June 28, 2010

Genealogy

I've been researching my families genealogy recently and am happy to report I've found my great-great-great grandfather. And I think I may have even found up to 7 generations back, but until I can prove what I've found I'm only going with the 3 greats.

It's exciting to know where I come from. I don't know a lot about them yet because I'm just beginning the search, but it's fun going through all the records online. Of course, there's so much you can't find online that I'm starting to get stuck. Not to mention if I want copies of birth, death or marriage records I'll have to pay for them and that's not going to happen right now.

I'm thinking of putting all the info I find in a family history book for the family. I'm apparently in charge of the family reunion we'll be having for the first time in years, so I wanted to do something special for it. And this is just the thing. Gathering stories from all the family members and finding info on family that far back is going to add a lot to the project.

What about you? You know anything about your genealogy?

June 21, 2010

Rough Week

It's been a rough weekend. My uncle passed away on Wednesday morning & I left out Thursday morning for the 8 hour drive back home for the funeral. Before I left on Thursday, though, my husband's truck broke down & we had to take it to the shop to be fixed. That cost us a good $600.

The trip was good. The visitation & service were nice & I got to see all my family again. It seems like the only time we see each other any more is at a funeral. But that's about to change. I've been elected by the family to organize a family reunion for next year. Should be fun, though.

On the way home Saturday I got pulled over for speeding, costing me another $170. Only the ticket wasn't written for speeding, it was written for some city ordinance. Supposedly that's supposed to keep it off my record. I bet it costs more than a regular speeding ticket, too.

Then when I got home my husband told me the repairman who came to fix the intake line on our A/C unit says that we need to contact FEMA because we've had standing water in the ductwork and there's mud in the intake line due to the flood in May. Great. We've been living in a contaminated house for 2 months. No wonder my cough won't go away.

Yep. I'd say it's been a rough week.

June 16, 2010

Good-bye Uncle Bart

Though time seems short and hearts do grieve
The loss of one we love.
And though we mourn and wish him here
He's now with God above.

Fear not this loss, hold back your tears
He sits at Jesus' feet.
Some day, dear ones, when time has passed
Again his soul we'll greet.

For now, take heed, bring forth a smile
Remember all times past.
He watches us from high above
And rests in peace at last.

June 02, 2010

Back to Reality

I had an awesome time visiting family in Seattle (actually, they live outside Olympia) over the Memorial Day weekend. We got there on Friday afternoon, visited awhile, then went to dinner at Ramblin Jack's. Good food, good company...who could ask for more?

Well, it gets better. On Saturday, my sister-in-law & I went shopping, bought a few cute things for myself and had a great time. Then we went back to the house, gathered up the menfolk & went to the shooting range set up on their property. They had several different guns & we had fun handling those. I shot a 45 pistol (and actually hit the target twice...lol) and a 30-30 (sorry, no hits with that one...I am soooo not coordinated...lol). But the most fun was working the Trebuchet. My brother-in-law built one and loves to fool around with it. That was pretty cool. After that we had a cook-out along with some of my brother-in-law's family. Good people and lots of fun. I was worn out by midnight!

Sunday we all got up and dressed and went to pick up my mother-in-law, then went to Tacoma to the Glass Museum. It was so awesome to sit in the Hot Shop & watch the artists blow glass. They were creating a 5 ft tall "flip" cup. The museum was showing some awesome pieces, including some designed by kids which the artist turned into masterpieces. I loved it!

Then on to the Melting Pot for a 3 hour meal. That was really fun & a definite experience if you've never done it before. I'd love to go to the one here in Nashville sometime.

But the real experience came on Monday. Our flight was scheduled to leave around 11:30 am so we got to the airport around 10 or so. That's when the fun began. There were thunderstorms in Chicago where our connecting flight was & everthing was grounded going in or flying out. We left Seattle around 1pm & got to Chicago around 6:30pm. Our next flight was originally scheduled to leave about that time but was delayed until 8pm...at the gate on the far end of the airport.

Luckily we had plenty of time so we didn't have to hurry. We stopped for a bite to eat once we found where we were supposed to go, then relaxed a bit, hoping our flight would take off when they said it would. And of course that didn't happen. I looked at the board again to check things and they'd changed the flight to leave at 10pm...back on the other end of the airport.

We gathered our things and moved back to where we'd come in originally & waited for 10 to come around. It came around...then passed us by. The flight kept getting delayed. Actually, we had a plane, but no crew to fly it. They were on another delayed flight that wouldn't come in til 1am so we were told we'd leave about 1:30am. Around 1 they let us know that the pilots had made it in, but were back in the middle of the airport...we had to move again. We finally boarded & left Chicago around 2am & got home to Nashville around 4. Needless to say I didn't go to work as I'd planned & spent all day Tuesday relaxing & sleeping.

But all-in-all it was an awesome weekend! And I can't wait to do it again sometime!