ones have you been to that you have enjoyed?

The post Family History Tourism: Visiting Mormon Battalion Historic Site in Old Town San Diego appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.