The following text conversation took place this morning.  For reals.

Mom: Why did you come home during class today?

Son: I had to grab something.

Mom: A little more info please?

Son: I forgot underwear this morning so I asked my teacher if I could leave for a few minutes and he said that’s fine as long as I hurry.

Mom: How do you FORGET underwear???

Son: I switched pants and left my underwear rolled up in the pocket of the pants on my bed.

Mom: Sorry, but that still doesn’t really clear anything up…..

Given that I have three teenage sons, there will likely be many more conversations like this. I’ll be sure to keep you updated.

I’ve always loved to go to the top floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (the old Hotel Utah) and look out the glass windows at the views.  To the East, you have the lights of the avenues as they wind through the foothills and up the mountain side.  On the West is a breathtaking view of the city and the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

With such an up-close view of the temple you begin to comprehend not just the majesty of the building but what a massive undertaking it was for the early saints who settled the Salt Lake Valley. There are numerous accounts of the hardships faced and sacrifices made during the building of the temple.  There are tales of the difficulty involved in bringing the huge blocks of stone, (quartz monzonite, similar to granite) 20 miles by wagon, from the quarries southeast of the city in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

We see the finished product, but how often do we think of those who sacrificed so much during the 40 year construction period?  History fascinates me.  But it’s not so much the dates I love to learn as it is the stories.  I’m interested in learning about the ins and outs of daily life for those who came before me.  I believe I will meet them some day and I want to know them. Really know them.

When I took the photo above, I was at a dinner for the RootsTech genealogy conference in Salt Lake City.  Family Search held a “Media Event” for invited bloggers and other media people who would be attending the conference.  They shared some exciting news that will help a lot of people searching for information about their ancestors.  The 1940 Census is being released on April 2, 2012.  The cool thing about this record is that most of us KNOW someone who is in that census!  My grandparents are in it.  My husband’s grandparents are in it.

Family Search is looking for 150,000 people to help “index” the names written on those census papers. Indexing the records makes them searchable and available to everyone who needs them. Don’t be scared. Indexing is easy. You don’t even have to do any research.  In fact, I taught my teenage sons how to do it last Sunday afternoon. One of them has already indexed 162 names!

It’s a Worldwide Service Project. And you can help!

Please go to www.The1940Census.com and sign up.

Then, leave me a comment so I can give you a virtual high-five!

 Blogging has brought me some pretty cool opportunities and another one is coming up next week.  I am heading to Roots Tech :Family History & Technology Conference.  I attended last year as a media person and spent a lot of time in the vendor area so I didn’t get to attend many classes.  This year I will be going as an official blogger! Call me a geek, but I’m excited!  I love the technology part of it, and I’ve recently caught the family history bug.  I’m fairly clueless about most of it, but I’m eager to learn.    I’ve looked through the schedule of classes and found at least 2 every hour that I want to attend.  I need a clone.

Video Transfer Machine displayed at RootsTech '11

The conference is designed to bring technologists together with genealogists so they can learn from each other and find solutions to the challenges faced in family history research today.  Most of the presenters and vendors focus on technology so this is right up my alley! I’ve blogged for 4 years now and I love to look back at old posts, especially the ones that have photos.  I need to be better at blogging family stuff.  Have you noticed the new Facebook timeline?  It actually tells a story.  You can add past events and customize your cover image.  When you document things on Facebook, you are recording your history!  It’s amazing the way technology has changed.  I think the Lord puts things in our path at the precise time and place when we are ready to use them for the purpose he designed.

If RootsTech sounds like something you’d be interested in you should check it out!  It’s Feb 2-4 at the Salt Palace Expo Center.  You can register for the full conference, or the Expo Hall is open to the public.  It is full of demos, products, games, a mini-lab and refreshments.  Don’t be scared that it’ll be too advanced or complicated. There are people from everywhere in the world and every stage of learning about family history in attendance.  Last year I saw people who had organized all their research on their laptop and I saw people who had binders full of papers where they organized everything.  There’s not just ONE way to do family history.

Family History is not just about names and dates.  I remember seeing indexing sheets at my Grandma Mac’s house when I was little.  She spent hours and hours indexing as well as searching for family.  I imagined when she died, that all of the people she helped do family history work for were waiting to greet her and thank her for helping their families.  It would have been quite a crowd!  Since most of my mom’s side of the family history is moving along, my mom and sister have been working on my dad’s side.  Names and dates can be elusive, but once you find them and learn about the person behind them, the stories are fascinating.   My kids love to hear stories that have been passed down and shared for decades.  By sharing these stories, we take a name and date and make it a real person.  No matter how much you might love research….people don’t fall in love with the dates, they fall in love with the stories.

Do you have a favorite story about your ancestors?

As an Official RootsTech Blogger I was given a full conference pass.  All opinions and experiences are my own.

It seems like I can never get anything done. Oh, I start LOTS of things but it takes every ounce of willpower for me to finish it without detouring to something else. This morning was a good example of why. May be you can relate?

Here’s my day so far:
Wake up
Get kids up
Get them off to school
Shower & get ready
Volunteer at school
Sign field trip form so I don’t have to do it later
Hit up McD’s for $1 diet coke & $1 McDouble (no onions please)
Bank
Library
Home!
Now it’s time to work, right?
But first I need to write the field trip on the family calendar. But the pencil is dull, so I have to take it to the office and sharpen it.
Walk into my office (diet coke in hand) to sharpen pencil.
Start clearing off my desk
Notice 2 boxes on the floor that need putting away
Open one of the boxes (BIG mistake)
Sort Boxes
File some things from boxes
Egads! My files are a mess
Begin organizing file drawer
Throw out LOTS of old stuff
Re-categorize other stuff
Lots of empty file folders. Yay!
Sort file folders into two piles 1. Folders for me to use. 2. Folders to be used by my children.
Notice the pile of paper clips from the papers I trashed. I can’t throw paper clips away. (It’s an illness.)
Sort paperclips by style and size, then open top desk drawer to put them away.
Oh this drawer needs some attention.
Organize drawer. Oh, THAT’s where all my pens went.
Time to check email.
Click on email from Hootsuite. My card has expired and I owe them $5.
Go find my purse and my new card.
Update the info for HootSuite and make payment. Decide to check Twitter. (Major time sucker here.)
Catch up on tweets. Click on some photo attachments. Cute!
Back to email *sigh*
It’s 1:00pm and I haven’t done a lick of work.
……look! Something shiny!

P.S. While I was typing this, my oldest came in and asked me for a file folder. What’d I tell ya!?  Go me!

Back in September I attended a multi-stake fireside where Sister Julie B Beck, General Relief Society President, was the speaker. It was wonderful to be in her presence and listen to the counsel she shared. I didn’t get to meet her or even shake her hand but as she spoke I felt the spirit and I felt the love she has for the sisters in the gospel.

Fast forward a few months to December 2011.  I am part of a blog network that includes MormonMommyBlogs.com and through this network I’ve been invited to a meeting where 4 women bloggers have the opportunity to be the voice of millions as we visit with Sister Beck.  We will be discussing the issues facing women in the church as well as the myths surrounding women and their role in the gospel and in family.  As the date gets closer and I read some of the questions people are submitting I have experienced many different feelings. Nervous, excited, burdened, inadequate, empathetic, sad, worried,  humbled & prayerful. It is an amazing opportunity and I don’t think I will ever be prepared enough, but I’m doing my best and that’s all I can do.

There has been a lot of discussion already, but I would like to give you, my readers the opportunity to add your two cents.

• What are some things you think the world doesn’t understand about Latter Day Saint Women?
• What question would you ask Sister Beck if given the opportunity?

I value your input and look forward to your suggestions.

“Who” is ready for Christmas?   {print it}

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. {print it}

Spreading holiday cheer with a FREE Christmas printable for you!